The 48th/150th: The Dead of the 48th Pennsylvania

From the late summer of 1861 until the date of the regiment's disbandment on July 17, 1865, at least 329 soldiers of the 48th Pennsylvania died, whether in camp, in the hospital, in the prison pen, or on the battlefield. The number is most likely higher still, since the records for a good number of the soldiers are simply not clear nor conclusive; several are simply listed as "Not On Muster Out Roll." And thus far, I have not been able to determine all of these soldiers' fates. Also, it must be kept in mind that this figure does not include those who died after the war and still early in their life from the wounds, the disease, and the hardships of soldiering. General James Nagle, for example, the man who first organized the regiment in the summer of 1866, passed away at age 44 in August 1866 from heart disease, which his physicians determined was caused by the war. There were many others; those who died at age 25 or 30 or 35 throughout the late 1860s and 1870s. But during the conflict itself, at least 329 soldiers of the 48th Pennsylvania lost their lives. This number is much higher than the one provided in the regimental history penned by Joseph Gould, which records only 236 regimental fatalities, and higher than what was initially tallied in the 1865 book Memorial to the Patriotism of Schuylkill County, which records 234 dead from the 48th. A close look at all the sources, however, reveals that at least 328 perished--and likely more. The dead of the 48th--those who died during the four-year-war--lie buried in six states: Pennsylvania, of course, but also North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, and Georgia, as well as in the District of Columbia, which is a testament to all the hard campaigning the regiment endured from 1861-1865. In terms of the regiment's costliest battles, 2nd Bull Run tops the list with 40 soldiers either killed or mortally wounded. Spotsylvania comes in second. The Battles of Cold Harbor, Petersburg (June 17-18, 1864), Petersburg (April 2, 1865), Antietam, and Fredericksburg were also particularly deadly for the regiment. 1864 was the deadliest year, with 157 fatalities--nearly half of all the regiment's deaths during the war--occurring in that awful year.

A chronological listing of those who died from the ranks of the 48th Pennsylvania, is provided below, along with several of the photographs of those who gave their last full measure. . .   

48^th Pennsylvania Civil War Deaths

1861 (8)

-William Millet, Co. H: Died: 9/7/1861; Accidentally Killed on the Railroad in Harrisburg

-Daniel Reighard, Co. C: 11/11/1861; Died at Camp Hamilton, VA

-William Miller, Co. A: Died: 11/21/1861 at Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina.

-Sergeant William T. Garrett, Co. H: Died 11/23/1861 at Fortress Monroe

-Thomas Davidson, Co. B: Died 11/28/1861 at Hatteras, North Carolina

-Lieutenant Alexander Fox, Co. D: Died: 12/1/1861 on steamer Spaulding near Fortress Monroe, VA

-William Brerton, Co. F: Died at Ft. Clark, Hatteras Inlet, NC, 12/11/1861

-Philip L. Diehl, Co. G: Died 12/23/1861, Hatteras, N.C.         

1862 (98)

-Thomas McAvoy, Co. C: 1/14/1862; Died at Camp Winfield, NC

-John Spreese, Co. A: Died: 1/21/1862 at New Bern, North Carolina

-Surgeon David Minis: Died at Roanoke, North Carolina, N.C., 2/14/1862, of over-exerting himself attending to the wounded

-George F. Mains, Co. K: Died 3/30/1862 at Hatteras, NC

-Andrew Spear, Co. D: Died 4/15/1862 at Newbern, NC

-Bernard West, Co. A: Died: 5/12/1862 in New Bern, North Carolina.

-Daniel Flagerty, Co. C: Died 5/28/1862 in Newbern, North Carolina

-Andrew Klock, Co. D: Died of typhoid fever 6/30/1862 at Newbern, NC

-Charles Treisbach, Co. F: Died 7/1/1862

-Addison Seaman, Co. D: Died of Disease,  7/16/1862

-Mattis Sheafer, Co. D: Died 8/4/1862; Committed Suicide on board steamer Cossack

-Abraham Ferrer, Co. B: Died August 7, 1862

-Israel Eiler, Co. B: Died August 7, 1862, in New York

-Alexander Boone, Co. I: Died in Fredericksburg, 8/11/1862

-Franklin Wetzel, Co. A: Died: 8/12/1862; Drowned in the Potomac River as the result of the sinking of the steamer West Point.

-1st Lt. George H. Gressang, Co. I: Drowned 8/12/1862 by the sinking of the steamer West Point

-Thomas G. Williams, Co. B: Drowned 8/13/1862 on the Potomac River

-John H. Leiser, Co. A: Killed in Action at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862.

-Louis M. Reece, Co. B: Killed in Action at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862

-John Weiser, Co. C: 8/29/1862; Killed in Action at 2nd Bull Run

-Barney Gettler, Co. C: 8/29/1862; Killed in Action at 2nd Bull Run

-Charles Miller, Co. D: Killed in Action at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862

-Corporal Leonard Shrishorn, Co. D: Killed in Action at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862

-Corporal Israel Vancannon, Co. D: Killed in Action at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862

-Mattis Bailey, Co. D: Killed in Action at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862

-Cpl. William Mackey/McKay, Co. E: Killed in Action at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862

-Michael Brennan, Co. E: Killed in Action at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862

-Hugh McFeely, Co. E: Killed in Action at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862

-Samuel Moyer, Co. E: Killed in Action at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862

-John Becker/Baker, Co. E: Missing and Presumed Dead at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862

-John Haggerty, Co. F: Killed in Action at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862

-Michael Kilrain, Co. F: Killed in Action at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862

-Peter Quinn, Co. F: Supposed to have been Killed at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862

-Thomas Kelley, Co. H: Killed in Action at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862

-William Nagle, Co. H: Killed in Action at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862.

-Samuel Petit, Co. H: Killed in Action at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862

-Charles F. Leiser, Co. I: Killed in Action at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862

-Hesgian Link, Co. I: Missing in Action at 2nd Bull Run; Supposed to have died

-Captain Henry A.M. Filber, Co. K: Killed in Action at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862

-Sergeant Roland D. Filbert, Co. K: Killed in Action at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862

-David Boyer, Co. K: Killed in Action at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862

-David D. Dress, Co. K: Killed in Action at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862

-W. Fenstermacher, Co. K: Killed in Action at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862

-William Labenberger, Co. K: Killed in Action at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862

-Daniel Shanley/Stanley, Co. K: Killed in Action at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862

-James Muldowney, Co. G: Mortally Wounded 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862; Died of Wounds       

-William Hopkins, Co. F: Mortally Wounded at 2nd Bull Run; Died: 8/31/1862 of wounds

-George Ramer, Co. A: Died in Georgetown, 9/6/1862

-Charles Knerr, Co. H: Died 9/7/1862

-Corporal George Ramer, Co. D: Mortally Wounded at 2nd Bull Run; Died of Wounds, 9/6/1862

-Sergeant William Bambrick, Co. D: Mortally Wounded at 2nd Bull Run; Died of Wounds, 9/12/1862

-William Smith, Co. G: Mortally Wounded 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862; Died of Wounds, 9/14/1862        

-Henry Jenkins, Co. F: Mortally Wounded at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862; died in Georgetown, DC, 9/15/1862

-Cpl. John Brobst, Co. A: Mortally Wounded at Antietam, 9/17/1862.

- John Robinson, Co. B: Killed in Action at Antietam, 9/17/1862

-Alexander Prince, Co. B: Killed in Action at Antietam, 9/18/1862

-Alva F. Jeffries, Co. D: Killed in Action at Antietam, 9/17/1862

-1st Lieutenant William Cullen, Co. E: Killed in Action at Antietam, 9/17/1862

-John Broadbent, Co. E: Killed in Action at Antietam, 9/17/1862

-Charles Timmons, Co. G: Killed in Action, Antietam 9/17/1862          

-Cpl. Lewis V. Focht, Co. I: Killed in Action at Antietam, 9/17/1862

-Corporal Daniel Moser, Co. K: Killed in Action at Antietam, 9/17/1862

-George Dentzer, Co. L: Killed in Action at Antietam, 9/17/1862

-David Stichter, Co. D: Died in Hospital at Sharpsburg, MD, 9/21/1862

-James Farrell, Co. E: Mortally Wounded at 2nd Bull Run; Died: 9/25/1862

-Benjamin Hoffman, Co. I: Wounded at South Mountain, 9/14/1862; Died of Wounds 9/25/1862;

-John Martin/Morton, Co. E: Died 9/25/1862

-John Springer, Co. A: Died: 10/9/1862 from Wounds Received in Action.

-John Sullivan, Co. D: Mortally Wounded at 2nd Bull Run; Died of Wounds, 10/8/1862

-Cpl. Albert T. Frazier, Co. C: Died 10/14/1862 of Consumption in Alexandria, VA

-Sgt. Benjamin G. Otto, Co. A: Wounded in Action; Died of Wounds: 10/15/1862

-James Winters, Co. K: Died 10/15/1862 at Fortress Monroe, VA

-Peter Boyer, Co. K: Died in 10/22/1862 in Cressona, PA

-John J. Morrison, Co. F: Mortally Wounded at 2nd Bull Run; Died 10/23/1862

-Corporal Patrick Handley, Co. K: Died 10/25/1862 in Washington, D.C.

-Joseph Low, Co. C: Died 10/29/1862 in Alexandria of Wounds Received in Action

-Thomas Major, Co. E: Mortally Wounded at 2nd Bull Run; Died: 10/31/1862

-Edward Daniels, Co. C: Died 11/1/1862 of Chronic Diarrhea in Alexandria

-John Farne, Co. G: Mortally Wounded 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862; Died of Wounds 11/8/1862              

-Edward McCabe, Co. G: Died of Disease, Washington, D.C., 11/12/1862

-Peter Burke, Co. K: Died of Typhoid Fever, 11/14/1862

-Corporal Charles C. Hinkle, Co. H: Died 11/23/1862, at Hatteras, North Carolina

-Corporal Raymond A. Jenkins, Co. H: Died 12/8/1862 in Ascension Hospital, Washington

-J.W. Heebner/Heevener, Co. D: Died of chronic diarrhea, 12/9/1862

-Elijah Knight, Co. E: Died in Annapolis, 12/12/1862

-John Ruff, Co. A: Died in Washington: 12/13/1862

-James Williams, Co. A: Killed in Action at Fredericksburg: 12/13/1862

-Cpl. Joseph B. Carter, Co. A: Mortally Wounded at Fredericksburg, 12/13/1862.

-Michael Divine, Co. B: Killed in Action at Fredericksburg, VA, 12/13/1862

-John Williams, Co. B: Killed in Action at Fredericksburg, VA, 12/13/1862

-William Hill, Co. B: Killed in Action at Fredericksburg, VA, 12/13/1862

-Cpl. Reuben Robinson, Co. B: Killed in Action at Fredericksburg, VA, 12/13/1862

-Henry Williamson, Co. D: Killed in Action at Fredericksburg, 12/13/1862

-Thomas Kinney, Co. D: Killed in Action at Fredericksburg, 12/13/1862

-Thomas Connell, Co. B: Died of Disease, 12/18/1862

-Musician Abraham Wadsworth, Co. B: Died: 12/18/1862 in Port Carbon, PA

-Henry Burnish, Co. G: Died in Pottsville, 12/20/1862, of chronic diarrhea        

-Cpl. Edward F. Schappell, Co. I: Wounded at Fredericksburg, 12/13/1862; Died in hospital of wounds, Date -Unknown

1863 (17)

-Corporal John H. Derr, Co. D : Mortally Wounded at Fredericksburg; Died of Wounds in Washington, 1/2/1863

-George Briggle, Co. A: Died in Philadelphia: 1/4/1863.

-Nicholas Shitehour, Co. B: Died 1/13/1863 in Washington, D.C. of chronic diarrhea

-James Bergan, Co. E: Mortally Wounded at 2nd Bull Run; Died: 1/11/1863

-Samuel Brooks, Co. B: Died 1/13/1863 near Falmouth, Virginia

-Levi Fisher, Co. I: In Hospital at Harpers Ferry, 8/16/1862; Died, 1/21/1863

-George Shertle, Co. D: Died of Disease 2/8/1863 in Washington, D.C.

-Sgt. Arthur P. Hatch, Co. C: 2/13/1863; Died in Newport News of heart disease

-Jacob H. Rumble, Co. I: Died: 4/14/1863

-Jacob Smith, Co. C: 5/3/1863; Died of diarrhea in Baltimore, MD

-Andrew Scott, Co. C: 6/27/1863; Killed in Lexington, KY

-Valentine Raush, Co. G: Drowned 6/11 or 12/1863   

-Corporal Joseph Reed, Co. H: Killed 11/16/1863 at Campbell’s Station, TN.

-Joseph Weise, Co. H: Died in Knoxville, TN, 11/21/1863

-John Sponslor/Sponsler, Co. H: Killed 11/29/1863 at Knoxville, TN

-Jonas Haldeman, Co. I: Killed in Action, Knoxville, TN, 11/29/1863

-Cpl. Charles Weaver, Co. I: Died 12/5/1863 in Knoxville, TN, of wounds received 12/3/1863

-Josiah Kramer, Co. I: Died: December 1863

1864 (157)

-Thomas J. Thomas, Co. F: Died of Typhoid Fever, 1/22/1864

-Patrick Brown, Co. F: Killed in a railroad accident, 1/24/1864, Paris, Kentucky

-George Livingston, Co. A: Captured; Died in Libby Prison, Richmond, VA, 2/4/1864

-James Shields, Co. E: Murdered in Silver Creek, 2/26/1864

-James W. Evans, Co. F: Died in Hospital, 3/2/1864

-John Burnhart, Co. B: Died 3/8/1864; Buried in Knoxville, Tennessee

-Isaac Arndt, Co. I: Wounded Severely in hip; left on field at Campbell's Station; and Missing in Action, 11/16/1863; Captured, Held Prisoner of War at Andersonville; Not on Muster Out Roll; PA Civil War Service Cards Lists Him As Having Died 3/16/1863 (1864?) at Canard Station, Tennessee.

- John Dietrich, Co. D: Died 3/22/1864

-Michael Wilson, Co. F: Died of "nostalgia, or home-sickness," or of chronic diarrhea, 3/24/1864, at Annapolis, MD.

-William Phillips, Co. G: Died 3/26/1864 in Pottsville

-Reuben Watt, Co. I: Died March 31, 1864, Annapolis, MD

-Thomas S. Lewis, Co. H: Died 3/31/1864 at Philadelphia

-Charles Clark, Co. G: Died: 4/6/1864 in Annapolis, Maryland

-William H. Smith, Co. D: Died in Annapolis, 4/7/1864

-Peter Litchfield, Co. F: Died 4/9/1864, Annapolis, Maryland

-Peter Zimmerman, Co. A: Died: 4/11/1864 in Annapolis, Maryland.

-John Donnelly, Co. H: Died 4/20/1864 at Annapolis, Maryland

-Edward Edwards, Co. H: Died of sunstroke, 4/23/1864 at Annapolis, Maryland

-Lewis J. Garber, Co. I: Died 4/23/1864, Annapolis, Maryland

-Valentine Frantz, Co. E: Committed Suicide, 4/28/1864

-Charles DeLong, Co. H: Died 5/4/1864 at Bristoe Station

-Jno. Burke, Co. E: Killed in Action at the Wilderness, 5/5/1864

-Lawrence Farrell, Co. E: Killed in Action at the Wilderness, 5/6/1864

-Jonathan Kauffman, Co. D: Killed in Action at the Wilderness, 5/6/1864

-David F. Thiel, Co. F: Killed in Action at the Wilderness, 5/6/1864

-Simon Moyer, Co. B: Killed in Action at the Wilderness, 5/7/1864

-Israel Manning, Co. F: Wounded at the Wilderness, 5/6/1864; Died of Wounds 5/8/1864

-Jno. T. Huntzinger, Co. A: Killed in Action at Spotsylvania: 5/12/1864

-Isaac Otto, Co. A: Killed in Action at Spotsylvania, 5/12/1864.

-Lewis M. Robinhold, Co. A: Killed in Action at Spotsylvania: 5/12/1864

-Charles A.T. St. Clair, Co. A: Killed in Action at Spotsylvania: 5/12/1864

-John Deitz, Co. B: Killed in Action at Spotsylvania, 5/12/1864

-Frederick Knittle, Co. B: Killed in Action at Spotsylvania, 5/12/1864

-Matthew Hume, Co. B: Killed in Action at Spotsylvania, 5/12/1864

-Cpl. David J. Davis, Co. B: Killed in Action at Spotsylvania, 5/12/1864

-Daniel Wary, Co. B: Killed in Action at Spotsylvania, 5/12/1864

-Laurentus C. Moyer, Co. B: Killed in Action at Spotsylvania, 5/12/1864

-John Morrissey, Co. F: Killed in Action at Spotsylvania, 5/12/1864

-Richard Williams, Co. F: Killed in Action at Spotsylvania, 5/12/1864

-Lewis Woods, Co. F: Killed in Action at Spotsylvania, 5/12/1864

-Jno. Powell, Co. F: Mortally Wounded at Spotsylvania, 5/12/1864; Died of Wounds

-James Brennan, Co. F: Died of wounds received at Spotsylvania; Date Unknown

-2nd Lt. Henry C. Jackson, Co. G: Killed in Action Spotsylvania, 5/12/1864      

-William Williams, Co. G: Killed in Action Spotsylvania, 5/12/1864      

-Henry J. Ege, Co. I: Killed in Action, 5/12/1864, Spotsylvania, Virginia

-Jno. W. Henn, Co. K: Killed in Action at Spotsylvania, 5/12/1864

-Daniel Brown, Co. C: 5/12/1864; Killed in Action at Spotsylvania

-Michael Mohan, Co. C: 5/20/1864; Died in Washington of wounds received at Spotsylvania

-Sgt. William Kissinger, Co. B: Wounded at Spotsylvania, 5/12/1864; Died of Wounds, 5/24/1864

-Joseph Chester, Co. H: Wounded: 5/15/1864; Died: 5/24/1864 of wounds received in battle

-Frederick Henry, Co. I: Wounded in Action, 5/25/1864; Supposed to have died from wounds in ambulance and buried by the wayside

-Corporal Charles Norrigan/Norrigang, Co. H: Killed in Action at North Anna Crossing, 5/26/1864

-Patrick Doolin, Co. F: Killed in Action at Bethesda Church, 5/30/1864

-Henry McCann, Co. F: Killed in Action at Armstrong Farm, 5/31/1864

-Lieutenant Samuel B. Laubenstein, Co. H: Killed at Shady Grove Church, 5/31/1864

-James Spencer, Co. G: Mortally Wounded Spotsylvania, 5/12/1864; Died of Wounds 5/31/1864

-John Cochran, Co. A: Died: 6/1864 near Cold Harbor, VA.

-David Williams, Co. E: Killed in Action at Cold Harbor, 6/3/1864

-James Bradley, Co. F: Killed in Action at Cold Harbor, 6/3/1864

-Edward G. Pugh, Co. F: Killed in Action at Cold Harbor , 6/3/1864

-William Smith, Co. F: Killed in Action at Cold Harbor, 6/3/1864

-Cpl. Alexander Govan, Co. G: Killed in Action Cold Harbor, 6/3/1864

-James Allison, Co. G: Killed in Action Cold Harbor, 6/3/1864

-Joseph Alexander, Co. H: Killed in Action at Cold Harbor, 6/3/1864

-George Dresh, Co. I: Killed in Action, 6/3/1864, Cold Harbor

-William J. Price, Co. I: Killed at Cold Harbor, 6/3/1864

-Benjamin B. Kershner, Co. I: Killed in Action at Cold Harbor, 6/3/1864

-Jacob Lauby/Landy, Co. K: Killed in Action at Cold Harbor, 6/3/1864

-Daniel Reedy, Co. E: Mortally Wounded at Cold Harbor; Died: 6/6/1864

-John Clark, Co. I: Wounded Cold Harbor, 6/3/1864; Died of Wounds 6/8/1864

-Major Joseph A. Gilmour: Mortally Wounded in Action, 5/31/1864; Died of Wounds 6/9/1864

-Anthony Wade, Co. E: Mortally Wounded at Cold Harbor; Died: 6/9/1864

-Christian Lauer, Co. B: Died 6/10/1864, of wounds received in action

-Samuel Heckman, Co. B: Died 6/12/1864, of wounds received in action

-George Airgood, Co. A: Wounded at Petersburg; Died of Wounds

-Simon Snyder, Co. A: Died: 6/16/1864 of Wounds Received in Action

-Simon Devlin, Co. F: Killed in Action at Petersburg, 6/16/1864

-Nathan Rich, Co. K: Killed in Action at Petersburg, 6/16/1864

-Andrew Wesner, Co. F: Died 6/17/1864

-George Betz, Co. A: Mortally Wounded at Petersburg, 6/17/1864

-John Major, Co. E: Killed at Petersburg, 6/17/1864

-Isaac Lewis, Co. F: Killed in Action at Petersburg 6/17/1864

-Horace Straub, Co. F: Killed in Action at Petersburg, 6/17/1864

-Anthony Gallagher, Co. H: Killed in Action at Petersburg, 6/17/1864

-Jeff. W. Beyerley, Co. H: Killed in Action at Petersburg, 6/17/1864

-George W. Morey, Co. H: Killed in Action at Petersburg, 6/17/1864

-James Mulholland, Co. H: Killed in Action at Petersburg, 6/17/1864

-Arthur Gray, Co. K: Killed in Action at Petersburg, 6/18/1864

-Thomas Davis, Co. H: Killed in Action at Petersburg, 6/18/1864

-Ephraim Whetstone, Co. K: Died June 1864 from wounds received in action

-Daniel Okum, Co. D: Killed in Action at Petersburg, 6/21/1864

-Lewis Hessinger, Co. A: Killed in Action at Petersburg, 6/22/1864

-William Evans, Co. E: Died of Chronic Diarrhea, 6/22/1864

-Jeremiah Willoner/Willouer, Co. I: Wounded, severely, Cold Harbor, 6/3/1864; Died of Wounds 6/22/1864

-James Boner, Co. I: Wounded 5/30/1864; Died of Wounds 6/22/1864

-Abraham Gecker, Co. C: 6/23/1864; Killed in Action at Petersburg

-John Whitaker, Co. C: 6/23/1864; Killed in Action at Petersburg

-1st Lt. Curtis C. Pollock, Co. G: Mortally Wounded Petersburg 6/17/1864; Died of wounds: 6/23/1864

-William Reysons/Rasons, Co. E: Mortally Wounded at Petersburg, 6/17/1864; Died: 6/24/1864

-William Schwartz, Co. B: Died 6/26/1864

-Daniel J. Kehl, Co. I: Died June 26, 1864, City Point, VA

-William Simpson, Co. G: Killed in Action Petersburg 6/26/1864

-Lt. William H. Hume, Co. B: Mortally Wounded in Action, 5/31/1864 at Totopotomy Creek, VA; Died of -Wounds, 6/30/1864

-James Reagan, Co. E: Mortally Wounded at Petersburg, 6/17/1864; Died: 6/30/1864

-Jonas Z. Raber, Co. D: Died 7/1/1864 in Washington, D.C.

-John Armstrong, Co. G: Mortally Wounded Spotsylvania, 5/12/1864; Died of Wounds 7/1/1864

-1st Lt. Joseph Edwards, Co. I: Wounded at Petersburg, 6/17/1864; Died of Wounds 7/2/1864

-Job Hirst, Co. H: Wounded at Cold Harbor, 6/3/1864; Died 7/3/1864 of wounds received in action

-David Houser, Co. A: Died: 7/4/1864

-Henry Dorward, Co. D: Killed in Action near Petersburg, 7/5/1864

-Nelson Simon, Co. A: Died in Minersville: 7/5/1864.

-James McElrath, Co. C: 7/7/1864; Died from chronic diarrhea in Andersonville Prison

-Sgt. Thomas Tosh, Co. E: Mortally Wounded at Cold Harbor; Died of Wounds: 7/7/1864

-Francis M. Stidham, Co. A: Died 7/10/1864 of Wounds Received in Action

-J. Howard Jones, Co. G: Mortally Wounded Petersburg, 6/17/1864; Died of Wounds: 7/13/1864

-Isaac Bannon/Brannan, Co. H: Killed 7/16/1864 in US General Hospital at Alexandria, VA.

-Charles Quinn, Co. E: Mortally Wounded at Petersburg, 6/17/1864; Died: 7/24/1864

-Lewis Beableheimer, Co. I : Wounded at Petersburg 7/24/1864; Died of Wounds, 7/26/1864

-Captain Benjamin B. Schuck, Co. I: Wounded at Petersburg, 6/25/1864; Died of Wounds, 7/27/1864;

-Lieutenant David B. Brown, Co. H: Killed at Petersburg, 8/5/1864

-Elias Zimmerman, Co. D: Died in Fairfax Seminary Hospital, 8/5/1864

-Isaac K. Beltz, Co. I: Wounded Cold Harbor 6/3/1864; Died of Wounds 8/10/1864

-Solomon Eyster, Co. D: Died 8/15/1864 in Philadelphia

-Edward Sweeney, Co. C: 8/17/1864; Died in Mount Douglass General Hospital

-Frank Boyer, Co. E: Captured at Cold Harbor; Died at Andersonville Prison, 8/17/1864

-Frank Queeny, Co. F: Died of Dropsy, 8/21/1864

-Richard Lee, Co. A: Died in Pottsville, 8/21/1864

-Edward Gallagher, Co. A: Captured; Died in Andersonville Prison, 8/21/1864 from diarrhea

-Daniel Neyer, Co. I: Died at City Point, Virginia, 8/22/1864

-William Davis, Co. H: Wounded at Cold Harbor, VA, 6/3/1864; Died of Wounds: 9/5/1864 

-Henry Reb, Co. H: Died of Paralysis 9/5/1864 on David's Island, New York

-Isaac Fetterman/Fetter, Co. H: Captured; Died in Andersonville Prison, 9/8/1864, from diarrhea

-George Lawrence, Co. G: Died 9/11/1864 at Port Carbon, PA

-William Engle, Co. B: Died at Willet's Point, New York, 9/11 or 12/1864

-William Schneider, Co. H: Died 9/12/1864, of wounds received in action

-Daniel Root, Co. B: Died in Andersonville Prison, 9/14/1864, from diarrhea

-Patrick Farrell, Co. C: 9/21/1864; Died in Washington

-John Darragh, Co. E: Killed in Action at Poplar Grove/Peebles’s Farm, 9/30/1864

-James Heiser, Co. I: Killed in Action, 9/30/1864, Pegram's Farm/Poplar Springs Church

-Lewis W. Kopp, Co. H: Died of Phthsis Pulmonalis 10/1/1864

-Joseph Cobus, Co. I: Wounded and Captured Pegram's Farm, 9/30/1864; Died of Wounds, 10/4/1864

-Daniel Boyer, Co. E: Killed at Petersburg, 10/5/1864

-Daniel M. Bankes, Co. B: Died at Annapolis, MD, 10/6/1864

-Jno. Lloyd, Co. H: Wounded 8/9/1864; Died 10/25/1864 at his home in Schuylkill County.

-David Miller, Co. F: Wounded at Pegram's Farm; Died in Annapolis, 11/6/1864

-David Miller, Co. D: Died in Annapolis, 11/6/1864

-Jacob Hammer, Co. B: Died in Salisbury Prison, NC, 11/12/1864

-Edward McGinnis, Co. E: Captured at Peebles’s Farm; Died in Salisbury Prison, 11/17/1864

-Patrick Crowe, Co. I: Captured Pegram's Farm, 9/30/1864; Died in Salisbury Prison, N.C., 11/19/1864

-Lewis Douglass, Co. I: Died: 11/22/1864

-Philip Heffron, Co. H: Captured at Pegram's Farm, 9/30/1864; Died of starvation in Salisbury Prison, 11/25/1864

-Michael Condron, Co. C: 11/29/1864; Died in Salisbury Prison, NC

-Emmanuel Fox, Co. H: Died 12/5/1864 at Baptist Church Hospital, Alexandria, VA.

-George Hartz, Co. D: Died of Wounds Received in Action at Petersburg, 12/20/1864

-Corporal John F. Dentzer, Co. K: Killed at Petersburg, 12/28/1864

-Robert Devine, Co. E: Died of Chronic Diarrhea, 12/28/1864

-Elijah DeFrehn, Co. F: Captured at Pegram's Farm, 9/30/1864; Died 12/30/1864 in Salisbury Prison, North Carolina

1865 (41)

-Jacob Wigner/Wagner, Co. B: Died 1/1/1865;

-Cpl. William Livingston, Co. C: 1/2/1865; KIA at Fort Sedgwick

-Abraham Sigmund, Co. E: Killed at Petersburg, 1/7/1865

-William D. Lloyd, Co. H: Died 1/10/1865 at Lincoln Hospital, Washington, D.C.

-Andrew Neeley, Co. C: 1/12/1865; Died in Washington of chronic diarrhea

-Samuel Schollenberger, Co. A: Captured; Died in Salisbury Prison, Salisbury, North Carolina: 1/16/1865.

-Joseph Finley/Findley, Co. F: Captured at Pegram's Farm, 9/30/1864; Died in Salisbury Prison, 1/22/1865

-Michael Welsh, Co. F: Captured 9/30/1864 at Pegram's Farm; Died in Salisbury Prison, 2/6/1865

-Charles Aurand, Co. H: Died: 2/9/1865

-William Fulton, Co. F: Captured at Pegram's Farm, 9/30/1864; Died in Salisbury Prison, 2/12/1865

-Corporal Philip Beckman, Co. D: Died in Baltimore of chronic diarrhea, 2/9/1865

-Charles Dintinger, Co. C: 2/11/1865; Died in Salisbury Prison, 11/1864

-George T. Eisenhuth, Co. H: Died of Chronic Diarrhea 2/17/1865

-Nicholas Delaney, Co. K: Killed at Petersburg, 2/23/1865

-Nicholas Gross: Died of Chronic Diarrhea, 3/12/1865, Annapolis, Maryland

-Cpl. Patrick Rogers, Co. E: Died of Disease, 3/25/1865

-1st Lieutenant Henry Graeff, Co. D: Died in Pottsville, 3/26/1865, of Disease Contracted in Confederate Prisons.

-Gilbert Graham, Co. C: 4/1/1865; Died of Wounds

-William Jenkins, Co. F: Died: 4/1/1865

-Sgt. John Homer, Co. B: Died, 4/2/1865, of wounds received in action on 4/1/1865

-Colonel George W. Gowen: Killed in Action at Petersburg, 4/2/1865.

-John Coutts, Co. B: Killed in Action at Petersburg, 4/2/1865

-Daniel D. Barnett, Co. E: Killed in Action at Petersburg, 4/2/1865

-David McElvie, Co. F: Killed in Action at Petersburg, 4/2/1865

-William Donnelly, Co. H: Killed in Action at Petersburg, 4/2/1865

-James King, Co. H: Killed in Action at Petersburg, 4/2/1865

-George Uhl, Co. H: Killed in Action at Petersburg, 4/2/1865

-Albert Mack, Co. I: Killed at Petersburg, 4/2/1865

-Jacob Reichwein, Co. I :Killed at Petersburg, 4/2/1865

-Albert Zimmerman, Co. I: Killed in Action at Petersburg, 4/2/1865

-Wesley Boyer, Co. I: Killed in Action at Petersburg, 4/2/1865.

-Simon Hoffman, Co. K: Killed in Action at Petersburg, 4/2/1865

-Lewis Sterner, Co. A: Died: 4/11/1865; Buried: Odd Fellows’ Cemetery, Tamaqua, PA

-Aaron P. Wagner, Co. D: Mortally Wounded at Petersburg, 4/2/1865; Died of Wounds 4/15/1865 in Washington, D.C.

-Nicholas C. Stephens, Co. B: Died 4/20/1865, of wounds received at Petersburg 4/2/1865

-Cpl. James Nicholson, Co. C: Died: 4/24/1865 of Wounds Received at Petersburg, 4/2/1865

-James Mercer, Co. E: Mortally Wounded at Petersburg, 6/17/1864; Died: 5/21/1865

-John Frehn, Co. B: Died in Philadelphia, 6/8/1865; Veteran

-Jonathan Dress, Co. K: Died 7/5/1865 in Philadelphia, PA

-Corporal Walter P. Aims/Amos, Co. D: Died 7/12/1865 from the effects of starvation and brutality while in Confederate prison

-Charles F. Hesser, Co. D: Died 7/25/1865 in Washington, D.C.

Unknown (7)

-William Moose, Co. E: Wounded at 2nd Bull Run; Died at Home, Date Unknown

-Henry Simpson, Co. A: Killed in Battle.

-Sgt. Stafford Johnson, Co. E: Died at Home, Date Unknown

-William Atkins, Co. B: Died at home, while on furlough; Date Unknown

-Cpl. James Brennan, Co. E: Captured at Knoxville, Died at Andersonville Prison, Date Unknown

-William H. Kohler, Co. F: Captured at Pegram's Farm, 9/30/1864; Died in Salisbury Prison

- Joshua Reed, Co. G: Captured 9/30/1864 at Pegram's Farm; Held in Salisbury Prison; Died at home from effects of prison confinement.  

          

Gallery of the Dead

Lt. Henry Clay Jackson

Killed in Action at Spotsylvania May 1864

(Courtesy of Ronn Palm and the Museum of Civil War Images)

Corporal Charles Norrigan

Killed in Action at the North Anna River, Virginia
May 1864

(Courtesy of Ronn Palm and the Museum of Civil War Images)

Major Joseph Gilmour
Died June 1864 of Wounds  
(Hoptak Collection)



James Allison
Killed at Cold Harbor
One of Four Brothers to Die in War
(Schuylkill County in the Civil War)



George Betz
Mortally Wounded at Petersburg, June 1864
(Hoptak Collection)

Lt. David Brown
Killed at Petersburg August 1865
(Unknown)



Michael Condron
Died in Salisbury Prison, November 1864 
(Hoptak Collection)

George Dentzer
Killed at Antietam
(Courtesy of the Dentzer Family)

John Dentzer
Killed at Petersburg, December 1864
(Courtesy of the Dentzer Family)

Lt. Joseph Edwards
Killed at Petersburg, June 1864
(Hoptak Collection)

Henry Ege
Killed at Spotsylvania
(Courtesy of the Family)

Alexander Govan
Killed at Cold Harbor
(Gould)

Colonel George Gowen
Killed at Petersburg, April 1865
(Gould)

Lt. William Hume
Died June 1864 of Wounds
(Hoptak Collection)

Lt. Samuel Laubenstein
Killed May 1864
(Ms. Ardith Kull/schuylkillhavenhistory.com)

Captain Benjamin B. Schuck
Mortally Wounded August 1864
Petersburg
(Patriotic Order Sons of America)

Simon Snyder
Died June 1864 of Wounds
(Hoptak Collection)

Charles A.T. St. Clair
Killed at Spotsylvania
(Hoptak Collection)

Francis Stidham
Died June 1864 of Wounds
(Hoptak Collection)

George Hartz
Killed at Petersburg
December 1864
(Patriotic Order Sons of America)

   

Lt. Curtis C. Pollock
Mortally Wounded at Petersburg, June 1864

(Courtesy of Ronn Palm and the Museum of Civil War Images)

The 48th/150th: To Alexandria

150 years ago. . .the soldiers of the 48th Pennsylvania were settling into a new camp, this one at Fort Lyons, near Alexandria, Virginia, the men eagerly looking forward to going home.  

 

Officers of the 48th Pennsylvania at Alexandria, VA, 1865
(From Left-to-Right: Edward Sykes, Dr. Eugene Smyser, Major Richard M. Jones, Colonel Isaac Brannan, Dr. J.B. Culver, Quartermaster Thomas Bohannon, Chaplain Levi Beckley, Adjutant M. Honsberger, Lewis Howard)

 

 

As April turned to May in 1865, the war was all but declared over. Lee had surrendered as had Joe Johnston in North Carolina; Richmond had fallen; Lincoln was dead killed Booth had been captured.  For the 48th Pennsylvania, there would be no more campaigns, no more battles. Their last march had begun on April 21, 1865, and had taken them from Farmville, Virginia, back to Petersburg and from there to City Point. After reaching City Point, the 48th boarded the steamer Starlight and set sail for Alexandria. Throughout the past four years, the regiment had become very well acquainted with traveling via steamer. . .early in the war, steamers had carried the regiment from Baltimore to Fortress Monroe and from there to Hatteras and New Bern, North Carolina, and back again to Fortress Monroe and then up to Newport News. Steamers carried the 48th from Newport News to Baltimore in early 1863 as the regiment began its journey westward to Kentucky.  But it was at City Point on April 27, 1865, that for the final time in the war the regiment would board a steamer. The journey down the James carried the steamer past Fortress Monroe, providing those who were on board and who had been there in 1861--seemingly an eternity ago--one last look at the walls of this familiar fort. Nearly four years earlier the 48th had been stationed there, spending six weeks encamped at Fort Hamilton in the fall of 1861. One wonders what thoughts passed through the minds of those few--very few--veteran soldiers of the 48th now standing aboard the Starlight who had been there at Fortress Monroe all those years ago during those more innocent days in late 1861. Those were brighter days, it must have seemed, when the rookie soldiers of the 48th were learning the rudiments of soldier life, in a camp commanded by that old tough soldier Mansfield who had long since fallen at Antietam. And though they cursed the drilling and practicing and dress parades then, they did have ample time for some rest and recreation, spending much of that time fishing and living large off oysters. As the Starlight sailed past Fortress Monroe late in April 1865, no doubt many of the 48th's veterans thought of those men--friends and comrades--who were there with them four years earlier, but whose remains now lie buried far away, in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, even Georgia. . .

 

 

Steamer Starlight
(Courtesy: Florida Photographic Collection, State Library and Archives of Florida [RC04626])

 

 

It was a rather short journey from City Point to Alexandria. They arrived there on April 28. Stepping off the Starlight, the soldiers of the 48th stretched their legs and marched a short distance to Fort Lyon, where they once more went into camp.

 

 

Diagram of Fort Lyon
(Library of Congress)

 

Fort Lyon
(Image From Cowan's Auctions)

 

The 48th/150th: The Dead of Fort Mahone

150 years ago. . .the soldiers of the 48th Pennsylvania were encamped at Farmville, Virginia, some seventy miles west of Petersburg. From there they would soon set out on their final march, beginning the long journey back home. It was there, at Farmville, on April 10 where the men learned of the previous day's surrender of Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House.  The men rejoiced at this news; celebration and exultation was widespread. At last the end had come; all felt that soon they would be home and back again with their families. Just a few days later, however, the shocking news of Lincoln's assassination spread through their camps and it "fell like a pall" over the men, said regimental historian Oliver Bosbyshell, "causing great sorrow amongst the troops." Joseph Gould recorded that "It would be an utter impossibility to express the feelings of the soldiers of the Union Army when this news was heard. The wild exultations of the prospects of peace were quenched in shame and sorrow." The celebrations were tempered and with heavy hearts, the soldiers of the 48th marched away from Farmville on April 19 and, as Bosbyshell noted, forever "turned its back on the rebellion, and began its journey home."

The regiment quickly traversed much ground. Marching more than twenty miles over each of the next four days, the 48th arrived back at its familiar haunts at Petersburg on April 23. It is not known whether some of the men took the time while there to once more visit the site of their famed tunnel or to once more see the Crater, or to cast another final glance at Fort Mahone. Their opportunity for doing so would have been limited, for the next day, the regiment will arrive at City Point.

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

Passing through Petersburg no doubt conjured up many memories for the soldiers of the 48th, particularly of their fallen comrades, especially now that Lee had surrendered and that they were heading back home. The old battlefields, the silent, unoccupied trench lines looked different now. Years down the road, some of these men would return again to Petersburg to attend the dedication of their regimental monument there; but for most of the soldiers in the 48th, this was their last visit to the battle-scarred ground. . . their last look upon the place where they had spent nearly ten months of their lives and the place where so many of their friends and comrades had fallen.

While every death was mourned, especially heartbreaking were the memories and thoughts of those who had fallen just one week prior to Appomattox, in the regiment's assault on Fort Mahone, which proved to be the 48th's final battle of the war. Those who fell there were the last to fall; the last of the 48th to give their lives upon the field of battle.

In all, sixteen members of the 48th had given their lives at Fort Mahone on April 2, all young men, whose lives were cut far too short.



Colonel George Washington Gowen
(Hoptak Collection) 

Colonel George Washington Gowen. In describing the death of Gowen, Bosbyshell wrote: "So fell one greatly beloved--gloriously at the moment of victory, honored as few have been, mourned sadly by his men; indeed, all who knew his splendid worth and promising future were grieved." On April 15, one week after the guns had fallen silent in Virginia, the surviving officers of the 48th Pennsylvania passed the following resolutions: "Resolved, That although we bow with submission to the Divine will, which has taken him from amongst us, yet we cannot restrain an expression of the feeling of deep regret entertained by this Regiment at his death," and "Resolved, That in the death of Colonel Gowen, this Regiment has sustained a loss which can never be repaired, inasmuch, that he possessed the rare qualities of the perfect gentleman united with those of the brave and efficient officer. Ever attentive to the innumerable wants of his command, courteous to those with whom he had intercourse, and displaying to all a kindness of heart seldom to be met with in the army."
Among the fallen was the regiment's commander, twenty-five-year-old

The remains of George Gowen were escorted to his family's home in Philadelphia and buried at St. Luke's Episcopal Churchyard on Germantown Avenue.

Sergeant John Homer also died on April 2, the result of a wound he had sustained the day before, as the regiment was maneuvering into position for its final assault. Homer had enlisted in September 1861 into the ranks of Company B. He was nineteen at the time, a machinist from Pottsville, who stood 5'7 1/2" in height, had a Light Complexion, Blue Eyes, and Light Hair. When he and the regiment returned home of Veterans' Furlough in the winter of 1864, John Homer got married. Following this last struggle at Petersburg, John Homer's young wife was now left a widow while his remains were buried in Petersburg, where they continue to rest in the City Point National Cemetery.

The Grave of Sgt. John Homer
City Point National Cemetery
[findagrave.com]

Like Colonel Gowen and Sergeant Homer, Corporal James Nicholson had also served in the 48th since the regiment was first organized late in the summer of 1861. A coal miner by profession--and undoubtedly one of the men who did the actual tunneling under the Confederate lines in the summer of 1864--Nicholson volunteered his services on September 11, 1861. He was twenty-four years of age when he enlisted, stood 5'6" in height and was described as having a Dark Complexion, with Blue Eyes, and Light Brown Hair. Nicholson survived four years of battles, making it through 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Knoxville, and all the many battles of the Overland Campaign, only to fall wounded on April 2 at Fort Mahone. In pain, Nicholson was removed from the field and taken to various hospitals where he lingered for three weeks. One wonders what thoughts raced through his mind while in the hospital he learned of Lee's surrender and of Lincoln's assassination. He succumbed to his wound on April 24, long after the guns fell silent.

All the other soldiers of the 48th Pennsylvania who died at Fort Mahone were relative newcomers to the regiment, having entered the ranks either in 1864 or early in 1865. Eldest among them was Simon George Hoffman of Company K, a thirty-four-year-old carpenter from Auburn, Pennsylvania, who, in February 1864, made the difficult decision to leave his wife Catherine and five young children in order to fight for his country. During the attack on Fort Mahone, Hoffman, the loving husband and father, was shot through the forehead and instantly killed leaving Catherine a widow and leaving eleven-year-old Mary, six year-old- Rosa, four year-old Wellington, three-year-old Lewis, and eight-month-old Simon without a father. Private Hoffman's remains rest in the Poplar Grove National Cemetery in Petersburg.

Twenty-six-year-old Private Jacob Reichwein also left a wife and a number of young children behind when he, too, enlisted into the ranks of the 48th in early 1864. Reichwein was born in Germany and was a blacksmith by profession. In September 1861, while so many others were rushing off to war, Reichwein married Catherine Zimmerman and together the two made a home and raised a family in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania. Their first child, James Mathias Reichwein, was born in June 1862 while their second, Catherine Victoria Reichwein, arrived on April 1, 1864. It is not known, however, whether Jacob was there when daughter Catherine was born, for a few weeks earlier, on March 8, he had enlisted his services and was mustered into service as a private in Company I, 48th Pennsylvania Infantry. Reichwein was wounded during the regiment's initial attacks on Petersburg in June 1864. On April 2, 1865, just one day after Catherine Victoria's first birthday, Jacob Reichwein was shot through the head and killed while assailing Fort Mahone. His remains were buried at the 9th Corps Cemetery at Meade Station, Virginia, though they were likely later removed and buried in the Poplar Grove National Cemetery. Young James Mathias and Catherine Victoria Reichwein lost their father; sadly and tragically, they lost their mother less than three years later when Catherine Reichwein died at far too young an age on March 5, 1868. James, five years old, was taken in by a guardian in New Ringgold, while his four-year-old sister Catherine Victoria was taken to Tower City to be raised by another guardian.

Private John Coutts was born in Scotland and had been in the regiment less than two months before he fell dead at Fort Mahone. On February 13, 1865, Coutts, a twenty-one-year-old laborer who stood tall at 5'11" in height, with Sandy Hair, Gray Eyes, and a Fair Complexion, entered ranks as a Private in Company B, 48th. He made his home in Pottsville after emigrating from Scotland, though he would never make it back home.

While Reichwein was born in Germany and Coutts in Scotland, Privates James King and William Donnelly, both of Company H, were natives of Ireland who at some point prior to America's sectional hostilities had set sail across the Atlantic in an effort to find a better life. Donelley, 5'5", with a Dark Complexion, Gray Eyes, and Dark Hair, had found work in the coal mines and listed "Miner" as his occupation so he, too, may have been one of the men who did the actual digging of the Petersburg Mine in the summer of '64. Donnelly entered the 48th in late March 1864 and was killed in action at Fort Mahone on April 2, 1865, along with his fellow native of the Emerald Isle James King. King, it appears, settled in Reading and found work as a Collier. In January 1865, the eighteen-year-old King left that new life behind when he entered the army as a private in Company H, 48th. Killed on April 2, his and Donnelly's final resting place remain unknown.

David McElvie was born in British-America, though had made his way to Pottsville at a young age. He listed his occupation as Laborer when, on March 1, 1864, the twenty-year-old McElvie enlisted into the ranks of Company F, 48th Pennsylvania Infantry. McElvie stood 5'3" in height, had a Dark Complexion, Gray Eyes, and Brown Hair. Like so many others in the 48th, McElvie never made it home from Fort Mahone; there is where he, just like Coutts, Reichwein, Donnelly, and King, gave his life fighting for his adopted country all from within the ranks of the 48th.

In addition to King and Donnelly, Company H also lost eighteen-year-old George Uhl, who, like so others had enlisted in early 1864 having become old enough to serve. When the war began, Uhl was fifteen and far too young but the war would wait until he turned eighteen and on March 9, 1864, Uhl became a soldier--a private in the ranks of Company H, 48th. Surviving the storm at the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Cold Harbor and having made it through nine months of the siege at Petersburg, Uhl, a Laborer from Pottsville who stood 5'1" in height, with a Light Complexion, Gray Eyes, and Brown Hair, was killed in action on April 2, 1865, at For Mahone.

On the very same day the Uhl became a soldier, so, too, did Albert Mack. Like Uhl, Mack was too young to serve when the war first began but in 1864, he was old enough. The records state that Mack was only seventeen when he enlisted on March 9, 1864, as Private in Company I, 48th, but perhaps he was close enough to eighteen to pass. Mack was born in Luzerne County though was working as a Moulder in Pottsville when he enlisted. He stood 5'6" in height, had a Dark Complexion, Gray Eyes, and Brown Hair. Albert Mack very quickly became a veteran, seasoned soldier campaigning through the hellish battles of 1864 but his luck ran out at Fort Mahone when he fell dead during that desperate rush.

Albert Zimmerman, also of Company I, a Farmer born in Schuylkill County who, on March 15, 1864, volunteered to serve, also lost his life that day. He was eighteen years old at the time, standing just 5'1 1/2" in height, with a Fair Complexion, Hazel Eyes, and Brown Hair. His life ended on a Sunday, early in April, 1865, at Petersburg, Virginia. The soldier's young remains were interred in the Poplar Grove National Cemetery, where they continue to rest at Grave #1690.

Yet another young man from Company I died at Fort Mahone; his name was Wesley Boyer and he had become a soldier late in August 1864 when at the age of eighteen he signed up to serve. He was from Pottsville and was a Laborer by trade. He stood 5'4 1/2" in height, with a Dark Complexion, Grey Eyes, and Brown Hair. It is not known as of yet where Boyer was laid to rest and whether his remains made it back home for burial in his hometown of Pottsville. It is, however, believed that Daniel Barnett's body did make it back.



Private Daniel D. Barnett
Killed in Action on 4/2/1865
[Hoptak Collection]

Daniel D. Barnett was also so very young when he left his family behind to become a soldier in the 48th. He was born in Berks County, Pennsylvania, but moved with his family to Pottsville when still quite young. He had a number of sisters and a loving mother and father. Still, the eager, young Barnett was determined to do his part to preserve the Union and on February 18, 1864, he became a Private in Company E, 48th Pennsylvania Infantry. He was a Laborer, and was described as standing 5'4 1/2" in height, with a Light Complexion, Gray Eyes, and Brown Hair. Barnett lost his life at Fort Mahone, leaving his family to suffer and mourn his loss. He remains were likely conveyed back home to Pottsville where they rest alongside those of his mother and sister in the Odd Fellows' Cemetery.




The Barnett Family Plot in the Odd Fellows' Cemetery, Pottsville, PA
Daniel Barnett, Sr., and Elizabeth Barnett on left and Daughter Annie Barnett is on right, with cross
It is possible that Daniel Barnett is buried between his mother and sister Annie

While every death was tragic, for those already discussed, with the exception of James Nicholson, death came quickly. These men, like Gowen and Hoffman, were killed instantly, or died shortly after receiving their death wound. They died not knowing about Appomattox or the surrender of Lee and his army. Imagine the terrible heartache, though, the agony and the pain of those who were injured on April 2 but who lingered in hospitals for days or weeks before succumbing. Imagine them laying in a hospital bed while news of the surrender spread, while others outside cheered. Imagine the thoughts going through their minds knowing that their comrades would soon be heading home to see their families and loved ones once more while they lay in pain in a hospital far away from home, hoping they would recover to share in the joy and jubilation and to share in that happy moment of embracing a mother or father or child. For some, though, this moment would never come.

Take Aaron P. Wagner, for example, the nineteen-year-old farmer from Pottsville, who had left home to become a private soldier in Company D, 48th PA on March 3, 1864. Wagner was wounded during the 48th's final battle at Fort Mahone. Carried from the field, young Aaron Wagner would be taken either by rail or via steamer to Washington, D.C. where he would be treated for his injury at the Mt. Pleasant Hospital. He would never recover and on April 15, 1865, on the very same day President Abraham Lincoln died in the same city, Aaron Wagner breathed his last. He remains were buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Section 13, Site 10485.

The Grave of Aaron Wagner, Co. D 48th PA
at Arlington National Cemetery
[www.findagrave.com]

And, then, finally was Nicholas Stephens/Stevens of Company B, 48th Pennsylvania Infantry. When the war began, young Nicholas Stephens--born and raised in Tunkhannock, in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania--may have well wished to enlist but at that time he had a more important duty to his family. His father has passed away in August 1849, leaving his mother Hannah Stephens a widow with three children to raise and support. Having to help provide for his mother and his two siblings, Nicholas Stephens went to work wherever he could find it. He labored for a neighboring farmer and on a local canal. He was described as robust, rugged, and a hard worker. When he wasn't paid in cash for his labor, he would receive potatoes, coal, or other items from his various employers. By the time the war began in 1861, Nicholas Stephens felt his place was at home helping provide for and support his mother and younger brother Sherman, a boy described as always being in poor physical health. His sister had, by this time, married and moved away from home. When so many others with less responsibility left to fight, Nicholas Stephens remained behind. In early 1864, he was able to purchase a cow for his mother but in September of that year, he was forced into service when he was drafted. To provide cash for his mother, Nicholas sold the cow for $20 and then went off to war, promising to send home whatever pay he got. On September 29, 1864, after what was surely a tear-filled goodbye and parting from his widowed mother and younger brother, Nicholas Stephens became a Private in Company B, 48th PA. The muster roll tells us that he was twenty-one-years of age, who stood 5'6" in height, with a Dark Complexion, Dark Eyes, and Dark Hair. When asked what his occupation was, he said "Boatman." Stephens never received any pay while in service--it was always late in arriving and always months behind. But he served and on April 2 at Fort Mahone, participated in his first--and last--major battle. At some point during the assault, he received a gunshot wound to his right foot. Removed from the front, the injured young soldier was taken to a hospital where hopes were entertained for his recovery. Sadly, Nicholas Stephens passed away on April 20, 1865, almost two weeks after Appomattox and as the surviving soldiers of the 48th Pennsylvania were beginning on the journey back home.

The Body of Nicholas Stephens Was Buried Next To Father in the
Gravel Hill Cemetery, Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania. His Widowed Mother
Hannah Stephens would receive a pension of $8.00/month for the sacrifice of her son.
[www.findagrave.com]  

   

The 48th/150th: "Every Heart Was Filled to Overflowing:" The Road To Appomattox & The Surrender of Lee's Army

U.S. Soldiers Stand Atop The Earthworks at the Captured Fort Mahone
April 1865
[National Archives]

150 Years Ago. . .and at long last, Petersburg, which according to Oliver Bosbyshell had been "so long invested, so hotly contested, and so stubbornly defended," had at last fallen. . .On April 3, 1865, United States soldiers entered the city and raised the American flag once more. Further to the north, Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy, had also fallen. The Confederate government was on the run, as was Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia. Union forces were fast upon their heels and quickly closing in. On April 9, Lee surrendered at Appomattox.

 



The Appomattox Campaign
[Map by Hal Jespersen, www.posix.com/CW]

For the past 290-some days, since mid-June, 1864, the 48th Pennsylvania Infantry had spent its days in the trenches east and south of Petersburg and had participated in a number of engagements during this long tenure. Their final struggle came on April 2, 1865, when they participated in the charge upon Fort Mahone. The regiment had done well and had fought with characteristic doggedness and determination during the assault but though they, along with several other units, were able to pierce the defenses of Fort Mahone, they had a difficult time in advancing from there and had their hands full dealing with a series of equally determined Confederate counterattacks. Further to their left, however, the army's Sixth Corps was able to complete the breakthrough. This, along with other reverses, compelled Lee to retreat. The army soon took up the chase, with the Fifth Corps and Cavalry Corps leading the way. The soldiers of the Ninth Corps also took up the march, forming the extreme right wing of the army, with little time for rest after the long investment of Petersburg and less time to mourn for their comrades who had there lost their lives. By nightfall on April 4, the 48th had arrived at Sutherland; the next day, their route of march took them past Fords and Wellville and all the way to Nottoway Court House, where they encamped for the night. April 7, the 48th had reached Farmville and there learned that the Ninth Corps was now to serve as escorts for some 8,000 Confederate prisoners, including Generals Richard Ewell, Joseph Kershaw, and Custis Lee, who had all fallen into Union at the April 6 Battle of Sailor's Creek. With their prisoners in tow, the 48th set out on the journey to Burkeville on April 8 and it was there, on the morning of April 10, that they heard for the first time the "joyful news" of Lee's surrender to Grant the previous day.

 

Capturing in words the true sentiment of the men--the elation, the relief--upon hearing of Lee's surrender is an impossibility. No doubt, for the weary veterans, longing to return home, the thought that the war was, at last, drawing to an end, that it would at last soon be over, took a while to sink in. Thoughts of the days at Fort Monroe way back in the fall of 1861 may have crossed their minds, with fond memories of those days before all the slaughter. Perhaps the long-serving veteran troops also thought back to their eight-month stay in North Carolina, or their hard campaigns in Virginia, Maryland, and East Tennessee, to the bloodshed that was 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, and Fredericksburg. The men no doubt shook hands all around and embraced one another and many were the tears that were shed; shed in happiness at the thought that they would soon be heading home, and shed in sadness at the thought of so many of their friends, neighbors, and comrades who had fallen throughout the previous four years. And while it is impossible to accurately capture the feelings of the moment, regimental historian, Joseph Gould, tried when he recorded simply that "The news [of Appomattox] created the greatest enthusiasm amongst the troops. Great, strong, bearded men embraced, and, in many instances kissed each other and shouted. The bands tried to make as much noise as the men, and the greatest joy prevailed. All suffering and hardships that we had undergone were forgotten, every heart was filled to overflowing."

 

 

Artist Tom Lovell's Famed Rendering of the Surrender at Appomattox

 

The 48th/150th: The 48th's Last Battle: The Attack on Fort Mahone: April 2, 1865

. . .Where Gowen Fell. . .
Fort Mahone Today

 

 

Throughout the four years of the American Civil War--by rail, by foot, and on water--the 48th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry traversed nearly 5,000 miles of ground, campaigning in several different theaters of operations, and across seven states. Along the way, the regiment had compiled an extensive service record, participating in nearly two dozen major battle actions of the war and in countless other skirmishes and lesser engagements. The 48th's record banner remains emblazoned with such sanguinary and familiar battles as "2nd Bull Run," "Antietam." "Fredericksburg," "Campbell's Station," "Siege of Knoxville," "Wilderness," "Spotsylvania," "North Anna," "Cold Harbor," and "Petersburg," among others.

 

Yet it was 150 years today--on April 2, 1865--that the regiment fought in its last battle.

 

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

 

For the past 290 days--since mid-June 1864--the soldiers of the 48th remained in the trenches east of Petersburg. It was a severe trial for the men to endure for so long the hardships of life in the trenches, exposed to the elements, and to the constant artillery and musketry fire. It should never had lasted this long; indeed, just a few days after taking up positions east of Petersburg, the 48th embarked upon its effort at tunneling under the Confederate line. Their undertaking was remarkably successful and it should have led to the end of the siege at Petersburg. If only Meade and Grant and Burnside had handled things differently. Surely not a day went by after the bloody repulse at the Crater that the men of the 48th thought about what could of been; how they should have been at home by now; how they should have been the architects of the grand Union victory. Frustration, even anger and resentment, remained.

 

Yet with the arrival of spring in 1865, there was a sense that, at long last, the end was near. As regimental historian Oliver Bosbyshell noted, "As the spring came on all felt that decisive action would surely ensue." In early March, Lincoln had taken the Oath of Office for the second time while, further south, Sherman and his men were cutting their way through the Carolinas. And at Petersburg, Grant decided that the time had come to strike again at Robert E. Lee and his vaunted, once seemingly-invincible Army of Northern Virginia. During the final days of March and into April, Grant directed his army to extend to the left, toward Lee's right flank and rear. There was a series of running fights, skirmishes, and pitched battles, all of which ended badly for Lee; his lines were stretched far too thin--his army was on the verge of its breaking point. He knew Petersburg and Richmond must surely fall. On April 1, Union forces under Philip Sheridan and Gouverneur Warren won a marked victory at the Battle of Five Forks, inflicting nearly 3,000 casualties upon Lee's ever-dwindling army and, perhaps more importantly, opening the way to sever Lee's only remaining supply line, the Southside Railroad. When Grant learned about this, he knew the time had come; Lee would be desperate. Grant therefore decided to order an all-out assault on the Confederate lines immediately east and south of Petersburg. To carry out this assault, he called upon his Sixth and Ninth Corps.  

 

The 48th Pennsylvania Infantry formed part of General John Curtin's brigade, in Robert Potter's division, of the Ninth Army Corps, which, since the previous August had been under the command of Major General John Parke. Late on the night of April 1, Parke received orders that he was to attack. He opted to launch the attack directly from Fort Sedgwick--which the men in blue had dubbed "Fort Hell"--and directly upon the Confederate fortification known as Fort Mahone, better known as "Fort Damnation." The Confederate numbers had thinned considerably there, but their defensive line--and especially Fort Mahone--was still quite imposing and formidable. It would be a desperate and deadly struggle, with the men forced to charge across that no-man's land that separated the opposing lines of earthworks and fortifications, broken by abattis and chevaux-de-frise, in the face of a deadly storm of lead and iron. This open, deadly land between Forts Hell and Damnation the men called "purgatory."
 

 

April 2, 1865
Petersburg
The 9th Corps's Attack is on far right of map
(Map by Hal Jespersen, www.posix.com/CW)

 

 

 

On the night of April 1, the soldiers of the 48th learned of their orders. Their commander--Colonel George Washington Gowen--had been summoned that night to General Curtin's headquarters and there Curtin explained the plan to storm Fort Mahone directly to Gowen and to all of his brigade's regimental commanders. At the end of their meeting, after all arrangements were made, Curtin shook hands with each of his regimental commanders. Gowen, who had taken command of the 48th upon Henry Pleasants's departure in December 1864, was well acquainted with Curtin and as the two shook hands, Gowen reportedly told Curtin that the attack on Fort Mahone would be his last battle, that he had a sense that he would not survive the coming storm. Curtin attempted to disabuse Gowen of this idea and told him that he would place the 48th in reserve. But Gowen objected and insisted that he and his hard-fighting, veteran regiment take their designated--and rightful--place in line.

 

Meanwhile, the soldiers of the 48th were maneuvering in the darkness, eventually taking up position to the left of Fort Hell. In their haversacks they carried three days' rations, consisting mostly of sugar, coffee, and hard bread, remembered Sergeant William Wells of Company F. Although it was spring, it was still early enough in the season for the nights to be rather cold and the recent rains had turned much of the trench lines into muddy pits. And so, exposed to the chilly air and with their boots and pants damp and covered with mud, the soldiers of the 48th, having arrived at their designated jumping-off point, broke ranks and. . .waited. Surely a strange mix of foreboding and relief coursed through the regiment that night, with the usual anxiety and fear that came before any big fight but this time tempered by the thought that this might just be the battle that at last ends the war. One more battle, one more fight. . .then they could finally go home. No doubt the thought of loved ones back at home filled their thoughts as the men waited for the inevitable orders to attack. Through the darkness some of the men may have strained to see their objective, Fort Mahone, looming like a dark shadow before them, only a few hundred yards to their front. To their right, on the other side of Fort Hell were the men of Hartranft's Third Division, Ninth Corps, also awaiting the orders to advance; at the same time, to their left, further to the south and west, soldiers of the Army of the Potomac's veteran Sixth Corps were also taking up positions.

 

To better their chances, Grant decided to precede the infantry assault with all-out artillery bombardment. Throughout the night of April 1, the artillerists manning the cannons all along the Union lines east and south of Petersburg prepared for what would be a massive and memorable artillery barrage. As they wheeled their guns into position--and as the gunner's adjusted their elevating screws and got good range--an eerie silence descended upon the lines. It was already past midnight; Sunday, April 2 had dawned. Few got any sleep that night; many may have tried but the anxiety was much too pronounced. Most of the men were lost in their thoughts. For the moment, in the dark, in the trenched, all was quiet. Then, suddenly, a lone voice rang out. A soldier, described as "some irrepressible Irishman from Company C" shouted for all to hear, "Boys, we're going to early mass." This broke the tension and "caused the boys to laugh," remembered one veteran, "when they did not feel much like it."

 

It was not long after this that the artillery opened fire and it would be an experience the soldiers of the 48th would not soon forget. Joseph Gould, regimental historian, later recalled that "Orders had been issued on the night of the 1st that all batteries on the line should open their guns to cover the advance of the infantry. The roar of the signal gun at the Avery house found all the artillerymen at their posts and anxious to end the war. The bombardment grew furious as it increased along the whole line, from north of Petersburg to Hatcher's Run. The rebel guns replied with vigor, and this bombardment was the most terrific experienced on that front. The sight was one rarely seen. From hundreds of cannons, field guns and mortars came a stream of living fire as the shells screamed through the air in a semi-circle of flame, the noise was almost deafening." The men marveled at the sight, awed by the shells streaking light and flame across the dark night skies; no doubt the ground under them trembled. The bombardment was to last until 4:00 a.m., when the infantry would then charge forward. . .but at 4:00 o'clock it was still so dark that the men would not be able to see. The assault was delayed another half an hour, while the artillery barrage resumed.

 

Then, at long last, came the appointed time. . .at 4:30 a.m., orders raced their way along the soldiers in blue. The men rose to their feet, stretched their legs and quickly fell into line, taking deep breaths and wiping the sweat from their palms. Potter's division of the Ninth Corps, which would lead the attack from the left of Fort Sedgwick while Hartranft's men attacked on the right, took up position, stacked up and stretched out eighteen-regiments deep. Making their way forward, the regiment passed around the rear of Fort Sedgwick, through trenches that were muddy and, in places, nearly knee-deep with water. Making their way across the Jerusalem Plank Road, the battle lines were formed and through the misty fog of that fateful dawn, the men began their charge forward.

 

Alfred Waud Depiction of the Ninth Corps's Attack on Fort Mahone
(Harpers Weekly)

 

 

Gould wrote that that morning the soldiers of the 48th were "eager to be avenged for the repulse at the explosion of the mine eight months before." Very succinctly he recorded that the men "fought like demons; and, in the teeth of the storm of grape, canister and musketry, plunged into the field and charged without flinching, until they reached the inside of the enemy lines." The fields over which they advanced were swept with a destructive fire but it took only a matter of minutes before the 48th made their way across "purgatory." Their advance was soon stalled, however, when they reached the Confederate abattis and cheaveux-de-fries immediately in front of Fort Mahone. One man, known only as "R," wrote that confusion ensued when the necessary halt was made in order to remove these obstructions and during this confused halt, "the enemy poured a destructive fire both from infantry and artillery" upon the stalled 48th. "Here the regiment was massed," recorded Sgt. Wells, "seeking a passage and forcing their way through as fast as the pioneers cut away the obstructions." The pioneers, who led the way with their axes, worked feverishly to cut through the abattis and cheaveaux-de-fries, but with each passing moment, men were falling. Sergeant Patrick Monaghan later declared that here, the "regimental front was rapidly diminishing." In the dirt and mud, in the damp mist of that early April morning, all was chaos, madness, slaughter. . .

 

Surgeon William R.D. Blackwood (center)
Library of Congress

 

In the midst of this, William Robert Douglass Blackwood, the regimental surgeon, was conspicuous in his bravery. As the action raged the hottest, twenty-five-year-old Blackwood, a native of Ireland and graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, made his way repeatedly to the front  to help remove severely wounded officers and soldiers from the field, all while under a heavy fire from the enemy. Thirty-two years later, in July 1897, Blackwood's most distinguished gallantry at Fort Mahone would earn him a Medal of Honor.

 

Blackwood Removing Wounded From The Field
From Deeds of Valor

 

 

Meanwhile, at the front, the attack bogged down; the 48th still stalled in their advance. Alongside the regimental colors was Colonel George Gowen, waving his sword and shouting encouraging words, doing all in his power to keep the men moving forward. But it was at this moment that Gowen's premonition came to fruition. Monaghan--whose braver at Petersburg the previous summer earned him a Medal of Honor--remembered seeing Gowen lean over to talk with Sgt. Samuel Bedall, who was carrying the flag. Gowen then "straightened up" remembered Monaghan, "when a shell, hot from the mouth of one of the rebel guns of Fort Mahone, exploded in our midst." Gowen instantly fell forward, directly on his face and when Monaghan turned him over he discovered that half of Gowen's head had been blown away. Indeed, Gowen's blood and brains were splattered on the flag carried by Beddall. Along with two others, Monaghan carried Gowen's lifeless body back to the captured Confederate picket lines further to the rear.  

 

Colonel George Gowen
Killed in Action April 2, 1865

 

 

In this initial charge, only a handful of soldiers actually made it to within the earthen walls of Fort Mahone. Perhaps seeing Gowen fall inspired them to keep going; either way all who did were either gunned down or captured. Most of the regiment fell back to reform. While there, General John Curtin, the brigade commander, made his way into the ranks of the reforming 48th. Exhausted, Curtin, a fellow Pennsylvania, leaned upon his sword and called out, "Let us make one more charge for the honor of the Old Keystone State!" And around him, the 48th gathered. Curtin turned to Sgt. Wells and to Corporal Howard Haas of Cressona and asked them to find the colors. Soon, Wells and Haas returned with Sergeants Beddall and William Taylor, "two of the best and most gallant men in the regiment," said Wells. With this nucleus formed, said Wells, the soldiers of the 48th, "without much regard to Company formation," soon charged back across purgatory and toward Fort Mahone. The soldiers "advanced with loud and continuous cheering to the assault, determined to avenge Colonel Gowen's untimely death. Over, around, and through the remaining obstructions with wild shouts they fly, and over the moat, already filled with dead and dying, they reached the glacis of the fort, and, muzzle to muzzle, patriot and rebel, blaze into each others faces, the guns in the fort being now useless."

 

Sergeant Samuel Beddall, one of the youngest soldiers in the regiment,
carried a flag during the Attack on Fort Mahone
(From Gould)  

Sergeant Patrick Monaghan
Removed the Lifeless Body of Gowen from the Field

Sergeant William Wells
Wounded During Final Stage of Battle
(From Gould)

 

 

The 48th poured up and over the walls of Fort Mahone. Nearby swept forward the 39th New Jersey Infantry. Captain John Williams of Company F was fearful the 39th's flag would be captured and so shouted out, "Forward, boys, and save the Jersey colors!"  With one more determined push, the 48th swept through Fort Mahone. "Hand to hand, butt to butt, bayonet to bayonet the fight continued," said Wells. It was not long before the Confederate line broke, the men fleeing to the rear. Fort Mahone had been taken. The 9th Corps's attack, however, soon bogged down in the maze of entrenchments behind Fort Mahone. They would struggle to hold onto their foothold, for Confederate General John Gordon would spend much of the rest of that Sunday launching determined counterattacks to wrest Fort Mahone back from the boys in blue. Further to the west, however, the soldiers of the Sixth Corps enjoyed greater success in punching through and routing Lee's men from their entrenchments and later that evening, a defeated Robert E. Lee ordered an all-out evacuation of Petersburg. The ninth-month-long siege was at last over.

 

 

Modern-Day Image of the Location of Fort Mahone
The Monument of the 48th Pennsylvania pictured here was placed near the spot where Gowen Fell

 

 

 

150 years ago today, on Sunday, April 2, 1865, the 48th Pennsylvania Infantry fought its last battle of the Civil War. They had succeeded in breaking into Fort Mahone and driving the Confederates from this formidable position but the regiment had paid a dear and heavy price. In the aftermath of the fight, it was recorded that eleven men--including Colonel Gowen--were killed or mortally wounded in the assault, with another fifty-three men wounded, and twenty-one either captured or missing. Several of the wounded would later succumb to their injuries, bringing the total fatality count up to sixteen.

 

 

Private Daniel Barnett
Co. E
Killed 150 Years Ago Today At Petersburg
(Hoptak Collection)

 

 

The casualties sustained by the 48th 150 years ago today, in the regiment's final battle of the war--the Assault on Fort Mahone at Petersburg--follows:

 

Killed/Mortally Wounded: (16)

 

Colonel George Gowen

Sergeant John Homer, Co. B

Nicholas Stephens, Co. B

John Coutts, Co. B

Cpl. James Nicholson, Co. C

Aaron P. Wagner, Co. D

Daniel D. Barnett, Co. E

David McElvie, Co. F

James King, Co. H

William Donnelly, Co. H

George Uhl, Co. H

Albert Mack, Co. I

Albert Zimmerman, Co. I

Wesley Boyer, Co. I

Jacob Reichwein, Co. I

Simon Hoffman, Co. K

 

Wounded: (53)  

 

John Adams, Co. A (slightly, in foot)

1st Sgt. John Watkins, Co. B (severe, in thigh)

Sgt. Robert Campbell, Co. B (slight, in wrist)

William H. Ward, Co. B (slight, in thumb)

Robert Jones, Co. B (severe, in face)

George Seibert, Co. C (severe, in head)

Casper Groduverant, Co. C (slight, in shoulder)

Albert Kurtz, Co. C (severe, in thigh)

James F. Martin, Co. C (slight, in finger)

Paul Dehne, Co. C (slight, in hand)

Sgt. Henry Rothenberger, Co. D (severe, in eye)

Cpl. Levi Derr, Co. D (slight, in foot)
Jacob Schmidt, Co. D (severe, in head)

Edward McGuire, Co. D (slight, in finger)

Joseph Buddinger, Co. D (slight, in shoulder)

Chester Philips, Co. D (slight, in shoulder)

Thomas Wische, Co. D (slight, in head)

Cpl. William Morgan, Co. E (slight, in leg)

William James, Co. E (slight, in arm)

Robert Meredith, Co. E (severe, in right knee)

Frederick Goodwin, Co. E (severe, in right hand and neck)

Thomas Hays, Co. E  (slight, in wrist)

2nd Lt. Henry Reese, Co. F (slight, in arm)

Sgt. William Wells, Co. F (severe, in shoulder)

Cpl. John Devlin, Co. F (severe, in hand)

James Dempsey, Co. F (severe, in leg)

John Crawford, Co. F (slight, in leg)

Peter Bailey, Co. G (slight, in hand)

John Droble, Co. G (severe, in right shoulder)

Patrick Daley, Co. G (slight, in finger)

Nicholas Fers, Co. G (severe, in left thigh)

Thomas Howell, Co. G (slight, in abdomen)

Thomas Smith, Co. G (slight, in thigh)

John Wright, Co. G (severe, in thumb)

George Kane, Co. G (severe, in leg)

1st Lt. William Auman, Co. G (severe, in mouth)

Sgt. Peter Radelberger, Co. H (severe, right arm and breast)

Willoughby Lentz, Co. H (slight, in shoulder)

George E. Lewis, Co. H (slight, in thigh)

Benjamin Koller, Co. H (slight, arm)

Cpl. Henry Matthews, Co. H (slight, in arms)

2nd Lt. Thomas Silliman, Co. H (severe, in throat)

Jonathan Mowery, Co. I (severe, both thighs)

Charles C. Wagner, Co. I (severe, right leg)

Joseph Shoener, Co. I (severe, right leg)

John Road, Co. I  (severe, right leg and wrist)

Henry Goodman, Co. I  (dangerous, in face)

Benjamin Kline, Co. K (slight, in back)

Paul Snyder, Co. K (slight, in back)

Jacob Ebert, Co. K (severe, in thigh)

David Philips, Co. K (slight, in side)

Jno. Williams, Co. K (slight, in arm)

Joseph Wildermuth, Co. K (severe, right shoulder)

 

Captured/Missing In Action: (21)  

 

Sgt. Isaac Fritz, Co. B

William Reppert, Co. B

Michael Kingsley, Co. B

Lewis Kleckner, Co. B

Henry Rinker, Co. B

Daniel Hurley, Co. B

Cpl. James Hannan, Co. C

Samuel Kessler, Co. D

1st Sgt. John McElrath, Co. E

Cpl. George W. James, Co. E

Daniel McGeary, Co. E

John O'Neil, Co. E

Patrick Galligan, Co. F

Sgt. James McReynolds, Co. I

James Mullen, Co. I

Theodore Pletz, Co. I

John Oats, Co. I

Thomas J. Reed, Co. I

William Pelton, Co. K

John Marshall, Co. K

George Showers, Co. K

 

 

*Information from Joseph Gould, The Story of the Forty-Eighth, Oliver Bosbyshell, The 48th In The War, and Stu Richards, http://schuylkillcountymilitaryhistory.blogspot.com/2009/09/last-assault-of-48th-pennsylvania.html