Misc: Blue Book Of Schuylkill County By Mrs. Ella Zerbey Elliott: Mexican War pages 114-121 Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Chris Caraher. Labor74@aol.com 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. ___________________________________________________________ BLUE BOOK OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY Mexican War pp. 114-121: Mexican War --------- Schuylkill County Represented --------- There had been a constant friction between Mexico and the United States prior to the admission of Texas into the Union. The Mexicans imprisoned Americans, seized their ships and confiscated their goods. In 1831 this country concluded a treaty of commerce with Mexico, which was frequently violated and the Americans retaliated by assisting Texas to become an independent State. Ten years later, March 1, 1845, Texas was added to the United States, and a declaration of war followed. November 1, 1846, Governor Shunk issued a call for volunteers which was immediately responded to by two regiments of infantry from Pennsylvania. Schuylkill County responded with the Washington Artillery, now Co. F, of Pottsville, Fourth Regiment, National-Guard of Pennsylvania. November 30, 1846, the company reported at Philadelphia, joining six other companies from that city, two from Pittsburg and one from Wilkes-Barre. Peace was concluded after a strenuous warfare of not quite two years and the Pennsylvania infantry disbanded in Philadelphia, July 24, 1848. Muster Roll of Co. B, 1st Regt., Pa. Vols., War With Mexico December 5, 1846 (From copy in possession of Col. Daniel Nagle, Pottsville, Pa.) OFFICERS Captain, James Nagle age 25 years, Pottsville 1st Lieut., Simon S. Nagle 25 " 2nd Lieut., Franklin B. Kaercher 25 " 3rd Lieut., Jacob Fellnagle, 20 " 1st Sergt., Edward Rehr, 32 " 2nd Sergt., William S. Nagle, 20 " 3rd Sergt., Edward Kaercher, 21 " 4th Sergt., J. L. McMicken, 24 " 1st Corporal, Enos Zentmyer, 25 " 2nd Corporal, David Llewellyn, 22 " (On way to New Orleans) 3rd Corporal, J. Egbert Farnum, 23 " 4th Corporal, Edward W. Masson, 25 " 1st Musician, Daniel Nagle, Drummer, 18 " 2nd Musician, Reuben Stamm, Fifer, 23 " PRIVATES William C. Boland, Pottsville Charles Scrimshaw, 23 " Daniel Shappell, 36 " Elias Shelly, 26 " Emanuel Shelly, 26 " A. H. Berger, " Nelson Berger, " Henry Smink, 27 " George Seitzinger, 27 " William Seitzinger, 40 " John Stegner, 29 " John Shuster, 22 " (Discharged at Perote Castle, January 7th, 1847.) Jacob W. Shoub, 22 " Michael Sands, 22 " (Left at New Orleans, January 15th, 1847.) James Sands, 25 " Robert H. Savage, 28 " (Left at New Orleans, January 12th, 1847.) Samuel Shadman, 22 " Henry Fisher, 21 " George W. Garrett, 24 " John C. Gilman, 34 " Thomas W. Guthrie, 21 " (Discharged at Vera Cruz.) Elias F. Hiney, 26 " John Hays, 22 " Peter Hass, 26 " William H. Hatcheley, 25 " John Jennings, 24 " (Left at New Orleans, January 12th, 1847.) Elias Kelly, 26 " (Discharged at Vera Cruz, March 17, 1847.) John Kepply, 28 " Singleton Kimmel, 22 " Michael Lust, 37 " William Tyson, 24 " Abel B. Macy, 28 " Alexander McDonald, 22 " Ferdinand Mammerank, 20 " John Mooney age 21 years, Pottsville (Left sick at Pittsburg, December 21st, 1846.) John Myers, 21 " Samuel McLaughlin, 35 " (Discharged at Vera Cruz, April 2nd, 1847.) Thomas Simpson, 18 " (Left in Mexico.) Robert F. Walter, 26 " Gottloeb Wishue, 22 " Robert Welsh, 22 " William Wolfinger, 22 " William Witecomb, 25 " Owen D. Thomas, 29 " Andrew Stamm, 20 " John Douty, " (Killed at San Angel, by Mexican Greaser in ambush.) Joel Metz, " James H. Ruckel, 23 " David Jones, 22 " (Discharged at Vera Cruz, April, 1847.) Benjamin Shell, 20 " Benjamin Smith, 20 " (Died at Perote Castle, June 29th, 1847.) Augustus H. Boyer, 21 " Bernard Barr, 32 " Valentine K. Mills, 30 " (Died at Perote Castle, August 8th, 1847.) William Merkle, age 25 years, Pottsville (Killed by Mexican Greaser in ambush at San Angel, about August 1.) Benjamin Nagle, 26 " (Died at San Angel, Mexico.) John M. Nolan, 24 " Francis M. Wynkoop, 28 " (Elected Colonel from the ranks at Pittsburg.) Francis C. McGeen, 23 " Henry Richards, 22 " John Hand, 19 Philadelphia Thomas W. Guthrie, 22 " Henry Graeff, 26 " (Died at Jalapa, Mexico.) Patrick H. McElroy, 23 Pittsburg (Left January 5, 1847, at New Orleans.) Joshua Jenkins, 24 " Thomas Quiddington, 42 " John McCormick, 19 " William Hines, 20 " Thomas J. Gilpin, Mahlon A. Fraser, age 25 years, New Orleans. (Left at Vera Cruz, April 8th, 1847.) William Knockhouse. age 22 years, Schuylkill Haven. William H. Stackpole, age 21 years, Waynesburg. Samuel Montgomery, age 22 years, Waynesburg. (Died at Perote Castle, August 26th, 1847.) James H. Ross, age 20 years, Waynesburg. Levi Bright, age 30 years, Reading. (Lost on march from Pueblo to Perote.) Charles Seagraves, age 22 years, Reading. George W. Hesser, aged 27 years, McVeytown. Seth Price, age 26 years, Orwigsburg. Edward Robins, age 21 years, Port Carbon. Levi Essler. Commissioned officers .............................................. 4 Musicians .......................................................... 2 Non-commissioned officers .......................................... 8 Private soldiers .................................................... 83 --- Total ....................................................... 97 Number of men enlisted in Pottsville ............................. 74 Number of enlisted outside of Pottsville, but in county ........ 10 Number enlisted outside of county along route to New Orleans ...... 13 --- Total ..................................................... 97 The following is a copy of a letter written by William Merkle, July 16, 1847, to his mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Merkle, of Spring Garden, Schuylkill Haven, several days before his death. Col. Daniel Nagle says: William Merkle and John Douty went out for a walk, one morning, beyond the picket line, when they were shot by Mexican Greasers lying in ambush. Their bodies were recovered and buried within the redoubts. (History of Merkles.) The original is in the possession of his great nephew, Prof. Bartolet, Instructor of Mathematics, Collegiate Institute, York, Pa. The stamp bears the dare of November 5, 1847, Vera Cruz, Mexico. Wm. Merkle was an uncle of W. M. Zerbey, deceased, of Pottsville. Castle of Revote, Mexico, July 16, 1847. My Dear Mother: - I am now in this castle, 36 miles from Jalapa, about 110 from Vera Cruz, and more than 2,000 from you and my own dear home. I am in good health, good spirits, and pleased with my companions. Here we live on the best productions of Mexico, without work, and permitted to enjoy ourselves as we most desire; and so long as we enjoy health, no one could wish for more happiness. The building is very large, the city of Revote a short mile distant, and the whole country around is a level plain of cultivated land, bounded by mountains of immense heighth, for their tops are always covered with snow. Beef, pork, potatoes, onions, beans, peas, tomatoes, etc., are very plenty, but very dear here. We have had some hard fighting, but, thank God, I am yet among the living, although in the midst of all the trials. On the evening of the 21st of June, our company, with some others, left here to relieve a train of wagons from Vera Cruz, and the next morning at three oÕclock we routed our savage enemies at Lavidia, about 16 miles from here. The Mexicans numbered about 500 -- our force about 300; but we routed and defeated them, killing about 100 of them, without loss of a single man, although we lost four horses. We are now awaiting fresh orders, and expect to have another engagement with more than 5,000 Mexicans who have fortified the National Bridge, between here and Vera Cruz. When or whither we go is uncertain. The sick and wounded are dying very fast in our hospital. The funerals average from 10 to 13 every day. We have only lost five out of our company by death, but many by desertion and discharge. We are uncertain when peace will be agreed upon, or when we will return home. I have never received an answer to any of my letters home, and you need not expect another until you write to Your affectionate son, William Merkle. Mrs. Elizabeth Merkle. The Civil War of the Rebellion has not been adverted to in these pages. It is of too recent occurrence and its history too well known to class it with the early events to which the volume is devoted. Its stirring history is left to the pen of the historian of the future if it has not been already covered by the ready writer. --------