Interpreting the meaning behind the sword. . .

A few weeks ago, I posted a short blog about the Mexican-American War diary of Captain James Nagle, and in that post I talked about the sword he was presented upon his return to Pottsville in 1848.

I was happy to see that fellow-blogger Gary Smailes, in his Victoria's Cross? Blog, picked up on the story on the sword, and delved deep behind the meaning of the sword's inscription and the reason(s) for its presentation.

Check out Gary's excellent post at:

http://victoriacross.wordpress.com/

Perhaps the greatest significance of the sword was that, although presented to him in 1848 in recognition of his services in Mexico, Nagle carried the sword throughout the Civil War, and was sure he was holding it when Matthew Brady snapped an image of him. . .Oh, and that sword was the one scuplted for his statue on the Antietam Battlefield.

Now, some very dedicated students (and very careful observers) of the Antietam National Battlefield may be scratching their heads. 'But wait a minute! There is no sword on the Nagle statue at Antietam!' they may say. . .

[This is a little foreshadowing about a big project I am just starting to work on. . .]

Photograph Gallery: Company A, 48th PA

So, as you can probably tell, I am going to follow up each of the Company Rosters with a Casualty Report for that company as well as a Photograph Gallery.

Unfortunately, of the more than 180 soldiers who served in Company A, 48th PA, throughout the four years of the Civil War, I have just two photographs of its members!

[Just wait though until I get around to Company G!]

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Captain Henry Boyer

Enlisted: 9/17/1861; 27 yrs.; 5’8”; Dark Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Black Hair; Hotel Keeper; Port Clinton; Enlisted as 2nd Lt.; Promoted from 2nd Lt. to 1st Lt.: 9/29/1862; Promoted to Captain: 8/27/1864; Discharged: 10/1/1864, Expiration of Term of Service

* * * * * * * * * *

2nd Lieutenant Henry H. Price

Enlisted 9/17/1861: 21 yrs; 5’10”; Light Complexion; Grey Eyes; Brown Hair; Chair Maker; Ashland; Wounded 9/17/1862 Antietam; Enlisted as a Private; Promoted to Sgt. to 2nd Lt.: 10/30/1864; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran

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Casualty Record: Company A, 48th Pennsylvania

Company A
Casualty Record

Killed in Action/Mortally Wounded: [16]:

1st Sgt. Benjamin G. Otto: Wounded 8/29/1862: 2nd Bull Run; Died of Wounds: 10/15/1862
Pvt. John Springer: Wounded 9/17/1862: Antietam; Died of Wounds: 10/3/1862
Cpl. John Brobst: Wounded 8/29/1862: 2nd Bull Run; Died of Wounds: 9/17/1862
Pvt. John Leiser: Killed in Action 8/29/1862: 2nd Bull Run
Pvt. George Briegle: Wounded 9/14/1862: South Mountain; Died of Wounds: 1/1863: Philadelphia
Cpl. Joseph B. Carter: Wounded 12/13/1862: Fredericksburg; Died of Wounds
Pvt. James Williams: Killed in Action 12/13/1862: Fredericksburg
Pvt. Lewis M. Robinhold: Killed in Action 5/12/1864: Spotsylvania
Pvt. Isaac Otto: Killed in Action 5/12/1864: Spotsylvania
Cpl. John J. Huntzinger: Killed in Action 5/12/1864: Spotsylvania
Pvt. Abel C.T. St.Clair: Killed in Action 5/12/1864: Spotsylvania
Pvt. Lewis Hessinger: Killed in Action 6/22/1864: Petersburg
Pvt. Henry Simpson: Killed in Action
Pvt. John Cochran: Wounded 6/17/1864: Petersburg; Died of Wounds
Pvt. George Betz: Wounded 9/17/1862: Antietam: Wounded 6/1864: Cold Harbor; Died of Wounds: 6/17/1864: Washington, D.C.
Pvt. Simon Snyder: Wounded 6/1864: Cold Harbor; Died of Wounds: 6/16/1864
Pvt. George Airgood: Wounded 12/13/1862: Fredericksburg; Wounded 1864: Petersburg; Died of Wounds 8/15/1864
Cpl. Francis M. Stidham: Wounded 6/18/1864: Petersburg; Died of Wounds

Died from Disease/Other Causes: [13]:

Pvt. William Miller: Died 11/16/1861: Hatteras Island, North Carolina
Pvt. John Spreese: Died 1/21/1862: Hatteras Island, North Carolina
Pvt. Bernard West: Died 5/1/1862: New Bern, North Carolina
Pvt. Frank Wentzel: Died 8/12/1862: Drowned in the Potomac River
Pvt. David Kreiger: Died 9/1862: Washington, D.C.
Pvt. John Ruff: Died 12/1862: Washingotn, D.C.
Pvt. Richard Lee: Died 3/1864: Pottsville, Pennsylvania
Pvt. Peter Zimmerman: Died 3/1864: Annapolis, Maryland
Pvt. Nelson Simon: Died 7/5/1864; Minersville, Pennsylvania
Pvt. David Houser: Died 7/1864; City Point, Virginia
Pvt. Samuel Shollenberger: Captured 9/29/1864: Pegram’s Farm; Died in Salisbury Prison, North Carolina: 1/15/1865
Pvt. George Livingston: Captured 8/29/1862: 2nd Bull Run; Captured 11/16/1863: Campbell’s Station (Tennessee); Died in Libby Prison, 12/14/1864
Pvt. Lewis Sterner: Captured 9/29/1864: Pegram’s Farm; Died 4/11/1865: Tamaqua, Pennsylvania

Wounded: [39]:

Cpl. John Taylor: 8/29/1862: 2nd Bull Run
Pvt. George Albright: 8/29/1862: 2nd Bull Run
Pvt. William Betz: 8/29/1862: 2nd Bull Run
Pvt. Elias Britton: 8/29/1862: 2nd Bull Run; 6/17/1864: Petersburg
Pvt. George Miller: 8/29/1862: 2nd Bull Run
Pvt. Andrew Neeley: 8/29/1862: 2nd Bull Run
Pvt. Israel Britton: 8/29/1862: 2nd Bull Run
Pvt. Joel Marshall: 8/29/1862: 2nd Bull Run
Cpl. Henry H. Prince: 9/17/1862: Antietam
Pvt. Charles Kreiger: 9/17/1862: Antietam
Pvt. B.F. Dreibelbeis: 9/17/1862: Antietam
Pvt. John Whitaker: 9/17/1862: Antietam
Pvt. William F. Heiser: 12/13/1862: Fredericksburg
Sgt. A.C. Huckey: 5/12/1864: Spotsylvania
Cpl. Charles Brandenburg: 5/1864: Overland Campaign
Cpl. Jacob S. Honsberger: 5/1864: Overland Campaign
Pvt. Morgan Leiser: 5/1864: Overland Campaign
Pvt. Benjamin F.C. Dreibelbeis: 5/1864: Overland Campaign
Pvt. Charles Hillegas: 5/1864: Overland Campaign
Pvt. Jacob Kershner: 5/1864: Overland Campaign
Pvt. William Koch: 6/1864: Cold Harbor
Pvt. John Heck: 6/1864: Cold Harbor
Pvt. Elias Lins: 6/1864: Cold Harbor
Cpl. Monroe Heckman: 6/1864: Cold Harbor
Pvt. J.D. Ash: 6/1864: Cold Harbor
Pvt. Samuel Eckroth: 6/1864: Cold Harbor
Pvt. Israel Britton: 6/7/1864: Cold Harbor
Pvt. Jabez McFarland: 6/7/1864: Cold Harbor
Pvt. John Holman: 6/17/1864: Petersburg
Pvt. John McLain: 6/17/1864: Petersburg
Pvt. William Huckey: 6/17/1864: Petersburg
Pvt. John H. Schaeffer: 6/17/1864: Petersburg
Pvt. Joel Lins: 6/17/1864: Petersburg
Pvt. Henry Schreyer: 6/18/1864: Petersburg
Pvt. James W. Sterner: 6/18/1864: Petersburg
Pvt. William Dreibelbeis: 6/18/1864: Petersburg
Pvt. Joseph Dreibelbeis: 6/18/1864: Petersburg
Pvt. Lewis Loye: 8/10/1864: Petersburg
Pvt. John Adams: 4/2/1865: Petersburg

Captured/Missing: [5]:

Pvt. Henry Davis: 8/29/1862: 2nd Bull Run (Returned; Mustered Out 7/17/1865: Veteran)
Pvt. William H. Koch: 8/29/1862: 2nd Bull Run (Returned; Discharged 9/17/1864, Expiration of Term of Service)
Pvt. Daniel Leiser: 8/29/1862: 2nd Bull Run (Not on Muster-Out Roll; Records indicate that he never returned to company)
Pvt. Morgan Simon: 8/29/1862: 2nd Bull Run (Not on Muster-Out Roll; Records indicate that he never returned to company)
Pvt. F.W. Simon: 8/29/1862: 2nd Bull Run; 9/29/1864: Pegram’s Farm (Returned but Absent, Sick, at Muster-Out)

Roster: Company A

Last week I began posting the rosters of the 48th Pennsylvania, and I began with the Regimental Band. Today, I present to you the full and complete roster and muster roll of Company A. It is quite lengthy (there were over 180 soldiers who served in Company A during the war), but it does contain a soldier's date of enlistment, age at enlistment, height, complexion, eye color, hair color, occupation, place of residence, and a brief service record. This information was garnered from the 48th's Regimental histories, from Samuel P. Bates's History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, and, primarily, from the regimental muster rolls archived at the Pennsylvania State Archives. I plan to post one company's full and complete roster per month, so stay tuned.

Company A, 48th Pennsylvania, was recruited largely from Port Clinton, Tamaqua, and surrounding townships in southern Schuylkill County.

* * * * * * * * * *

Company A

48th Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer Infantry

* * * * * * * * * *

Captain

Daniel B. Kaufmann:
9/17/1861; 29 yrs.; 5’9”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Black Hair; Dispatcher; Enlisted as Captain; Dismissed from Service: 8/1/1864

Henry Boyer:
9/17/1861; 27 yrs.; 5’8”; Dark Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Black Hair; Hotel Keeper; Port Clinton; Enlisted as 2nd Lt.; Promoted from 2nd Lt. to 1st Lt.: 9/29/1862; Promoted to Captain: 8/27/1864; Discharged: 10/1/1864, Expiration of Term of Service

Albert C. Huckey:
9/17/1861; 22 yrs.; 5’8”; Dark Complexion; Blue Eyes; Light Hair; Machinist; Port Clinton; Wounded: Spotsylvania, 5/12/1864; Enlisted as a Sgt.; Promoted from Sgt. to 1st Sgt. to 2nd Lt.: 9/3/1864; Promoted to Captain: 10/30/1864; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran

1st Lieutenant

Abiel H. Jackson:
9/17/1861; 27 yrs.; 5’8” Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Brown Hair; Machinist; Port Clinton; Enlisted as 1st Lt.; Resigned: 9/29/1862

Lewis B. Eveland:
9/17/1861; 23 yrs.; 5’7”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Light Hair; Brakesman; Port Clinton; Enlisted as a Sgt.; Promoted from Sgt. to 2nd Lt.: 9/29/1862; Promoted to 1st Lt.: 8/27/1864; Discharged: 10/1/1864: Expiration of Term of Service

William Taylor:
9/17/1861; 30 yrs.; 5’8”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Brown Hair; Boatman; Port Clinton; Enlisted as a Sgt.; Promoted from Sgt. to 1st Lt.: 10/30/1864; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran

2nd Lieutenant

Price, Henry H.:
9/17/1861: 21 yrs; 5’10”; Light Complexion; Grey Eyes; Brown Hair; Chair Maker; Ashland; Wd. 9/17/1862 Antietam; Enlisted as a Private; Promoted to Sgt. to 2nd Lt.: 10/30/1864; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran

Orderly Sergeant

Benjamin G. Otto:
9/17/1861; 27 yrs.; 5’8”; Blue Eyes; Light Hair; Carpenter; Port Clinton; Enlisted as 1st Sgt.; Wounded: 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862; Died of Wounds: 10/15/1862

1st Sergeant

Seltzer, Abraham F.:
9/17/1861: 24 yrs.; 5’6”; Dark Complexion; Blue Eyes; Sandy Hair; Farmer; New Ringgold; Enlisted as a Private; Promoted to 1st Sgt.; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran

Sergeant

Honsberger, Henry C.:
9/17/1861; 21 yrs.; 5’4”; Dark Complexion; Blue Eyes; Dark Hair; Teacher; McKeansburg; Enlisted as a Private; Promoted to Sgt. Major, to Adjutant; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran

John Taylor:
9/17/1861; 25 yrs.; 5’8”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Dark Hair; Boatman; Port Clinton; Wounded: 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862; Enlisted as a Corporal; Promoted to Sgt.; Discharged on Surgeon’s Certificate: 6/27/1865; Veteran

Gallagher, John:
9/17/1861; 18 yrs.; 5’6”; Dark Complexion; Blue Eyes; Dark Hair; Farmer; Centeville; Enlisted as a Private; Promoted to Corporal; Promoted to Sgt.; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran

Frederici, Franklin:
9/17/1861; 18 yrs.; 5’7”; Light Complexion; Blue Eyes; Light Hair; Farmer; Auburn; Enlisted as a Private; Promoted to Corporal; Promoted to Sgt.; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran

Honsberger, Jacob S.:
9/17/1861; 20 yrs.; 5’4”; Light Complexion; Grey Eyes; Light Hair; Blacksmith; McKeansburg; Enlisted as a Private; Promoted to Corporal; Promoted to Sgt.; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran

Heckman, Monroe:
9/17/1861; 21 yrs.; 5’8”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Shoemaker; Berks County; Enlisted as a Private; Promoted to Corporal; Promoted to Sgt.: 6/28/1865; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran

Milton B. Nice:
9/17/1861; 43 yrs.; 5’10”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Sandy Hair; Horse Jockey; Port Clinton; Enlisted as a Sgt.; Discharged: 12/9/1862

Corporal

Brandenburg, Charles:
9/17/1861; 42 yrs.; 5’8”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Dark Hair; Mason; Port Clinton; Enlisted as a Private; Promoted to Corporal; Discharged on Surgeon’s Certificate: 3/3/1865; Veteran

Cochran, John:
9/17/1861; 21 yrs.; Port Clinton; Enlisted as a Private; Promoted to Corporal; Discharged by General Order: 6/7/1865

Perry, Richard B.:
8/19/1862; 18 yrs.; Port Clinton; Enlisted as a Private; Promoted to Corporal; Discharged by General Order: 6/7/1865

Eveland, James S.:
9/17/1861; 20 yrs.; 5’6”; Light Complexion; Blue Eyes; Light Hair; Blacksmith; Port Clinton; Enlisted as a Private; Promoted to Corporal; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran

Meck, James:
9/17/1861; 19 yrs.; 5’9”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Yeoman; Port Clinton; Enlisted as a Private; Promoted to Corporal; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran

Boyer, Thomas B.:
9/17/1861; 19 yrs.; 5’10”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Yeoman; Port Clinton; Enlisted as a Private; Promoted to Corporal; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran

Krueger, Charles:
9/17/1861; 23 yrs.; 5’8”; Light Complexion; Grey Eyes; Light Hair; Boatman; Port Clinton; Wounded: Antietam, 9/17/1865; Enlisted as a Private; Promoted to Corporal; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran

Moyer, Samuel B.:
Enlisted as a Private; Promoted to Corporal; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran

John Little:
9/17/1861; 42 yrs.; 5’9”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Dark Hair; Yeoman; Port Clinton; Enlisted as a Corporal; Not on Muster-Out Roll

Huckey, William J.:
2/17/1864; 18 yrs.; 5’10”; Light Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Laborer; Port Clinton; Enlisted as a Private; Promoted to Corporal: 6/8/1865; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865

Bond, George:
3/3/1864; 19 yrs.; 5’6 ¾ “; Medium Complexion; Grey Eyes; Brown Hair; Blacksmith; Pottsville; Enlisted as a Private; Promoted to Corporal: 6/8/1865; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865

Kershner, Jacob:

2/17/1864; 22 yrs.; 5’9”; Light Complexion; Blue Eyes; Light Hair; Laborer; Born: Schuylkill County; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Enlisted as a Private; Promoted to Corporal; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865

John S. Bell:
9/17/1861; 25 yrs.; 6’0”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Farmer; Drehersville; Enlisted as a Corporal; Not on Muster-Out Roll

Joseph B. Carter:
9/17/1861; 22 yrs.; 5’9”; Light Complexion; Grey Eyes; Dark Hair; Overseer; Tamaqua; Enlisted as a Corporal; Wounded: Fredericksburg, 12/13/1862; Died of Wounds

Brobst, John:
9/17/1861; 23 yrs.; 5’7”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Dark Hair; Farmer; Berks County; Enlisted as a Private; Promoted to Corporal; Wounded: 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862; Died of Wounds

John J. Huntzinger:
9/17/1861; 23 yrs.; 5’10”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Carpenter; Auburn; Enlisted as a Corporal; Killed in Action: Spotsylvania, 5/16/1864; Veteran

Francis M. Stidham:
9/17/1861; 21 yrs; 6’0”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Chair Maker; Port Clinton; Enlisted as a Corporal; Wounded in Action; Died of Wounds, 7/10/1864

Peter Zimmerman:
9/17/1861; 24 yrs.; 5’7”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Dark Hair; Cabinet Maker; Tamaqua; Enlisted as a Corporal; Died: 4/11/1864, Annapolis, MD

Musicians

Sterner, James W.:
Musician; 9/17/1861; 20 yrs.; 5’8”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Yeoman; Port Clinton; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran

Hinkley, William H.:
Musician: 9/17/1861; 18 yrs; 5’4”; Light Complexion; Blue Eyes; Sandy Hair; Bar Keeper; Tamaqua; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran

McFarland, Jabez:
Musician: 2/22/1864; 19; 5’10”; Light Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Dark Hair; Gunsmith; Born: Gilford, North Carolina; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865

PRIVATES

Adams, John: 3/9/1864; 22 yrs.; 5’3 ½”; Dark Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Dark Hair; Cigar Maker; Born: Berks County; Enlisted: Pottsville; Wounded in Action; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Airgood, George: 9/17/1861; 27 yrs.; 5’6”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Light Hair; Farmer; Landingville; Wounded: Fredericksburg, 12/13/1862; Wounded: Petersburg; Died of Wounds: 8/15/1864
Albright, George: 9/17/1861; 36 yrs.; 5’10”; Dark Complexion; Blue Eyes; Brown Hair; Yeoman; Tamaqua; Born: Wurtenberg, Germany; Transferred to Company B, 4/22/1864
Ash, James: 2/29/1864; 24 yrs.; 5’5”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Brown Hair; Shoemaker; Born: Northumberland County; Enlisted: Pottsville; Discharged on Surgeon’s Certificate: 5/24/1865
Bachman, William: 3/3/1864; 21 yrs.; 5’10”; Fair Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Brown Hair; Laborer; Born: Germany; Enlisted: Pottsville; Deserted: 3/15/1865
Baker, James: 6/16/1863; 22 yrs.; Transferred to Veteran’s Reserve Corps; Date Unknown
Bankes, Daniel M.: 2/17/1864; Transferred to Company B; 4/22/1864
Becker, James: 2/17/1864; 19 yrs.; 5’9; Light Complexion; Blue Eyes; Brown Hair; Laborer; Born: Schuylkill County; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Deserted, Returned: 10/15/1864; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Beltz, William: 2/17/1864; 18 yrs.; 5’8”; Light Complexion; Dark Eyes; Light Hair; Yeoman; New Ringgold; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Bensinger, George: 3/13/1865; 43 yrs.; 5’8 ½”; Medium Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Black Hair; Laborer; Pottsville; Absent, Sick at Muster Out
Berger, William A.: 9/17/1861
Betz, George: 8/19/1862; 18 yrs.; Wounded: Antietam, 9/17/1862; Wounded: Petersburg, 6/17/1864; Died of Wounds
Betz, William: 9/17/1861; 18 yrs.; 5’8”; Light Complexion; Dark Eyes; Light Complexion; Yeoman; New Ringgold; Wounded: 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862; Discharged on Account of Wounds: 10/31/1862
Booth, William: 2/17/1864; 21 yrs.; 5’5”; Light Complexion; Blue Eyes; Light Hair; Moulder; Born: England; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Boyer, Samuel B.: 9/17/1861; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran
Briegel, George: 9/17/1861; 23 yrs.; 5’8”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Boatman; Auburn; Died in Philadelphia: 1/4/1863
Britton, Elias: 9/17/1861; 25 yrs.; 5’6”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Miller: Auburn; Wounded: 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862; Absent, Sick at Muster Out; Veteran
Britton, Israel: 9/17/1861; 20 yrs.; 5’5”; Light Complexion; Blue Eyes; Dark Hair; Farmer; Tamaqua; Wounded: 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862; Deserted: 3/15/1865; Veteran
Brooks, William R.: 2/19/1864; Transferred to Company B: 4/9/1864
Brown, John: 3/8/1864; Transferred to Company B: 4/9/1864
Carter, Thomas: 3/1/1864; 20 yrs.; 5’11”; Dark Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Dark Hair; Machinist; Pottsville; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Cochley, John: 9/17/1861
Cochran, John: 2/1864; Died near Cold Harbor, Virginia: 1864
Cummings, Benjamin F: 9/17/1861; 29 yrs.; 6’0”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Conductor; Tamaqua; Never Joined Company
Dailey, Patrick: 9/17/1861; 35 yrs.; 5’11”; Dark Complexion; Blue Eyes; Brown Hair; Boatman; Port Clinton
Davis, Henry: 9/17/1861; 21 yrs.; 5’4”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Light Hair; Wheelwright; Port Clinton; Missing in Action: 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1865; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865; Veteran
Day, James: 9/17/1861; 41 yrs.; 5’10”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Grey Hair; Miller; Schuylkill Haven; Discharged for Disability
Deitrich, Jacob: 9/17/1861; 28 yrs.; 5’6”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Yeoman; Port Clinton
Demmorce, William: 6/18/1863; Transferred to Company C: 4/8/1864
Dintinger, Charles: 3/2/1864; 18 yrs.; 5’8 ½”; Dark Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Brown Hair; Teamster; Pottsville; Transferred to Company C: 8/21/1864
Dreibelbeis, Benjamin: 9/17/1861; 18 yrs.; 5’4”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Yeoman; New Ringgold; Wounded: Antietam, 9/17/1862; Discharged by General Order
Dreibelbeis, Benjamin F.C.: 5/25/1863; 18 yrs.; 5’4 ½”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Dark Hair; Farmer; Schuylkill County; Discharged: 6/22/1865
Dreibelbeis, Joseph: 5/25/1863; 17 yrs.; 5’4”; Fair Complexion; Black Eyes; Dark Hair; Farmer; Schuylkill County; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Dreibelbeis, William:
Dreibelbeis, W.H.: 7/7/1863; 19 yrs.; 5’9”; Dark Complexion; Black Eyes; Black Hair; Laborer; Schuylkill County: 7/17/1865
Eckroth, Samuel: 9/17/1861; 21 yrs.; 5’6”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Dark Hair; Yeoman; New Ringgold; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran
Eddinger, William: 9/17/1861; 19 yrs.; 5’8”; Dark Complexion; Blue Eyes; Sandy Hair; Farmer; New Ringgold; Deserted, Returned; Absent, Sick, at Muster Out
Ely, Frederick: 2/17/1862; 21 yrs.; 5’6”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Brakesman; Born: Lehigh County; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Ferg, Christian: 3/30/1864; 27 yrs.; 5’4”; Dark Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Dark Hair; Moulder; Born: Germany; Cressona; Discharged by General Order: 7/13/1865
Gallagher, Edward: 2/17/1864; 20 yrs.; 5’0”; Light Complexion; Blue Eyes; Light Hair; Miner; Schuylkill County; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Captured: Died in Andersonville Prison: 8/21/1864
Goodhart, Adam: 9/17/1861; 35 yrs; 5’8”; Dark Complexion; Blue Eyes; Dark Hair; Engineer; Port Clinton; Discharged from Hospital
Goodman, Charles: 9/17/1861; 26 yrs.; 5’7”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Boatman; Port Clinton; Discharged: 9/28/1864, Expiration of Term of Service
Greenawald, Abram: 18 yrs.; 5’3”; Dark Complexion; Blue Eyes; Brown Hair; Laborer; Pottsville; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Griffith, Thomas: 3/3/1864; 21 yrs.; 5’4 ½”; Dark Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Dark Hair; Blacksmith; Born: England; Enlisted: Pottsville; Transferred to Company B: 4/18/1864
Haas, Jordan C.: 9/17/1861; 19 yrs.; 5’7”; Light Complexion; Blue Eyes; Dark Hair; Saddler; Ashland; Discharged from Hospital; Reenlisted; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran
Haker, John: 3/2/1864; 22 yrs.; 5’3 ½”; Dark Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Brown Hair; Miner; Pottsville; Transferred to Company B: 4/18/1864
Haldeman, Franklin: 3/3/1864; 18 yrs.; 5’4 ¼”; Light Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Brown Hair; Bar Tender; Pottsville; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Haus, Philander: 2/17/1864; 22 yrs.; 5’6”; Light Complexion; Blue Eyes; Brown Hair; Miner; Born: Schuylkill County; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Heck, John: 9/17/1861; 34 yrs.; 5’5”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Light Hair; Yeoman; Ashland; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran
Hein, William Jacob: 9/17/1861; Transferred to Company C: 4/22/1864; Veteran
Heiser, William F.: 1862; 16 yrs.; 5’6”; Light Complexion; Brown Eyes; Black Hair; Farmer; Schuylkill County; Wounded: Fredericksburg, 12/13/1862; Not On Muster-Out Roll
Hendricks, George: 1/16/1864; 38 yrs.; 5’5”; Fair Complexion; Grey Eyes; Sandy Hair; Brakesman; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Discharged by General Order: 7/13/1865
Hessinger, Lewis: 9/17/1861; 18 yrs.; 5’7”; Light Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Yeoman; New Ringgold; Killed in Action: Petersburg: 6/22/1864; Veteran
Hile, Hiram: 2/13/1864; 19 yrs.; 5’9”; Dark Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Dark Hair; Laborer; Born: Schuylkill County; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Hillegas, Charles: 3/1/1864; 22 yrs.; 5’7”; Dark Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Dark Hair; Cabinet Maker; Pottsville; Discharged on Account of Wounds Received in Action: 6/27/1865
Hine, Willoughby: 2/17/1864; 21 yrs.; 5’7”; Dark Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Brown Hair; Farmer; Born: Berks County; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Hoffman, Silas: 2/29/1864; 40 yrs.; 5’5 ¾”; Light Complexion; Blue Eyes; Brown Hair; Laborer; Born: Berks County; Enlisted: Pottsville; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Holman, John: 3/1/1864; 21 yrs.; 5’10 ¼”; Fair Complexion; Grey Eyes; Brown Hair; Laborer; Born: England; Pottsville; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Honsberger, M.T.: 3/16/1862; 18 yrs.; 5’4”; Light Complexion; Brown Eyes; Light Hair; Laborer; Schuylkill Haven; Discharged: 3/16/1865, Expiration of Term of Service
Houser, David: 4/7/1864; 24 yrs.; 5’4”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Black Hair; Laborer; Born: Schuylkill County; Enlisted: Pottsville; Died at City Point, Virginia: 7/4/1864
Hummel, John: 9/17/1861
Jones, Charles: 12/4/1862; 44 yrs.; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Jones, William K.: 9/17/1861
Kaufman, William: 2/19/1864; 19 yrs.; 5’10 ¼”; Dark Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Brown Hair; Farmer; Born: Schuylkill County; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Keller, Benjamin: 9/17/1861; 21 yrs.; 5’7”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Blacksmith; Ashland; Discharged: 9/17/1864, Expiration of Term of Service
Kerst, Henry: 8/24/1862; 21 yrs.; Discharged by General Order: 6/7/1865
Kerst, Willis L.: 9/17/1861; 18 yrs.; 5’4”; Light Complexion; Grey Eyes; Light Hair; Boatman; Port Clinton; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran
Kleckner, James: 2/17/1864; 18 yrs.; 5’5”; Light Complexion; Blue Eyes; Light Hair; Carpenter; Born: Schuylkill County; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Kline, Benjamin: 1/30/1865; 23 yrs.; 5’7”; Light Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Brown Hair; Boiler Maker; Berks County; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Knapp, William: 10/29/1862; 43 yrs.; Port Clinton; Absent, Sick at Muster-Out
Koch, Daniel H.: 2/17/1864; 19 yrs.; 5’7”; Light Complexion; Blue Eyes; Brown Hair; Laborer; Port Clinton; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Koch, William H.: 9/17/1861; 21 yrs; 5’9”; Light Complexion; Grey Eyes; Light Hair; Painter; New Ringgold; Discharged: 9/17/1864, Expiration of Term of Service
Koenig, Franklin: 9/17/1861; 19 yrs.; 5’6”; Light Complexion; Blue Eyes; Light Hair; Yeoman; Port Clinton; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran
Kramer, Jacob Coleman: 9/17/1861; 28 yrs.; 5’7”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Horse Jockey; Tamaqua; Deserted, Returned 12/6/1864; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran
Kuret, Newry: 9/17/1861; Not On Muster-Out Roll
Lee, Richard: 10/17/1863; 38 yrs.; 5’7”; Light Complexion; Blue Eyes; Brown Hair; Teamster; Born: England; Pottsville; Died in Pottsville: 8/21/1864
Leiser, Daniel: 9/17/1861; 19 yrs.; 5’9”; Light Complexion; Grey Eyes; Light Hair; Yeoman; New Ringgold
Leiser, John H.: 9/17/1861; 20 yrs.; 5’5”; Light Complexion; Grey Eyes; Yellow Hair; Yeoman; New Ringgold; Killed in Action: 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862
Lins, Elias: 1/12/1864; 18 yrs.; 5’3 5/8”; Dark Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Black Hair; Boatman; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Lins, Franklin: 2/6/1865; 25 yrs.; 5’4”; Light Complexion; Grey Eyes; Brown Hair; Laborer; Born: Schuylkill County; Enlisted: Pottsville; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Lins, Joel: 1/16/1864; 20 yrs.; 5’4 ½”; Fair Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Brown Hair; Laborer; Born: Bucks County; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Absent, Sick at Muster-Out
Lins, Nathan: 2/6/1865; 22 yrs.; 5’3”; Light Complexion; Blue Eyes; Dark Hair; Laborer; Born: Schuylkill County; Enlisted: Pottsville; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Liser, Daniel: 2/17/1864; Wounded: 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862; Transferred to Company C: 8/21/1864
Liser, Morgan: 2/17/1864; 25 yrs.; 5’10”; Light Complexion; Grey Eyes; Light Hair; Brakesman; Born: Schuylkill County; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Livingston, George: 9/17/1861; 25 yrs.; 6’2”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Boatman; Port Clinton; Captured; Died in Libby Prison, 2/14/1864
Loye, Lewis: 2/22/1864; 19 yrs.; 5’8”; Light Complexion; Blue Eyes; Brown Hair; Laborer; Born: Berks County; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
McGuire, Bernhard: 9/17/1861; 21 yrs.; 5’5 ½”; Sandy Complexion; Grey Eyes; Black Hair; Boatman; Pottsville; Not On Muster-Out Roll
McLain, John: 9/17/1861; 18 yrs.; 5’5”; Light Complexion; Grey Eyes; Light Hair; Boatman; Port Clinton; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran
McLain, Robert: 9/17/1861; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran
Mallard, Marcus: 2/1864; Deserted, Date Unknown
Marshall, Joel: 9/17/1861; 22 yrs.; 5’6”; Light Complexion; Grey Eyes; Light Hair; Farmer; New Ringgold; Wounded: 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran
Martin, Joseph: 9/17/1861; 34 yrs.; 5’8”; Dark Complexion; Blue Eyes; Dark Hair; Boatman; Berks County; Enlisted: Port Clinton; Not On Muster-Out Roll
Martin, William: Waggoner: 9/17/1861; 42 yrs.; 5’4”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Car Builder; Clinton County; Enlisted: Port Clinton; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran
Meck, David: 3/30/1864; 23 yrs.; 5’2 ½”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Brown Hair; Laborer; Born: Berks County; West Brunswick Township; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Meck, William: 9/17/1861; Not On Muster-Out Roll
Meck, William H.: 8/11/1862; 19 yrs.; Discharged by General Order: 6/7/1865
Medlar, John C.: 2/17/1864; 22 yrs.; 5’8”; Fair Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Brown Hair; Farmer; Born: Schuylkill County; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Miller, George: 9/17/1861; 25 yrs.; 5’7”; Light Complexion; Blue Eyes; Light Hair; Carpenter; Drehersville; Discharged, Date Unknown; Reenlisted: 2/4/1864; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran
Miller, William: 9/17/1861; 19 yrs.; 5’4”; Light Complexion; Blue Eyes; Brown Hair; Yeoman; Port Clinton; Died at Hatteras Island, North Carolina: 11/21/1861
Morganroth, Levi: 9/17/1861; Not On Muster-Out Roll
Morton, Monroe: 3/29/1864; 24 yrs.; 5’5 ½”; Dark Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Brown Hair; Butcher; Born: Schuylkill County; Enlisted: Pottsville; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Moyer, Benjamin: 9/17/1861; 35; 5’6”; Dark Complexion; Blue Eyes; Dark Hair; Yeoman; Berks County; Not On Muster-Out Roll
Moyer, Jacob M.: 2/22/1864; 32 yrs.; 5’6”; Light Complexion; Grey Eyes; Brown Hair; Laborer; Born: Schuylkill County; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Moyer, Jacob W.: 2/17/1864; 21 yrs.; 5’6”; Fair Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Brown Hair; Brick Layer; Born: New York; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Mumma, Isaac: 3/6/1865; 39 yrs.; 5’10”; Medium Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Black Hair; Laborer; Born: Cumberland County; Enlisted: Pottsville; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Neeley, Andrew: 9/17/1861; 18 yrs.; 5’4”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Boatman; Port Clinton; Transferred to Company C: 4/8/1864; Veteran
Neeley, William: 9/17/1861; 38 yrs.; 5’8”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Light Hair; Yeoman; Port Clinton; Wounded:2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862; Transferred to Company C: 4/8/1864; Veteran
Otto, Isaac: 9/17/1861; 20 yrs.; 5’9”; Light Complexion; Blue Eyes; Light Hair; Boatman; Port Clinton; Killed in Action: Spotsylvania, 5/12/1864
Peter, John: 9/12/1864; 40 yrs.; 5’9”; Light Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Dark Hair; Shoemaker; Born: Germany; Discharged by General Order: 6/7/1865
Pugh, John: 9/17/1861; 26 yrs.; 5’4 ½”; Dark Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Dark Hair; Moulder; Pottsville; Wounded: 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862; Discharged on Account of Wounds
Ramer, George: 9/17/1861; 31 yrs.; 6’2”; Fair Complexion; Grey Eyes; Light Hair; Carpenter; Ashland; Died in Georgetown, D.C.: 9/6/1862, Most Likely Due to Wounds Received at 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862
Reese, Lewis M.: 9/17/1861; Not On Muster-Out Roll
Reichelderfer, Jonathan: 3/2/1864; 18 yrs.; 5’0 ½”; Light Complexion; Grey Eyes, Brown Hair; Laborer; Pottsville; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Richard, Philip: 1/5/1864; 18 yrs.; 5’2 7/8”; Fair Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Brown Hair; Printer; Born: England; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Rinker, Charles: 1/30/1865; 19 yrs.; 5’4”; Medium Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Dark Hair; Laborer; Schuylkill County; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Robinhold, Lewis M.: 2/17/1864; 30 yrs.; 6’3”; Dark Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Dark Hair; Blacksmith; Born: Schuylkill County; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Killed in Action: Spotsylvania, 5/12/1864
Ruff, John: 9/17/1861; 39 yrs.; 5’7”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Yeoman; Tamaqua; Died in Washington, D.C.: 12/13/1862
St. Clair, C.A.T.: 2/27/1864; 19 yrs.; 4’11”; Fair Complexion; Grey Eyes; Dark Hair; Laborer; Schuylkill County; Killed in Action: Spotsylvania, 5/12/1864
Schaeffer, John: 2/17/1864; 21 yrs.; 5’5”; Fair Complexion; Grey Eyes; Light Hair; Laborer; Bucks County; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Discharged on Surgeon’s Certificate: 5/19/1865; Veteran
Schreyer, Henry: 9/17/1861; 24 yrs.; 5’7”; Light Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Boatman; Port Clinton; Discharged on Surgeon’s Certificate: 3/27/1865: Veteran
Seltzer, Francis: 3/2/1865; 35; 5’3”; Light Complexion; Blue Eyes; Light Hair; Bartender; Pottsville; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Shaffer, John W.: 3/9/1864; 39 yrs.; 5’6 ½”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Brown Hair; Carpenter; Born: Lancaster; Enlisted: Pottsville; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Shantz, William: 3/9/1865; 17 yrs.; 5’1 ¾”; Medium Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Brown Hair; Boatman; Pottsville; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Shenk, John: 9/17/1861; Not On Muster-Out Roll
Shickram, Augustus: 9/17/1861; 36 yrs.; 5’5”; Dark Complexion; Blue Eyes; Light Hair; Carpenter; Port Clinton; Discharged: 8/29/1864, Expiration of Term of Service
Shollenberger, Samuel: 2/18/1864; 18 yrs.; 5’0”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Carpenter; Berks County; Enlisted: Pottsville; Captured: Died in Salisbury Prison, 1/16/1865
Sigfried, Jacob: 3/2/1864; 26 yrs.; 5’5 ¾”; Fair Complexion; Blue Eyes; Brown Hair; Horse Dealer; Born: Schuylkill County; Enlisted: Norristown, Pennsylvania; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Sigfried, Jonas: 2/17/1864; 28 yrs.; 5’11”; Dark Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Black Hair; Blacksmith; Born: New York City; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Simon, Frank W.: 9/17/1861; 21 yrs.; 5’3”; Light Complexion; Grey Eyes; Sandy Hair, Slater; Port Clinton; Absent, Sick at Muster Out
Simon, Morgan: 9/17/1861; 18 yrs.; 5’5”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Boatman; Port Clinton; Wounded: 2nd Bull Run, 8/29/1862; Not On Muster-Out Roll
Simon, Nelson: 9/17/1861; 22 yrs.; 5’9”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Yeoman; Port Clinton; Died in Minersville: 7/5/1864
Simpson, Henry: 9/17/1861; Not On Muster-Out Roll
Sittler, Nathan: 2/17/1864; 37 yrs.; 5’11”; Dark Complexion; Black Eyes; Dark Hair; Laborer; Born: Berks County; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Smith, Lewis: 2/10/1864; 18 yrs.; 5’4”; Light Complexion; Grey Eyes; Light Hair; Laborer; Born: Berks County; Enlisted: Reading; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Smith, Thomas P.: 9/17/1861; 45 yrs.; 5’7; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Grey Hair; Berks County; Enlisted: Port Clinton; Discharged on Surgeon’s Certificate: 2/13/1865: Veteran
Snyberger, Nicholas: 2/22/1864; 19 yrs.; 5’7”; Dark Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Brown Hair; Laborer; Born: Berks County; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Snyder, Henry: 9/17/1861; 23 yrs.; 5’11”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Black Hair; Carpenter; Berks County; Enlisted: Port Clinton; Discharged: 2/9/1862
Snyder, Simon: 9/17/1861; 20 yrs.; 5’8”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Yeoman; Berks County; Died: 6/16/1864 of Wounds Received in Action
Spreese, John V.: 9/17/1861; 25 yrs.; 5’7”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Shoemaker; West Penn Township; Died: 1/21/1862 at Hatteras Island, North Carolina
Springer, Jesse: 9/17/1861; 20 yrs.; 5’9”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Yeoman; Hecla; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865: Veteran
Springer, John: 9/17/1861; 24; 5’9”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Yeoman; Hecla; Died: 10/9/1862 of Wounds Received in Action
Stahlnecker, John: 9/17/1861; Not On Muster-Out Roll
Stahlnecker, Obediah:
Steel, David: 9/17/1861; 45 yrs.; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Yeoman; Port Clinton; Discharged at New Bern, North Carolina: 6/28/1862
Sterner, Lewis: 5/9/1864; 21 yrs.; 5’7 ½”; Light Complexion; Grey Eyes; Brown Hair; Laborer; Born: Schuylkill County; Enlisted: Pottsville; Died 4/11/1865 in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania
Wagner, Frederick: 2/17/1864; 37 yrs.; 5’10 ½”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Black Hair; Miller; Born: Berks County; Enlisted: Philadelphia; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Weibels, John: 9/17/1861; 30 yrs.; 5’5”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Light Hair; Shoemaker; Port Clinton; Discharged on Surgeon’s Certificate: 2/3/1865; Veteran
Weikel, Henry: 3/9/1865; 17 yrs.; 5’3 ½”; Light Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Light Hair; Laborer; Born: Reading; Enlisted: Pottsville; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Weiser, Samuel: 9/17/1861; Not On Muster-Out Roll
Wentzell, Franklin: 9/17/1861; 23 yrs.; 5’1”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Boatman; Schuylkill County; Died 8/12/1862: Drowned in Potomac River
West, Bernard: 9/17/1861; 40 yrs.; 5’4”; Light Complexion; Grey Eyes; Dark Hair; Carpenter; Tamaqua; Died 5/12/1862 in New Bern, North Carolina
Whetstone, Simon: 3/3/1864; 19 yrs.; 5’10”; Fair Complexion; Blue Eyes; Brown Hair; Laborer; Born: Carbon County; Enlisted: Pottsville; Mustered Out: 7/17/1865
Whitaker, John: 9/17/1861; 18 yrs.; 5’2”; Light Complexion; Grey Eyes; Light Hair; Boatman; Port Clinton; Transferred to Company C: 4/8/1864; Veteran
Williams, James: 9/17/1861; 20 yrs.; 5’6”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Light Hair; Boatman; Port Clinton; Berks County; Killed in Action: Fredericksburg, 12/13/1862
Williams, Oliver: 9/17/1861; 21 yrs.; 5’8”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Light Hair; Teamster; Ashland; Mustered Out: 9/19/1864: Expiration of Term of Service
Youser, John F.: 9/17/1861; 27 yrs.; 5’8”; Dark Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Never Joined Company
Yunker, John: 3/2/1864; 36 yrs.; 5’6”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Brown Hair; Engineer; Born: Germany; Enlisted: Pottsville; Transferred to Company B: 4/9/1864
Zeigler, James W.: 9/17/1861; 37 yrs.; 5’7”; Light Complexion; Grey Eyes; Yellow Hair; Yeoman; Berks County; Discharged: 6/28/1862 at New Bern, North Carolina
Zeigler, Joseph: 2/19/1864; 22 yrs.; 5’4”; Light Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Brown Hair; Laborer; Schuylkill County; Enlisted: Pottsville; Transferred to Company D: 4/11/1864

First in Defense of the Union. . ."The First Defenders"

I could have titled this post "Shameless Plug," but with April 18 just a few days away, I felt it proper to update my blog with the following. . .

This Wednesday, April 18, marks the 146th Anniversary of the First Defenders' arrival in Washington. The First Defenders were the first northern volunteer troops to arrive in the nation's capital following the firing on Fort Sumter and the start of the American Civil War. Five companies of Pennsylvania soldiers--the Washington Artillerists, the National Light Infantry, the Logan Guards, the Allen Infantry, and the Ringgold Light Artillery--consisting of some 500 troops marched into Washington on the night of April 18, 1861, and were there met by a thankful President Lincoln and members of his cabinet. Just a few days earlier, Lincoln issued his first call-to-arms, and these Pennsylvanians were the first to respond.

In 2004, my book First in Defense of the Union: The Civil War History of the First Defenders was published. It is a small book, and was intended for a regional audience, namely the home communities of these five companies. Now, three years later, I believe that close to 350 copies have been sold. . .not great, but not bad either.

I wrote the following article in 2004 to correspond with the release of my book. I hope you enjoy.

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Throughout the American Civil War, an estimated 2,100,000 men served for a time in Union blue, and while the service and sacrifice of most of these men have been properly recognized in the vast annals of Civil War historiography, there still remain many soldiers who history seemingly forgot. Interestingly and perhaps most notably is the forgotten history of the very first northern volunteers to arrive in Washington after President Lincoln’s April 15, 1861, call-to-arms. Three days after the president’s call, some 475 Pennsylvanians, comprising the ranks of five volunteer militia companies, arrived in the nation’s capital, and as historian Samuel Bates later romanticized, at “the head of the grand column of the two million men, who afterwards . . . marched in their footprints.”[i] Yet, despite their distinguished place in American history, very little is known about these men. It is my hope that with this article, and with my recently published book entitled First in Defense of the Union: The Civil War History of the First Defenders, I am able to bring the story of these soldiers to the attention of scholar and enthusiast alike and thus help correct a void in historiography.
Following the bombardment and subsequent capitulation of Fort Sumter on April 14, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln, after only one month in office, found himself faced with the greatest crisis to ever confront the young American nation. Recognizing the southern rebellion can now be reconciled only with force, Lincoln issued a call for 75,000 volunteers to serve for a period of three months. Throughout northern communities, eager men of all ages and from all socio-economic and occupational backgrounds flooded recruiting offices to answer the call. Within a few days, and in many instances, within a matter of hours, thousands of volunteers departed home and family to begin their journey as soldiers. Three days after Lincoln’s call, the first volunteer troops arrived in Washington.
The first troops to reach the nation’s capital were 475 men from eastern and central Pennsylvania, organized into five militia companies whose origins predated the outbreak of sectional hostilities. The oldest of the five companies was the National Light Infantry from Pottsville, which was organized thirty years before the Civil War in the summer of 1831. Organized in 1842, the Washington Artillery, also of Pottsville, was the only company of the five with any wartime experience, as this unit served as Company B, 1st Pennsylvania Volunteers in the Mexican-American War. The Ringgold Light Artillery of Reading was formed in 1850, while the Logan Guards of Lewistown came into being eight years later. The youngest of the five companies was the Allen Infantry of Allentown, which was organized just two years before the outbreak of civil war.
The organization of these five companies was regularly maintained during the antebellum years and the volunteers who served in the ranks were drilled much more frequently than most Pennsylvania militiamen in the years leading to the war. This put them in an anomalous position within the state militia system, and their readiness to serve in the case of emergency caught the attention of state officials. When the call for volunteers went out in April, 1861, it was perhaps no surprise to Governor Andrew Curtin that these five companies were among the first to offer their services, which occurred almost immediately upon receiving word of Lincoln’s request. Of course, their offers were accepted by both state and federal officials without delay.
Crowds by the thousands gathered to witness the departure of these companies from their hometowns. While surviving letters and diaries from these men overwhelmingly cite patriotic love of country as the primary reason behind their enlistment, they also suggest that these men envisioned none of what war was really about. James Schaadt of the Allen Infantry, for example, wrote that when leaving Allentown, most men “regarded the journey as a pleasant change from daily occupations, a picnic and agreeable visit to the Capital.”[ii] They quickly discovered, however, that war was no picnic.
On the evening of April 17, 1861, all five companies arrived in Harrisburg, where, on the following morning, they were mustered into Federal service. Almost as soon as they were mustered, the men of the five companies boarded train cars and set off for the nation’s beleaguered capital via Baltimore. Traveling along with the volunteers was a detachment of regular army troops who were ordered to report to Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor. Commanding this detachment was a man who in less than a week resigned his commission in the United States Army to take up arms with the Confederacy, and who, in July 1863, surrendered the city of Vicksburg to General U.S. Grant: John C. Pemberton.
With but a few exceptions, the volunteer militiamen made this journey unarmed as they were ordered to leave behind their weapons in their respective armories, and promised modern guns upon their arrival in Washington. Because no continuous rail line linked Harrisburg to Washington, it was necessary for the men to detrain in Baltimore, march two miles through the city to Camden Station, and board the railcars of another line. Unknown to most of the Pennsylvanians, however, the people of Baltimore were largely sympathetic to the Confederacy, and when word arrived that northern volunteer troops were on their way, a mob began forming around the depot, determined to prevent these men from marching through their city.
Around 1p.m. on the afternoon of April 18, the train cars carrying the volunteers came to a halt in Baltimore. The crowd, which numbered around 2,500—five times the size of the unarmed Pennsylvanians—greeted the arriving soldiers with insults and threats. Cries of “Three Cheers for Jeff Davis,” and “Damn the Northern Abolitionists” were raised, and it became very clear to the Pennsylvanians that their time in service would be no pleasant change from daily occupations. The Baltimore City Police were soon called to provide safe passage for the troops through the city, but with each step the mob grew more vehement and more violent. Some rushed toward the unarmed Pennsylvanians, landing a few well-thrown punches, while others spit on Lincoln’s eager volunteers. When the five companies reached Camden Station, events took a turn for the worse. Here, many in the mob threw bricks, stones, and pieces of lumber, while others, yielding clubs, ran towards the Pennsylvanians. Many of the projectiles hit their mark. Some members of the Allen Infantry suffered broken bones, and a few others were knocked unconscious. Perhaps the most notable casualty that day, however, was Nick Biddle, the elderly African-American servant to Captain James Wren of the Washington Artillery, who was struck in the head with a brick-bat. Biddle survived the gruesome wound, and went down in much popular thought as the Civil War’s very first casualty.
Ultimately, the members of the five companies boarded the train cars and nursed their wounded comrades. Around 7:00 p.m. on the evening of April 18, the volunteers finally arrived in Washington, where they were assigned quarters in the halls and chambers of the United States Capitol Building. Early the next day, a very much gratified and relieved President Lincoln met and shook hands with all 475 men and thanked them for their service and prompt arrival.
The First Defenders—as these companies would later be termed—spent the majority of their three-month term of service in guard and garrison duty in and around the nation’s capital. The majority of these men would, however, reenlist in the summer of 1861 into three-year units, such as the 48th and 49th Pennsylvania Infantry, and the 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry. During their terms of service with these three-year organizations, many First Defenders became officers. Indeed, more than half of the soldiers who comprised the ranks of the Logan Guards alone became commissioned officers throughout the war, including no less than four brigadier generals. Sadly, there were also many First Defenders who would give their lives for their country.
Years after the cessation of hostilities, Heber Thompson wrote that “Hardly a single great battle was fought in the four years of the war—from Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Wilderness, Five Forks to Appomattox in the East, and from Shiloh to Stone’s River, Mufreesboro, Chickamauga, Resaca and Atlanta in the Middle West—in which the First Defenders were not represented. Their individual war records would fill volumes of history.”[iii] Although these soldiers witnessed much more of the brutalities and hardships of war than during their three-month term of service as members of the First Defender units, they would always carry the torch of their achievement and take great pride in being the very first volunteer troops to arrive in Washington after President Lincoln’s April 1861 call-to-arms.

[i] Samuel Penniman Bates, History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-1865. Vol. I (Harrisburg: B. Singerly, State Publisher, 1869):8.
[ii] Heber Thompson, The First Defenders, (n.p. 1910): 123.
[iii] Ibid., 95. oy.

Roster: Regimental Band

When I first began this blog on the 48th Pennsylvania, I promised I would provide the full muster and descriptive rolls for the regiment. Now here we are nearly six months later, and I have not yet posted a single roster! So today I will start, and I will start with the 48th Pennsylvania's Regimental Band, which was in existence for a little less than one year.

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At the outset of the Civil War, it was quite common for each regiment to be complemented by a regimental band, usually consisting of 12-16 musicians. The band of the 48th Pennsylvania ultimately consisted of 24 members. Mustered into service in late August 1861, it would entertain the regiment with its martial airs until August 18, 1862, when, by General Order of the War Department, regimental bands were done away with. Returning home to Pottsville, some members of the 48th's band reenlisted into any one of the ten companies, becoming a drummer, fifer, et cetera.

William Hinkley, Abraham Nagle, and James Sterner were listed as the band's "Principal Musicians," while John W. Souders was listed as the "Band Leader."

Joseph Gould, in his regimental history of the 48th, wrote that when the band was discharged, "We were all very sorry to part company with our excellent band and missed it sadly." Oliver Bosbyshell, in his history of the regiment, asked an important question about the discharge of the band. "The instruments," wrote the former major, "were the property of the regiment, having been purchased through contributions made by the various companies, during its occupancy of Hatteras; so, now, what to do with these instruments became a question. It was finally agreed to permit the band to take them home, and there to place the in the hands of three trustees, Messrs. Frank Pott, F.B. Kaercher and Joseph Derr, all of Pottsville, who were respectfully desired to have a care to the regiment's interest in them." However, Bosbyshell concluded, "These gentlemen are all dead, and of the most difficult questions to be answered is, Where are these instruments now?"

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Muster Roll and Descriptive Record:

The 48th Pennsylvania's Regimental Band

Aikman, James: 8/24/1861; Musician; 28 years old; Height: 5’10”; Dark Complexion; Light Blue Eyes; Dark Hair; Machinist; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/18/1862

Aikman, John: 8/24/1861; Musician; 19 years old; Height: 5’8”; Dark Complexion; Blue Eyes; Auburn Hair; Machinist; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/18/1862

Birt, William: 8/24/1861; Musician; 32 years old; Height: 5’3”; Light Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Auburn Hair; Tailor; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/18/1862

Bowen, Albert: 8/24/1861; Musician; 20 year old; Height: 5’3”; Dark Complexion, Gray Eyes; Dark Hair; Clerk; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/18/1862

Brown, Frederick J: 8/24/1861; Musician; 24 years old; Height: 5’4”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Light Hair; Druggist; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/18/1862

Cruikshank, John: 8/24/1861; Musician; 21 years old; Height: 5’7”; Dark Complexion; Blue Eyes; Light Hair; Machinist; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/18/1862

Feger, William J.: 8/24/1861; Musician; 23 years old; Height: 5’7”; Light Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Black Hair; Linsmith; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/18/1862

Garrett, James W.: 8/24/18681; Musician; 18 years old; Height: 5’6”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Light Hair; Printer; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/18/1862

George, John: 8/24/1861: Musician; 20 years old; Height: 5’6”; Dark Complexion; Blue Eyes; Light Hair; Miner; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/18/1862

Glenn, Charles A.: 8/24/1861; Musician; 19 years old; Height: 5’9”; Light Complexion; Blue Eyes; Auburn Hair; Printer; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/18/1862

Gore, William A.: 8/24/1861; Musician; 21 years old; Height: 5’8”; Dark Complexion; Blue Eyes; Light Hair; Printer; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/18/1862

Haas, Edward L.: 8/24/1861; Musician; 23 years old; Height: 5’6”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Dark Brown Hair; Carpenter; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/24/1862

Hays, John F.: 8/24/1861; Musician; 26 years old; Height: 5’9”; Light Complexion; Blue Eyes; Brown Hair; Machinist; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/24/1862

Hinkley, W.H.: 9/17/1861; Principal Musician; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/18/1862

Hinning, Charles: 8/24/1861; Musician; 26 years old; Height: 5’6”; Light Complexion; Grey Eyes; Dark Hair; Miner; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/18/1862

Hodgson, William H.: 8/24/1861; Musician; 19 years old; Height: 5’6”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Light Hair; Printer; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/18/1862

Kopp, Daniel: 8/24/1861; Musician; 45 years old; Height: 5’8”; Light Complexion; Blue Eyes; Dark Hair; Miner; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/18/1862

Lee, George W.: 8/24/1861; Musician; 19 years old; Height: 5’5”; Light Complexion; Grey Eyes; Light Hair; Miner; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/18/1862

McDaniel, C.T.: 8/24/1861; Musician; 20 years old; Height: 5’4”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Light Hair; Boatman; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/18/1862

MacArthur, Nicholas: 8/24/1861; Musician; 42 years old; Height: 5’10”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Brown Hair; Miner; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/24/1862

Maize, William A.: 8/24/1861; Musician; 21 years old; Height: 5’6”; Light Complexion; Blue Eyes; Auburn Hair; Clerk; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/18/1862

Nagle, Abraham: 10/1/1861; Principal Musician; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/18/1862

Abraham Nagle

Levi Nagle (Post-War)

Nagle, Levi: 8/24/1861; Musician; 26 years old; Height: 5’8”; Dark Complexion; Grey Eyes; Dark Hair; Printer; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/18/1862

Severn, Thomas: 8/24/1861; Musician; 19 years old; Height: 5’6”; Light Complexion; Dark Eyes; Dark Hair; Printer; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/18/1862

Slingluff, Charles: 8/24/1861; Musician; 20 years old; Height: 5’5”; Dark Complexion; Hazel Eyes; Black Hair; Printer; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/18/1862

Souders, John W.: 8/24/1861; Lead Band; 31 years old; Height: 5’6”; Light Complexion; Light Blue Eyes; Brown Hair; Clerk; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/18/1862

Sterner, James: 10/1/1861; Principal Musician; Pottsville; Discharged from Band: 8/18/1862