While going through some back issues of the "Groninger Family Record", I found an article in the Spring, 1996 issue. It is a reprint of a letter written by William H. Groninger, a veteran of the 126th P.I.V., to the Port Royal News.

It is his account of the formation and the history of the 126th. The publisher, Tom Groninger, encourages the distribution of the information in his newsletter, and is therfore not copyrighted.

The following is a letter was published in an undated edition of the Port Royal News. (This letter was apparently written in 1921, 58 years after the 126th Regiment mustered out!)

              THE CIVIL WAR CAMPAIGN OF 1862

                   Army of the Potomac

                 by William H. Groninger



   The Spring campaign of 1862 commenced with the moving of the

Army of the Potomac from its encampments on Arlington Heights

and the Manassas Gap Road to the Peninsula; the seige and capture

of Yorktown; the Battle of Williamsburg and its approach to

Richmond; its establishment on the Chickahominy River with its

base of supplies at White Landing.  Another army under Gen. John

Pope was placed between Washington and Richmond with headquarters 

at Culpepper, Virginia.  In June, General Lee made an attack and

several battles were fought, known as the Seven Days Battle,

resulting in driving the Union Army from the Chickahominy to

Harrison's Landing on the James River, and farther from Richmond.

His next move was against the army of Pope, the only defense of

Washington.  This movement caused a rapid return of the Army of the

Potomac to Washington and to the assistance of Gen. Pope.  Before

assistance could be given to Pope he was attacked, and defeated in

the Second Battle of Bull Run or Chantilla.  The defeated army

retired to the defenses of Washington, and Lee moved up the

Shenandoah Valley to capture Washington, and carry the war to the

loyal states.

   

    Our country was never in greater danger, than when Lee,

encouraged with victories, started up the valley, on his way

towards Washington, and Pennsylvania.  A call for more men was

made, and Pennsylvania was called on for emergency men, being in

the greatest danger, and responded nobly, sending many regiments of

nine-month men into the field, and Juniata County was ready to do

her full part.  Mifflintown led, and the people came from all parts

of the county and Company F was formed by J.P. Wharton of

Perryville, now Port Royal, a man well and favorably known, who was

made Captain and the old Courthouse became a busy place.  The first

enlistment was made August 2, 1862 and on August 6 this body of

citizen-soldiers numbering almost 100, marched across the old

wooden bridge followed by a vast crowd of relatives and friends. 

Box cars prepared for soldiers were waiting to carry them to

Harrisburg and within 20 days, they were standing on the fighting

line between the enemy and their country.  Company I was being

formed, and followed on the 9th of August, arriving in Harrisburg

the same day.  Both these companies joined with eight other

companies forming the 126th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer

Infantry, Col. Elder commanding Company F.  After a critical

examination, he had about 80 men to go to the front.  The hard

marches, the Antietam campaign, followed by the Fredericksburg

campaign, and then the Mud March, and the long march to Kelly's

Ford, and then Chancellorsville,reduced the company very much. 

Inability to endure the hardships discharged from disability,

deaths from sickness, killed and wounded, reduced the Company

greatly.



    They partook of the bountiful supper in the court yard in

Mifflintown, furnished by the people of Mifflintown, and when Fast

Line pulled into Mifflin Station, May 22, 1863, at 6:30 A.M., 

Companies F and I were met with a Welcome Home that will never be

forgotten.



    After 58 years, 2 months, and 11 days, the members of Company

F still living are: Columbus Sarvis of East Waterford, Juniata

County; Henry Yocum of Kilmer, PA; Judge Samuel M. Hench of Ft.

Wayne, Indiana and William H. Groninger of Des Lacs, North Dakota. 

Wilber McCahan died recently.  There may be one or two others

living.



    The 126th Reg., P.V., was part of the 6th Company, Col. Elder

Commander; 1st Brigade, E.B. Tyler, Gen. Command; 3rd Division,

A.A. Humphries, Major General; 5th Corps, George G. Meade, Major

General; Army of the Potomac, McClellan, Burnside, and Hooker,

Commanding. 

       

(From the Port Royal News, 1921)            

THE CIVIL WAR CAMPAIGN of 1862 - 1863        

Fredericksburg Battle, Dec. 13 and 14, 1862                  

by William H. Groninger     



On the 10th of Dec., 1862, three days rations were issued and the

army commenced to move toward Fredericksburg. The 126th Regiment

left its camp on the 11th at 4 o'clock AM, and marched one mile and

came in full view and hearing of the greatest battle ever fought on

the American Continent...140 pieces of heavy artillery commenced

firing across the Rappahannock River on the enemy batteries, and

their batteries responded freely.  The city commenced burning at 12

M. in several different places.  



The next morning, the regiment moved one-half mile nearer the

pontoon bridge.  On the 13th at 4 o'clock AM we marched to the Lacy

farm on the north bank of the river, where our batteries were being

knocked down by the rebel shells.  At 12 M, we double quicked down

to the river and across the pontoon bridge into the burning city,

and halted on Carolina Street.  Here, Co. I was detailed to

hospital duty, and we took charge of a block of buildings while the

regiment moved with the division farther into the battle.  They

formed their line in the cemetery containing the beautiful monument

erected at the grave of the mother of Washington, and from there

went into battle with the division.     



Meanwhile, Company I removed everything from the buildings that

would interfere with the handling of wounded.  The first wounded

man that was brought in was Samuel M. Hench of Co. F, raised in

Turbett Township,and now of Ft. Wayne, Indiana, and one of the five

still living of that company.  While the battle was going on, over

800 wounded were cared for at the hospital.  Those that were able

to walk were sent over the river to other hospitals.  Those that

died were given temporary burial in the gardens at the rear of the

building.  On the 15th orders were issued to remove all the wounded

over the river.  Window shutters and doors were used as stretchers

and on the morning of the 16th all the wounded of the 3rd Division

of the 5th Corps were safely placed in tents and were given the

best hospital care possible under the circumstances.  



From the 16th of Dec. until the 24th, our first duty of the day was

burying the dead, and after that, the sending away to city

hospitals all that were able to be removed.  These days of

depletion reduced our number very fast.  On the 25th (Christmas) we

had no patients and on the 28th of December, 1862, our field

hospital was dispensed with and Co. I was sent back to the regiment

at the old camp, where we found the regiment on picket duty.   

For 10 days the weather was very cold and there was much suffering

in camp.  On the 7th of Jan., 1863.  Tyler's Brigade, composed of

the 126th Pa., the 129th Pa., the 134th Pa., and the 91st Pa.,

moved into a woods and built winter quarters which were very

comfortable.  Our winter quarters continued from Jan. 7, 1863 until

we started on the Chancellorsville Campaign April 27th, 1863,

having been in winter quarters 110 days, 5 days of which were spent

in Burnside's Mud March and 35 days on the picket line.     



The Chancellorsville Campaign started April 27, 1863.      

       LINCOLN'S VISIT to the ANTIETAM BATTLEFIELD    

                        by William H. Groninger     



In September, 1862, The First Brigade, Third Division, Fifth Corps,

Army of the Potomac, was composed of th 91st Pa.(3-year regiment,

under Col. Gregory), 126th Pa. (9-month regiment - Col. Elder),

129th Pa. (9-month regiment - Col. Frick), and the 134th Pa.

(9-month regiment - Col. Quay).     



The three regiments of nine-month men came to Harrisburg (Camp

Curtin) in box cars and, when formed into regiments, were sent to

Washington in coal cars.  General E.B. Tyler was made commander.  

  



We were sent across the Potomac and were camped west of Cloud's

Mills, along the railroad running from Washington to Richmond. 

When the army under McClellan was driven to Harrisons Landing, the

only protection Washington had was the army assembling under Gen.

Pope.  Lee moved his army against him and McClellan's army was sent

to Pope as fast as boats and cars could take them.     



The railroad passing our camp was very busy, but Lee attacked

Pope's army and defeated it before many of McClellan's forces

arrived.  Lee then moved northward, and our brigade of Pennsylvania

soldiers was ordered to Alexandria.  We left our tents and moved

six miles toward Alexandria and lay all night with our guns beside

us.  We later marched on to Fort Ellsworth and lay another night. 

   



It was at this fort that we got our first brigade drill.  Gen. E.B.

Tyler took command.  On Sept 13, our brigade crossed the Potomac in

the aqueduct at Georgetown and later started for Rockville,

Maryland.  On Sept. 16, we arrived at the Monocacy River, where the

B & O Railroad crosses.  The iron railroad bridge was laying in the

river.  The enemy had thrown it down.     



On the 18th at 3 o'clock we got orders to march with forced speed. 

We marched through Frederick.  The joy and happiness of the people

of Frederick will long be remembered.  At 10 p.m., Sept. 18, we

passed over the battlefield of South Mountain and arrived at the

line of battle, near Burnside stone bridge, at daybreak.  We were

informed that Gen. McClellan had given Gen. Lee an armistice of 24

hours to bury his dead.  



Sept. 19 was a fine, clear day, and the signal flags were waving

from different points.  We could look over the field.  Early on the

morning of the 20th, we crossed Antietam Creek on the Burnside

bridge and formed a line of battle.  Half of our brigade line

extended eastward, and took in the cornfield where many of

Burnside's dead were lying, and the other half of the brigade

passed over the hill where a Confederate battery had been

stationed.                                



TERRIFYING SECRETS     

At this place we found their dead unburied.  There were not less

than 20 dead horses to be seen.  One dead batteryman had his

pockets full of apples and was eating them when killed by a cannon

ball going through his body, tearing away his left leg.  His

comrades had placed the torn-off member carefully under his head as

a pillow.  This circumstance was often referred to by comrades.   

 



Our battle line moved slowly toward Sharpsburg.  No enemy was in

sight, but we saw many dead.  When within a quarter mile of

Sharpsburg our line halted.  We suffered much from thirst, and I

took a number of canteens of my comrades and went into town.  A

gate standing wide open showed me a draw well.  At the windless was

a dead man, his blood covering everything.  I left the well in a

hurry.  A door was open; in the house lay two more dead men, a

cannon ball having passed through the corner of the house killing

them.     



We marched through Sharpsburg toward the Potomac River, a mile

south of town.  There a farmer had threshed his grain in the field

and a large pile of straw furnished the Confederates a good place

to gather their wounded.  Hundreds of wounded were near this straw

hospital.     



We stopped there and were about to put up our tents when rapid and

intense firing commenced on the Potomac within a mile of us.  We

started double quick toward the river.  When we got there the

battle was over and we met what was left of the 118th Pa. (The

"Corn Exchange" Regiment of Philadelphia).     



Our division had two rifled cannon and we fired on all bodies of

men that would appear.  The woods sheltered the whole of Lee's

army.  The next morning, Sept. 21, we commenced to erect our tents

near the straw hospital.  A boy about 14 or 15 years old, a Georgia

soldier, was there crying.  He showed me his wound.  It was a small

wound on his wrist.  I told him it was not dangerous.  He then said

he was crying for his mother.  I told him he would be allowed to go

home.  In two days, I called to see him again and found that he had

died -- hopelessly homesick.     



President Lincoln visited the scene of the battle and conferred

with Gen. McClellan soon after the sanquinary engagement.  The

President reviewed the army while there.  The different units were

ordered to assemble on their respective drill and parade grounds. 



The President was much interested.  He took in the whole army.  It

was on Oct. 3, 1862, that our part of the army was visited by him

and McClellan and the many officers accompanying.  We were in

position early in the morning and formed our line many times during

the day.  There appeared to be a new grave at our position.  It was

well made and served as a resting place for some of the boys after

the review that day.  They sat on it and soon rubbed off the top

earth and exposed something hard.  It was part of a cannon.  The

earth was quickly removed and, with the aid of a rail placed in its

mouth, the cannon was pried out of the hole.     



Our Quartermaster appeared with four horses and a chain, and the

cannon was taken to the Quartermaster's Department.  Burying cannon

and not men was a violation of the armistice, and had been used as

a blind as retreating across the river was the real intention of

the truce.  The burial of their dead was left for us to do.     



It was 2 o'clock in the afternoon before the reviewer appeared.  A

body of Lancers preceded the President, the Generals and others. 

They had their spears resting on the right stirrup and the long

spears supported by the right hands of the showy troopers, the

horse being guided with the left hand.  The spear was about 10 or

12 feet long with a sharp spearhead, and near the spearhead was a

flog, or streamer, the spears all moving in unison with the horses. 

Following this bodyguard of spearmen came Gen. George B. McClellan

and President Lincoln.  Gen. McClellan rode a sorrel or a bay

horse, and, as a horseman, could not be excelled.  President

Lincoln rode a brown horse, his stirrups were much too short; his

body leaned forward and his plug hat was on the back of his head. 

The horses all moved at a gallop, and the difference in looks

between these two distinguished men was very great.  Following them

came the staff of Gen. McClellan.  The review being over for us, we

returned to our tents.     



Lee's army was now in the Shenandoah Valley, and as no Union Army

had ever conquered the valley, he stayed there.  President Lincoln

hurried back to Washington and soon afterward removed Gen.

McClellan from the command of the army, and appointed Gen. Burnside

Commander of the Army of the Potomac.     



On Oct. 17, we crossed the Potomac and met the Confederate pickets

in Shepherdstown.  We drove them in and continued until we came to

the railroad where they made a stand.  We drove them away, however,

and moved on four miles further.  On Oct. 18, we got to within two

miles of Martinsburg, where we received a message from Maj. Rowe,

of the balloon force, stating that there were large bodies of

Confederates moving toward us from several directions.     



As we had accomplished what we wanted we returned to camp, and on

the night of the 18th recrossing the Potomac at 12 o'clock. 

Burnside had prepared to cross the army over the river at Harpers

Ferry east of the valley.  So, on Oct. 30 the army under the new

Commander moved six miles from Antietam to Harpers Ferry.  On the

31st we moved through Harpers Ferry, crossed the Potomac, and

continued five miles down the Loudoun Valley, east of the Blue

Ridge.  We then moved 20 miles farther down the valley under a

forced march to Snickersville, where we camped.     



The General in command of our forces then told us we would march to

the top of the mountain and stop.  That was the only time we were

told where we were going.  On that narrow mountain road we met men

coming down.  There was a jam.  The 49th Pa. coming down was in the

jam with Co. I of the 126th Pa.  Those few minutes of fraternizing

will never be forgotten.     



We remained on the mountain for three days until the whole Army of

the Potomac had passed down the valley; then we came down and

followed.  On Nov. 4 - 5 we passed through Brownsville, Burlington,

and White Plains.  White Plains is on the Manassas Gap Railroad. 

There we had our first snow.  On the 8th we went through

Thoroughfare Gap to Warrenton.  The distance marched from Antietam

Battlefield was 75 miles.     



On Monday, Nov. 12 we were called into line at Warrenton to hear

the farewell address of our commander of the Fifth Corps, Fitz John

Porter.  The Army of the Potomac was in Warrenton eight days.  On

the 17th we started by way of Warrenton Junction.  The wagon trains

at the same time started for Aguia Creek, on the Potomac, our new

base.  Rain and snow were a great hindrance.  Half rations were

issued to the army.  Within three days the army arrived before

Fredericksburg.  The Confederates also were there on the other side

of the Rappahannock River.

                  JACKSON AT CHANCELLORSVILLE           

                  by William H. Groninger



April, 1863 - By this time we had another change of commanders of

the Army of the Potomac, from Burnside to Hooker.



                                Plan Was All Right     



Hooker's plan of the battle at Chancellorsville was admirable.  It

was a similar plan that Burnside attempted and ended in the famous

"mud march."  Burnside intended to force a crossing at the United

States Ford on the Rappahannock River, 12 miles west of

Fredericksburg;  Hooker intended to cross the river at the same

place, after he had driven the enemy from all the crossings of the

river, including the United States Ford, commencing at Kelly's Ford

on the Rappahannock, 25 miles from Fredericksburg.     



To do this, he sent a force, by forced marches, keeping well away

from the river.  In this force was the 126 Pa. commanded by Lt.

Col. Rowe, Elder being in the hospital from a disabling wound

received at Fredericksburg.     



In preparing for the march, eight days' rations were issued, and 60

rounds of ammunition.  Five days' rations were to be carried in our

knapsacks; three days' rations were also to be carried in our

haversack, and we were not allowed to carry anything but rations in

our knapsacks. We had 20 rounds of ammunition in our cartridge

boxes.     



On April 13, the rations were issued, and on April 27, at 12

o'clock, we started on the march and marched seven miles, and

camped near Reves Church.  On the 28th we marched 13 miles, and

camped near Hartwood Church, within three miles of Kelly's Ford. 

On the 29th, we crossed the river.     



The enemy had hurriedly left, fires were still burning in the

abandoned camps.  We followed after for five miles toward Ely's

Ford on the Rapidan River, and camped.  On the 30th we marched

eight miles to Ely's Ford.  The pontoon bridge was to be there, but

was lost on the way.     



We were ordered to place our cartridge boxes securely on our

bayonets and carry our guns shoulder-shift order and go across. 

The Rapidan was very muddy and rising.  The river was about three

feet deep.  After wading across, we marched three miles further,

towards Chancellorsville, and camped.     



On May 1 we started early for United States Ford.  There we first

met the enemy, but soon disposed of them.  At 11 o'clock we arrived

at the place of our destination; our work was well done.     



The enemy had left in a great hurry.  Their artillery was abandoned

in such a hurry that they were unspiked.  Their wheels, however,

had many spokes cut.  We commenced at once to fortify and secure

our position.                                   



Jackson's Flank Move     



On the afternoon of May 1 the army commenced crossing, and

continued during May 2.  And the best-planned battle of the Civil

War was to start.  The commander is charged with saying, "That

nothing but God Almighty could keep him from gaining a victory." 

With the crossing of the river, all good generalship seemed to

cease.  Thousands of enemy cavalry, with Gen. Jackson, passed close

around the right of our line and executed a deliberately planned

night attack.  The battle was lost.     



All of May 2 the force that had marched 50 miles to open the fords

of the Rappahannock, ending with the United States Ford, were

fortifying their positions, and had built such works that I really

wished the enemy would try to take them.     



At the same time Jackson had deliberately taken his position, and

on the night of May 2 and 3 made the rear attack on the center of

our line, occupied by the Eleventh Corps, and drove the corps from

its position.  Other divisions stopped him.     



The whole night was spent in battle, and Gen. Jackson threw his men

away recklessly. Chancellorsville was the only battle of the Civil

War where the loss of the victors were as great as the loss of the

defeated.  Before daylight, the Eleventh Corps was standing outside

our works.     



On the morning of May 3 the 126th Pa. were taken, with their

brigade, from their strong works south of the United States Ford,

and before daylight were marched about three miles.  The defeated

Eleventh Corps were given the fortifications.     



We were placed behind a line of artillery near the Chancellor

House, and at 12 o'clock we were marched south, passing west of the

house, to a fighting line to relieve the men that had been holding

the line.  There were many dead and wounded.     



It was there that we expended the 60 rounds of ammunition given to

us on April 13, and carried by us 50 miles on our trip to Kelly's

Ford and return to United States Ford.



At Chancellor House     



At 6 o'clock PM we were relieved, having lost many men.  The rain

had much to do with ending the battle.  During the evening of May

3, Jackson was near our lines west of Chancellor House, and ran

near our picket line.  He was there fired on by the pickets, and

Gen. Jackson and another man were killed.     



The enemy reported "That he was killed accidentally" by their own

men on the Plank Road.  I have stood at his monument, a large flint

roch, 25 rods from the road.  A part of that true monument I have

now.     



On the evening of May 3, when Gen. Jackson was killed, the

aggressiveness of the Confederate Army ceased, and May 4 was passed

with both armies strengthening their works.  The rain of the night

of the 4th and its continuation on the 5th, and difficulty with the

pontoon bridge over the raising Rappahannock, are given as the

reasons that the Union Army retreated from the battle field.    

During the night of the 5th and morning of the 6th there was a

constant column of the Union Army passing over the river.  



The 126th Pa. was distributed along a line in the many good

strengthened works and fortifications...work well done.   At 4

o'clock on the morning of the 6th, the 126th Pa. was concentrated

and marched rapidly toward the Rappahannock River and the bridge. 

When we arrived at the bridge we found several thousand still on

the south side and the bridge crowded.  We were thrown into line to

repel the enemy if he came.     



One hour more in line and the men were all over and the order of

double quick was given and the quarter of a mile intervening was

soon passed over.  On the passage of the last man of the 126th Pa.,

the pontoon was cut loose and it swung around to the northern

shore.

Note from Ken Showers: ([email protected])

Frederickburg was a devastating defeat for the Union, but Chancellorsville was just as bad, if not worse. The Confederates suffered as many casualties as the Union, but were still able to force them into retreat.

The official historical account of the death of "Stonewall" Jackson conflicts with the account by William Groninger that he was shot and killed by Union pickets on the night of 3 May 1863.

According to history, Jackson rode between the lines on the night of 1 May to assess enemy positions for a planned night attack. While doing so he came too close to Union pickets, who fired on him. He then swung his horse around and headed back to his own lines, when some nervous rebel pickets opened fire on him, thinking he was the enemy. He was shot once in the right arm and three times in the left arm. The shattered left arm was amputated, and Jackson began to show signs of recovery. A few days later he contracted pneumonia, and died 10th May. (This account comes from the book and T.V. Series, "The Civil War", by Ken Burns.)

Jackson is reported to have died in a nearby farmhouse with his wife and a doctor present. His last words were, "Let us cross over the river and rest ulnder the shade of the trees".