×

Sharing the news

‘They were heroes – every one of them,’ says Lt. who took 52 men into battle and came out with 13

Above, The state flag of the 151st Pennsylvania Volunteers which is in the care of the PA Capitol Preservation Committee. Inset, Lt. William Blodget’s grave in Sugar Grove. Below, the plaque on the side of the Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg listing the men of Company F and mis-spelling Blodget’s name.

After a month in Harrisburg, the 151st left for Washington D.C. on November 26, 1862, according to a report from the adjutant of the regiment. “On the 28th, we marched across the Long Bridge to Virginia to tune of ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy.'”

National Park Service documentation notes that the 151st was part of the defense of the capital until February, posted near the Bull Run battlefield on picket duty, guarding against raids from Confederate Col. John S. Mosby and his partisan guerillas.

The 151st was then transferred to the First Corps of the Army of the Potomac under the command of Maj. Gen. John Reynolds.

The regiment would first be under Confederate fire as part of a diversionary move that was part of the Battle of Chancellorsville.

Days later, the men of the 151st were tasked with guarding the main Union supply line at Chancellorsville but remained mostly unengaged.

With just one month left in their nine-month commitment, General Lee undertook his second invasion of the north.

Blodget told a Warren Mail reporter stationed in DC that a “movement of the Regt. is in the offing.”

“He does not know where to,” the man reported, noting that Blodget was “hustling about Washington on errands.

“It all depends on Lee who is keeping everybody guessing as to where he intends to strike,” the Mail explained.

The night of June 30, 1863, Blodget and the 151st were camped just six miles from Gettysburg with the rest of Doubleday’s division.

Fighting broke out the next day – July 1 – between Union cavalry and entire Confederate division.

The cavalry commander, Brig. Gen. John Buford held out as long as he could while reinforcements streamed toward Gettysburg.

Reynolds’ First Corps were the first reinforcements to arrive after a three hour march.

The 151st was initially placed in reserve and started to dig in near the Lutheran Theological Seminary on what is now aptly known as Seminary Ridge..

The idea was that the breastworks would be a fall-back location if needed.

Four hours later, now the last of the reserve in the First Corps, the 151st was ordered forward to a position on McPherson’s Ridge.

Give their large size for a regiment at that stage of the war, units on their right flank assumed that reinforcements were on the way allowing them to fall back. The units to their left were outflanked which left the 151st alone on the ridge.

The regiment then conducted a steady retreat, which bought time for other First Corps regiments on Seminary Ridge to prepare for whatever Confederate attack would follow.

That attack did come and the 151st was outflanked and ultimately retired to Cemetery Hill to the south of the town.

Blodget wrote a letter on July 2 from Gettysburg to his wife and appears to also have sent it to the Warren Mail as a means of informing the families of those who were killed or wounded. Here is the letter in its entirely with bold added by the Times Observer for emphasis:

“This is indeed the saddest moment of my life. We were fighting all day yesterday and of 52 men I took into the fight but 13 are left!

At least 30 and perhaps 35 are killed and wounded. Of the 39 missing, I knew of but 4 that came off the field unhurt. Most of the wounded are within our lines but some are in the hands of the enemy. Kimball, Jaquay Green and perhaps others, were killed.

Judge Lott, Frank, Cotton, Carr, Norris, Tuttle and others are wounded, Cotton Carr and Tuttle I fear mortally. Judge Lott was wounded in the shoulder. Frank was wounded in the leg near the knee. Morrison, I don’t know where. I saw him hobbling off the field.

Loveland, Sweetland and Sweet (who is wounded) and Chandler and McIntyre are missing. One of the Hazeltines, Mattison, Bartlett, McKelvey, Wheelock, Bates, Cooper, Brooks and 3 or 4 others are still with me.

Cole, one of the Hazeltines, the Millers and Barlow were not in the fight and are safe.

Col McFarland was wounded. All is still confusion. This is all I can say right now of individuals. I am untouched, a fact I can hardly believe. I hope they have got all they want of Co. F. – but there is tomorrow yet to face. Every man stood up to the work and fought like a tiger without a single exception. Our poor boys fell around me like ripe apples in a storm. God bless them! They were heroes – every one of them. Only thing – putting it at 30 killed and wounded out of 52! We were not taken prisoners. Our loss is all in killed and wounded. Several were wounded but continued to fight until they were hit the second time. Judge Lott was perfectly cool and found on after being wounded.

It seems that our Division of less than 5,000 men were pitted against the whole Rebel force for a time. The 1st Division has been in before us, and our Corps, the 1st, with 2 Brigades of the 11th Corps were all that took part in the battle.

Our Brigade, the 1st of the 3rd. Div. suffered most of any I think. Two thirds of the whole were killed, wounded or are missing.

At some other time I will give you the incidents of the battle. This is just a hastly report to the people of Warren County at the close of this 2nd day of fighting. We were beaten back a mile or two yesterday – beat them back first – and then were forced to give up the ground we had taken. We fell back at last through Gettysburg to the hills in the hear where we are now all preparing – it looks as if the Rebels will find all they want then the fight continued.

Gen. Reynolds was killed yesterday. Col. Roy Stone was wounded, probably mortally and taken prisoner. But for our boys – the tears start at the thoughts of them and blot the page. Most of them said not a word, using only some exclamation when hit. I heard hardly a groan. Kimball fell within 3 feet of me. I spoke to him but he never even groaned. He was shot through the heart. Marcus Jaquay was shot through the temple. Frank was hit right by my side. I did not see Jaquay hit or Lott hit, nor did I know that Lott was hit until after the battle. He fought on, though how he did I don’t know.

Our Regt. had 440 men before the engagement, we now have less than 150. It will never muster 250 even when the stragglers have been gathered again with us.

I just wanted you to know.

yours truly

W.O. Blodget

That phrase – Our poor boys fell around me like ripe apples in a storm – would go in to be a book title about the Regiment’s sacrifice at Gettysburg, which notes that the regimental loss was the highest in the entire Union Army, with most of the carnage taking place in less than one hour.

Of the 478 men and officers of the regiment, 367 were lost – killed, wounded or captured – a casualty rate of 75 percent.

The regiment, or what aptly was left of it, was moved to the south and helped repulse Pickett’s Charge two days later, where Blodget was wounded.

“Lt. Blodget, commanding the company (Co. F) in the absence of Capt. Mitchell is reported by all to have behaved with much coolness and courage and demonstrated great ability to lead,” the Mail reported on July 25. “He, and the courageous men left with him, fought again the 3rd day but all escaped without a wound except Blodget who fell with a slight would from which he is recovering nicely.”

After participating in the pursuit of Lee’s army for two weeks, the 151st was sent to Harrisburg on July 19 and mustered out of the service on July 27.

Blodget presumably returned to his family in Sugar Grove after he was mustered out of the service.

He would die less than three years later on January 4, 1866, just four days after his wife.

Blodget is buried at the Cherry Hill Cemetery just outside Sugar Grove.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

COMMENTS

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today