Soldiers of the 48th: Private Charles Abel T. St.Clair, Co. A. Killed On This Date In 1864

A proud Private Charles A.T. St.Clair stands for his photograph before setting off for war.

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Charles St. Clair was just sixteen years of age when the American Civil War broke out that fateful spring of 1861. Too young to enlist that year, St.Clair very proudly tendered his services in February of 1864, when the 48th Pennsylvania was back home, in Schuylkill County, on a six-week furlough. The regiment's seriously depleted ranks were bolstered by the addition of hundreds of new recruits, including the now nineteen-year-old St. Clair, who entered as a private in Company A. A resident of the southern Schuylkill County area, near Port Clinton, St.Clair listed his occupation simply as "Laborer." At 4'11", he was one of the shortest members of the regiment, but his height certainly did not deter him from wielding a musket in combat. Having bid farewell to his friends and family left behind, St. Clair traveled to Annapolis, where they regiment rendezvoused before setting out with the rest of the Ninth Army Corps to link up with General George Meade's Army of the Potomac.

What followed was some of the heaviest, most sustained fighting of the Civil War. During the ten days between May 5 and May 15, 1864, the 48th Pennsylvania lost no less than 33 men killed or mortally wounded, 99 wounded, and 11 captured or missing, in action at the Wilderness and during the bloodletting that was Spotsylvania. On May 12, the regiment suffered its highest number of men lost on any single day of the war, save for August 29, 1862, at Second Bull Run.

Among the killed in action was Private St. Clair of Company A. As with his fellow comrades who were also killed that brutal day, the remains of the young man were buried near where he fell.

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48th Pennsylvania Casualties at The Wilderness & Spotsylvania:

5/5/1864-5/15/1864

Killed/Mortally Wounded (31)

Louis M. Robinhold, Company A, 5/12, Spotsylvania
Isaac Otto, Company A, 5/12, Spotsylvania
John J. Huntzinger, Company A, 5/12, Spotsylvania
Abel C.T. St. Clair, Company A, 5/12, Spotsylvania
Sgt. William Kissinger, Company B, 5/12, Spotsylvania (Died 5/24)
Cpl. David J. Davis, Company B, 5/12, Spotsylvania
Matthew Hume, Company B, 5/12, Spotsylvania
Frederick Knittle, Company B, 5/12, Spotsylvania
Laurentus C. Moyer, Company B, 5/12, Spotsylvania
Daniel Wary, Company B, 5/12, Spotsylvania
John Deitz, Company B, 5/12, Spotsylvania
Daniel Brown, Company C, 5/6, The Wilderness
Michael Mohan, Company C, 5/12, Spotsylvania (Died 5/20)
Jonathan Kauffman, Company D, 5/6, The Wilderness
Lawrence Farrell, Company E, 5/6, The Wilderness
Cpl. John Powell, Company F, 5/12, Spotsylvania (Died 5/26)
Israel Manning, Company F, 5/12, Spotsylvania
David F. Thiel, Company F, 5/6, The Wilderness
John Morrissey, Company F, 5/12, Spotsylvania
Lewis Woods, Company F, 5/12, Spotsylvania
Richard Williams, Company F, 5/12, Spotsylvania
Andrew Wessman, Company F, 5/12, Spotsylvania
Lieutenant Henry C. Jackson, Company G, 5/12, Spotsylvania
James Spencer, Company G, 5/12, Spotsylvania (Died 5/31)
John Armstrong, Company G, 5/12, Spotsylvania (Died 7/1)
William Williams, Company G, 5/12, Spotsylvania
Abraham Benscoter, Company H, 5/12, Spotsylvania
Joseph Chester, Company H, 5/12, Spotsylvania (Died 5/24)
Benjamin McArdel, Company I, 5/6, The Wilderness
Henry J. Ege, Company I, 5/12, Spotsylvania
John W. Henn, Company K, 5/12, Spotsylvania

Wounded (99)

Company A:*Sgt. Albert C. Huckey, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Arm
*Cpl. Charles Brandenburg, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Knee
*Cpl. Jacob Honsberger, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Head (slight)
*Morgan Leiser, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Arm
*Benjamin F.C. Dreibelbeis, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Arm (slight)
*Charles Hillegas, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Back
Company B:*Sgt. Thomas B. Williams, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Concussion by Shell
*Gottleib Shauffler, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Wrist
*David Deitz, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Foot
*John Brown, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Head
*Henry Shoppell
Company C:*2nd Lieutenant William Clark, 5/6, Wilderness, Left Hand (slight)
*Sgt. Jonas Geiger, 5/6, Wilderness, Leg
*William Neely, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Left Leg
*William J. Haines, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Side
*Murt Brennan, 5/12, Spotsylvania
*James Coakley, 5/12, Spotsylvania
Company D:
*2nd Lieutenant H.E. Stichter, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Back (slight)
*Sgt. Henry Rothenberger, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Shoulder
*Cpl. Edward Lenhart, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Arm
*James Deitrick, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Thigh and Hand (severe)
*Botto Otto, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Leg, Arm, and Toe
*Perry L. Strausser, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Right Hand
*George S. Beisel, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Leg
*William F. Moyer, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Shoulder
*John Kohler, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Chin
*Jonas Miller, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Arm
*Joseph Zeigler, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Shoulder
*Patrick Cooligan, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Head (slight)
*Andrew Knittle, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Leg
*Gustavus H. Miller, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Leg
*Henry D. Moyer, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Side
Company E:
*Sgt. John McElrath, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Head
*Cpl. Samuel Clemens, 5/6, Wilderness, Hand (slightly)
*Cpl. William J. Morgan
*James McLaughlin, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Right Army
*George W. Schaeffer, 5/12, Spotsylvania
*David Williams, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Foot (slightly)
*W. Simmons. 5/12, Spotsylvania, Arm
*G.W. James, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Leg
*W.C. James, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Arm
*James Meighan, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Thumb
*Robert Penman, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Arm
Company F:
*Sgt. Richard Hopkins, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Hand (slight)
*William E. Taylor, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Hand
*Anthony Carroll, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Leg
*William S. Wright, 5/12, Spotsylvania
*James Brennan, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Abdomen
*Henry Holsey, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Leg
*William H. Kohler, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Back
*John Eddy, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Head
*Jno. T. Reese, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Arm
*John Crawford, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Head
*A.H. Whitman, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Leg
Company G:
*Sgt. R.M. Jones, Head (slight)
*Cpl. George Farne, Hand
*Patrick Cunningham
*John Becker, 5/6, Wilderness, Foot
*Adam Hendley, 5/6, Wilderness, Neck (slight)
*M. Berger, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Left Arm
*Clay W. Evans, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Hand
*Patrick Grant, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Arm
*William Maurer, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Shoulder
*John Kautter, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Hand
*Patrick Savage, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Arm
Company H:
*Samuel Fryberger, 5/6, Wilderness
*William Donnelly, 5/10, Ny River, Abdomen
*William Huber, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Arm
*Benjamin Koller, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Arm (slight)
*John Klineginna, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Eye
*Daniel Ohmacht, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Arm (slight)
*Albert Davis, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Thigh
*John Stevenson, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Groin
*Michael Melarkee, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Right Shoulder
*Daniel Cooke, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Foot
*John Cruikshank, 5/123, Spotsylvania, Hand
*Michael O’Brien
*Charles Focht
*John Olewine, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Hand
*Joseph Edwards, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Finger
*Thomas Palmer, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Leg
Company I:
*Sgt. Luke Swain, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Concussion of Shell, Arms & Legs
*Sgt. Jacob Ongstadt, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Head (slight)
*Cpl. D. Klase, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Thigh
*Cpl. Wesley Knittle, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Hip
*Charles Lindenmuth, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Face
*Francis Boner, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Leg
*Charles Washington Horn, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Both Legs and Hand
*M. Dooley, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Both Legs
*W. Tyson, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Concussion, Head
*Charles DeLong, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Hip
Company K:
*Cpl. George Weaver, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Breast
*David R. Dress
*Elias Fenstermaker, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Finger
*Thomas Fogarty, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Finger
*Henry Schulze, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Body
*Franklin Ely, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Foot
*Simon Hoffman, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Foot
*Andrew Webber, 5/12, Spotsylvania, Breast

Missing in Action (11)*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, Deserted, Returned 6/6/64
*Michael Scott, Company H
*Lewis Aurand, Company H, Deserted, Returned 6/6/64
*James Wentzell, Company H
*W.B. Beyerle, Company I
*W.B. Shearer, Company I