Biography: David Hayes Russell Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Richard Russell rrussell@inta.net USGENWEB NOTICE: Printing this file 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. _________________________________________________________ History of David Hayes Russell while enlisted in the 26th Pennsylvania Emergency Regiment David Hayes Russell I. Vital Statistics 1. Born March 30, 1847 in Schuylkill County, Pa. (DAR Record) 2. Died September 28, 1911 at the age of 64. 3. Married Amanda ( ) on ? 4. Amanda born 1844 (Nat’l Archives Record) 5. Amanda died September 4, 1912. 6. Both buried in the Lutheran Cemetery in Pine Grove. 7. Children were William born 1867, Laura born 1869, (Nat’l Archives) and George born October 22, 1879 II. Military Record 1. Private in the 26th Emergency Pennsylvania Regiment 2. 16 years old while in the Regiment 3. Occupation - miner 4. Entered service June 15, 1863. 5. Pennsylvania Militia Commanders - General Darius N. Couch, Commander of all Eastern Pennsylvania Militia Forces (called the Department of Susquehanna); Generals W.F. Smith and Dana, Commanders under General Couch; Lt. Colonel William Jennings, 26th Emergency Regimental Commander (28 years old, friend of Governor Curtin); Lt. Colonel Joseph Jenkins from Hanover -( later killed at Petersburg,Va.); Major Greenawalt (from Lebanon); Adjutant Harry W. McKnight 6. Company Commander - Captain James S. Pell, Company D, 13th Infantry (assume Battalion designation) 7. Emergency Regiment formed after President Lincoln issued a proclamation on June 15, 1863 calling for 100,000 volunteers from Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Ohio. On June 16, 1863, he also asked all Northern Governors to provide “limited service” personnel. The Governor of Pennsylvania was Andrew G. Curtin. 8. Company D, plus several other companies in the 26th Emergency Regiment, arrived in Harrisburg on June 22, 1863. They bivouacked on the Capitol grounds that night, and on June 23, moved one mile north to Camp Curtin, named after the Governor. The Regiment drew uniforms, muskets, tents, bayonets, canteens, and rations. The muskets were either .58 Springfield or Austrian, .577 Enfields, or .69 Rifled and Smoothbore. 9. It was reported that Confederate Troops had been seen in the Chambersburg area, west of Gettysburg. Consequently, both the 26th and 27th Emergency Regiments were ordered south - the 27th to Wrightville; the 26th to Gettysburg. The 26th Regiment, made up of 10 to 14 Companies (number varies in different books) of 735 to 746 personnel (again, number varies by historian), left Camp Curtin on June 24 and headed for Gettysburg by train. One of the Privates in Company F was Samuel W. Pennypacker, future Governor of Pennsylvania. Company A, commanded by Captain F. Klinefelter, was made up of 21 undergraduates from Pennsylvania College, one of whom was Rufis Culp, whose father owned Culp’s Hill, site of a soon to be critical battle at Gettysburg. Another Company was made up of students from Lewisburg. At Hanover, the train was split into two sections. At about 4PM, the lead section of train hit a cow and derailed, about seven miles from Gettysburg. 10.When the second section of the train met up with the first section, the Regiment detrained and camped near the crash site about seven miles northeast of Gettysburg. 11. On June 25, the Regiment drilled in the morning. That afternoon, Lt. Colonel Jennings was ordered by Major Granville O. Haller, Staff Officer under General Couch’s command, who commanded militia operations at Gettysburg, to move northwest on the Cashtown Pike and set up a defensive position about eight miles northwest of the Village. He also wanted Colonel Jennings to position “100 sharpshooters" even further west towards Cashtown. Colonel Jennings protested the positioning of 100 untried soldiers in the path of a seasoned Southern Force. His protest was accepted. 12. Consequently, on June 26, 1863, the Regiment, which was made up of only “700 civilians in soldier suits” (quote attributed to Lt. Colonel Jennings) boarded a train at 9AM and was transported to Gettysburg. Arriving at Gettysburg, the Regiment detrained and moved northwest out the Cashtown Pike, and stopped about three miles outside Gettysburg as opposed to moving the eight miles as previously ordered. The Regiment set up camp along side Marsh Creek, and Lt. Colonel posted about 40 pickets west of the camp to warn the Regiment of any troop movements. Around 3PM, Lt. Colonel Jennings went out to recon the area, and looking west spotted Brig. General John B. Gordon’s Brigade, which included 1800 seasoned Georgia Regulars, as well as the 35th Cavalry Battalion commanded by Lt. Colonel Elijah V.White. They were about 3/4mile away and heading in their direction. Behind them were the 5,400 men of Early’s Division. (Brig. General Gordon’s Brigade was part of Major General Jubal Early’s Division, which was part of General Richard S.Ewell’s II Corps.). Recognizing that 700 unseasoned soldiers were no match for 5000 seasoned soldiers plus a cavalry unit, Jennings moved the Regiment back through the fields (as opposed to using the road) between Mummasburg and Gettysburg hoping to avoided any direct action. Of interest, Major Haller, who had wanted the 26th Regiment to position themselves in what would have been a suicide position, was subsequently dismissed from the service for “disloyal conduct”. 13. In spite of Colonel Jennings quick action, about 40 pickets, who had been placed about _ mile west of the Marsh Creek camp, were captured by White’s Cavalry. 14. In order to deceive the Southern Forces into thinking he had more than 700 personnel, Colonel Jennings divided the Regiment into three units. That move proved beneficial because it caused the Southern Forces to halt for awhile and gave the Regiment time to move east. 15. As the Regiment moved away from the Confederate Force, it was protected on its flank by a small unit of cavalry, under the command of Captain Robert Bell. The cavalry unit included only 76 personnel, but provided enough cover so that the 26th was able to return to Gettysburg where it dropped off ordnance and supplies at the railroad depot. The Regiment then reformed east of Rock Creek on the road to Huntertown. At that spot, it repulsed numerous cavalry charges, and inflicted the first Confederate casualties of the Gettysburg Campaign. The 26th then moved towards Huntertown. As they were approaching Hunterstown, they were attacked again by White’s Cavalry near the Harrisburg Road at a place called Woolford’s Mill at the junction of the Bermudin and Lattemore Creeks. (Reference- Bates Vol V Pg 1225) About 120 soldiers were captured by the Southern Forces. After the fire fight was over, the Regiment reformed and moved towards Hanover. At about 9PM, they crossed the Conewago Creek. Upon finding out that Hanover was in Southern hands, they turned towards York. 16. They marched all night into Saturday morning, June 27. They stopped before dawn for one hour of sleep and then continued to march. Upon discovering that York has also been taken by Southern Forces, the Regiment moved north towards Dillsburg as it attempted to return to Harrisburg. At 3PM, they were engaged again near Franklintown, just south of Dillsburg, and more soldiers were captured. After that skirmish, the Regiment continued to march all day and through the night, but here was no fighting even though Southern Forces were following them under an order from General Lee to capture Harrisburg, if possible. 17. The Regiment finally stopped for about four hours of sleep at about 2AM on Sunday, June 28. At 6AM, the Regiment resumed their march towards Harrisburg and reached the Northern Forces outer lines commanded by General Darius N. Couch at 7AM. He was positioned about 12 - 14 miles from Harrisburg. Upon crossing into friendly territory, the Regiment continued to Fort Couch near Harrisburg. The Southern Forces, who were moving towards Harrisburg for the purpose of capturing the Capital stopped three miles from the Fort. There was another skirmish near Lycoming, just south of Harrisburg. Lt. Colonel Jennings was able to move the troops after dark across the Susquehanna River without being detected. It was at that point that General Lee ordered his troops to return to Gettysburg since he had heard that General Meade’s forces were approching from the south . Upon reaching the Fort, the Regiment remained there until Sunday July 12th. The Regiment had marched 54 out of the 60 hours it took to reach the Fort. (Jacobs notes on the Battle of Gettysburg). Of interest, General Couch had been a regular Officer, who asked to be relieved of duty under General Hooker, of whom he had been very critical. President Lincoln accepted his resignation, but the War Department asked the General to command the eastern portion of the Pennsylvania Militia, which he agreed to do. 18. On July 12, the Regiment was loaded into freight cars and sent down the Cumberland Valley through Carlisle, to Shippensburg, where the train was stopped because the tracks had been destroyed by the Southern Forces. They then had to march about 12 miles through Greenville towards Chambersburg. While I could not find any direct reference to the 26th Regiment, specifically, there is a reference that “General Couch’s forces” were sent from the fort to harass Lee’s Army as it retreated towards the Pennsylvania border and that they engaged in harassing action against the Southern Army. Lee left Pennsylvania on July 13, so the action by the 26th Regiment, if any, would have been limited to one or two days. 19. From July 13 to July 25, the 26th Regiment moved between several campsites as they assumed various property guard duty responsibilities. 20. On late Saturday afternoon, July 25th, the Regiment was taken by train to Harrisburg where they arrived the next day. By July 28, 1863, some of the companies began to be mustered out “after seeing service around Gettysburg”. Pay for serving for six weeks was approximately $19. The amounts varied a few cents based on when one was sworn in. As an example, Samuel Pennypacker’s pay was $19.26. 21. Losses during the six weeks of action included none killed, 26 wounded, at least 176 captured - historians think substantially more. 22. David H. Russell was discharged July 30, 1863 - “Term of Service having expired”- at Harrisburg, Dauphin County 23. His discharge papers were signed signed by Captain _____Bush, m.o.(mustering out) 24. A monument honoring the 26th Emergency Regiment is located at the intersection of Chambersburg Road and Fairfield Road. There is also a marker west of Marsh Creek.