Reading Artillerists

Wikimedia Commons has media related to History of Pennsylvania.

See Category:People from Pennsylvania for Pennsylvania people.

The Reading Artillerists was a Berks County, Pennsylvania militia unit which was founded “in the year 1799, for the purpose of quelling the celebrated Whiskey Rebellion,” according to a history of the Artillerists presented in the 20 October 20, 1859 edition of the Reading Times.^[1]

The exact founding date, however, was half a decade earlier – March 23, 1794, according to historian Montgomery L. Morton.^[2] The early incarnation of the artillerists which formed in response to the Whiskey Rebellion was known as the Reading Union Volunteers.

Among the first honors accorded to the Reading Union Volunteers was that of escort to President George Washington. According to Montgomery, during a visit by Washington to Reading, Pennsylvania on October 1, 1794, a parade was held in his honor "and the distinguished visitor reviewed the troops from the second story front window of the building over the doorway. The 'Reading Union Volunteers' participated in this military parade, and on the next day when President Washington continued his journey towards Carlisle, they accompanied him as an escort. While at Carlisle, they served as his body-guard.... When they returned, the name of the Company was changed to 'Reading Washington Guards.'" The commanding officer of the unit at this time was 22-year-old Captain Daniel de Benneville Keim, a native of Reading.^[3]

Mustering out after the rebellion's end, members of this unit continued to maintain their readiness as a functioning militia, and mustered in again formally in 1799 in response to the "Fries Insurrection," which erupted when Congress attempted to tax house windows.^[4]

War of 1812

Just over a decade later, the Reading Washington Guards were called upon once again to defend the nation, this time during the War of 1812. Sometime during this phase of duty, the group became known as the Reading Blues.^[5]

Departing for Philadelphia by boat on the Schuylkill River on September 16, 1814, the unit helped defend the city from threatened invasions by British troops. When those threats lessened, the 74 militiamen from Reading were ordered to Camp Dupont near Wilmington, Delaware, where "they became a part of the 'Advance Light Brigade,' in the First Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, which was under the command of General Cadwalader."^[6]

Ordered from Camp Dupont to Baltimore, Maryland, they were assigned to artillery duty, and given charge of four brass, six-pound cannon, one of which they would bring home with them to Reading when they returned to the city. They were officially mustered out from service in March 1815.

Sometime between their service in Baltimore and 1820, the members of the unit opted to change their name again – this time to the Reading Artillerists. Keim was re-elected as the group's captain in 1820 with William Darling, Peter Aurand, and Peter Reitzel serving,respectively, as first, second, and third lieutenants. The unit strength at this time was 98.

In 1824, the Reading Artillerists were among the Pennsylvania soldiers who were on hand in Philadelphia to welcome the Marquis de Lafayette, the last living French general who fought beside George Washington during the American Revolution. Sometime after this, the unit's blue uniforms were exchanged for dark gray with yellow facings.

Called up during the riots rocking Philadelphia in July 1844, the Reading Artillerists guarded the Girard Bank there and also garrisoned the Philadelphia State Arsenal.

Mexican War

Less than three years later, they were headed into a genuine war. On January 5, 1847, 90 men mustered in for federal service, becoming members of Company A of the 2nd Pennsylvania Infantry. Their officers included Captain Thomas S. Leoser, First Lieutenant William Wunder, and Second Lieutenants Levi P. Knerr and H. A. M. Filbert.

Commanded by General Winfield Scott during the Mexican War, they were stationed at the Island of Lobos, landed with other troops at Vera Cruz on March 9, and were present for the surrender of Vera Cruz on March 29. They then fought in the Battle of Cerro Gordo on April 18, garrisoned Jalapa from May through mid-June, skirmished at the Pass of Latoeya June 20, and were also present at Perote and Tepeyahualco, as well as the Battle of Chapultepec. They were also on hand for action at the Gate of Belen and Citadel on September 13 and at the city of Mexico from September 14-15, 1847.^[7]

According to a 1915 Reading Times recap of the Artillerists' service during the war, "Col. John W. Geary in his report to General Winfield Scott after the taking of the city of Mexico stated that the Reading artillerists allowed no one to surpass them in the performance of duty and in crossing from Garita to the breast work of the citadel acted with great coolness in exposed positions."^[8]

While they were away, they also lost the last of their founding members when Charles Evans, Esq., the man for whom Reading’s Charles Evans Cemetery was named, passed away in Reading on September 6, 1847.

By the time the fighting was over, the unit had grown to a strength of 99 men, but had lost 66 due to death or discharge. The Reading Artillerists mustered out from the 2nd Pennsylvania on July 28, 1848, and returned home to their families.

The regiment's membership continued to fluctuate over the next several years. By 1855, the entire slate of officers had been replaced. Commanding the unit moving forward were Captain W. I. Clous, First Lieutenant W. W. Diehl, Second Lieutenants S. T. Ketterer and J. D. Hain.

Their places were then filled on the November 2, 1857 by Captain George Warren Alexander, First Lieutenant W. H. Andrews, and Second Lieutenant H. R. Myers. Alexander would continue to lead the Reading Artillerists through the earliest days of America's Civil War. Offering the services of his men to President Abraham Lincoln and Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin on April 16, 1861 in response to Lincoln's call for 75,000 volunteers to defend Washington, D.C. following the fall of Fort Sumter to Confederate forces, Alexander then mustered in with the Reading Artillerists on April 20 at Harrisburg, Dauphin County with Company G of the 1st Pennsylvania Infantry. After honorably completing their three months' service, largely assigned to guard railroads and major roads used by Union troops, they then mustered out at Harrisburg on July 23, 1861.^[9]

Alexander was then re-commissioned as the second command of the newly formed 47th Pennsylvania Infantry, which would become the only regiment from the Keystone State to fight in the Union's 1864 Red River Campaign across Louisiana. Wounded severely in both legs during the Battle of Sabine Cross Roads (Mansfield) on April 8, 1864, he recovered, and was honorably discharged in September 1864 upon expiration of this three-year term of service. ^{[10] [11] [12]}

Most of Alexander's subordinates also re-enrolled for three-year terms of service, serving with different units until war's end. Several were wounded or killed in combat, including William H. Andrews who died during the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862.^[13]

The Reading Artillerists then remained largely inactive until 1881. The unit officially mustered in again in 1892, and helped end the Homestead labor strike in western Pennsylvania.^[14]

102nd Anniversary Celebration

On Monday evening, May 26, 1896, the Reading Artillerists celebrated the unit's 102nd anniversary with pomp and joy at Metropolitan Hall in Reading, Berks County. Several hundred men and women were in the audience, according to historical accounts penned that same year.^[15] "The hall," wrote Morton Montgomery, "was beautifully and profusely decorated with the national flag in various sizes, and knapsacks, canteens, caps, accoutrements and various military insignia were arranged against the balconies and walls in a most pleasing manner." The Artillerists drilled before the crowd, which then listened to a musical program and Montgomery reading his history of the militia group. The commanding officer at the time was Captain Samuel Willits.

Spanish-American War

Sometime around the mid-1890s, Captain Samuel Willits reorganized the Reading Artillerists yet again, this time preparing the men from Reading for state service as Company A of the Pennsylvania Infantry. The unit was then called up again in 1898 when President William McKinley issued his call for volunteers in the War with Spain. Arriving in Arroyo, Puerto Rico while U.S. gunboats were lobbing shells into the town, the men from Company A were assigned to outpost duty along the Patillo road. Ten days later, a peace accord was reached, and the unit was shipped home.^[16]

Early 1900s

At the turn of the century, Company A of the Pennsylvania Infantry responded once again to a citizen uprising. This time, the artillerists helped calm tensions in Pennsylvania's coal regions as miners and their families pressed mine owners for better wages and working conditions, and were called upon specifically to help bring an end to the anthracite coal miners' strike of 1902.^[17]

In 1905, H. Melvin Allen was appointed as captain of the unit. J. Lewis Lengle and Edward V. Kestner served, respectively, as his first and second lieutenants.

References