151st PVI CO signed copy of McPherson's History of the Rebellion

[Lucky 7th Armored]

Hello all!

 

I am not usually a Civil War guy, but a couple of semesters ago I had to write a research paper on a topic pertaining to the U.S. prior to the year 1877. My CW reenacting friend tipped me off to the 151st PVI - who were schoolteachers and farmers from my home county and surrounding counties. I ended up falling in love with their story - full of courage, sacrifice, and success at Gettysburg.

 

I wanted to add a piece to my collection regarding the 151st and I was finally able to do that a little while ago. I managed to find a signed copy of McPherson's History of the Rebellion by the 151st's C.O. Lt. Col. George F. McFarland. McFarland ended up getting shot through both of his legs at Gettysburg, had one amputated, but survived.

 

Here's a little backstory on the 151st for those who are not aware of their story:

 

"I felt we were holding the lines in front in check handsomely. I could not close my eyes to the galling fire on both flanks, which was doing far more execution than from the front. Receiving no orders to retire, I held my Regiment in position until nearly every third man had fallen. I gave the order to retire, firing." - Lt. Col. McFarland, 151st PVI, Gettysburg, 1864

 

"I know not, how men could have fought more desperately, exhibited more coolness, or contested the field with more determined courage “” - Lt. Col. McFarland, 151st PVI

 

Lt. Col. McFarland was the commander of the 151st PVI, an all volunteer unit consisting of mostly farmers from my home county (Berks) and surrounding counties (Warren, Pike, Susquehanna, Juniata, & Schuylkil), and school teachers from Juniata county from the McAlisterville Academy - Which McFarland was the principal of.

 

They mustered out of Camp Curtin, Harrisburg in October 1863. The 151st, a 9 month volunteer regiment, spent most of its time training. Initially, the 151st was protecting the critical left flank of Washington, DC. All winter the 151st trained and prepared for battle, but before real combat the 151st had to battle the brutal winter. At some points the 151st had up to 100 men at sick call.

 

After the brutal winter, the 151st was tasked with creating a diversion for Stonewall Jackson's troops. The diversion consisted of the regiment marching for 36 hours to trick the Confederates regarding Union troop movement. 34 of those hours, the 151st marched through consistent down pouring rain.

 

After the diversion the regiment held the flank at the US Ford along the Rapidan river during the Chancellorsville Campaign (May 1864). Besides some enemy artillery from the opposite shore and a skirmish with a Louisiana unit, which ended up with the 151st taking 60+ prisoners, the unit did not see much action.

 

Gettysburg

 

One soldier wrote home to his mother, “The regiment expects to see some fighting before long” and on on June 30th, 1863, Sergeant Miller from the 151st, received a letter from his father praying for his safety in case of a big battle, “We had notion that another big battle is expected. . . . If it comes my prayer is that you may be spared… There is a great deal of excitement all over the country about the Rebels being in Pennsylvania”.

 

In order to stay in between the Confederate forces and Union cities, General Reynolds had the First Corps and Eleventh Corps march for a total of 105 miles over the course of three days

 

Once at Gettysburg the 467 men of the 151st Regiment occupied the ridge until they were detached from brigade and were serving as a reserve unit again. From there, the 151st Regiment was ordered to move to the ridge west of the Theological Seminary. When the 151st arrived to the ridge west of the seminary, they were situated directly behind the Iron Brigade who was engaged in heavy combat against a North Carolinian Brigade.

 

The Iron Brigade was engaged in fierce fighting for a number of hours when in the early afternoon a gap formed in the Union line. The 151st Regiment was moving to fill the gap, and before the men had a chance to get into position they were already taking casualties. The Iron Brigade, exhausted from hours of fighting before the arrival of the 151st Regiment, withdrew leaving the right flank exposed. Soon after, the other regiments withdrew leaving the 151st Regiment alone to take on the full force of the enemy.

 

To make matters worse for the 151st Regiment, the fresh 14th South Carolina relieved the North Carolinians and fiercely attacked the 151st Regiment’s position. Half of the men from the 151st Regiment had fallen before the order to fall back was given.

 

After the order, Lieutenant Colonel George F. McFarland was wounded in both legs. Lieutenant Colonel McFarland could not see the enemy movements due to the amount of smoke in the air; so he crouched down to look below the smoke which is when he was hit by a round that went through both of his legs. A Private almost lost his life trying to save the Lieutenant Colonel. A Confederate round buzzed past the private and took off one of his cuff buttons. Lieutenant Colonel McFarland made it to the hospital at the seminary thanks to that private. He spent the rest of the battle and many months after the battle at the hospital recovering.

 

On July 2nd, the second day of battle at Gettysburg, only 113 men out of 467 regrouped at Cemetery Ridge. A total of 337 men were either killed, wounded, or captured on only the first day of the battle, including the 151st Regiment’s beloved commander: Lieutenant Colonel McFarland. Due to his severe wounds, Lieutenant Colonel McFarland had to have one of his legs amputated, but he did survive.

 

The 151st Regiment sustained the second highest losses for the Union at the Battle of Gettysburg with seventy-two percent killed, missing, or captured.

 

Although the 151st incurred heavy losses, they also fought hard and inflicted huge losses against the enemy. The 26th North Carolina Regiment, which attacked the 151st Regiment head on, lost the most Confederate troops throughout the entire battle. The 11th North Carolina Regiment, which tried flanking the 151st Regiment on the ridge, suffered the second most losses of any Confederate regiments at the Battle of Gettysburg.

 

The men of the 151st Regiment were not career military men, nor battle-hardened and combat experienced soldiers like their enemies. They were farmers and schoolteachers who fought with as much passion and bravery as anyone else did in the war, if not more.

 

 

 

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