For a number of years I have gone to the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, in Carnegie, for their “Second Saturday Civil War Series” programs, especially when a specific program had a local connection or dealt with some aspect of Gettysburg. Last weekend the subject was “To Conquer on the Soil of Our Native State or Perish!”, the slogan of a volunteer Pennsylvania Division (the Pennsylvania Reserves) in the Civil War. The speaker was Eric Mohney, an impressive young man from St. Mary’s, Pa., with a significant passion for that subject. Mr. Mohney is well known to Civil War/Gettysburg buffs as the producer and occasional host of the popular podcast, “Addressing Gettysburg”. His specific interest is in the two Northern Pennsylvania “Bucktail Regiments”, recruited by Governor Curtin in response to President Lincoln’s call for volunteers in the Spring of 1861 to “put down the rebellion”. He reported that this obsession began with a family trip to Gettysburg when he was eight years old, followed by numerous viewings of the film “Gettysburg”.
My specific interest, of course, is in “the Bridgeville Company”, Company K of the 14th Regiment of the Pennsylvania Reserves, sometimes referred to as the 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment. Organized by Captain Willam Boyce, they were enlisted in Bridgeville, presented a home-made battle flag by the ladies of Bethany Church, and then marched off to Camp Wilkins in Lawrenceville as part of the Pennsylvania Reserves. Ironically, that battle flag is archived at the Library where Mr. Mohney’s talk was given.
The story of the Pennsylvania Reserves begins with Pennsylvania’s response to Lincoln’s call. He asked for fourteen regiments; enough men volunteered to man twenty-eight. Secretary of War Simon Cameron accepted fourteen regiments and incorporated them into the regular Army. Governor Curtin, possibly because of his political rivalry with Cameron, persuaded the State Legislature to fund an additional division staffed with the remaining volunteers. The resulting division was authorized on May 15, 1861, “for the purpose of suppressing insurrections, or to repel invasions”. Noted for its famous commanders, including Gettysburg heroes John Reynolds and George Meade, and its heavy casualties, the Pennsylvania Reserves Division was a major participant in the war in the East for the next three years.
A brief discussion of table of organization is appropriate at this point. During the Civil War, the fundamental unit was a company – about one hundred men, commanded by a captain. Company K, commanded by Captain Boyce, is an example. Next comes a regiment, typically ten companies, commanded by a Colonel. Company K was part of the First Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment.. Regiments (about five) were combined into Brigades, with three Brigades making up a Division. The Second Brigade of the Pennsylvania Reserves Division included the First Pennsylvania Cavalry. An Army (the Army of the Potomac, for example) was comprised of a number of Corps, each including several divisions. At Gettysburg, the Pennsylvania Reserves Division, then commanded by Samuel Crawford, was part of V Corps, commanded by Major General George Sykes. Among other claims to fame, Crawford is apparently the only person to be present at the beginning and end of the war; he was a surgeon at Fort Sumter when it was attacked and was with the Army of the Potomac at Appomattox Court House. In retirement, Crawford, a resident of nearby Chambersburg, was a major figure in the preservation of the Gettysburg battlefield.
The speaker began with a discussion of the formation of the Pennsylvania Reserves, highlighting a call to arms for citizens of Elk and McKean Counties: “Marksmen Wanted! Come forward Americans who are not degenerate from the Spirit of ’76 … in time to save the city of Washington from capture.” He then outlined the training of the Division at Easton, West Chester, Pittsburgh (Camp Wilkins in Lawrenceville), and Harrisburg (Camp Curtin). They were initially assigned to I Corps, commanded by General Irvin McDowell, and detailed to defend Washington, DC. In April, 1862, they were assigned to the newly created Department of the Rappahanock, also commanded by McDowell. In June, 1862, the Pennsylvania Reserves Division was transferred to the V Corps of George McLellan’s Army in the Peninsula Campaign and saw its first serious action at Gaines’ Mill. In August they were transferred to the Army of Virginia and participated in the Second Battle of Bull Run. Following that engagement, they were transferred to the I Corps of the Army of the Potomac and saw serious action at South Mountain and Antietam. Next came Fredericksburg, followed by a transfer to XXII Corps and assignments defending Washington. Late in June, 1863, with Lee threatening Pennsylvania, two brigades of the Pennsylvania Reserves Division were reassigned to George Sykes’ V Corps in time to participate significantly in the Gettysburg battle. The third Brigade, including the 14th Regiment (and Company K), was sent to Washington to bolster its defenses in case Meade could not defeat the Rebels. In 1864 the full regiment, as part of V Corps, participated in the Wilderness Campaign, at Spotsylvania, and at Totopotomoy Creek. They stayed with V Corps through June of that year, when the bulk of the (three year) enlistments were up. At that point the division was retired, although most of the men re-enlisted in new regiments.
The legacy of the 14,000 men who enlisted in the Pennsylvania Reserves Division is impressive. In addition to their famous leaders, seven enlisted men were awarded Medals of Honor for their performance on the field of battle. Attrition during the three years of their service was massive; over 200 of the original 1,000 members of the 14th Regiment lost their lives in the thirty-six months the regiment was in existence. Mr. Mohney’s tribute to the Reserves was well deserved. We too should be proud of Company K, “the Bridgeville Company”, and their contribution to this heritage.