CHARLES ALBRIGHT

1852: ï admitted to the bar
1854: ï accompanied Gov. Reeder of Kansas to that territory (Free State
Party)
          ï Returned later to Pennsylvania and was active in Republican
party affairs 
1861: ï attended Lincoln's inauguration
1862: ï Commissioned Major, 132nd Pa. Vols. - 08/21/62	
1863: ï Promoted to Colonel (Jan.)
          ï mustered out with Reg't (132nd) in May
          ï assigned to command of Camp Muhlenburg in Reading (June)
          ï Col. of 34th Pa. Militia in anticipation of having to enforce the draft (July)           
          ï Col. 202nd Pa. Inf. Vols. (Sept. 3) at Camp Couch, Chambersburg 	 
1864: ï Continued to command 202nd PAV
1865: ï Promoted to Bvt. Brigadier General; 
          ï mustered out Aug.3
          ï resumed law practice in Mauch Chunk

	
Quotes about him:
ï "Öa better and braver man never drew the sword." -Lt A.C.Mensch, Co.
E, 132nd PVI
ï "When Gen. French, our division commander, saw us advancing into
battle, he said to one of his aids, 'I wonder where Col. Albright is
going with that armed mob of his,' but when he saw us driving the enemy,
he took off his hat and swinging it in the air said, 'See the third
brigade, third division, never whipped in the world!'  Our ammunition
ran out and we retired in good order, having been under fire for five
days in this engagementÖ" - Lt A. C. Mensch

Albright addresses the Carbon County People's Party Convention on July
14, 1862:	
"What is our duty as patriotic men?" (he) askedÖ  For Albright, the
answer was clear: to close solidly and firmly around Abraham Lincoln. 
Although men might differ on "minor matters" or "political details," the
exigencies of war left little room for party politics or partisan
debates.  "There is but one way of saving the country," Albright
insisted, "and that is by supporting the President." - From ìAnother
Civil Warî by Grace Palladino (Univ of Illinois Press, 1990)

Albright to Lincoln - Oct. 20, 1862:
Arguing that the Emancipation Proclamation was the " greatest act" of
Lincoln's administration, Albright added that "it will be without virtue
and effect if the Union army does not march through the seceded states
victoriously and bear down all opposition." -same book


>From a Who Was Who-type book (I forgot to record the title):
ALBRIGHT, CHARLES, congressman, army officer, lawyer; b. Bucks [SIC] *
County, Pa., Dec. 13, 1830; attended Dickinson Coll.; studied law. 
Admitted to Pa. bar, 1852, practiced law in Mauch Chunk, Pa.; moved to
Territory of Kan., 1854-56 ; resumed practice law, Mauch Chunk, 1856;
del. Repub. Nat. Conv., Ch'go, 1860; promoted to maj. 132d Regt., Pa.
Volunteer Inf., 1862, lt. col., 1862, col., 1863; commd col. 34th Pa.
Militia, 1863; commd col. 202d Regt., Pa. Vol. Inf., 1864 brevetted
brig. gen. Volunteers, 1865; resumed practic law, Mauch Chunk, 1865;
del. Rep. Nat. Conv., Phila., 1872; mem. U.S. Ho. of Reps. (Rep.) from
Pa. 43d Congress, 1873-75 ; Died Mauch Chunk, Sept 28, 1880; buried
Mauch Chunk Cemetery.

* Typo-author meant Berks County -awt


The following record of the 132nd Pennsylvaniaís history appears in
Dyerís Compendium:
132nd REGIMENT INFANTRYÖ
Organized at Harrisburg August, 1862. Moved to Washington, D.C., August
19, and duty there till September 2. Ordered to Rockville, Md.,
September 2. Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Army Corps, Army
of the Potomac, to November, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Army
Corps, to May, 1863.
SERVICE.--Maryland Campaign September 6-22, 1862. Battle of Antietam,
Md., September 16-17. Moved to Harper's Ferry, W. Va., September 22, and
duty there till October 30. Reconnoissance to Leesburg October 1-2.
Advance up Loudoun Valley and movement to Falmouth, Va., October
30-November 17. Battle of Fredericksburg December 12-15. Duty at
Falmouth till April 27. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Battle
of Chancellorsville May 1-5. Mustered out May 24, 1863.
Regiment lost during service 3 Officers and 70 Enlisted men killed and
mortally wounded and 40 Enlisted men by disease. Total 113.

Recommended reading:

ìWar from the Insideî - Frederick L. Hitchcock (Philadelphia, 1906)
ìThe Training of an Armyî - Wilkliam J. Miller (Shippensburg, PA, 1990)
ìHistory of the Second Army Corpsî - Francis A. Walker (New York, 1887)

Thereís also a good file on Albright at the Civil War Library & Museum
in Philadelphia (I have an excerpt).  Albright's activities in the Mauch
Chunk area during the Gettysburg campaign are mentioned extensively in
the Sept., 1993, issue of AMERICAíS CIVIL WAR (Article: ìRebels at 
Their Doorstepî by Jim Zbick.



Tony Turner