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| Author | Topic: My ancestor was in the original 1st Reg Infantry |
| Andy Rathgeber |
posted 12/14/01 2:48 PM
Came across your site while researching my Great Great Grandfather, John Rathgeber. He's listed as "John Rotgaver" in the roster (Md Volunteers in the Civil War, Vol. 1). He served as a Corporal in Company B, volunteering at the beginning (May 1861) and was wounded at Harris Farm VA on 05/19/1864. Do you folks have any information on original enlistees beyond what I know? I'm hoping to receive a copy of his pension file from the Nat'l Archives if they ever release their mailroom from the anthrax scare! Hopefully one day soon I'll get to see you folks in action. |
| E Nash |
posted 12/28/01 5:08 AM
I looked him up in the regimental history. He signed up as a private on about May 11th, 1861 at the enrolling office at 112 West Baltimore st, Baltimore, MD. So, he got promoted while in service. He isn't mentioned by name in the index, however we was wounded while bravely counter attacking Hood's div that had attempted to take a US ammo train. Of the unit, 10 men died and 68 were wounded in the attack. The train was saved and the rebs were driven thru the woods. It also seems he was in a reb prisoner of war camp after the battle of Front Royal (I'm not sure) until the unit was paroled. If you get the records, I would love to hear more about him. Please email me.The book: "Historical Record of the First Regiment Maryland Infantry", Chas Camper, reprint by: Butternut and Blue, 1990 ISBN0-935523-21-9 |
| Andy Rathgeber |
posted 1/2/02 7:04 PM
Thanks for your reply to my posting.Please note the correction to my Email address in this posting.Coincidentally, while visiting my in-laws in Stafford Va for Christmas, I made my way to the Harris Farm site - the house is still there, but the farm itself appears slated for a housing development - a sacrilege to be sure - houses will surround a 4 acre site the APCWS managed to secure around the monument to the 1st Mass Heavy Artillery.It is still possible to visualize the lay of the land, since the wooded areas are fairly intact around the perimeter of the farm, but Virginia is about the worst place to try and keep developers at bay.Ms Agnes McGee currently lives in the house - as she has since 1927, and was nice enough to allow us inside, and gave us some history on the house itself - built around 1740. It was purchased by her father and was in near tear-down condition, but the upstairs floors are original, as are most of the outside walls and all of the foundation - and it looks almost the same as during the war, save for a small addition to one side.I'm still awaiting the pension record from the Archives - an anthrax scare held everything up for a month or so. Hopefully I'll see more regarding my GGGrandfather's status as POW - that's new info to me.The name change was more of a name correction - His name appears spelled about three different ways on various census records, and in the Baltimore City Directories. Being a German immigrant, he may have contributed to the confusion with a strong accent.There are 3 other John Rathgebers listed in Union regiments - one in Pa 74th, Pa 72nd (maybe same person,) and one in a NY unit. But given what we knew from oral history about the name confusion, the fact he was wounded, and that all his children were born in Maryland, it seems highly likely that John Rotgaver is indeed my GGGrandfather. He was married in 1864, and his first child born the next year, so we speculate that during a leave to Baltimore to reenlist (just before Harris Farm), he may have gotten married and started down the road to fatherhood!My official source of Civil War info on him (so far) is "L. Allison Wilmer, J. H. Jarrett and Geo. W. F. Vernon, History and Roster of Maryland Volunteers, War of 1861-5, Volume 1. (Baltimore: Guggenheimer, Weil, & Co., 1899). L20937-1, c.2.It's on the web at Md State Archives site at http://www.mdarchives.state.md.us/megafile/msa/speccol/sc2900/sc2908/000001/000367/html/ He appears on the roster, and his wounding at Harris Farm is recorded, but not his time as POW. He was transferred to the 24th VRC after being wounded, so he was likely unfit for battle at that point, and mustered out Jul 22, 1865. |
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