AREA HISTORY: History of Adams County, Chapter XV, Adams County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/adams/ _______________________________________________ History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co., 1886 _______________________________________________ Part III, History of Adams County, Pages 84-87 CHAPTER XV. CIVIL WAR-RECRUITING IN ADAMS COUNTY-THE MILITARY COMPANIES AND THEIR REGIMENTS- CORP. SKELLY POST, NO. 9, G. A. R. The echoes of firing upon Fort Sumter had hardly died away when recruiting soldiers to go to war commenced in Adams County. The public was moved by an unparalleled excitement; all minor issues were instantly buried; politics were happily forgotten; the people came together; great meetings assembled in all towns; patriotic and sometimes eloquent speeches still more deeply aroused the already excited populace; flags were displayed from all public buildings and often from private houses; the shrill fife and drum filled the air with martial music. Adams County stands proudly in the front ranks of counties in the number of and quality of heroes that she sent to war. Upon every battle-field they contributed their full share of stalwart heroes, ready to do and die for their country. With a population of not much over 23,000, she sent over 3,000 soldiers to the different services and commands during the war. The first recruits were Company E-three months’ men, becoming a part of Second Pennsylvania Regiment. This company left the county April 19, just one week after Fort Sumter was fired on, and was mustered into the service April 20. Captain, Charles H. Buehler; first lieutenant, Ed. G. Fahnestock; second lieutenant, John Culp; number of men, 78. Next company recruited was Company K, First Pennsylvania Reserves; three years’ service; mustered in June 8, 1861; Captain, Edward McPherson; first lieutenants, John F. Bailey (killed); W. Warren Stewart (promoted lieutenant-colonel); Henry N. Minnich (afterward made major); first lieutenant, John D. Sadler (killed at South Mountain); George E. Kitzmiller (brevet captain); second lieutenant, J. J. Herron; number of men, 112. Gen. Stewart was brevet brigadier-general, the only man from the county to reach this position. There was next in order an Adams County company that joined Cole’s Independent Maryland Battalion (cavalry), in the three years’ service; captains, John Horner and A. M. Hunter; first lieutenants, W. H. Horner and William McIlhenny; second lieutenant, O. D. McMillan; major, H. S. McNair; from Adams County, 68 men. The next was a detachment of drafted men in the Forty-ninth Pennsylvania; estimated 20 men. Then Company G, in the Seventy- fourth Pennsylvania; one year’s service; first lieutenant, Jacob Lohr; estimated 40 men, from this county. Then Company D, in the Seventy-sixth Pennsylvania, in the three years’ service, was a detachment of ten or twelve Adams County men. Companies F and I, in the Eighty-seventh Pennsylvania, were three years’ men. Of Company F, the captains were C. H. Buehler (promoted major), William J. Martin, and James Adair; first lieutenant, Theodore Morris; quartermaster, William H. Culp; second lieutenant, William F. Baker. Officers and men in Company F, 112. Company I, captains, Thaddeus S. Pfeiffer (killed at Cold Harbor, June 1, 1864), W. H. Laumies; first lieutenant, Anthony W. Martin, (who was made adjutant, was killed at Monocacy), and Edward F. Cole; second lieutenants, James Hersh (promoted regimental quartermaster), Robert K. Slagle; in this company, 99 men. In the Ninety-first Pennsylvania were 32 drafted men. In the One Hundred and First Pennsylvania, three years men; captains, Henry K. Chritzman and Henry S. Benner; second lieutenant, Thaddeus Welty. In this company, 55 Adams County men. Company G, same regiment, recruited in March, 1865; captain, T. C. Morris; first lieutenant, Robert George; second lieutenant, Samuel A. Jong, enlisted for one year; 98 men. One Hundred and Twenty-seventh Regiment, nine months’ service, Company I; captains, I. R. Shipley, Christian A. Missley; first lieutenants, James S. Shoemaker, Jerome W. Henry; second lieutenant, William W. Reed; 84 men. One Hundred and Thirty-eighth Regiment, two companies from this county in three years’ service. Company B, captains, John F. McCreary, George A. Earnshaw; first lieutenants, Jacob W. Cress (promoted adjutant), H. C. Grossman; second lieutenants, Harvey W. McKnight, J. C. Livelsberger, David M. McK---t; 116 men. Company G, captains, James H. Walter, George W. Mullen; first lieutenant, George W. Wilson; 86 men. One Hundred and Fifty-second Regiment, Third Artillery; captain, James B. King; a detachment of 30 men; in the years’ service. One Hundred and Sixtieth Regiment, Fifteenth Cavalry; captains, James Lashells, George W. Hildebrand; first lieutenant, John K. Marshall; three years, detachment of Adams County men, 40. One Hundred and Sixty-fifth Regiment, drafted, nine months’ men. Officers from this county; colonel, Charles H. Buehler; lieutenant-colonel, Ed. G. Fahnestock; major, Nash G. Camp; adjutant, J. Harvey White; quartermaster, Evan T. Rinehart. Company C; captain, Ebenezer McGinley; first lieutenant, Charles J. Sefton; second lieutenant, W. H. Lowe. Company D; captain, Jacob H. Plank; first lieutenant, J. S. Stonesifer; second lieutenant, John Q. Swartz. Company E; captain, George W. Shull; first lieutenant, W. J. Bart; second lieutenant, George K. Duttera. Company F; captain, John E. Gilliland; first lieutenant, Jacob C. Pittenturf; second lieutenant, William N. Saunders. Company G; captain, Jacob E. Miller; first lieutenant, George Y. Hoffman; second lieutenant, W. C. Beck. Company H, captain, W. H. Brogunnier; first lieutenant, Franklin J. Martin; second lieutenant, Alfred Helsel. Company I; captains, Nash G. Camp, Edward M. Warren; first lieutenant, Noah D. Snyder; second lieutenant, Isaac Miller. Company K, captain, William H. Webb; first lieutenant, John S. Chronister; second lieutenant, David Day; 800 men. One Hundred and Eighty-second Regiment, Cavalry, six months’ service, Company B; captain, Robert Bell; first lieutenant, James Mickley; second lieutenant, Harry G. Scott; 80 men. This company was, at the end of its service, reorganized in February, 1864, and entered the three years’ service. On its reorganization, Capt. Robert Bell (promoted major) was succeeded as captain by James Mickley; first lieutenants, Henry G. Lott (killed), Isaac Beuhler; second lieutenant, John Q. A. Young; 131 men. In this regiment there were in various companies detachments of Adams County men in all 40. One Hundred and Eighty-fourth Regiment, one year’s service, Company I; captain, W. H. Adams; first lieutenants, John N. Boger, Philip L. Houck; second lieutenant, Adam B. Black. 82 men. Two Hundred and Second Regiment, one year’s service, Company C; captain, John Q. Pfeiffer; first lieutenant, John T. Blair; second lieutenant, John J. McKinney; 102 men. Two Hundred and Fifth Regiment, one year, Company I; captain, I. R. Shipley; about 50 men. Two Hundred and Ninth Regiment, one year, Company G; captains, George W. Fredrick (promoted lieutenant-colonel), Charles F. Hinkle; first lieutenants, W. T. King, Calvin R. Snyder; second lieutenant, J. Howard Wert; 100 men. Two Hundred and Tenth Regiment, one year, Company I; captain, Perry J. Tate; first lieutenants, Charles J. Sefton, J. C. Martin; about 40 men. Independent Battery B, second lieutenant, Clarence M. Camp; about 25 men. In detachments assigned to different regiments there were 50 Adams County colored men. In the signal service there were about 15 men. In the emergency service, men recruited to repel invasion, there were four Adams County companies; Capt. Edward M. Warren’s Independent Company, Cavalry, three months’ service; first lieutenant, Cyrenus H. Fulwiler; second lieutenant, Samuel N. Ecker; 100 men. Company A, Twenty-Sixth Regiment; captain, Fredrick Kleinfelter; first lieutenant, William F. Hinkle; second lieutenant, Luther M. Slater; 90 men. Same Regiment, Company I; captain, John S. Forrest; first lieutenant, John Q. Pfeiffer; second lieutenant, A. T. Barnes; 50 men. In 1862, Capt. A. H. McCreary’s Company; first lieutenant, Robert Bell; second lieutenant, Isaiah W. Orr; 60 men. There were three drafts in the county. In the first draft the quota was filled by the 800 men in the regiments given above. Corporal Skelly Post, No. 9, G. A. R.-This Gettysburg Post was named in honor of Corp. Skelly, of this county, who was wounded at Carter’s Woods in the Millroy fight, and died in Winchester; he was brought to Gettysburg and buried in Evergreen Cemetery. The post was first organized in 1865; reorganized in June, 1872. The charter members were Theodore C. Norris, William McCartney, J. W. Gilbert, John F. McCreary, W. D. Holtzworth, William E. Culp, J. A. Kitzmiller, John M. Krauth, George A. Earnshaw, J. Jeff. Meyers, George W. Wikert, J. W. Cress, Peter Warren, S. S. Palmer, A. M. Hunter, A. W. Fleming, George W. Myers, D. J. Benner, Jesse B. Young, W. T. Zeigler. Officers: A. M. Detrick, Commander; H. W. Lightner, S. V. C.; J. G. Frey, J. V. C.; N. G. Wilson, Q. M.; H. W. McKnight, chaplain; William T. Zeigler, O. D.; H. S. Buehler, O. G.; Thaddeus L. Welty, adjutant; W. H. Rupp, S. M.; J. E. Wible, Q. M. S.; John H. Sheads, O. S. The Post purchased the old Methodist Church and have it nicely fitted up for a hall.