62d Pennsylvania Volunteers

Henry P. Soxman, of Co. D, kept a diary during his Civil War service from the last quarter of 1861 through 1863. Two diary books were sold at auction in 2003 along with the other pictured items:

In case that web site disappears, here are the transcripts of a sampling of entries presented there.

First pages

The first pages show that the winter of 1861-62 was spent drilling.

Peninsular campaign

April 5, 1862: "We started for Yorktown...came within reach of the rebel guns...we were drawn up in line when a shell came and wounded three of our men..." In the following days, he mentions shellings, picket duty, seeing dead bodies left from the fighting, marching, setting up and striking tents

May 27 (Hanover Court House): "...we started on the march...and went 12 miles when we got up with the rebles and had a little fite but drove them away there were a good many killed on both sides....

June 27 (Gaines Mill): "...we went near new bridge...the rebels made an attack on us and we fought till dark when we had to fall back and Col. [Black] got killed in the commencement of the fite...."

July 1 (Malvern Hill): "...the rebles came out to make a charge on our batteries but we met them and drove them back apiece when they sent in more men and the battle commenced and raged terribly all day we still held our ground and in the night fell back in the direction of city point..."

Antietam

Sept. 16-20: "...we arrived on the battlefield where we stayed all night there was some firing done all the time...we were called to reinforce Sumner's Corps....we still lay under fire till evening...some of our troops crossed the river but we were back by the rebles with considerable loss...."

Fredericksburg

Dec. 11-14: "they were fiting with the artillery all day terribly...the fite commenced about noon we went into the fite in the evening and got 10 men wounded...we lay there all day...and kept up a fireing...."

Chancellorsville

April 30-May 5: "We formed a line of battle and then throwed up brestworks...They were fiting all day...We relieved the 11 corps...our regiment was sent out on skirmishes.we had several wounded...fiting most of the day...our Brigade was sent out to feal for the rebles. John Buckly was mortally wounded and 4 more wounded in our company...The Army was ordered to fall back...our Division was left for rear guard."

Gettysburg

July 1: "...got to Hanover at 3 in the afternoon. Eat supper and started for Gettysburg...They told us that McClellan had command of the army, great cheering."

July 2: "Went to Gettysburg. Fiting commenced at noon. We went into the fite at 5 P.M. We had a very hard fite. I got a lite wound in the right thigh. We lost very heavy. Slept on the field all night. Major Lowrey was killed. There were 19 of our company killed wounded and missing."

July 5 [while in Division Hospital]: "The fifth and sixth corps moved after the rebles in the evening..."

July 6: "heard cannonading."

Back home

From the Division Hospital he was evacuated to Baltimore, then to a hospital in Philadelphia. On the 24th of July, he arrived home. The rest of the diary contains farm and weather notations.

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This page authored and maintained by John R. Henderson (jhenderson@ithaca.edu), Lodi, NY.
Last modified: 9 February 2005
URL: http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/pa62d/soxman.html