Military: Civil War: Company I, 143rd Regiment PA Volunteers : Luzerne Co, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Sandy. Nirvanasix@aol.com USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. ____________________________________________________ COMPANY I, 143RD REGIMENT PA VOLUNTEERS (CIVIL WAR) Officers -- Captains --- Chester K. HUGHES, promoted major October 27, 1864. Harlow POTTER, promoted from corporal to sergeant Dec. 1, 1863, from first Sergeant to first Lieutenant, Jan. 2, 1865; captain, April 15, 1865. First lieutenants--- Thomas DAVENPORT, discharged on surgeon's certicate Oct. 21, 1864. William H. BLAIN, promoted from private to Corporal, Nov. 1, 1863, sergeant, Feb. 29, 1864, first sergeant April 15, 1865. Second lieutenants--- Samuel F. McKEE, promoted adjutant 147th Pa., Dec 6 1862. C. W. BETZENBERGER, promoted from sergeant Jan. 1, 1863, killed at Gettysburg, Pa., July 1 , 1863. Jairus KAUFF, promoted from sergeant to second lieutenant, Sept. 1 , 1863, commissioned captain Oct. 15, 1864, captured, died at Columbia S.C., Oct. 31, 1864. First sergeant--- Jessie HARRISON, commissioned second lieutenant July 1, 1863, died at Gettysburg, Pa., Aug. 20, of wounds received in action, July 1, 1863. Simon HUBLER, promoted from corporal to sergeant Jan. 2, 1865, first sergeant, April 15, 1865, commissioned second lieutenant, June 1, 1865. Sergeants---- Warren H. CREGO, John SHAFER, promoted corporal Feb. 1, 1863, sergeant Nov. 1, 1863. Paul FULLMER, promoted corporal Nov. 1, 1863, sergeant Jan. 2 1865. Nathan VOSLER, promoted corporal Feb. 29, 1864, sergeant April 15, 1865. Edward P. M'CREARY, promoted first lieutenant, Company B Feb. 28, 1864. Charles WESLEY, promoted from private, died Oct. 28, 1864. Corporals--- John BELLAS, promoted corporal April 15, 1865. C. HAGENBAUGH, promoted corporal Jan. 1, 1864. W.R. VANDERVORT, promoted corporal Feb. 29, 1864. Jacob S. KECK, promoted corporal Aug. 1, 1864. Sylvester MOULTHROP, drafted , promoted corporal Jan 2, 1865. Stephen ECKROTE, William H. WEAVER and William H. BROWN promoted corporals Jan. 2, 1865. William S. DOWNING, transferred to veteran reserve corps Dec 12, 1863. George B. HOWLAN, transferred to veteran reserve corps, Aug 1, 1863. Elias L. TUBBS, promoted to corporal, died at City Point, Va., Oct. 28, 1864. Frank B. SMITH, promoted to corporal, died May 27 , of wounds received at North Anna River, Va., May 13, 1864. Joseph W. MOTT, promoted corporal, died at Culpepper Court House, Va., Jan. 14, 1864. Chistopher BOSTON, died Nov. 6, 1863. Musicians--- George W. PALMER and Harrison WOLF. Privates---- George ARNEST Andrew S. ALEWORTH Ambose BONHAM Benjamin BELLAS Alexander BUCKMAN Henry BOEN Levi BUCKMAN William BAKER George BELLAS Car. R. BUCKALEW John BLAIN Silas BELLAS Jacob BLACK Amos BUCKALEW Parsons BONHAM Silas CAVANES Obadiah CAMPBELL William CUPP Jacob L. CARY Solomon CULVER Charles B. CLAYTON Peter CHUBB G.W. CALENDAR John COUGHLIN Benjamin DEHAVEN Isaac DRUM Eli DAVENPORT John M. DOWNING Albert EARL George ENSMIGER John EVELAND Moses B. ECKROTE John A. EVANS John P. FRITZ Gilbert W. FLEGAL Jackson H. GEARHART Jeremiah W. GANO Leonard GOW Jacob L. GIRTON Ellis B. GEARHART James GOBBINS Nathan C. HALLSTEAD White N. HOSLER Philip S. HARTMAN Henry HOVEN Jessie HARRINGTON Thomas D. HANVEY John HUBERLIN Darius HANGERFORD Joseph HOLLAND Theodore HAGENBAUGH Isaish N. HARRISON George JACOBY Joseph KEENER Alfred KISHBAUGH Milford KINGSBURY David KINER George W. KAHLE John KAUK Francis M. LOCKARD George LUTZ Hiram R. MARSHALL Peter MOWRY William MOYER Jonathan F. MOSS George MILLER Reuben MOYER George W. MARKLE Alexander MORRISON Joseph M'INTIRE James W. M'NEAL John N. NAUGLE Reuben NAUGLE Elias PFAFF William G. PAULEY Irvin PRATT Windle PAULEY John L. PEALER Samuel P. REED Elisha ROBERTS H. RHEINHEIMER Benjamin ROYER Charles RITTENHOUSE John A. ROBBINS John D. S. REINER Zebulon S. RHONE George J. SKINNER William SAMBLER Stephen SCHELHAMMER John SIMS Daniel B. SIGLIN John SMITH Charles SECHRIST Joseph SIKART Henry STOUT John A. STEIRS Abraham SLEPPY Samuel STOUT Jacob STAIR Edward TREXLER Sydney H. TELLE Earl J. TUBBS Anson UNDERWOOD John VOSLER Josiah M. WOLF Edward WELSH Edward B. WIRTH Tobias WEHR Charles WARNER Nathan WARNER Henderson WOLF Horace WILLIAMS Jacob YALE. Book- A HISTORY OF WILKES-BARRE, Luzerne County, PA. Begun By , Oscar Jewell Harvey, A.M. and completed by, Ernest Gray Smith, M.S.,LL. B., Volume IV, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 1929 A History of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pa. Begun by Oscar Jewell Harvey, A.M. and Completed by Ernest Gray Smith, M.S.,LL.B. Volume IV- page 2073-2076 One of the last regiments to be raised under Governor Curtin's final call, and one of the most distinguished units of that galaxy of patriotic citizen- soldiers who rallied to the colors of nation and state in all the period of Civil War times, was the 143rd Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers. As was the case with the 8th Regiment, which included the first units of volunteers which left Luzerne County, the 143rd was practically allocated to Luzerne alone. Its officers were citzens standing high in the community. It was distinguished at the time of organization by being the only regiment of the war whose rendezvous was on the soil of Luzerne County and whose members left their home communities drilled, disciplined and equipped for actual participation in the titanic struggle. Companies H and K of this regiment were raised in the counties of Lycoming, Susquehanna and Wyoming, the others in Luzerne County. Their place of rendezvous was a camp about three miles from Wilkes-Barre, near Luzerne, in what was known as Mill Hollow. There the regiment was organized on the 18th of October, 1862, with Edmund L. DANA as colonel, George E. HOYT , lieutenant colonel and John D. MUSSER, major. The appointment of Colonel DANA was made without his knowledge, but his well known ability and energy of character, and military experience which he had acquired in the Mexican War, rendered the choice a fitting one. After a few weeks spent in drilling, the regiment moved to Harrisburg, and thence to Washington. It remained near that city, engaged in drill and fatigue duty, till February, 1863, when it went to Belle Plain and was assigned to the 2nd brigade, 3rd division, 1st corps. In April , with its division, it went to a point on the Rappahannock below Fredericksburg, where it made a feint of crossing and returned. In the latter part of the same month it went to Pollock's Run, where it was under fire from the opposite side of the river while fighting was going on in Chancellorsville. Thither the regiment proceeded on the 2nd of May, and on the 3d and 4th it was under fire. On the 8th it went into camp at Falmouth. The 1st corps was the first to reach the battle at Gettysburg, where it went into position on the 1st of July. Colonel DANA soon came in command of his brigade, and Lieutenant Colonel MUSSER of the regiment. The fighting was severe at the position held by the 143rd, and after repeated charges on it had been made and repulsed it was compelled to fall back, which the men did doggedly and unwillingly. It was afterward related, in a foreign magazine, by an English officer, who was present with the enemy, that when the Yankee troops were compelled after an obstinate resistance to retire from this position, a color bearer, who was the last of his regiment to leave the position, was seen occasionally to turn and shake his fist at the assailants. While doing so he fell, and died clinging to his standard. The rebel General HILL expressed his regret at seeing this gallant soldier fall. This color bearer was Sergeant Benjamin H. CRIPPEN, of Company E of the 143rd. The flag to which he clung in death was borne from the field by comrades. On the 2nd and 3d the regiment was engaged, but not as heavily as on the 1st. It went into the engagement four hundred and sixty-five strong, and lost in killed, wounded, missing and prisoners more than half that number. Among the killed were Lieutenants Lee D. GROVER, Lyman R. NICHOLSON and Charles D. BETZINBERGER. The remainder of the regiment took part in the pursuit of the rebel army into Virginia, and afterward moved to the vicinity of Bealton Station, where it was engaged in guard duty on the railroad and at a depot of stores . During the autumn of 1863 it received recruits at different times, amounting to three hundred and sixty-three men, which gave the regiment a strength of five hundred thirty-four. Late in September the regiment moved with the army to the Rapidan and occupied positions successively at Raccoon Ford, Moreton's Ford and Kelly Ford; then marched to Centerville and thence to Haymarket, where on the 9th of October, it had a slight engagement, in which two men were wounded. It returned to the Rapidan and late in November was stationed at Manassas Junction, whence it went across the Rappahannock to Paoli Mills on the 5th of December, and on the 27th to Culpepper and established its winter quarters, On the 6th of February, 1864, it marched to Raccoon Ford, where it had a slight engagement, and returned the next day. A corps reorganization took place in March and the 143rd became one of the regiments of the 1st. brigade 1st division 5th corps. Lieutenant Colonel HOYT, who died in June , 1863, had been succeeded by Major MUSSER, and Captain Charles M. CONYNGHAM had been made major. Early in May the regiment went to the Wilderness and engaged in the several actions here. At these battles Colonel DANA was wounded and made a prisoner, Lieutenant Colonel MUSSER was killed, Lieutenant Michael KEENAN was mortally wounded and Captains GORDON and LITTLE and Lieutenant KAUFF taken prisoners. At Laurel Hill the regiment was in action, and for several successive days was engaged in charging and repelling assaults. In these engagements it suffered severely. Lieutenant Charles H. RILEY was killed and Major CONYNGHAM severely wounded. The regiment went to the North Anna, where it arrived on the 21st, and on the 23rd it was engaged at Hanover Junction. It moved forward with the army, crossed the James and marched for Petersburg on the 16th of June. On the 18th, in a general advance on the enemy's works, Lieutenant E.L. GRIFFIN was mortally wounded. During a month following this, the regiment was engaged in fatigue duty, and on the 18th of August, it was engaged at the taking of the Weldon railroad. About the middle of September, 1864, Colonel DANA returned from his imprisonment and resumed command of his regiment, which was about the same time assigned to the 3rd division, under General CRAWFORD. On the 1st of October the regiment made an expedition on the Vaughn road, and was soon afterward quartered in Ford Howard, where it remained till the latter part of the month, when it moved with its corps on Hatcher's Run. Under the command of General WARREN, the corps went early in December on the Weldon raid and succeeded in effecting the destruction of about twenty miles of the railroad and it fixtures, as well as rebel stores and other property. On the return of the corps from this raid the 143rd was a portion of the rear guard, and was frequently attacked by the enemy's pursuing column. This was the last active service of the regiment during that year. Early in February, 1865, the regiment participated in a movement against the enemy at Hatcher's Run, where the rebels and union troops were alternately driven. Captain GAYLORD was killed in this fight and the regiment suffered greatly. Soon after this the 143rd, with three other regiments in the same brigade, went north. It was placed on duty at the rendezvous on Hart Island, in the East River, New York, and remained there during the remainder of its term of service. It was mustered out on the 12th of June, 1865, after passing through Wilkes-Barre on its way from New York to Harrisburg. Colonel DANA had suffered severely during his imprisonment, and was one of fifty imprisoned officers who were placed under the fire of the Union artillery at the city of Charleston. After his return, though holding the rank of colonel, he was during a long time kept in command of his brigade. The officers of that brigade drew up and subscribed a memorial to the war department protesting against such injustice, and asking that he be promoted. This paper from some cause never reached the department, but on the facts of the case becoming known through other channels he was brevetted a brigadier - general, and retained in the service on special duty till the following August.