Excuses, Excuses. . .

I know what some of my more faithful readers may have been thinking. . .
"What happened to John Hoptak?"
"Has he stopped blogging? He's only updated his site once over the past week. . ."
"I'm getting tired of looking at pictures of him reading different books about the Crater."


Well, it's true. I've only updated this site with one new post since last week, but there is a very simple reason why: I haven't been home.
These past few days have been a whirlwind. . .

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Let's start with Sunday, May 18. . .
I went into work as usual but was a little preoccupied. I kept looking forward to that night, when my buddy, Ranger Alann Schmidt and I would be rockin'-n-rollin'. Last fall, Alann called me at home and said something I thought I'd never hear: Van Halen is back on tour and they'll be playing in Hershey. And it wasn't just any old tour. . .it was a reunion tour, with the band reunited with original frontman David Lee Roth. He got tickets but after the show was postponed twice, I began to think the show wouldn't happen.
The concert was pushed back to May 18. . .Leaving work, I traveled up to Carlisle where I met Alann. After a quick bite to eat, we hopped in the car and drove to the Giant Center in Hershey. Because the show was already postponed twice, and because the Giant Center is a relatively small venue, we both refused to get our hopes up. We kept thinking it was going to be cancelled. We weren't going to believe that we were actually going to see Van Halen until they actually stepped on stage. Then, at 8:00 p.m., Eddie, Alex, and Diamond Dave stepped on stage and began what was two and a half hours of pure rock. In Alann's words, it was "surreal." Both of us just sat there grinning as the band broke into one classic after the after. . .

David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen reunited and on stage. . .

When the show ended at 11:00, we couldn't believe what we just saw. We still can't.

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Monday, May 19. . . .

By the time I got back to Gettysburg, it was nearly 1:00 a.m., Monday morning. With my head buzzing, I fell asleep only to wake up five hours later and once again hit the road. This time my wife and I were heading to Bethlehem and the campus of Lehigh University for my sister's graduation ceremony. A two and a half hour drive brought us to the Goodman Football Field, just in time for the commencement to begin.

I could not have been more proud as I watched my sister Angie--eighteen months older than me--walk in to the music of Pomp and Circumstance. After years of hard work, Angie received her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology.

My sister Angie. . .the Dr.!

Laura and I spent the day with our families and hit the road late that evening, arriving back in Gettysburg around 11:00 p.m. As I hit the hay, I knew there was still some more fun (and more travel) ahead the following day. . .

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Tuesday, May 20. . . .

At work on Sunday, Ranger Brian Baracz--out of nowhere--suggested that we head on down to see a Nationals game at the new ballfield in Washington. Tickets were cheap so I agreed. Besides, I haven't been to a major league game in years. I met Rangers Baracz and Schmidt in Frederick, my ears finally recovered from Sunday night's show. We then headed down to Shady Grove where we picked up the Metro, which we rode right into the ballpark. . .

Rangers Baracz and Schmidt. . .

We had EXCELLENT seats: front row, left field, right next to the foul pole. . .

We were each expecting to grab some home run shots. . .but then it dawned on us. This was the Nationals we were seeing. . .playing the Phillies. For 8 innings, nothing but goose eggs on the scoreboard. . .and not a single ball hit our way. As Ranger Baracz said, we didn't need gloves since the Nationals didn't hit a single ball out of the infield. Oh well, it was still a lot of fun. And there was some history there as well. . .

Here come the Nationals' mascots. . .Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington. Apparently, during every home guy, these guys race around the warning track. Last night, George Washington won while Roosevelt came in a distant fourth. It was a fun night, the weather was perfect, and the stadium was pretty cool. You can even get a great view of the Capitol from the upper deck. . .

The game ended with a Phillies' win (1-0) around 10:00 o'clock. There was a little hiccup in the Metro on our way home, with a train breaking down and another behind schedule, so we didn't get back to Shady Grove until after 11:00. . .Then the drive back to Frederick and, for me, the rest of the way to Gettysburg. Once again, it was nearly 1:00 a.m. by the time I got home. I hit the hay, feeling pretty good that the morrow would be a much welcomed day off. I could sleep in and try to recover from the whirlwind that was my past four days.

After just a little bit more R and R, I'll be back posting. . .and much more regularly than this past week.

The Stuff of Fiction. . .?

The digging of the Petersburg Mine and the resulting fiasco at the battle of the Crater easily ranks among the most fascinating--and incredible--events of the American Civil War. It was also among the saddest. Ulysses Grant said as much, declaring the Crater "the saddest affair" he had witnessed during the entire war. "Such an opportunity for carrying fortifications," Grant continued, "I have never seen and do not expect again to have."

And I'm just not saying this because of the whole 48th Pennsylvania thing.

Even the best Hollywood screen writers would be hard pressed to conjure up a more compelling story. Two bloodied and bruised armies settling in for a siege, warily staring at each other across just several hundred yards. . .the 9th Corps occupying the most advanced Union trenches. Oh, and it just so happened that in the 9th Corps was a regiment of troops containing a good number of coal miners, and its commander a mining engineer. With little support and with no help from the army's top brass or so-called engineering experts, the troops dig the longest tunnel up to that point in all of military history, some 500 feet in length, plus two lateral galleries, which they packed with 8,000 pounds of powder. The subsequent explosion created a massive hole in the Confederate lines....210 feet wide, 30 feet deep, and 60 feet wide.

The rest. . .as they say. . .is history.

Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks the whole mine/crater thing is so interesting. Over the years, there has developed a little cottage industry in works of historical fiction that all revolve around the 48th digging that mine. . .oh, and who can forget the 48th's "cameo" at the beginning of Cold Mountain?

Several weeks back, friend and Antietam Tour Guide Bill Sagle gave me a copy of Glory Enough Of All~The Battle of the Crater: A Novel of the Civil War. It was a quick read and I did enjoy it, although the only real 48th soldier author Duane Schultz wrote about was Henry Pleasants. . .



In addition to Schultz's book is Richard Slotkin's novel, simply titled The Crater. I, too, read it and enjoyed it. . .

While these two books are worth reading to anyone interested in the 48th or to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, there are two others, which I believe to be far more interesting--and accurate. These works--The Tragedy of the Crater and Inferno at Petersburg--were published respectively in 1938 and 1961, and both were co-authored by Henry Pleasants, Jr.

No, he wasn't the colonel's son, but a much younger cousin.

I have longed been troubled in classifying these two works as "fiction." In the introduction to Tragedy, Pleasants, Jr., wrote that he based everything off of personal papers and miscellaneous documents that were in the family's personal collection. Most importantly, and most troubling, the author also wrote that some of the material and quotations he used came directly from the mouth of his cousin--the man who masterminded the whole thing.

As a student of the 48th, I want to believe Henry Pleasants, Jr., and take him at his word. . .he has some great stuff in both these books, especially reactions from Pleasants and the troops who tunneled. But as a historian, I am having a tough time recognizing these works as solid, primary evidence, or, in other words, as FACT. Can I base conclusions off of hearsay? Most in the field of history would say an unequivocal "NO," but, then again, who is to say that the conversations between Pleasants and his cousin (the author) did not take place, and who is to say that those letters and documents did not exist? Perhaps they still do. . .in some attic or in a shoebox in a closet somewhere.

At the risk of sounding unprofessional, I am inclined to accept the accounts in Pleasants, Jr.'s works. . .but with qualification. At least until those documents resurface.

Spring Cleaning. . .

(Spring "Organizing" is more like it. . .)

This past weekend was an especially wet one here in Gettysburg. So with the rain falling and all hopes for a few pleasant battlefield soirees dashed, I thought I'd make the best of it and spend some quality time with my mountains of 48th PA notes/files/et cetera.

What you are looking at is more than 15 years of research and note-gathering, currently filling up three bookshelves. And all of it pertains to just one single regiment. Buried within this mountain of paper are copies of the 48th's muster & descriptive rolls, transcriptions of soldiers' letters and diaries, folders on the soldiers' burial sites, assorted newspaper clippings, and just notebook after notebook of, well, notes. I even think I have a hand-copied transcription of the entire 1860 census records for Schuylkill County somewhere in there.

Laura, my wife, sometimes thinks I'm nuts. And no doubt some of you will now agree with her. She collects--and sells-- baskets, which are admittedly more aesthetic than those plastic green, blue, and white notebooks, and certainly more eye-pleasing than those over-stuffed red and blue file folders. As you can see though, we have learned to co-exist.

I spent several hours going through and organizing all these papers, taking to heart the message embroidered on one of my wife's decorative hand towels, which can be seen draped over the large basket on the upper left shelf. Here's a close-up:

And although it still has the appearance of simply a messy pile of papers, I am very happy that I have everything organized and in its place.

Now all I need to do is make time to dive right in and work on some of those article and book projects that have been on the back burner for so long!

Anyone up for a social portrait of the 48th Pennsylvania in book form, or a biography of James Nagle. . . ? How about a closer look at those soldiers who actually did the digging of the Petersburg Mine?

Choosing Sides & The Question of Historical Objectivity

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"So, what side are you on?"

It's a question I get asked frequently at the park. Just the other day, after my afternoon Orientation Talk, a young man--maybe twelve or so years old-and his father sat down on the benches across from the front desk. The two had been at my program, and I can tell that they had questions. . .well at least the father did. From the corner of my eye, I could see the man urging his son to come over and ask me something. Finally, and with a little reservation, the young man came over and asked: "What side are you on? North or South?"

Being asked this question many a time, I was ready with my standard reply. With a little lightheartedness I said, "Well, the war has been over for a long time and I don't have a side." Rarely does this answer satisfy the visitor. In this case, the father came over and followed up his--or, rather his son's query-- "We heard your presentation and it was very good, but it seems to me you're a Yankee." A little more lightheartedness follows with me saying, "Well, I am from Pennsylvania." But then I am always quick to point out that it is not my job to "choose sides."

As a ranger and as a historian, my job is to remain as objective as possible; to interpret the events leading up to the battle, the battle itself, and, most importantly, to stress why it is we should remember the battle.

I am not there to condemn or celebrate, just to explain and, perhaps, help commemorate.

I have always strived to present a balanced, objective view of both the war and the battle. To this end, I point out some of the more questionable decisions made by the commanders of both armies, which, unfortunately, sometimes get misconstrued as criticism. Knowing this, I will sometime deliver a bit of a disclaimer in my programs, stating: "It's much easier for me, with 140+ years of hindsight, to fight this battle than it was for either McClellan or Lee," or "This is simply my interpretation of the battle." Still, I hear some criticisms. . . "You were much too easy on McClellan. If I were Lincoln I would have had him shot!"

More typically, however, it is my interpretation of Lee's motivations and decisions that garner the most criticism. In my programs I do, indeed, argue that the battle was a decisive Union victory and a significant loss for the Confederacy. If not in the tactical sense, then in the larger, more strategic picture of the war. Lee's decision to fight at Antietam, with his army backed up against the Potomac, outnumbered two to one, and with no real possibility of achieving his objectives for the campaign following the battle of South Mountain, has been brought into question. And not just by modern historians of the battle, but some of Lee's own troops as well. In my summary of the battle, I invariably mention Confederate artillerist E.P. Alexander's comment that fighting at Antietam was one of the two greatest mistakes Lee made during the war. (The other was his attack on the third day at Gettysburg). . .that it was a battle that should never have been fought. To some, questioning the generalship of Robert E. Lee is simply taboo. As the kids say, you just don't go there. So when I mention that Lee was very lucky he did not meet with sheer destruction, or even when I state that Lee "retreated" on the night of September 18, I raise some eyebrows and hear some grumblings. "Lee did not retreat, sir, he made a strategic withdrawal," or, "There was no way Lee could have lost to McClellan," are just some of the comments I receive. In my defense, I will state my opinion that McClellan was neither the incompetent general nor the great villain he is often made out to be, and that Lee sometimes did make grave mistakes. But then I will usually follow it up with, "There is still a lot of debate. That's what makes history so interesting."

In the end, it comes down to the great question historians have been asking for centuries: Is it possible to be truly objective in our interpretation of the past? With our own individual backgrounds, upbringing and education, biases and prejudices, I will say the answer to that question is no. However, with that being said, I think it is possible that we strive as much as possible toward objectivity. And because of this, I do not "choose sides." I simply explain the battle as best--and as balanced--as I can, and help visitors understand the reasons why it is so important that we learn about and remember the battle.

". . .that regiment of coal miners. . ."

Is there any other Civil War regiment--North or South--so closely associated with an occupation than the 48th Pennsylvania Infantry?

Whenever the 48th is brought up in discussion or mentioned in books, invariably comes the phrase: "that regiment of coal miners." The regiment was recruited almost exclusively out of Schuylkill County, in east-central Pennsylvania. During the three decades preceding the Civil War, Schuylkill alone provided one-half the entire nation's total tonnage of anthracite coal so it only makes sense that a good number of soldiers in the 48th eked out a living underground. However, the 48th was not the only unit recruited out of Schuylkill County. During the four-year conflict, thousands of county men donned the Union blue, with only 20-25% of these serving in the 48th. There were other companies and other regiments as well, such as 96th Pennsylvania and the 129th and the 7th PA Cavalry and so on. The ranks of these units also contained a good number of coal miners, but I have yet to read a description of these regiments as "that regiment of coal miners." But then again, these regiments did not tunnel under the Confederate lines at Petersburg. That was the 48th PA, and the 48th PA alone. Hence the description. . .

Schuylkill County Map

I was organizing some of my files yesterday and came across a breakdown of the soldiers' occupations, and thought I'd share.

So, the question is this: Exactly how many soldiers in the 48th were actually coal miners?

After examining the muster & descriptive rolls, I counted. . .are you ready?. . .a total of 244 soldiers whose occupation was listed as miner. Yep, just 244. Out of the 1,860 men who served in the regiment during the war, this number represented just 13% of the regiment. "Laborers" constituted the highest percentage of any one occupation in the regiment at 35%, while "Students" was next at 14%.

This low number--and low percentage--of miners is surprising at first glance, but it must be remembered that a good number of those listed as "Laborers" no doubt labored at coal mines. . not underground, but above it, in a host of various coal-related positions. There was also a good number of Mine Superintendents and especially Mining Engineers in the ranks. . .take Colonels Henry Pleasants (the mastermind of the Petersburg Mine) and George W. Gowen, for instance. So, in the end, it is impossible to state with certainty how many soldiers of the regiment were actually employed at the mines, but it is still interesting to note that only 244, 13%, were miners.

There were a number of soldiers with rather unusual vocations in the regiment as well. James Nagle, the man who organized the regiment, for example, was a wallpaper hanger and house painter, while Private John Hoover was an umbrella maker. There was also a jeweller, several tobacconists, watchmakers, a horse jockey, and one fellow who listed his job as "Ragman." Surprisingly, in a regiment in which five of the ten companies were recruited out of Pottsville--the home of Yuengling beer since 1829--I found only one brewer and one bartender. Oh well, I guess someone had to make the beer for the troops. . .

The 48th Pennsylvania at The Wilderness & Spotsylvania: Part 1

The Battle of Spotsylvania

This week marks the 144th anniversary of the commencement of the so-called Overland Campaign. . .six weeks of unprecedented and unrelenting combat that began with the confused and chaotic fighting in the Wilderness, continued with the savage blood-letting at Spotsylvania and Cold Harbor, and concluded with the fierce combat at Petersburg. I've long considered this month and a half to be the darkest, so to speak, of the entire war. . .at least in the East. The casualty count for both sides was unimaginable.

On May 3, 1864, the Army of the Potomac began the campaign when its advance elements crossed the Rapidan River in a campaign that initially sought the capture of Richmond, but quickly turned to the destruction of Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.

All my posts this week will focus on the role played the 48th Pennsylvania during the first week and a half of May 1864. The following posts provide soldier accounts of the battle as well as letters home, with the final post being a list of the regiment's casualties sustained at the Wilderness and Spotsylvania. Throughout these engagements, the regiment was attached to the First Brigade/Second Division/Ninth Army Corps.

The 48th Pennsylvania at The Wilderness & Spotsylvania: Part 2: Accounts of Battle. . .

The following accounts of the battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania were authored by soldiers in the 48th Pennsylvania:

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(1). Captain Joseph Hoskings, Company F:

After crossing the Rapidan, a detail of 200 men was made and put under my command; Lieut. Pollock, of C, and Lieut. Eveland, of A; Sergeant Al Huckey, of Company A, with a full complement of non-commissioned officers. The names of all but a few have escaped my memory. I recall Bob Reid and Clay Evans, Sandy Govan, David Thiel and Adam Hendley. We left the regiment and moved to our right, and in a very short time came into contact with a line of the enemy’s skirmishers; they gave us a volley and their peculiar yell, expecting to start us on the back track; but, instead, we advanced and drove them out of the woods; and, on reaching the open field, we came to a halt. The enemy fell back to a rail fence, some fifty yards to our front, and there we held them until relieved by a Michigan regiment. We then moved to the rear and buried David Thiel, who had been killed in the advance. We then joined the main body of the regiment. Heavy firing was in progress all day, and on the 6th, the 9th Corps, to which we belonged, was engaged almost the entire day in the Wilderness fight, under infantry fire, losing heavily.

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(2). Sergeant Robert A. Reid, Company G:

It was a very foggy morning when Captain McKibben of General Potter’s staff ordered Col. Pleasants to follow him with the 48th, and it will be remembered that McKibben rode a very dilapidated plug of a horse that day, but he rode right to the front, leaning forward on his horse, as he led us up the hill, until he had us under fire, when we formed line of battle behind the brow of the hill, directly in our front, and our position did not suit our Colonel. We moved forward past the right of the advanced regiment until we got about half way between it and the enemy, which proved to be the 13th Georgia. Before we commenced firing about twenty of the rebel troops came in and surrendered. When within about seventy-five yards of the enemy we were ordered to halt, and commence firing, when for a short time the engagement was very lively. The enemy were at a decided disadvantage, they being down the slope of the hill, we at the top. About the time we opened fire another, or part of a rebel regiment, came to their support. We hammered away at them until some one from the center of the regiment called out that they wanted to surrender, but Col. Pleasants ordered us to continue firing, which we did until the rebels threw down their arms and came in a body. We captured fully two hundred prisoners. They left one colonel, three line officers and seventy-five men killed, and a large number of wounded on the field. . . .

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(3). Sergeant Joseph Gould, Company F:

Our position was on the top of a hill, in front of us was an open field and swamp, through which ran a small creek, and, beyond, another hill, where the rebels had erected a strong line of rifle-pits. On our left was a thick wood extending beyond the swamp to the line of the enemy. As the fog rose, a regiment of rebels was discovered occupying a pit formed by the banks of the creek. The left of the brigade was thrown forward into the woods, cutting off their retreat, except by the open field up the hill in front of our works, which, if attempted, would be certain destruction. A desperate effort was made to drive us out of our position, but it was steadily maintained under a destructive fire of musketry and artillery. During the attempt the regiment captured two hundred prisoners of Gordon’s division. Along in the afternoon the troops made another assault on the rebel line. The regiment charged forward to the swamp, but discovered it was unsupported. It moved then by the left flank into the woods under a galling fire; and, later, reached its former position. . . .

Our regiment suffered very severely in this fight, and the writer paid a visit to the field hospital to look after some friends, and , while there, came across some of his own company, one, named Lewis Woods, a great, big, noble-hearted fellow, from the northern part of the State, who now lay in a cow stable with his brains oozing from a ghastly bullet hole in his head. As I took the gallant fellow’s hand and asked him if he recognized me, his only reply was a smile, and my mind went back to the trip on the steamer from Newport News to Baltimore, when, as he lay asleep on the deck, in a moment of boyish deviltry, I clipped one-half his mustache completely off. What I would have given at that moment if I had never been guilty of this mischievous act! I had heard of people being shot to pieces, but never saw it until at this hospital. Just outside the fence surrounding the house a battery of artillery was stationed, and one of the artillerymen lay there torn from limb to limb, and the sight was a sickening one to those passing by.

The 48th Pennsylvania at The Wilderness & Spotsylvania: Part 3: Letters Home. . .

The following are letters written by members of the 48th Pennsylvania following the battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania. . .

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(1). William G. Auman, of Company G, wrote this letter to Pottsville's Miners' Journal on May 15, while still in the trenches near Spotsylvania:

“This is the tenth day of the fighting, and from present appearances it will last for some days yet. The 48th has been under fire for seven days, and were severely engaged twice. At the Battle of the Wilderness, we were engaged and lost three killed and twelve wounded. On the 12th, we had a hard fight on the ground we now occupy. Our regiment was in the thickest of the fight and lost heavily. Lieut. Henry Jackson was killed beside me. He was struck in the neck by a rifle ball. I helped to carry him out. He died while we were carrying him to the hospital. When he was struck he fell against me. I asked him where he was hit; he whispered, “I don’t know,” and then his head fell to one side, and I saw that he was dying. He never spoke again. The loss in the regiment was one hundred and thirty-seven killed, wounded, and missing.
We drove the enemy a mile, when we met the 13th Georgia Regiment. We completely annihilated that regiment, taking many prisoners and killing and wounding nearly all the rest. We then charged on the rebel works, but not being supported by the regiment on our right, and being exposed to a terrible cross fire from the lines of rifle pits and a battery, and were compelled to retire to the left into a wood. Here the left of the regiment was run close to the enemy’s earthworks, and a number of our men were shot. We fell back, formed line, and took position on the same ground we were on before we charged. Here we put up breastworks and have been fighting ever since. While I am writing, the bullets are whistling over my head, but as long as we do not expose ourselves, we are quite safe.”

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(2). Lieutenant Curtis Clay Pollock, Company G, wrote this letter to his mother Emily in Pottsville on May 16, 1864:

In the Rifle Pits near
Spottsylvania CH
May 16th 1864

My Dear Ma

We have just been told that a mail would leave today, and though I have written but yesterday I will write you a few lines to day for fear that the letter should not reach you. Lt. Jackson was killed on the 12th he was lieing quite near me when he was shot and was hit in the neck just above the collar bone he did not live more than 15 minutes after being hit. I had him carried out immediately and he was afterwards buried by Wm. Atkinson who took all his things. We are lieing here holding our position. I would like to know what Grant is going to do. It has been raining for the last five days and the roads are in a very bad condition. perhaps that has something to do with our being here so quietly. On the 12th the 2nd Corps captured 8000 prisoners and 40 pieces of Artillery and 39 stands of Colors. They surprised the Rebels before they were awake and walked right over them. I saw Capt. Mintzer from Pottstown on Saturday he came around to see me but had no news. Everything that is going on is kept very quiet. We have heard the rumor of the capture of Richmond but do not know whether to believe it. We have also heard of Shermans success in Georgia. We have been lieing in the same position for the last five days although the positions of some of the other troops have been changed. I will write you every opportunity.
With much love I remain
Your affect Son
C.C.P.

Co. G lost 2 killed and 9 wounded in the fight of the 12 and on the 6th we had 2 wounded, and on the 11th one was wounded by a chance shot. Capt. B[osbyshell] is with Col Sigfried in the Negro Brigade. Col. is commanding the Brigade and Capt. is Asst. Adjt. Gen. Wm. Williams was the other man killed. None of the men you know are hurt. John Hodgson is all right and I do not know of any in the Regt. being hurt that you know. Dick Jones was grazed with a ball but not of much account. He has gone to Washington. We are very strongly entrenched here and so are the Rebs. and when a break is made some one will have to suffer. Our rations have been rather short to day on account of the roads. The wagons not being able to get up.
I believe there is nothing more to tell you
Your affec Son
C.C.P.
There were 136 killed and 1 wounded in the Regt. since fight began.

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(3). In response to her son's letter, Emily Pollock wrote the following:

Pottsville
May 21 1864

My Dear Son,

We were very much pleased yesterday to receive a letter from you giving an account of your later movements and losses. We all regretted to hear Jackson’s death but are very thankful that you sustained no injury. After every battle always try and let us know who are killed and wounded. It is a great satisfaction to the friends here. Capt. B[osbyshell] always did it, and Mrs. Hutten came up to us and wanted to know if we had heard particulars from you. I am sorry you have lost Capt B and if I was him I would not fancy being in the Negro Brigade. I expect you will have some severe fighting yet—but somewhere there is an over-ruling Providence who can protect you as well on the Battlefield as at home. Trust in Him always and may you be ever enabled to do your duty as a soldiers and a Christian. Do not be rash, however. I trust you may never fall into their hands a prisoner. It seems to me, the vengeance of Heaven will surely overtake and fall heavily upon those wretched for their treatment of our poor prisoners. No savages could be more brutal than they have been, for what can be worse than a slow death by starvation.

I remain your Affec Mother

E.C.P.

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(4). Colonel Henry Pleasants, commanding the 48th Pennsylvania, wrote this letter to the Miners' Journal on May 15, 1864:

“. . . .In the Battle of the Wilderness the regiment was hotly engaged on the 6th, and skirmished in the front on the 7th. On the 6th, 350 men, including nearly all the veterans, skirmished all day on the right, and the rest of the regiment moved with the main portion of the 9th Corps, and were hotly engaged in the center. The rebel army having fallen back, the 9th Corps was moved to Chancellorsville on the 8th. The 48th was not again engaged until the 12th, when our division advanced toward Spotsylvania on the evening of the 11th, but the battle was not begun until the morning of the 12th. We fought all day, and our regiment having caught three Georgia regiments in a little hollow, with rising ground behind them, which prevented them from retreating, completely annihilated them. We took over two hundred prisoners. One squad of them, which I sent to the rear under Lieut. Owen, amounted to forty-eight. Afterwards all the troops of the division were ordered to charge, and the 48th advanced in excellent style through an open, marshy ground under heavy fire, but the troops on both flanks giving way, the regiment was moved by the left flank into a ravine in the woods and shielded from the destructive fire of the enemy. Our loss has been heavy, but the 48th has behaved well, and in the action of the 12th, owing to our position on the brow of the hill, five reels were killed, wounded, or taken prisoner for every man lost by us. Since the 12th, a few men have been wounded by sharpshooters and we still remain on the front line. We have to mourn the loss of many brave men, and one of the best and bravest of officers is Lieutenant Henry Jackson.”

The 48th Pennsylvania at The Wilderness & Spotsylvania: Part 4: A Premonition of Death. . .

Sergeant William J. Wells, of Company F, wrote of the following incident that occurred before the regiment went into action at Spotsylvania:

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“In this fight I was one of the Color Guard of the regiment. Comrade John Morrisey, of my company, came to me just before our charge across the swamp and bade me ‘good-bye.’ I chided him, and tried to cheer him; then suggested that he remain out of the fight, which we all felt to be at hand. He indignantly refused, and said: 'I have never yet shirked my duty, and will not do it now. After I’m dead, write to my sister, Mary, and tell her I died facing the enemy.' Just then the bugle sounded the advance. He ran to his company, and, immediately fell, shot through the forehead. After returning to our position, subsequent to the charge, we dug a hole with the bayonet; wrapped him in his blanket and buried him. Then, upon a piece of cracker-box, we wrote, with a charred stick, his name, company and regiment. While lying in the hospital at Chestnut Hill, Pa., his sister, finding my name among the new arrivals, visited me, and I delivered his dying message to her. She was a poor servant girl in the City of Philadelphia, but I shall never forget her distress.”

The 48th Pennsylvania at the Wilderness & Spotsylvania: Part 5: The Casualties

The 48th Pennsylvania suffered severe losses at the Wilderness and especially at Spotsylvania, with 18 killed in action, 101 wounded, and 12 listed among the missing in action. Dozens of those wounded would succumb to their wounds, while several of the "missing" were , in fact, killed. Below are the regiment's casualties:

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Killed

Cpl. David J. Davis, Company B

Matthew Hume, Company B

Frederick Knittle, Company B

Laurentus C. Moyer, Company B

Daniel Wary, Company B

John Deitz, Company B

Daniel Brown, Company C

Jonathan Kauffman, Company D

Lawrence Farrell, Company E

David F. Thiel, Company F

John Morrissey, Company F

Lewis Woods, Company F

Richard Williams, Company F

1st Lieutenant Henry C. Jackson (standing, right) Killed in Action

1st Lieutenant Henry C. Jackson, Company G
William Williams, Company G
Abraham Benscoter, Company H

Private Henry J. Ege, Killed In Action

Henry J. Ege, Company I
John W. Henn, Company K

Wounded

Company B:

Sgt. Thomas B. Williams
Sgt. William Kissinger
Gottleib Shauffler
David Deitz
John Brown
Henry Shoppell
Company C:
2nd Lt. William Clark
Sgt. Jonas Geiger
Michael Mohan
William Neely
William J. Haines
Murt Brennan
James Coakly

Company D:
2nd Lieutenant H.E. Stichter
Sgt. Henry Rothenberger
Cpl. Edward Lenhart
James Deitrick
Botto Otto
Perry L. Strausser
George S. Beisel
William F. Moyer
John Kohler
Jonas Miller
Joseph Zeigler
Patrick Cooligan
Andrew Knittle
Gustavus H. Miller
Henry D. Moyer
Company E:
Sgt. John McElrath
Cpl. Samuel Clemens
Cpl. William J. Morgan
James McLaughlin
George W. Schaeffer
David Williams
W. Simmons
G.W. James
W.C. James
James Meighan
Robert Penman
Company F:
Sgt. Richard Hopkins
Cpl. John Powell
William E, Taylor
Israel Manning
Anthony Carroll
William S. Wright
James Brennan
Andrew Wessman
Henry Holsey
William H. Kohler
John Eddy
Jno. T. Reese
John Crawford
A.H. Whitman
Company G:
Sgt. R.M. Jones

Corporal George Farne, Wounded

Cpl. George Farne
Patrick Cunningham
John Becker
Adam Hendley
James Spencer
M. Berger
John Armstrong
Clay W. Evans
Patrick Grant
William Maurer
John Kautter
Patrick Savage
Company H:
Samuel Fryberger
William Donnelly
William Huber
Benjamin Koller
John Klineginna

Private Daniel Ohmacht, Wounded

Daniel Ohmacht

Albert Davis

John Stevenson

Michael Melarkee

Daniel Cooke
John Cruikshank
Michael O’Brien
Charles Focht
John Olewine
Joseph Edwards
Thomas Palmer
Joseph Chester
Company I:
Sgt. Luke Swain
Sgt. Jacob Ongstadt
Cpl. D. Klase
Cpl. Wesley Knittle
Charles Lindenmuth
Francis Boner
Charles Washington Horn
M. Dooley
W. Tyson

Charles DeLong

Company K:
Cpl. J. Weaver
David R. Dress
Elias Fenstermaker
Thomas Fogarty
Henry Schulze
Franklin Ely
Simon Hoffman
Andrew Webber

Missing In Action

George Seibert, Company C
Edward Ebert, Company D
John D. Weikel, Company D
William Gottschall, Company E
George Kramer, Company F
Harrison Bright, Company H
Michael Scott, Company H
Lewis Aurand, Company H
James Wentzell, Company H
W.B. Beyerle, Company I
Benjamin McArdel, Company I
W.B. Shearer, Company I

What's the buzz. . .? Tell me what's happenin'. . .

This Saturday will mark one month since I went public with my effort to restore the 48th PA monument at Antietam, and so far I could not be happier with the results. Indeed, I am thrilled.

Stories about the "monumental" undertaking have appeared in the Call, serving southern Schuylkill County, the Pottsville Republican/Evening Herald, and the Civil War News, not to mention several web/blog sites, including Civil War Interactive, Bull Runnings, Antietam On The Web, Blogging Union Blue, and so on. I am still hoping to get the word out to other venues. Here is a link to the story that ran in the Pottsville paper this past Monday: http://www.republicanherald.com/articles/2008/04/28/news/local_news/doc4815ded16b517163409806.txt

As it stands right now, over $900.00 has been raised, which, with the matching donation from the Western Maryland Interpretative Association, doubles the amount to over $1,800.00. To those who have donated, I cannot thank you enough for your kindness and generosity. We're already over a quarter of the way there . . .

Another Step Closer. . .

Since I promised to keep you all updated as to the progress of my Antietam book, I thought I would give you a sneak peak at the cover. . .

Ranger Keith Snyder, a wizard at InDesign, produced the cover and is in charge of the book's physical layout. He is also creating all the maps. On Tuesday this upcoming week, Keith and I are going to sit down and place all the maps and photographs within the text. It is an exciting time for me, but there is still much to be done. I will continue to keep you updated. . .

General Lee's Army: From Victory to Collapse. . .A Must Read

I finished reading General Lee's Army: From Victory to Collapse, by Joseph Glatthaar, this past week and must say I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's a different look at a well-known Civil War army; instead of solely focusing on the campaigns and battles, Glatthaar focuses on the men who served in the ranks. This is not to say that that the great campaigns were glossed over; Glatthaar adopted a chronological approach, taking us from First Manassas through Appomattox. But the book's greatest value is its examination of the soldiers who fought in the Army of Northern Virginia. Glatthaar's years painstakingly searching through census records and thousands of letters and diaries reveals a different--and far more accurate--depiction of the soldiers who served in Lee's army. In much popular thought, Lee's men assume somewhat mythical qualities, but, as Glatthaar clearly shows, Lee's men were, well, human. A good percentage of them were of solid, middle-class background, and a majority of them had a personal, vested interest in slavery. The old canard that because most of Lee's men were not themselves slaveowners so they were thus not fighting to preserve the institution of slavery does not hold any water, as Glatthaar demonstrates. Most soldiers who served in the Army of Northern Virginia were young, between 21 and 25 years of age, and most still resided with their parents or with other family members. Most were thus too young to be slaveowners in their own right. However, Glatthaar's examination of the census records shows that these men resided in slave-owning households. In addition, becoming a slaveowner was one the things to which most white Southern males aspired, so just because they did not own any slaves when they volunteered does not mean they were not fighting for the preservation of slavery. Glatthaar also shows that the Army of Northern Virginia suffered throughout the war from a lack of discipline, something that even Lee was unable to correct.

Through his research into the census records of the men who fought under Lee, Glatthaar has produced a social history of the Army of Northern Virginia that enables us to gain a much better understanding of who the Confederate soldier was, where they came from, and why they served. Attention is also paid to conflicts and struggles within the army's high command, and General Lee's problem in finding competent officers to head his brigades, divisions, and, throughout the final two years of the war, his corps.

Glatthaar presents a balanced view of the Army of Northern Virginia, writes in a clear, easy-to-understand fashion, and challenges us to take a new look at the soldiers and officers who served in one of the war's greatest armies. For these and other reasons, I recommend this book to anyone interested in American history in general, and in the Civil War in particular. It makes for a great addition to any library.

Farewell, Old Friend

A lot has been made in the Civil War community this past week about the opening of the new Visitor's Center here in Gettysburg, and rightly so. But while reading all the news, reviews, and testimonials of the new complex, I could not help but feel just a little bit sad that the old building has been so quickly--and so thoroughly--forgotten. The old center, built in 1921, has been welcoming folks to Gettysburg for well over 80 years. Having been through the building scores of times over the past twenty or so years, I cannot rave about the new place without first paying hommage to the old. So, with camera in hand, I ventured down to the now quiet center and snapped a few pictures. . .one last time, before the walls come tumbling down and the building becomes just a distant memory.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

It was an eerie sight, and all was silence. I never thought that on a gorgeous spring day, this parking lot would be completely empty. . .something I have never seen before.

No buses, no RV's, no trucks with Confederate flag bumper stickers. . .not even a single middle schooler hanging out on the steps or crowding the entrances to the bathrooms.

Even the steps to the rear of the building are shut down. . .

Out front, along the Emmitsburg Road/Steinwehr Avenue entrance, the park service sign is now gone and Old Glory missing from the flagpole. . .

Gone too are those big brown signs that for decades told motorists to "enter here". . .

So, farewell, old friend. . .you served us well and you will be missed. By the end of next year, you'll be gone. And someday I can tell my kids, "You know, when I was your age, the visitor center was the up the roads a way. . .right across from the National Cemetery."



A sign on the front door instructs us to move on to the new place. . .But most of us already have.

And While I'm On The Subject Of Truman Seymour. . .

Now, how many times can I say that sentence in my life?

Last week, I posted a brief blogography of General Abner Doubleday, with a little bit of emphasis on his role during the bombardment of Fort Sumter. I also tested your Civil War IQ, asking which two of the nine US officers stationed at Sumter were also present at Appomattox. One of those fellas who was on hand at those two of the more memorable events in the Civil War was Truman Seymour. Now, many of you may be asking "who in the world was Truman Seymour?" So today, I thought I would post another blogography, this one all about Seymour, the accomplished soldier and accomplished watercolorist.

That’s right.

Watercolorist.
Read on. . .

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General Truman Seymour (1824-1891)

Although he spent most of his life in the military and served gallantly in two American wars, Brigadier General Truman Seymour was also an accomplished artist who lived in Italy during his final years painting beautiful watercolors of Italian villages and landscapes. He entered the Civil War a captain of artillery, stationed in Fort Sumter, and fought throughout the four years of the conflict, steadily rising in rank. He commanded a brigade of troops during most of his wartime service, but led a division in the attack against Fort Wagner, South Carolina, in 1863, and then held district and departmental command in the Deep South before returning to Virginia in 1864. Aggressive and hard-fighting, Seymour excelled as a brigade leader but achieved only mixed results in higher command. He was present with the Army of the Potomac when General Lee surrendered, thus making him one of the few officers who was present when the war began at Sumter and when it ended at Appomattox.
Truman Seymour wa