1st Regiment Pennsylvania Artillery
For private who died in 1864
Signed by future U.S. General Richard Dillon who was wounded at Chancellorsville
9 3/4 x 7 1/2, imprinted form, filled out in ink.
Descriptive List and Account of Pay and Clothing of Private Joseph Micho, Co. F, 1st Regt. Pa. Arty. The document includes information regarding his enlistment, pay, bounty and clothing record. Station: Camp Hancock, Va. Date: Feb. 18th, 1864. Signed by Richard Dillon, Capt. Co. H, 14 Regt., U.S.I.C., Comdg. detch. Mower Hosp., Phila., and Belden Spence, 1st Lt. Commanding, Co. F & G, 1st Regt. Pa. Art. Light age toning and wear. Archival tape repairs on the reverse.
Joseph Micho, was a 22 year old lawyer from Schuylkill County, Pa., when he enlisted as a private, on July 8, 1861, and was mustered into Battery F, 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery. He died of disease, on July 12, 1864, in the hospital at Philadelphia.
Richard Dillon, enlisted as a 1st lieutenant, on December 31, 1861, and was commissioned into the 115th Pennsylvania Infantry. He was promoted to captain, on January 15, 1863; he was severely wounded in the right arm on May 3, 1863, at Chancellorsville, resulting in the amputation of his arm; he was transferred into the Veteran Reserve Corps, on October 5, 1863; promoted to brevet major, on March 13, 1865; and brevet brigadier general, on March 9, 1869.
Belden Spence, enlisted as a private, on July 26, 1861, and was mustered into Battery G, 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery. He was promoted to 1st lieutenant, on May 11, 1863; captain, January 20, 1864; and was mustered out of the service on December 4, 1864.
Batteries F & G, 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery, were commanded by Captain R. Bruce Ricketts during the battle of Gettysburg. They were very heavily engaged on July 2, 1863, being posted on Cemetery Hill. After fighting in the afternoon on the 2nd, a heavy column of Confederates charged their batteries at about 8 p.m. and succeeded in capturing and spiking their left piece. In his Gettysburg report in the Official Records, Rickett's writes, "the cannoneers fought them hand to hand with hand spikes, rammers, and pistols, and succeeded in checking them for a moment, when a part of the 2nd Corps charged in and drove them back. During the charge I expended every round of canister in the battery, and then fired case shot without the fuses. The enemy suffered severely." His report goes on to state that he lost 6 killed, 14 wounded, 3 missing, 20 horses killed and 1,200 rounds of ammunition spent.
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