Luzerne County Civil War--- 143th Regiment

I made available to the users of luzerne the copy of a book that was issued in connection with the dedication of the Gettysburg monument commemorating the 143rd PA. First, I did not clarify one point to the coordinator. The rosters of the companies that are included are the rosters as they were called at the dedication ceremony in September of 1889. There were, of course, many names missing either because of non-attendance or mortality.

So, if you will indulge me, I will provide the rosters, a company at a time, so the world at large can make of them what they will. Descriptions of the unit's engagement at Gettysburg and other documents about the dedication ceremony are in the book and I would be glad to share any data.

TABLET INSCRIPTION
front
143 Pennsylvania Infantry
2d Brigade, 3d Division, 1st Corps

rear
This monument marks right of first position July 1, 1863, facing north, and second position facing west, which the regiment held from 11:30 A.M. until 1st Corps fell back. Last position on Seminary Ridge right resting on railroad cut. July 2d and 3d Regiment was in line on left centre and on the 3d assisted in repulsing the final charge of the enemy.
Present at Gettysburg,...465
Killed, Officers,.1 Men,...20
Wounded, Officers,.11 Men,.130
Captured or missing,.91 Total loss,.253
Recruited in the counties of Luzerne, Susquehanna, Wyoming and Lycoming.

Mustered in August-October, 1862.
Mustered out June 12, 1865.
ROSTERS OF THE REUNION AT GETTYSBURG SEPTEMBER 11 & 12, 1889

Company A

Not. Slutter		Jacob Bonawitz
Wm. A. Noll		John Vandemak
Wm. Everett		Samuel Hess
David Davis		Dwight Wolcott
Samuel J. James		Michael O'Brien
George Barnes		Nicholas Warmuth
William Laubach		Rudolph Fenner
Abram N. Ide
TABLET COMMITTEE OF 143d P. V.

P. DeLacy, Pres.,		Major M.L. Blair, Treas.,
		Lieut. W.H. Bennett, Sec'y,
Gen. E.L. Dana,			Col. C.M. Conyngham,
Lieut. W.F. Rice,		Col. G.N. Reichard,
Sarg't George Perry,		Bennett W. Marcy,
C.H. Sherman,			Rodger Cox,
Sarg't Chas. C. Kunkel		Chas. H. Shotten,
Ira Harris,			Geo. W. Engle,
Sarg't David G. Davis,		Sarg't J.H. Campbell,
Capt. H. Gordon,		Ajt. Chas. Campbell,
John O. Miles,			Sarg't Henry Bennett,
Lieut. O.E. Vaughan,		Lieut. Max Buskhard,
Milton Vose,			Sarg't Wm. Warfel,
		Geo. Detrick.
Co. B, 143d P.V.

Capt. Asher Fell,		Charles H. Finch,
Sergt. George Perry,		John H. Hunter,
Sam Lingfelter,			Thaddeus Hunter,
Alvin Colvin,			Milo Stone,
Peter A. Pattend,		John R. Smith, jr.,
Sergt. Henry Bennett,		Jacob H. Smith,
C.A. Sherman,			George Simpson,
William H. Cole,		George Hall,
Augustus Atherton,		Edgar Lindsay.
Co. C, 143d P.V.
Lieut. Rufus Marcy,		E.H. Groff,
Lieut. Max Buskhard,		Frank Hawnecht,
Sergt. Charles Gable,		C.C. Betterly,
Sergt. James M. Rutter,		Asa Gardner,
John Neier,			William Keating,
George Deitrick,		Jacob Lynne,
George W. Engle,		Joel Lynne,
Charles S. Shotten,		Samuel May,
Charles D. Hoover,		Alfred McGuire,
George W. Keller,		William W. Reller,
		John E. Hoff.

Co. D, 143d P.V.
Lt. Wilber F. Rice,		J.D. Willis,
P. DeLacy,			Ira Ransom,
M.M. Covert,			Sergt. J.A. Roat,
Drum-Maj. John C.T. Little,	L.J. Curtis,
William F. Rugge,		John Rood,
Charles Hoover,			Sergt. Chester B. Neely,
C.J. Turpin,			Nicholas Van Buskirk,
Aaron Porter,			A.H. Waring,
Sergt. Thomas A. Dailey,	Ezra Wilkinson,
Thomas Shaw,			Eldad Turner,
Bennett Marcy,			Joshua Swingle,
Cyrus Rummage,			William Clapworth,
		Charles Coop.

Co. E, 143d P.V.
Major M.L. Blair,		H.V. Bogart,
Sergt. Charles Russel,		Lewis Vansickle,
J.C. Knickerbocker,		Sergt. W.W. Warfell,
Samuel Rogers,			Francis Wheeler,
Roger Cox,			George Rodeimer,
Sergt. William H. Harding,	Henry Briggs.
Co. F, 143d P.V.
Capt. H.M. Gordon,		James W. Rood,
Ord. Sergt. J.H. Campbell,	Serg't Alex. McDaniels,
Theodore Wolfe,			Nicholas Vanhorn,
S.D. Sutliff,			Singleton M. Goss,
James R. Dodson,		J.H. Maize,
Silas Nevil,			Jonas C. Tubbs,
Corp. James Kester,		Almon W. Rood,
J.B. Hoppes,			Jacob W. Titus,
S.S. Simpson,			John Rood,
C.L. Moore,			Jacob Hoppes,
S.M. Blanchard,			Jonas B. Hoppes,
Adj't C.H. Campbell,		John M. Culver,
William Masters,		Serg't Stephen Bonhan,
		Sidney Nafus.

Co. G, 143d P.V.
Capt. Daniel Morton,		Elijah Robbins,
Alfred Groff,			W.S. Randall,
Serg't Wm. Schooley,		William Winters,
Andrew Hilbert,			Charles A. Westfield,
Sergt. Charles D. Kunkle,	Joseph Hurber,
John Nash,			Robert McNeal,
William Knarr,			Harvey Taylor.

Co. H 143d P.V.
Capt. W.A. Southwell,		Robert Booth,
Rev. Asa Warner,		S.B. Warner,
C.B. Stranger,			G.B. Stoninger,
William Keister,		Myron Bradshaw,
J.M. Regan,			Orange A. Baldwin,
William H. Denel,		Walter Jenner,
C.L. Lincoln,			Frank Angle,
		Mark B. Perigo.
Co. I, 143d P.V.
Serg't John Shaffer,		W.H. Hostler,
Albert Earle,			Ambrose Bonham,
Philip S. Hartman,		Benjamin Bellas,
J.T. Moss,			Francis M. Lockhart,
Josiah M. Wolf,			Joseph Keever,
William S. Downing,		George W. Palmer,
George Jacoby,			E. Roberts,
J.H. Gearhart,			George Ensinger.
		Harrison Wolfe,

Co. K, 143d P.V.
Capt. Little,			Henry Maynard,
Lt. O.E. Vaughn,		William Russel,
Samuel Durling,			Milton L. Vose,
Alvin Durling,			Cornelius Blobbitt,
J.T. Bonno,			Henry Beebe,
John Wilber,			Charles L. Finney,
Frank Furman,			Ebenezer S. Fisk,
Richard Keeney,			Reuben P. Stroninger,
William Kees,			Ephriam Coble,
Abram Hall,			Edward Phillips.

I have entered these names exactly as they appear in the book.
The exercises connected with the dedication were held September 11 & 12, 1889. The headquarters established for the 143rd was described as "T.S. Wible's House, corner of Washington and High streets, Gettysburg, Pa".

The survivors assembled at 9 A.M., Wednesday, September 11. A little after 10 o'clock the line of march was taken to the spot where the monument stood at " the angle of twoo roads and in the battle line of the first day's fight...The monument was reached about half-past ten. It was draped with red, white and blue, the bas relief being hidden from view. The wind was blowing a gale and the sky was full of dark, threatening clouds, but no rain fell during the ceremonies".

The monument was designed and built by the Smith Granite Co. of Boston and the figure is that of Ben Crippen, the standard bearer for the 143rd. He was killed in action the first day of engagement.

This data was extracted from a small volume issued in conjunction with the dedication of the memorial monument. It was issued some time after the event as it contains the remarks and speeches made at the ceremony. It is 5 3/4 by 6 1/2 inches, bound in heavy weight blue paper, and made of a rough pulp paper. I was lucky to have family that maintained it for the material is not very substantial and there are probably few copies surviving. It contains a history of the unit's engagement at Gettysburg that was written by M.D. Roche, the historian of the regiment who had passed away prior to the dedication. It has the complete text of a poem written (and read) especially for the ceremony by E.A. Niven. I'll send the poem next for those who may be interested. And for those of you that have asked, My gg grandfather was the S.D. Sutliff listed in Company F.

The poem composed by E.A. Niven for the monument dedication has 21 verses. I won't try to copy them all for the time being. If anyone wants the complete text of the poem, please let me know and I'll send it out.

Like Christian Knights who towards their Mecca bend
The brave survivors of a sorry day
Their footsteps to these verdant hilltops trend,
With heavy hearts Love's last respects to pay.

'Twas here defiant Crippen dared the foe
His hot soul greeting death before dismay,
The flag he loved he carried high till through
His patriot heart the bullets found a way.

The colors caught a fresher glory when
His life blood stained them with its crimson well,
And each brave comrade's heart renewed again
Its patriot pride when gallant Crippen fell.

The shaft imperishable that stands to-day
Here on the spot to sacred memory dear,
Defying still oblivion and decay
Will ever tell how heroes battled here.

The whitening hairs of comrades gathered here
Proclaim the end that just before us lies,
Soon will we list the bugle sounding clear
That calls us to bivouac in the skies.

And let us hope the world will wiser be
In the new century that is so near,
That war's dread conflicts they shall never see
Whose incarnation waits the coming year.

E'en now the skies with hopeful signs increase
And white-winged banners flutter in the van,
Haste! Haste! the dawning of eternal peace,
The universal brotherhood of man.

Nine years later we had the Spanish American War. Thirty years later we had "The War To End All Wars". Fifty two years later we had Pearl Harbor...Ad Infinitum...Ad Nauseum!

This is a picture of Sterling Daniel Sutliff, Co. F, 143rd PA Volunteers. It was taken September 11, 1889 at Devil's Den in Gettysburg.

This List was donated by Herb.

©1997-2016 by Mary Ann Lubinsky for the PAGenWeb Project, and by Individual Contributors

 Mary Ann Lubinsky
County Coordinator

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