CHAPTER VII.
Carbon County in the Mexican
War.
Pages
629 & 630
The
company, on the 24th of December, 1846, accompanied by a large
committee of citizens, proceeded in conveyances furnished at the expense of
themselves and friends on the route to Pittsburgh, the place of rendezvous for
being mustered into service; but on their arrival at Tamaqua they were met by
the deputy secretary of the commonwealth with an order countermanding their
acceptance, the reason given being that the Second Regiment was full. A meeting was at once held for conference,
and it was unanimously resolved that the company should proceed to Philadelphia
and offered their services to the President.
They went b the way of Pottsville, and the people of that town gave them
a warm welcome. After remaining in
Philadelphia a few days they were accepted.
Accompanied by Hon. Asa Packer and William H. Butler, they continued on
their route. They went by way of
Baltimore to Cumberland by railroad, and from the latter place over the
Alleghenies in nine stage coaches to Brownsville. From there they proceeded by boat to Pittsburgh. Hon. Asa Pacer generously assisted in paying
for their transportation. This amounted
to over nine hundred dollars, and several hundred dollars more went for other
expenses. No part of this outlay was
ever refunded by the government.
Arriving
at Pittsburgh, Jan. 1, 1847, the men were mustered into service by Lieut. H. B.
Field. The Stockton Artillerists were
the last company accepted, and the first on the ground to be mustered into service
as a part of the Second Pennsylvania Regiment.
They numbered eighty-four all told.
Some of the original members had dropped out and others were added along
the route, two being taken after the company reached Mexico. The officers were: Captain James Miller;
First Lieutenant, Hiram Wolf; Second Lieutenant, Robert Klotz; Second Sergeant,
James McKean, Jr.; First Sergeant, Thomas R. Crellin. After being mustered they shipped for New Orleans, and arriving
there, encamped about seven miles below the city, on Jackson’s famous
battle-ground, Monday, Jan. 18, 1847.
They pitched their tents, and everything passed pleasantly for several
days, but a heavy rainfall commenced, and by Saturday the 23d, at one o’clock
at night, there was fifteen inches of water over the entire camp-ground. The troops were obliged to seek shelter
where best they could. There was no
house within a mile of the camp except that of a French planter, which had
already been converted into a hospital.
The several companies dispersed, some going to the city and others to
the nearest houses and huts they could find, to which, in most instances, they
were denied admission and therefore suffered much from the wet and cold. They were, however, soon ordered on board
the transport ship “Ocean,” and sailed for Lobos Island. They had an exceedingly rough trip,
encountering heavy gales, but finally landed on February 13th. After remaining upon the island about two
weeks they were ordered to Vera Cruz, and landing there March 9th, became
a part of Gen. Patterson’s command.
Upon the next day, while the thermometer stood at 109o, they
were initiated into active service, taking part in skirmishes among the
sand-hills. The company participated in
all, or nearly all, of the active engagements from Vera Cruz to the city of
Mexico, and its conduct and services were most creditable. Twenty-three of the original number found
soldiers’ graves in Mexico. Others were
wounded, and some died of disease after returning home. The fate of war reduced the ranks by killed,
wounded, and diseased to less than one-half of the original number.
At the close of the war, after nineteen months of active service, the remnant of the company returned to Pittsburgh, where all of the men were honorably discharged. They arrived in Mauch Chunk, July 20, 1848, after having been tendered ovations and receiving the congratulation s and hospitalities of the people in Easton, Bethlehem, and Allentown. The company was disbanded, and now its members are widely scattered.
The following is a correct copy of the muster-roll, embracing the names of those who actually entered the service and went to Mexico:
Capt. James Miller was killed as colonel at Fair Oaks, late war, 81st Regt. Pa.
1st Lieut., Hiram Wolf, died at Mauch Chunk.
2nd Lieut., Robert Klotz, afterwards adjutant, etc.
2nd Sergt., James McKean, died at Puebla October, 1847.
Orderly Sergt., Thomas R. Crellin, resides in Mauch Chunk, Pa.
2nd Sergt., William Strauss
3rd Sergt., Charles K. Ross
4th Sergt., John W. Pryor
1st Corp., C. H. Solinsky.
2d Corp., Joseph Hileman.
3d Corp.., Samuel G. Stradden.
4th Corp., Robert Wallace
Charles Berg. John P. Detweiller.
Samuel Brown. Abraham Emerey
Jesse Blane. George W. Fenner.
James Belford. John Fritzinger.
John F. Bachman. George Fields.
James Bustard. Michael Fields.
Brooks Campbell. James Feosig.
Peter Collins. Isaac D. Gray.
Jonathan Collins. Horace Guth.
George E. A. Clark. D. E. Gallager.
William Clemens. Josiah Horn.
Emor M. Davis. William Horn
Syman Dilly. Samuel Horn, Drum Major. 1
Conrad Darfling. John Handmandle.
Alexander Henry. Joseph Richards.
Samuel Herter John Street.
William Harriet. Isaac Sapp.
Clark Heath. Thomas R. Staples.
John J. Heistand. William Smith.
William L. Howell. Benjamin Smith.
Philip Kaveny. Samuel Shurlock.
Frederick C. Kline. 2 Frederick Summers.
John Ketler. William Snyder.
Samuel Lippincott. Charles Stark.
Orlando Sink. John Solomon.
William O. K. Moore John Swayne.
Robert McAllister. Hezekiah Thomas
Henry McFall. Fred A. Thoman
John Nolan. William Warren
Henry Rex. William Walters.
Edward Remmel. William W. Wilhelm.
Jacob Remmel. John B. Weir.
William H. Reninger. Samuel Young.
Edward Ruhe. John M. Young.
Eighty-four men all told as enlisted or mustered at Pittsburgh, Jan. 1, 1847, by Lieut. H. B. Fields.
Two men, Michael Hasson and George White, were enlisted respectively at Jalapa and Puebla, Mexico
[The Second Regiment, of which the Stockton Artillerists were Company K, was originally commanded by Col. Roberts. The lieutenant-colonel was John P. Geary and the major was William Brindle. Col. Roberts dying at Vera Cruz, Geary was promoted to colonel and Brindle to lieutenant-colonel.
1)Horn was a boy, was drummer under Gen. (then Col.) Scott at Lundy’s Lane, in war of 1812-14, and called on him in Mexico.
2) Bugler and bandmaster.
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From
The History of the Counties of Lehigh & Carbon, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
By
Alfred Mathews & Austin N. Hungerford
Published in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1884
Transcribed from the original in March 2003
by
Jack Sterling
Web page by
May 2003