CHAPTER XV.
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THE MILITIA OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY - PARTICIPATION IN THE MEXICAN WAR

     THE militia of the State of Pennsylvania, which was established in early times, was reorganized under an act of Assembly passed in 1822.  Under this law an enrollment was made of all citizens between the ages of twenty-one and forty-five liable to military duty, who were required to appear for drill at certain times and places under a penalty of fifty cents.  Of course, except to keep up an enrollment for emergencies that might arise, this system was of no account, and for that purpose it was found during the late civil war to amount to very little.
     In 1864 an act was passed regulating the organization of the militia and dividing the state into twenty military divisions in which an enrollment was required; but in addition to this a system of volunteer companies, regiments, etc., was established.  These volunteers were required to appear in uniform for drill and exercise, and were supplied with arms and accoutrements by the state, and constituted what was termed the volunteer militia.  Under that organization Schuylkill was a part of the fourth division.  The expenses of this organization were borne largely by the volunteers themselves, and this was found to be so burdensome to them that by subsequent acts of Assembly provision was made for the payment to the companies by the state of sums sufficient to meet a portion of their expenses.  By an act passed in 1870 the name of "National Guard of Pennsylvania " was given

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to this volunteer militia, and by an act of Assembly in 1874 ten divisions of the National Guard were constituted and Schuylkill county was included in the fourth division.  Each of the divisions was under the command of a major general, and the divisions were divided into brigades according to the discretion of their commanding generals.
     In 1878, by an act of Assembly, these divisions were abolished, and the state was constituted a single division with five brigades.  Under this law Schuylkill county became a part of the territory of the 3d brigade.
     The National Guard of this county consists of parts of two regiments and one unattached company.  The last is known as the Ashland Dragoons, Captain O. H. Earnhardt.  It was organized July 8th, 1874.  Of the 7th regiment six companies are included in this county.  Lieutenant Colonel W. F. Huntzinger, of this regiment, and Major P. J. Monaghan, Quartermaster B. Bryson McCool and Assistant Surgeon Charles T. Palmer are residents of this county.  The companies in Schuylkill county are commanded as follows: Company A, Captain William G. Burwell; Company C, Captain John F. Shosner; Company F, Captain Samuel R. Russel; Company G, Captain John M. Wetheril; Company H, Captain George W. Johnson; Company I, Captain Patrick H.
Dolan.
     Of the three companies of the 8th regiment in this county Company F is commanded by Captain Theodore F. Hoffman; Company H, Captain John W. Barr, Company B, Captain Wallace Guss.
     Brigade officers residing in this county are: General, J. K. Sigfried; Inspector, Major William S. Moorhead; Quartermaster, Major E. J. Phillips; Aid-de-camp, Captain Clay W. Evans.
     In June, 1875, all the militia of the county were called out to suppress riots at Mahanoy City and Shenandoah, the 8th under command of Colonel T. S. Gobin, the 7th commanded by Colonel A. Caldwell, the whole under command of General Sigfried. The troops remained on duty at these points, patrolling the region for the period of twenty days.
     During the great strike of 1877 the entire military force of the county was again called on, and promptly responded with the exception of two companies of the 8th and the Ashland Dragoons, the circumstances surrounding which rendered concentration in season impracticable.  The 7th, under Colonel Caldwell, and the 8th, under Colonel Gobin, were ordered to Harrisburg, where they arrived on the 22nd of July, and were at once assigned to duty at the arsenal, which they guarded till the 25th, when the 8th marched to Rockville, Dauphin and Marysville to guard the railroad bridges at those points.
     On the 31st the 7th, with General Sigfried, who had been in command at Harrisburg, proceeded by rail to the vicinity of Pittsburgh and went into camp, followed two days later by the 8th.  They remained at that camp till the 10th of August, but they were not called on to suppress riotous demonstrations, for the disorderly elements had previously expended their force.  While encamped the soldiers in these regiments were placed by order of General Sigfried under strict military discipline, and greatly improved in drill and all soldierly qualities.

WASHINGTON ARTILLERY OF POTTSVILLE.

     This company was organized in 1840 by Captain James Nagle, and its members at that time were all boys, under 20 years of age.  The uniform was simple, made of blue drilling, and the company was known as "The Pottsville Blues."  In 1842 the company changed their name to Washington Artillery, and were supplied by the State with arms.
     In the latter part of the year 1846 the governor of Pennsylvania issued a proclamation, calling for one regiment of volunteers to serve in Mexico, during the war.  This company offered their services and were accepted.  The company numbered only about 30, but recruits from Minersville, St. Clair and Schuylkill Haven soon brought it to the requisite strength.
     Headquarters were established at the old Town Hall.  The citizens of Pottsville took a lively interest in the welfare of the men.  They presented every member of the company with a revolver, and the officers were presented with swords.
     On the 5th of December, 1844, the company received marching orders, and left in the cars for Philadelphia, accompanied by a committee of citizens, Col. John C. Lessig, Samuel Huntzinger, and others.  They soon left for Harrisburg, where the men were transferred to freight boats on the canal, and after considerable suffering from the inclemency of the weather arrived at Pittsburgh, where they were mustered into the service of the United States to serve during the war.  The company was designated as Company B 1st regiment Pennsylvania volenteers.  Francis M. Wynkoop, who accompanied the company as a private, was elected colonel of the regiment.  Lieutenant Fernsler returned from Pittsburgh sick, and Sergeant Felsnagle was elected to fill the vacancy.  The officers of the company as mustered into the service were Captain James Nagle, 1st Lieutenant Simon Nagle and 2nd Lieutenants F. B. Kaercherand Jacob Felsnagle.  The company arrived at New Orleans on a steamboat, the latter part of December, 1846, and went into camp on the old battle ground, seven miles below the city.  On the 8th of January, 1847, the company and regiment joined in a grand military parade in the city of New Orleans, to commemorate a day dear to the people of that city and the country.  On the 16th of February they embarked with two other companies of the regiment, on board of a transport, crossing the bar on the southwest pass on the 18th, and in due time arriving at the island of Lobos.  This was the first transport that arrived at the point selected for the concentration of the troops for the line of operation against Vera Cruz, and the Washington Artillery was the first company of troops that disembarked at Lobos. The 1st and 2nd Pennsylvania, New York, and other regiments encamped on the island.
     General Scott, commander-in-chief, having arrived, the troops re-embarked, and the fleet set sail for Vera Cruz.

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where they arrived on the 5th of March.  The companies, provided with three days rations, were transferred to the ships of war.  On the 9th a landing was effected at a point about three miles below the city.  Worth's division was first landed. Patterson's volunteer division, to which this company was attached, was next landed.  A line was formed and the men lay down with their arms.  On the 10th and 11th the investment of the city was completed.  During the 10th the company received while marching through the chapparal, the first infantry fire (having previously been favored with salutes from the Mexican batteries); a halt was ordered, the fire was promptly returned, and the Mexicans were put to flight.  On the 26th the firing ceased; the Mexicans having agreed to surrender both the city and the castle.
     On the 9th of April the division to which the company was attached commenced its march toward the City of Mexico.  They were joined near Cerro Gordo by General Scott, and on the 16th and 17th considerable skirmishing took place in endeavoring to get favorable positions, and in opening new roads to turn the enemy's left, and to gain possession of an eminence opposite Cerro Gordo Heights.  At the battle of Cerro Gordo, which took place on the 18th, the company was under the command of Lieutenants Nagle and Kaercher, Captain Nagle
acting as major.
     After this engagement the company, with its brigade, went to Jalapa and thence to Castle Perote, where, with some other companies, it was, during some time, engaged in dispersing guerillas and maintaining communication between Pueblo and the National Bridge.  Early in October they moved to Pueblo to relieve the garrison there.  An action took place not far from there, and the enemy fell back on Matamoras.
     At Pueblo the companies of the regiment were united, and proceeded with the command of General Lane to the City of Mexico, and encamped at San Angel till the expiration of the armistice.
     In June, 1847, Lieutenant F. B. Kaercher and Sergeants Farnham and Shadman were sent home on recruiting service.  At the National Bridge the party with which they were was attacked by guerillas, and a sharp action ensued. On the 10th of July Lieutenant Kaercher and his associates reached Pottsville, opened a recruiting office, and enlisted a number of recruits, who were sent to Baltimore.  January 26th he sailed from Baltimore with 60 recruits, and after a voyage of 26 days arrived at Vera Cruz, where he rejoined the company and regiment, which had been sent to Vera Cruz on guard duty.  The regiment shortly afterward returned to the City of Mexico and took up its quarters at San Angel, where it remained till peace was declared.
     Colonel F. M. Wynkoop, who left Pottsville as a private in the company, commanded the brigade at San Angel. He was highly complimented by Genera! Scott for capturing General Valencia.
     Returning with the army, the company landed at New Orleans, came up the Mississippi and Ohio rivers to Pittsburgh, and thence to Philadelphia, where they were mustered out of the service. On their return to Pottsville they were received with all the honors that their grateful friends could bestow on them.  The streets were decorated with arches, flags were displayed, addresses of welcome were made, and the people vied with each other in doing honor to the returning veterans.
     The following is a list of the members of this company from Schuylkill county.  Those marked with a * deserted; those marked with a † were killed.

     Officers—Captain, James Nagle; lieutenants —Simon S. Nagle, F. B. Kaercher, Jacob Felsnagle; sergeants — Edward Kehr, William S. Nagle, Edward Kaercher, L. S. McMiken; corporals —Enos Zentmoyer, J. Egbert Farnum, David Lewellyn*, Edward Napon; drummer, Daniel Nagle, jr.; fifer, Reuben Stamm.

     Privates—A. H. Berger, Bernard Barr, Charles Brumm, Levi Bright†, Nelson Berger, James Cochran, John Doyle, Peter Douty, Levi Epler, Henry Fisher, George W. Garrett, Henry Graeff, John C. Oilman, Thomas W. Guthrie, Elias P. Hiney, John Hays, John Hand*, William H. Hatchley*, David Jones*, John Jennings*, Elias Kelly, John Kipley, Singleton Kimmel, William Knockenhouse, Alichael Lusht, William Lyons, Abel B. Macy, Alexander McDonald, Francis C. McGreen, Ferdinand Mamerenk, John Mooney, John Myers, Samuel Maglauchlen, Valentine K. Mills, William Markle, Benjamin Nagle, John M. Nolan, Seth Price, Edward Robbins, Henry Richards, James Ruckle, Andrew N. Stamm, Benjamin Smith, Benjamin Shell, Charles Scrimshaw, Daniel Shappel, Eli Shelley, Franklin Seitzinger,George K. Seitzinger, Henry Smink, John Stegner, John Shuster, Jacob W. Shoop, James Sands, Michael Sands, Robert H. Savage, Samuel Shadman, Emanuel Shelley, Thomas Simpson*, William Seitzinger, Owen D. Thomas, F. M. Wynkoop, Gotleib Wisshue, Robert F.
Walter, Robert Welsh, William Wolfinger, William Wethicomb, John Douty†.

- END OF CHAPTER XV -