COMPANY F of this organization was recruited in Warren county by Captain
Harrison Allen, who had served for a few months as major of the
Tenth Reserve. It left Warren borough Thursday morning October 23, 1862,
and proceeded to Harrisburg, the regimental rendezvous, where it was mustered
into service on the 30th of the same month. A few days later Captain Allen
was commissioned colonel of the regiment, George F. McFarland, of Juniata
county, lieutenant-colonel, and John W. Young, of Susquehanna county, major.
The regiment moved forward towards Washington on the 26th of November,
and upon its arrival encamped on Arlington Heights. Soon after it
was attached to the brigade commanded by Colonel D'Utassay, and with that
command performed picket duty at Union Mills for several weeks. About
the middle of February, 1863, it was transferred to Belle Plain, where it was
assigned to a brigade, for a time commanded by Colonel James R. Porter, but
subsequently by General Thomas A. Rowley, known as the First Brigade of
the Third Division of the First Corps, General Doubleday commanding the
division, and General Reynolds the corps.
Just previous to the opening of the Chancellorsville campaign, the Third
Division was sent to Port Conway, on the Lower Rappahannock, for a
diversion in favor of the operations soon to commence. The movement was
successful, inducing "Stonewall" Jackson to move, with his entire corps and
train, to a point on the opposite bank. The division was out forty-six hours,
during thirty-six of which the rain fell incessantly, making the march a difficult
and trying one. The command was present at the battle of Chancellorsville,
but it appears that it did little more than to skirmish with the enemy
without loss.
Gettysburg was the one battle wherein the One Hundred and Fifty-first
won all of its honor and glory. After weary days of forced marches at the
rate of thirty-five miles per day, the First Brigade, now commanded by Colonel
C. Biddle, in conjunction with its corps, the First, and the Eleventh Corps,
arrived upon the field of battle (to this time chiefly maintained upon the Union
side by Buford's cavalry) at half-past ten A. M. of July 1, and took position upon
the extreme left flank of the corps, the One Hundred and Fifty-first, under
command of Lieutenant-Colonel McFarland, holding the left of the brigade
line. As it moved into position it was saluted by the booming of cannon and
the rattle of musketry, and soon was whispered the sad intelligence of the fall
of General Reynolds. Without delay it was pushed forward by orders of General
Rowley, now in command of the division, the men unslinging knapsacks
as they marched, and advanced obliquely to the top of a ridge to the west
of the Theological Seminary, where it remained some time. All firing now
ceased for nearly an hour, the enemy having been driven back, and General
Archer captured with eight hundred of his men. About noon, however, the
enemy again opened fire on both front and right. The latter being a flank fire,
to which the brigade was exposed, it was ordered back into the hollow, and
here, supporting Cooper's Battery, and subjected to a constant fire from the
enemy's artillery, it maintained its position for two hours and a half, only varying
its line to avoid the destructive cross-fire of the enemy. At half-past two
P. M. the regiment was detached from the brigade by General Rowley, to be
held as a reserve, and was posted behind a fence along the south end of Seminary
Grove, and facing north. A few moments later it changed front forward
on the left company, and occupied a temporary breastwork, erected by the
Second (Robinson's) Division earlier in the day, just in rear of the seminary,
facing west. By this time the enemy had concentrated in large force and
began closing in. With only this single regiment in reserve, and with but a
single line, Doubleday was opposing thrice his numbers, coming on three lines
deep, and reaching out far beyond him on either flank. This great pressure
soon began to tell upon the integrity of the Union line. A gap, occasioned by
severe losses, was soon made between the brigades of Biddle and Meredith, of
Rowley's Division, which was threatening to prove fatal to the entire left wing.
Into this gap, by order of General Rowley, the One Hundred and Fifty-first was
thrown, to stay the tide which was fast sweeping on—the last reserve thrown
into action. In perfect order it moved forward and closed up the broken line,
Company D standing directly in front of, and about twenty-five yards distant
from, the point of woods where General Reynolds was killed. The fighting
now became terrific, and the losses of the enemy in front of the regiment were
heavy. But the contest was too unequal to continue long. The one attenuated
line was terribly cut up. The celebrated Iron Brigade, having borne the
brunt of the battle for five hours, was finally withdrawn, thus exposing the
right of the One Hundred and Fifty-first The regiments on its left were likewise
overpowered, and one after another was forced back, until this was left
almost alone to resist the enemy's raking fire. Finally, when more than half its
number had fallen, the order was given to retire. At the barricade of rails in
the edge of the grove back of the seminary it again took position, where fragments
of other regiments had assembled, and as the enemy advanced a deadly
fire was delivered upon them, which again checked their victorious advance.
But here a new danger threatened. Finding that he could not walk over even
the remnants of the First Corps, by direct advance, the wily rebel leader had
sent a heavy force to envelop the Union left. The movement was speedily
successful, and before a warning of the enemy's presence had been given, the
regiment received a heavy enfilading volley, by which Lieutenant-Colonel McFarland
was shot down, receiving severe wounds in both legs, necessitating
the amputation of one, and large numbers of the men were disabled. The
moment had come when it could no longer stand the repeated blows of an
overpowering enemy, and with remnants of other commands it retreated rapidly
towards the town of Gettysburg. General Early, who had closed in on
the extreme Union right, was already in the streets, and here, the way being
impeded by trains and disorganized masses of troops, a number of the regiment
fell into the enemy's hands.
Upon its arrival on Cemetery Hill the regiment numbered but ninety-two
men. This number was soon after increased to about one hundred and twenty
by the arrival of stragglers and others who had been cut off from the column
in passing through the town. Captain Owens was now in command. About
five o'clock P. M. of the 2d the command was marched on the double-quick to
the support of Sickles's troops. In moving down the Taneytown Road, and
when approaching Round Top, the line of the brigade was broken by troops
moving in a diagonal direction across its path, and the One Hundred and Fifty first,
with the Twentieth New York State Militia, became separated from the
rest of the brigade, and amidst the great confusion prevailing failed to regain
their position. Finding themselves thus cut off, or lost, as it were, Colonel
Gates and Captain Owens decided to act as an independent command, and
moved up on the front line, taking position on the left of the Second Corps,
where it remained during the night. When, on the afternoon of the 3d, the
enemy made his grand charge, these two regiments hastened to the right to
to the support of the troops at the menaced front. Reaching a knoll where a
battery of the Second Corps was posted, and in front of which the enemy was
advancing, they made a stand and assisted in driving the enemy from a slashing,
in which he had taken refuge from a flank attack of Stannard's (Vermont)
Brigade. The enemy was finally driven at all points, many throwing down
their arms and surrendering, and the great, dear-bought victory was won. At
this point Adjutant Samuel T. Allen, brother of Colonel Allen, was severely
wounded. On the morning of the 4th these regiments rejoined their brigade.
Of the twenty-one officers and four hundred and sixty-six enlisted men of
this regiment, who went into battle, two officers and sixty-six men were killed,
twelve officers and one hundred and eighty-seven men were wounded, and one
hundred were missing. The brave Lieutenant-Colonel McFarland and his
regiment received the highest meed of praise from General Doubleday, who
said: "I can never forget the services rendered me by this regiment, directed
by the gallantry and genius of McFarland. I believe they saved the First
Corps, and were among the chief instruments to save the Army of the Potomac,
and the country from unimaginable disaster." Colonel Allen, who had been
passing some time at home on leave of absence, returned to his command just
as the battle ended, and continued with it until its muster out of service, at
Harrisburg on the 27th of July, 1863.
The Warren county men who served in this regiment were reported as
follows:
FIELD AND STAFF. (Those whose names are italicized were wounded at Gettysburg.)
Colonel Harrison Allen, promoted from captain Company F November 11, 1862; mustered out with regiment. About two years later or March 13, 1865, was commissioned brevet brigadier-general.
Adjutant Samuel T. Allen, mustered out with regiment; wounded.
COMPANY F. (Those whose names are italicized were wounded at Gettysburg.)
Captain Harrison Allen, promoted to colonel November II, 1862.
Captain John H. Mitchell, mustered out with company.
First Lieutenant William O. Blodgett, mustered out with company.
Second Lieutenant Theodore Chase, mustered out with company.
First Sergeant James L. Lott, mustered out with company.
Sergeant Paul W. Brown, mustered out with company.
Sergeant Robert E. Miller, absent, sick, at muster out.
Sergeant Benjamin F. Miller, absent, sick, at muster out.
Sergeant A. D. Frank, mustered out with company.
Corporal Sylvanus Walker, in hospital at muster out.
Corporal George Merchant, absent, sick, at muster out.
Corporal Leander W. Wilcox, mustered out with company.
Corporal Nathan J. Cooper, mustered out with company
Corporal Robert T. Cummings, mustered out with company.
Corporal Raymond B. Jones, absent in hospital at muster out.
Corporal Samuel A. Tuttle, mustered out with company.
Corporal Clifford Wetmore, mustered out with company.
Corporal Nathaniel A. Billings, discharged on surgeon's certificate January 5, 1863.
Musician Ralph F. Ames, discharged on surgeon's certificate June 2, 1863.
Privates. (Those whose names are italicized were wounded at Gettysburg.)
Robert Abbott, mustered out with company.
John W. Allen, absent in hospital at muster out.
George W. Briggs, mustered out with company.
Ichabod Buck, mustered out with company.
James Bates, mustered out with company.
Richard Barlow, mustered out with company.
Jared F. Bartlett, mustered out with company.
John C. Bagley, mustered out with company.
Richard Brooks, mustered out with company.
Jehiel Carr, absent in hospital at muster out.
William C. Carr, mustered out with company.
Charles S. Chapman, absent, sick, at muster out.
Lafayette Cole, mustered out with company.
Perry F. Chandler, mustered out with company.
Isaac Culbertson, discharged on surgeon's certificate April 4, 1863.
James Cotton, died July 4, of wounds received in battle July I, 1863.
Ithiel Dodd, mustered out with company.
Nathan Dodd, died at Washington, D. C, June 15, 1863.
Abram A. Enos, mustered out with company.
Jacques Guentl, mustered out with company.
Andrew Gauts, mustered out with company.
David W. Gibson, mustered out with company,
William H. Guignon, mustered out with company.
William Guy, absent in hospital at muster out.
John G. Gregory, died near Union Mills, Va., December 31, 1862.
James Green, killed at Gettysburg July 1, 1863.
Pardon Hazeltine, absent, sick, at muster out.
Clinton Hazeltine, mustered out with company.
Marcus Jaquay, killed at Gettysburg July 1, 1863.
John Knupp, absent in hospital at muster out.
Wilbur Kimball, killed at Gettysburg July 1, 1863.
Lodewick Loveland, mustered out with company.
Alfred C. Lacy, mustered out with company.
Frank Lyon, died July 19 of wounds received in battle July 1, 1863.
John Myers, absent, sick, at muster out.
Isaac W. Mott, mustered out with company.
James M. Miller, mustered out with company.
Edwin Matteson, mustered out with company.
John W. Morrison, discharged on surgeon's certificate March 21, 1863.
Peter Miller, died January 10, 1863.
John McIntyre, mustered out with company.
Christopher W. McKelvey, mustered out with company.
James McManus, mustered out with company.
James E. Norris, mustered out with company.
Marvin Norris, absent, sick, at muster out.
George Newsbuckle, mustered out with company.
F. E. Perkins, mustered out with company.
John J. Patchin, mustered out with company.
David B. Peck, mustered out with company.
Daniel Porter, wounded and missing in action July 1, 1863.
Pearson C. Phillips, mustered out with company.
James Park, discharged on surgeon's certificate March 14, 1863.
Norman C. Smith, mustered out with company.
Orlando Smith, mustered out with company.
William Sweetland, mustered out with company.
William P. Starrett, mustered out with company.
Hiram Sturdevant, mustered out with company.
Stephen Sweet, mustered out with company.
John Stanton, captured at Gettysburg; mustered out with company.
James Stanton, mustered out with company.
Israel Slye, mustered out with company.
Orin H. Slye, mustered out with company.
George A. Schuyler, mustered out with company.
Samuel A. Samuelson, mustered out with company.
Walter Thompson, mustered out with company.
D. T. Van Vechten, mustered out with company.
Charles Walker, mustered out with company.
Daniel Weed, wounded near Union Mills January, 1863 5 mustered out with company.
M. G. Wheelock, mustered out with company.
Philander Wright, mustered out with company.
Charles D. Way, absent, sick, at muster out.
Lyman D. Willson, captured at Gettysburg; mustered out with company.
Robert Young, killed at Gettysburg July I, 1863.
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