The following information was taken from the book
History of the Counties of McKean, Elk, Cameron, and Potter, Pennsylvania
J.H. Beers & Co., Publishers, 1890

Civil War History of the Counties of McKean

The Rifle Regiment of the Pennsylvania Reserves, changed in June, 1861, to the Kane Rifle Regiment of the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps or Forty-second Pennsylvania Regiment, began organization a day before the telegraph flashed the tidings throughout the world of the breaking out of the Civil War. On April 13, 1861, Thomas L. Kane petitioned Gov. Curtin for leave to organize a command in the "Wild Cat District," known as Forest, McKean, Elk and Cameron Counties. On the 14th the petition was granted, and the news being carried into the valleys and mountains, a company of one hundred men assembled on the Sinnemahoning, April 24, and entered on raft building, so that when the proposed regiment would be formed this method of transportation would be at their disposal. On April 26, three hundred and fifteen men marched onto three rafts then ready, and setting up a green hickory pole on one of them, the "flag ship," placed above it a buck tail, and from this floated the flag of the Union. The command moved toward Harrisburg without marching orders from the governor. As soon as this movement was known, a message was sent to Lock Haven ordering the return of the men to their rendezvous, as only a limited number could be received. Gen. Jackman, who desired the service of the hardy woodsman, opposed this, and though his order was duly sent, it was never delivered. The men arrived at Harrisburg, and saluting the capitol with a rifle volley, made their presence known. After some days an order to muster in as the Seventeenth Regiment (three months) was issued, but as soon rescinded, owing to a regiment of that number already being enrolled. Col. Kane declined his commission, and entered the ranks May 13. The Warren Company, under Capt. Roy Stone, was organized out of similar material in the woods on the headwaters of the Allegheny river, while other companies of a kindred character flocked toward the capitol; so that on June 12 a regiment was organized:

The captains (named above) had previously petitioned Gen. McFall to have their companies united under Col. Kane, who resigned June 13, that Lieut.-Col. Biddle, a Mexican War Soldier, might be commissioned. On the same day the captains (Langhorn Wistar's name now appearing) petitioned for change of regimental name as hitherto stated. This newly organized command, with Simmons Fifth Regiment and Barr's Battery, proceeded on June 21 to Maryland, and on 27th established Camp Mason and Dixon on the state line. About July 7, immediately after Col. Wallace's regiment left for Martinsburg to join Patterson's Brigade, Kane's Rifles returned to the camp; on the 12th a scout of sixty men under Lieut.-Col. Kane moved to New Creek, Va., where the first skirmish took place with McDonald's Confederate cavalry. Kane pursued the rebels to Ridgeville, and held that neighborhood until July 27, when the regiment returned to Harrisburg. On August 6 the Bucktails reported to Banks at Harper's Ferry, and on October 20, Companies A, G, H, I, and K, under Leiut.-Col. Kane, encountered the Zouave Tigers near Hunter's Mill, and drove them back. Col. Biddle resigned December 12, leaving Kane to command on the 20th, at Dranesville. At noon on that day the enemy was reported advancing on the Centreville road, Ord's artillery was sent forward, and the Kane Rifles were advanced to check him. A little later Kane discovered the enemy flanking him, and the movement which led to the occupation of the brick house, the flight of the rebels, the wounding of Col. Kane, another officer and twenty-six men, and the death of two men. In January, 1862, H.W. McNeil was chosen colonel, and in March attached to Gen. Reynolds' first brigade, four companies being detached, under Lieut.-Col. Kane, for the purpose of drill under his new system until May, when the four companies reported to Col. Bayard, and were pushed forward to within a few miles of Hanover Court-House. From May 25 to June 6 the Bucktails led Fremont's army, with such spirit that the effective force was reduced to 128 men. On June 6 Col. Kane and 104 men went forward to rescue the wounded of the First New Jersey Cavalry, who were reported to have fallen into an ambuscade near Harrisonburg. This little command came suddenly upon four Confederate regiments and a battery, and sending back a message, attacked, breaking their line. Recovering from the surprise the Confederate regiments prepared to advance, when Martin Kelly, volunteering to draw their fire, stepped from behind a tree, received a shower of lead and died next day in the glory of war. George McGowan was shot near him next day. While holding this position against terrible odds, the while waiting for Fremont's aid, the wounded Col. Kane directed the battle. Private Holmes, who lay close by mortally wounded, hearing Gen. Ashby, of the Forty-Eighth Confederate Virginians (then in Stuart's rebel brigade), urge a bayonet charge, fired, killing the rebel general. The Fifty-Eighth was repulsed, but Johnson pushed onward and drove the Federals from the bush, capturing the wounded Lieut.-Col. Kane and Capt. Taylor, latter of whom had returned in the face of the enemy to rescue his colonel. Only then did the Confederates realize that the Bucktail rifles were the actors in this affair, the famous regiment losing fifty-two men in killed, wounded, and missing, while killing 559 of the enemy.

On June 8 Fremont encountered Jackson at Cross Keys. The former was driven back, leaving the Bucktails to cover the retreat, but to the surprise of all this command cut it's way through, and further carried with them the guns which they were ordered to support, receiving marked thanks for the exploit. While Leiut.-Col. Kane's four companies were thus engaged Maj. Stone, then in charge of the other six companies of 400 men, was engaged in the Shenandoah Valley. In June his command arrived at the Dispatch Station in the Peninsula, and was found within four miles of Richmond, Va. On the 26th, two companies were at the railroad and meadow bridge on Beaver Dam creek, and the other four in the neighborhood. Their fire checked the enemies advance; but in the hurry, Stone learned that Simmons, who commanded the grand guard, had withdrawn the three Bucktail regiments in his rear, leaving the other three within the enemy's circle. Stone succeeded in bringing in Wistar's and Jewett's companies to the entrenchments, where were now the three companies formerly withdrawn, leaving Capt. Irvine's company within the enemy's lines. The latter withdrew to a swamp, where he held out for three days before surrendering. The Bucktail's loss in this affair was seventy-five in killed, wounded and missing. Maj. Stone's subsequent doings at Mechanicsville and Gaines' Mills are matters of national history, his little force of Bucktails holding a whole division of rebels back and delaying the battle at Gaines' Mills until the federal forces recovered strength to contest that field. It lost that morning and on the retreat half their men, being able to muster only six officers and 125 men on it's arrival at Gaines' Mills, where it suffered a loss of one officer and twenty-five men. On the 29th slightly wounded and missing members joined the remnant of the command, bringing the force up to five officers and 150 men, with whom were incorporated five officers and eighty-four men of the United States Sharpshooters. The battle of Charles City Cross Roads took place July 30. There the "Bucktails" did some extraordinary fighting, and barely escaped capture. On the night of that day McCall rode into a rebel command and was captured, leaving Stone to escape under a shower of lead. The Bucktails lost two officers and ninety men killed, wounded and taken prisoners, and their United States Sharpshooters friends lost two officers and fifty-six men. At Harrison's Landing the work of bridging the river was assigned to the Bucktails. At 5 p.m. these foresters began to work, chopping the timber along the river. At sunrise, next morning, they had the 500-feet bridge ready for the artillery to cross. Soon after Maj. Stone resigned to take command of the One Hundred and Forty-ninth Infantry, and Col. McNeil, who had returned, resumed command. Then some of those captured at Mechanicsville were exchanged, rejoined their command, and all were present at the Second Bull Run, August 29 and 30, where five were killed, nineteen wounded and three missing.

Returning to Col. Kane's four companies, they are found at Brandy Station on August 19, 1862, where Kane rejoined them after his term of imprisonment. At this time they numbered 160 men. On the morning of the 23d, Capt. Winslow's guard of fifteen men were seeking shelter from a heavy thunder storm when Gen. Stuart's rebel cavalry rode over his tent, taking all prisoners. Col. Kane rallied his men to the number of sixty-eight, and with this small force performed some of the most daring feats known to military men. That night he charged right and left, causing the stampede of the rebel army, losing only one man mortally wounded and four wounded of his sixty-eight warriors. Next morning they crossed the Cub Run bridge, which they destroyed, and Gen. Pope's army was saved. On Sept. 7 Kane was commissioned brigadier-general, Edward A. Irvine, of Company K, taking his place as lieutenant-colonel of the Bucktails, while A.E. Niles was commissioned major, vice Stone now colonel of the One Hundred and Forty-ninth regiment.

On the day of the promotions just referred to, Col. McNeil was ordered into Maryland, and , September 14, 1862, led the attack on South Mountain, losing eighteen killed, and forty-five wounded, among the latter being Lieut.-Col. Irvine and Capt. Mack. At the Dunkard Church, Antietam, they led next morning, when Col. McNeil, Lieut. William Allison and twenty-eight men were killed, and sixty-five men and officers wounded. Capt. McGee at once took command, and aided by Adj. Hartshorn, fought to the close of that terrible day. This division of the Bucktails lost in the two days 110 officers and men, killed, wounded or missing. After this affair Capt. Charles F. Taylor, who was captured while returning to save Kane at Harrisonburg, rejoined the command. He was soon commissioned colonel, and moved to the Rappahannock, where, on December 12, the Bucktails met the enemy, losing, killed were Lieut. W.B. Jenkins and nineteen others, with 113 wounded and missing.

On February 6, 1863, the celebrated regiment is found with the First Brigade at Fairfax Court House. Maj. Niles is lieutenant-colonel, vice Irvine, resigned on account of wounds; William R. Hartshorn is major, and Roger Sherman, adjutant; Col. Taylor is commanding, and receiving old members from the hospitals. On July 2 the Bucktails are on historical Little Round Top. They have just arrived, and in time, for in a moment they are called upon to save the Union artillery. Dashing down the hill, through the deep swamp to the wheat field, they drove the enemy, but paid dearly for the honor in the death of Col. Taylor and Lieut. R. Hall. Lieut.-Col. Niles was wounded some time before, so Maj. Hartshorn took command, and the Bucktails fell back to remain in rest until the afternoon of July 3, when they again led in the capture of the Fifteenth Georgia Confederate Regiment. In this Gettysburg affair Capts. Hugh McDonald, J.D. Yerkes, N.B. Kinsey and Frank Bell; Lieuts. J.E. Kratzer, T.J. Roney, J.R. Sparr and thirty-one men were wounded.

In April, 1864, the Bucktail fighters were given Spencer repeaters instead of the Sharp's rifles of former times. On May 5 the regiment barely escaped capture (having been deserted by the First brigade), by breaking through the rebel lines, near Parker's Store. On the 7th Maj. Hartshorn lost two killed and twenty-one wounded. The day after his little command arrived at a point three miles north of Spottsylvania to find two divisions of the Fifth Corps engaged in a terrible struggle. On the 10th it participated in the two assaults on the rebel works at Mountain Run, and engaged incessantly until the morning of May 13, when it was given a day of rest, but resuming work next day continued in active service to their last battle on the Mechanicsville road, May 30, 1864. In the Wilderness campaign this command lost two officers and twenty-six men killed, and six officers and 112 men wounded. The veterans and recruits were transferred to the One Hundred and Ninetieth Infantry, of which Hartshorn was commissioned colonel, and the One Hundred and Ninetieth was mustered out June 11, 1864.

REGIMENTAL INFORMATION ROLLS
Contributed by Connie S. Frederick
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