On Wednesday, September 17th, 1862 the 88th PA was part of the 1st Corps, 2nd Division, 2nd Brigade, Army of Potomac. The 88th PVI was commanded by Major George Gile who assumed command of the 88th PA following the death of Lt. Col. Joseph McLean at the Battle of 2nd Bull Run; the 2nd Brigade was under the command of Col. William Henry Christian, formerly of the 26th New York Infantry. The 2nd Brigade was comprised of the 88th PA, 90th PA, 26th NY, 88th NY and the 94th NY.

The Battle of Antietam opened with the exchange of artillery fire at 3AM; the 1st Corps is on the Union right and launches the opening attack at first daylight. Hooker attacks southward with all three of his Divisions. Doubleday’s Division on the right, straddling Hagerstown Pike. Ricketts’ Division of which the 88th and the 2nd Brigade was a part occupied the far left, and Meade’s Division was in the center slightly to the rear of Doubleday and Ricketts. The Union formations come almost immediately under the fire of Confederate artillery crews

At 6:00, Ricketts’ Division advances southward through the East Woods and by 6:20 Duryea’s First Brigade entered into the eastern portion of Miller’s Cornfield. At 6:30 Christian’s Second Brigade entered the East Woods. And as the emerged from the woods, they were subjected to converging Confederate artillery fire from S.D. Lee’s Battalion located at Dunker’s Church, and JEB Stuart’s Horse Artillery positioned on Nicodemus Heights. The Second Brigade continued their advance down the Smoketown Road.

Christian’s Second Brigade entered the battle just before 7:00 a.m. and shortly thereafter, Christian’s men moved forward.  As they cleared the North Woods they came under a murderous fire from Confederate artillery posted to their front and right. Christian halted his men and then did what he knew best, he ordered his men to make a series of parade-ground maneuvers in the face of the Confederate shot and shell. Moving forward and then by flank across some four hundred yards of open ground, Christian’s men finally arrived in the East Woods, where their commander finally became unhinged. Upon arriving in the woodlot, Christian dismounted and then ran back towards the North Woods, supposedly ducking and dodging his head with each cannon shot, exclaiming that all was lost and that the army was in full retreat. Meanwhile, his men were simply astonished and, worse, did not what to do next. Ricketts demanded to know why Christian’s men came to a stop and upon discovering the situation ordered General Truman Seymour, of George Meade’s Third Division, First Corps, to take command of the leaderless brigade. Seymour quickly sorted out the problem and got Christian’s men moving forward once again.

The regiments of the Second Brigade were aligned from left to right 26th New York, 94th New York, 90th Pennsylvania, and anchoring the brigade’s right flank on the north side of Smoketown Road, was the 88th Pennsylvania. The 88th and 90th led the formation, followed by the 26th and 94th New York. The Second Brigade continued down Smoketown Road and assaulted the Confederate defensive positions along the Mumma Farm Lane. The 88th fired a punishing volley into Confederates of the 21st Georgia (Trimble’s Brigade), and then joined the remainder of the Brigade in their attack on Mumma’s Lane.

Major Gile, commanding the 88th, was wounded in action and incapacitated. Captain Christian Carmack, of Company E, assumed command of the regiment, but was wounded shortly thereafter. Captain Henry Myers, of Company B, then assumed command of the regiment. When Company D of the 88th lost both their Company Commander and their First Lieutenant to wounds, Sergeant Charles Kartsher seized the initiative and assumed command. Kartsher led Company D throughout the battle and would later be commissioned for his bravery; First Lieutenant Kartsher would be killed in action at Fredericksburg. Lieutenant Petit of Company I, per army regulation, positions himself behind his Company and served as the file closer. Seeing that the men stood their ground and that the fight in front was a severe one, Petit sheathed his sword, picked up a rifle from a dead soldier, and joined the fight alongside his troops.

The Confederate defenders managed to hold the Second Brigade, but then retreated setting the Mumma House on fire as they depart. Seeking to exploit the gap between Ricketts’ right and Doubleday’s left; Hay’s Louisiana Brigade rushed northward to support the sagging Confederate line and doing so exposed their entire right flank to the Second Brigade. The 88th is in a perfect position and fired a devastating volley into Hay’s Confederate troops.

Their actions are not enough, and while they had bloodied Hay’s Brigade, approaching them from the southwest is Hood’s entire Division. Hood’s Confederates fell heavily upon the Second Brigade, and the 90th Pennsylvania is particularly hard hit. The troops of the 88th hold their ground until their ammunition is exhausted.

At approximately 8 a.m., two hours after the fight had begun; Ricketts’ began withdrawing his Division as fresh reinforcements from the Union XII Corps arrive to relieve the exhausted troops of Hooker’s 1st Corps. The remnants of 1st Corps withdrew and massed in positions to the north of the Poffenberger farm were they regrouped and replenished. The 88th moves to support a neighboring artillery battery and while they still remain under indirect artillery fire until afternoon, for the soldiers of the Second Brigade, Ricketts Division, their fight at Antietam was over.

Of the soldiers detailed to the 88th Color Guard, all are wounded or killed.  Taylor, in the 1913 publication “Philadelphia in the Civil War 1861-65” places the 88th’s losses at eighteen killed, sixty wounded, (and no account of those soldiers missing) out of a total of 350 engaged. Following the battle, the 88th rolls showed 272 soldiers present or accounted for, (of which 209 were present and combat effective.) If Taylor is correct and the figures are adjusted to reflect those missing in action, then it would be shown the 88th suffered a 32% loss at Antietam

Among those killed or mortally wounded at Antietam/Sharpsburg are:

Company A: Corporal Jeremiah Boyer (MW), Privates John Hemminger

(MW), Charles Millhoff

Company C: Corporals John Kellum (MW), Patrick Blaney (MW), Private

James Downey

Company D: Private Samuel Caldwell (MW)

Company E: Corporal Benjamin Lee, Private William Boas Sr.*

Company F: Privates R. Loudenslager, Benjamin Landell

Company H: Sergeant James Thompson (MW), Privates John Brittain,

James Hennershitz

Company I: Privates Patrick Conlogue, James MacNichol, Jesse Tyson

* Private Patrick Conlogue, Co. I,  is the ancestor of  descendants Tara Clapper, John Conlow, Jr. John Conlow, Sr., George Conlow, Jr. & George Conlow, Sr.

* Private William P Clark, Co. K was wounded at Antietam and is the ancestor of descendant, Joy Walk.

Over the course of the following weeks, loved ones come to reclaim the bodies of their fallen sons and brothers. Of the soldiers of the 88th Pennsylvania killed at Antietam, Private Charles Milhoff, of Company A, and Private Jesse Tyson, of Company I, are the only two identified soldiers reinterred at the National Cemetery.

*Information from The Campfire Chronicles, by Major Michael N. Ayoub and from the 48th Pennsylvania Infantry Blog Post, Poor Bill Christian, by John David Hoptak used in this post.

August 9, 2013 marked the 151st Anniversary of the Battle of Cedar Mountain, which was the first battle fought by the 88th PVI.

The 88th was then part of Pope's Army of Virginia, 3rd Corps (McDowell), 2nd Division (Ricketts) and was commanded by Col. George McLean. This was the only battle of the war in which the 88th PVI was commanded by Col. George.

Among the notable actions of the 88th PVI during the battle included Major George Gile breaking ranks and with assistance of a few volunteers from the 88th following him, rushed to retrieve the battle flags of the 46th PVI that were being captured. Major Giles returned to the 88th PVI lines with the Colors, where they remained briefly for safe keeping before being returned to the soldiers of the 46th PVI.

At dusk, under the shroud of darkness the 88th PVI came under artillery and rifle fire, the fire was only marginally accurate and the regiment suffered only one casualty. Private George Teed, of Company B, became the first soldier of the 88th to be wounded in action as a piece of shrapnel tore into his leg.

From The Campfire Chronicles - The Words & Deeds of the 88th Pennsylvania by Major Michael N. Ayoub, Descendant of Captain Charles McKnight, Co. K.