A few days later [mid-September 1862, after Antietam] we went into our “homesick camp,” near Hagerstown, Maryland for six weeks. Oh! The homesick boys! I was out on picket duty on the Potomac River, watching General Lee’s army which was in camp on the other side, so I had no time to get homesick. I’ll […]
Pittsburgh businessman William Semple, who was instrumental in the formation of four companies of the 139th, presented a national color to Company I, which was used as the regimental color from the time of the regiment’s muster September 1, 1862.1)Advance The Colors: Pennsylvania Civil War Battle Flags, Vol. 2, Richard Sauers, Capitol Preservation Committee, 1998 […]
After burying the dead at Bull Run, the 139th “…hastened forward after the army, coming up with it on the 17th of September, the day of the battle of Antietam, and was at once put in line but did not become engaged.”1)History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, Samuel P. Bates, page 378 […]
You may recognize the name Elisha Hunt Rhodes if you have seen the Ken Burns PBS series The Civil War. He kept a detailed journal during the war and wrote many letters home detailing what he was experiencing and how he felt about decisions made by commanding officers. These writings were published by his great-grandson […]
Hi all! I had a problem with my computer and had to have it wiped clean and completely reset. Thank God for Carbonite backup! All is well now and I will get on some new posts soon. 🙂