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Civil War Campfires

Union City, Pennsylvania, Yankees at Fredericksburg

Just like any small town cemetery, Evergreen Cemetery in Union City, Pennsylvania, has its share of Civil War veterans. Although it doesn't actually have a section labeled "Fredericksburg Casualties," Evergreen Cemetery should have such a section because so many soldiers from the 145th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry who fell in front of the stone wall at Fredericksburg rest there. In fact, the 145th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, which is referred to in accounts of Fredericksburg as the "Pennsylvania regiment," was nearly decimated at Fredericksburg. Only a fragment of it remained when the battle was over.
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CivilWar1c_oct04.jpg (55 K<img style='width:20px;height:20px;' src='https://uslegacies.org/images/smiley/cool.svg' alt='Cool' style='vertical-align:middle;' />

The 145th was recruited in Erie, Warren, Crawford, and Mercer Countries in Northwestern Pennsylvania. Families from such Erie County towns as Waterford, Wattsburg, Union City, and Corry, had stone walls running across their farms and fields similar to the one at Fredericksburg. Their sons would never see those stone walls again, because General Ambrose Burnside had decided that they would hold a stone wall at Fredericksburg. Company B of the 145th is represented in part by privates John L. Osborn, Henry Putnam, and Charles Sherman. All died at Fredericksburg on December 13, 1862. Private Edmund B. Williams was wounded in the left leg at Fredericksburg and discharged from the army on a surgeon's certificate on October 17, 1863.

Company C members included Corporal Samuel Northrop, and Privates John C. Strong and Byron E. Pierce. They were all mustered in on August 26, 1862, and all died at Fredericksburg on December 13, 1862.

Company B, mustered in on August 27, 1862, is represented in Evergreen Cemetery by First Lieutenant John H. Hubbard. He was wounded at Fredericksburg on December 13, 1862, and died of his wounds at Falmouth, Virginia in December 1862. Second Lieutenant Charles H. Riblet was killed at Fredericksburg on that fatal December 13th. Sergeant Henry Skinner died on December 15, 1862, of wounds received at Fredericksburg and Private Henry Whitney died on January 11, 1863 of wounds received at Fredericksburg. Privates Henry Shoemaker, Calvin Pier, Frank G. Lewis, and Russell L. Bliss were killed at Fredericksburg on December 13, 1862. Corporals James Buchanan and Sidney Austin fell near the stone wall on December 13th.

Many members of Company E of the 145th Pennsylvania lie in Evergreen. Second Lieutenant Charles S. Carroll's family had been among the first settlers in Erie County and so had the ancestors of Corporal Frederick W. Barnes, Sergeant Frank Sherwood, Private David D. King, Private George W. Sherwood and First Sergeant Simeon Putnam. They died together at Fredericksburg on December 13th and they sleep together in Evergreen. Privates Josiah Churchill, Nathan Dine, Edward Arrow, Christopher Hess, Cyrus Hatch, Riley Hoyt, James Wellman, Albert Woodin and John Lasure all died at Fredericksburg and most rest in Evergreen.

Private Norman W. Bartlett of Company E was wounded at Fredericksburg, and so was Private Melville Clark. Private John Mitchell and Private Frank B. Harris were both wounded at Fredericksburg. Private Harris suffered a gunshot wound in the head and left shoulder. When he died in 1925, his comrades from the Grand Army of the Republic laid him to rest with military honors in Evergreen Cemetery. Private Melville Clark is also buried in Evergreen. Private Harvey Lyons suffered a gunshot wound in the left ankle at Fredericksburg and Private Alonzo C. Patch died January 12, 1863, of wounds received at Fredericksburg. Company E of the 145th contributed many men to the Union casualties at Fredericksburg.

These are just a portion of the men from the 145th who fought and died at Fredericksburg. These Pennsylvanians had responded to the urgent command of General Ambrose Burnside and the urgent need of their country. The 145th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was recruited in Northwestern Pennsylvania and organized on September 5, 1862. Its field officers were Colonel Hiram L. Brown of Erie, Lt. Colonel David B. McCreary of Erie, and Major John W. Patton of Crawford County. Colonel Hiram Brown had already received a severe wound at the Battle of Gaine's Mill and wasn't fully recovered from it when he was selected to lead the 145th.