The following text is an account of the dedication speeches given by two officers of the 98th at the dedication of the Monument in Gettysburg. The monument at this dedication (shown above) has since been removed to the Little Round Top location, and the one on Crawford Ave./Weickert Farmhouse, has been replaced with a larger monument, shown at right. (Visiting Gettysburg? Learn more about locating the monuments here.)
Dedication of Gettysburg Monument 98th Regiment Infantry
September 11, 1889
Address of Captain Jacob A. Schmide
Comrades and friends—through the kind favor of Providence and the patriotic liberality of the government of our noble old Keystone State we are permitted to be assembled here to-day, on this historic field, to dedicate this monument as a memorial to the action of the Ninety-eighth, Regiment Pennsylvania Infantry in the great battle fought on these fields in July, 1863, for the preservation of our country, for the continuation of our government, for the defense of our homes and our firesides, for the defense, especially as Pennsylvanians of all and everything near and dear to us, against the invading hosts of the enemy, who, fresh from one victory, advanced boldly upon our own State capital, threatening our own towns, our own cities, our very existence.
On behalf of the survivors of the Ninety-eighth Regiment Pennsylvania Infantry it behooves me now, I believe, in connection with this occasion, to state to you, that this monument is erected here by the authority of our State government, to mark a position held by the regiment during the battle, and to commemorate the regiment’s action in the great battle fought on these fields during those memorable days of July, 1863.
My friends, we are glad to be enabled to inform you here, that this monument does indicate a position, as the inscription thereon truthfully states. The regiment held this position from about dusk of the evening of July 2, to the end of the battle. Actually it was in line along the road in front, the right wing somewhat refused to face the woods, but, to conform to the wishes of the Commissioners appointed by the Governor to superintend the erection of these monuments, and the various good and sufficient reasons advanced by them therefore, our committee willingly accepted this location, although it is somewhat in rear of the line which the regiment actually occupied.
We regret that we cannot so heartily approve of the inscriptions thereon alluding to the regiment’s action in this memorable battle, or, rather, we mast regret the omission of any statement alluding to the action of the regiment on another part of the field, although in close vicinity.
The inscriptions are as decided for us by the State Commissioners, and state truthfully, that the regiment led the Sixth Corps on its march from Manchester, Maryland, to the battlefield and held this line from evening of July 2 to the end of the battle, but make no allusion to what else it did.
Our lamented General Sedgwick, in his report on this battle, states that he arrived, in fact reported his corps present, at Rock creek at 2 o’clock p.m., and the Ninety-eighth was the leading regiment of it.
Well, did we stay at Rock creek, a full mile or more in the rear?
Was the leading regiment of the corps left at Rock creek to rest itself, while others following, yes, while the other following regiments of our own brigade were hurried forward as fast as possible and led into action, into the fight on this identical ground?
No, my friends, the Ninety-eighth was not the kind of a regiment to be left in the rear under anything like such circumstances as took place here on that afternoon.
Although the Commissioners did not allow us a mention in the inscription of the action of the regiment between the time of its arrival at Rock creek and the time, as stated, when it was placed in position on this line, we were not lying idle at Rock creek, or anywhere else, listening to the battle from afar, yes, to the roar of battle being fought that afternoon on these identical fields, in this immediate vicinity, those very hours, my friends, were, and are today, and will continue to be, as long as we live, the hours most memorable to us the survivors of the Ninety-eighth in regard to our action In the battle of Gettysburg. The hours between 4 o’clock and sundown of that afternoon of July 2, 1863, were full of trying moments on this part of the field, and the Ninety-eighth got here in good time and did its duty, yes fully did its duty, and perhaps some of the work of others, and as the State Commissioners request, that in the exercises connected with the dedication of these monuments the survivors include a true, and as near as possible complete statement of the actions of their respective regiments in this battle, we cheerfully comply with that request, to the best of our ability; although in the main part it will only be a reiteration of a statement of our action as a regiment, in the battle these monuments are to commemorate as we have some time ago transmitted to them.
Yes, transmitted to them for the very purpose of having the truth of our action recognized by suitable mention thereof in the inscription on this monument, and made over the solemn affidavit of a large number of our comrades who participated with us in this eventful battle. Over the solemn affidavit of comrades who lost limbs, who became crippled for life in that action of the regiment, a solemn statement made under oath and transmitted to them, setting forth our action, especially for the purpose of inducing the Commissioners to include a mention thereof in the inscriptions, and without a mention of which we can never look upon or consider this monument as giving to posterity a truthful history of the part the Ninety-eighth Regiment Pennsylvania Infantry took in the battle this monument is intended to commemorate.
On the evening of July 1, 1965, the Ninety-eighth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, four hundred strong, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel John B. Kohler and Major J. W. Beamish, was in bivouac near Manchester, Maryland, thirty-eight miles from here, with the rest of the Sixth Army Corps, and shortly after dark was ordered on the march towards Gettysburg, where heavy fighting had already been going on during the day; the regiment was fortunate enough to bare the leading position of the corps assigned to it for that march, a position which, in a column on a march, and especially on a march as that one was, is very advantageous, as it enabled us to reach the battlefield here in very good order and form, after marching all night and day without intermission, until we arrived at Rock creek, at a point about a mile south of where the Baltimore pike crosses said stream, and may fairly be included in the area of this battle-field.
We arrived there shortly after 2 o’clock and were halted and allowed to rest for probably fully an hour, when we were advanced, with our brigade, to the bridge on the Baltimore pike over Rock creek, being placed in line on the south bank, on the left of the pike, facing the stream. Hardly had the brigade got in line in that position when we were again ordered forward, and crossed the creek partly by way of the bridge and partly by fording the stream, doing so under our lamented General Sedgwick’s personal supervision. We were at once urged forward as fast as possible and soon lost sight of and became detached from our brigade, being directed by a staff officer who accompanied us towards the left, we making a good part of the distance on the double-quick, and were brought onto Little Round Top, and by the direction of a staff officer formed in line of battle; being right to front necessitated our forming on the right by files into line.
Our right resting at a point about four hundred feet south of the road that crosses Round Top ridge, our left extending well up to what may be called the rockier part of the western slope of the hill, facing the wheat-field, with the intervening ridge and marsh directly in line of our front. This line of our regiment was formed immediately in rear of a line of others of our troops, whom we soon found were some of the Pennsylvania Reserves, and whose left was somewhat overlapped by our formation. Our other troops appeared at that time as being apparently driven from or leaving the field in our front pretty well broken up and the enemy in what seemed to us to be also rather disorganized parties, following closely after them, however, placing a couple of guns that our men were trying to save, in apparent jeopardy of being captured, from I may say almost under our eyes. Therefore, before the regiment was hardly formed in line we were ordered to fix bayonets followed immediately by the commend “forward Ninety-eighth, charge,” and forward we did go, advancing through the line of troops mentioned as lying directly in front of us while we formed, they apparently willingly opening their ranks to let us through; we charged through the marsh of Plum run, advancing to the foot of the ridge on the west side of the swamp; whatever there was in our immediate sight of the enemy, in our direct front, retreating before us with little firing; we however received a livelier fire from the left (Devil’s Den) while crossing the swamp, which, together with the difficulty of crossing through the soft slough, had the effect to break our line up somewhat, so that the halt at the foot of the ridge, though for a few moments only, allowed those who became delayed (stuck in the mire) in crossing, to catch up.
The troops through whom we had passed, as before mentioned, also started to advance while we lay at the foot of the ridge, and on their left adjoining our right they also halted a few moments when the whole extended line again advanced, we up the ridge to and over the stone wall skirting the wheatfield, our left well into the woods on the left, driving back some and making prisoners of a number of what looked to us like disorganized straggling parties of the enemy, with little extra effort on our part. We were, however, soon recalled to the stone wall on the ridge and held that position until near dusk, when we were ordered to the right and rejoined our brigade taking position on the right of it, which brought us on this line, having sustained in the charge and the other movements just described the comparatively light loss of only one man killed and ten wounded. And in this line and position we were kept to the end of the battle without actually any further losses or becoming further engaged.
Those Wounded:
Louis E. Frank, Co B
William Baker, Co B
Charles Leisegang, Co C
Louis Manthe, Co G
Wm. Blechinger, Co H
Jacob Kohler, Co H
Henry Schramm, Co H
George Walter, Co H
John Heppler, Co K
George Stiles, Co K
September 11, 1889
Address of Sergeant F. J. Loeble
Mr. President and comrades of the Ninety-eighth Pennsylvania Regimental Association, ladies, gentlemen and friends:—Assembled here today, taking the allotted and average time of the life of mankind to be thirty-three years, a generation of the human family has almost passed away since first the cause made its appearance, which has led thousands to assemble to-day, on this glorious and renowned field of Gettysburg. It would take entirely too much of your valuable time, and would, I am afraid, severely tax your powers of endurance, were I to undertake to fully discuss the cause, the political intrigues and machinations of the leading politicians and statesmen, which eventually led to the secession of the Southern States from the Union.
More eligible tongues and abler pens have discussed those questions time and again, and I am confident, that the greater majority of those assembled here to-day, are quite familiar with that subject, and it will, therefore, be sufficient for me to say that after a most exciting political campaign for the election of a President of these United States, in the fall of 1860, in which that noble and never-to-be-forgotten man and martyr, Abraham Lincoln, was chosen as the executive officer of this federation of states, the country was embroiled, and stood face-to-face with the most wicked, uncalled for and unscrupulous attempt of traitors and rebels, to overthrow the government and establish slavery on a firm and everlasting foundation. Although in his inaugural address, on the 9th of March, 1881, the President had promised not to interfere with slavery in the States where it then existed, and assurances were given by all the leading statesmen of the then dominant party to the same effect, the political leaders of the South had so worked upon the minds of their constituents the idea of establishing a separate government, with slavery for its corner-stone, that State after State recalled their senators and representatives front Congress and passed acts of secession in their different legislatures.
Could they have foreseen the unity and devotion to the flag, as exhibited by the inhabitants of the Northern States when they were once fairly aroused, I feel warranted in saying, that they would have considered and deliberated considerably longer before striking the blow against the flag of our country, by firing on Fort Sumter in the harbor of Charleston on the morning of April 12, 1861; but whom the gods wish to destroy they first strike with blindness, and as the Almighty Providence and father of us all, had determined to strike the curse of slavery from this fair land of ours, he let them go on in their mad career and permitted them to still farther blacken their treacherous souls in the blood of their brothers.
The war of the rebellion was now fairly opened, a war which in its accursed course of four years cost the country hundreds of thousands of lives, millions upon millions of money, breaking down the health of thousands of men, and filling the land with widows and orphans; at the same time, however, bringing forth to full development the noblest traits of human character, unbounded charity, heavenly love and unsurpassed devotion. On April 14, 1861, the stars and stripes, that beloved symbol of our country and human liberty, ceased to float over Fort Sumter, and the President issued his first call for 73,000 volunteers to serve for the period of three months. The shots on Fort Sumter roused the slumbering fire of patriotism in the hearts of the Nation: stunned by this blow the country reeled like a man in his cups, but almost immediately recovered and exhibited such an intensity of feeling and readiness for sacrifices of all kind as astonished the people themselves and the world at large. Work of all kind seemed entirely suspended, the professional man suspended his calling, the artisan and mechanic stopped his machinery, the merchant laid aside his ledger, the laborer his pick and shovel, the farmer stopped his team in the field, even some of the boys flung their books in the corner, all vieing with each other which one would first reach the recruiting station, to inscribe his name on the roll of his country’s defenders.
The quotas of the different States were filled almost as soon as the call had been issued, and you, my comrades, well remember how eager you were to go forth, and to do and die, so that our nation might live.
If I am allowed to do so, I would here relate to you as an illustration of the eagerness of the people to enlist, and of the surplus of men offering their services to the government, a circumstance which happened to me personally. On offering my services, the recruiting officer told me emphatically, and I thought at the time, not very politely, that he could get by far more men than he wanted, and did not propose to enlist boys.
It was at this time that our fellow townsman, John F. Ballier, a tried soldier of the Mexican war, a man of sterling qualities (who has been prevented by sickness from being with us on this memorable day) considered it to be his duty toward the land of his adoption, to again unsheath his sword in defense of the flag under whose folds millions of people have found freedom from tyranny and oppression. His services being accepted, he took the field in a very short time at the head of a regiment of volunteers known as the Twenty-first Regiment Pennsylvania Infantry. The term of enlistment of this organization expired on July 29, the final discharge being August 8. The brave and loyal commander had, however, taken time by the forelock, and secured the issue of an order from the War Department, authorizing him to recruit a regiment of Infantry for the term of three years or sooner shot, as the boys used to say, the sentence, however, reading or sooner discharged; this again shows to you that even at that time, no one had any idea of the gigantic proportions this unholy war was going to assume.
Many of the discharged officers and men of the now extinct Twenty-first Regiment rallied around their beloved commander, and at once commenced active recruiting, so that by the 17th of August, the first company was mustered into the service, and was thereafter known as Company I, Ninety-eighth Pennsylvania Infantry. By the 20th September, seven more companies had been mustered in the following order; D, C, F. A, D. K and B, and encamped at Camp Ballier, near Girard College, in Philadelphia. With the exception of Company A, ninety-five percent of the enlisted men were of German birth or parentage; Company A, or as more familiarly known the Irish wing of the German Regiment, is however fully entitled to and proud of the name of German Regulars, by which one of the generals on the field designated them after the gallant and victorious battle of Williamsburg, Virginia, as well as those others who expressed their thoughts in the tongue of the Fatherland.
On September 30, the eight companies left Philadelphia for Washington, District of Columbia, where they were attached to the Fourth Army Corps under General Keyes. During the month of December, Companies G and H joined the regiment in its camp near Tennallytown, thereby completing the full regimental organization of ten companies.
On arrival at this camp, early in October, the colonel at once commenced a rigid course of instruction in the duties of a soldier, such as company and battalion drills, guard mount, picket duty, manual of arms, etc., as well as establishing a school for officers, and with pride every member of the regiment may say to-day, that when in the spring of 1862, it broke its camp, he belonged to a well-drilled and thoroughly organized body of volunteer soldiers, destined to make their mark in the hot work before them. In the beginning of March, the regiment hailed with joy the order to march on the enemy, ready to do battle in a righteous cause; it was, however, sorely disappointed, when, after a few days, the army was ordered to return across the Potomac and encamp again on its old ground. Meanwhile the plan of operations against the capital of the Confederacy, Richmond, was changed, and in the later days of March the army was embarked and transported to Fortress Monroe, to begin the memorable campaign on the Peninsula. The regiment bore its share of hardships in the investment of Yorktown, holding a position near Warwick Court House, doing picket duty, building entrenchments and corduroy roads during all of April, and until the evacuation and abandonment of the rebel works.
Following up the enemy closely on the 5th of May, the long-looked for moment arrived, when the regiment was destined to receive its baptism of fire, in front of the rebel Fort Magruder near Williamsburg, Virginia. The prospect of our valor and courage must have been rather a discouraging one to our commander, after the severe march over almost impassable roads, and in a drenching rain storm, and the speaker often recalls him to his mind’s eye marching down the line, uttering words of encouragement and appealing to our sense of honor and duty, to show ourselves as men who could be depended upon in the hour of trial and danger. Bravely it followed its leader, and nobly did it do its duty, so well, that after the battle was over, it was taken from the brigade, and assigned to the special, hazardous and honorable duty of following up the retreating enemy, as one of the organizations composing the advance guard under General Stoneman until we reached the vicinity of Richmond. It would take me too long, and would perhaps become too tiresome to you, were I to give a detailed account of its marches and engagements, through that terrible campaign in the summer of 1862, when, in August, this noble Army of the Potomac, found itself at Harrison’s Landing on the James river, a shattered, bleeding and almost discouraged remnant of its former self, neither will I discuss the reasons for the disastrous ending of this campaign, but will simply say, that under the severest trials and experience, the Ninety-eighth was always found ready and willing to do its duty without murmuring or fault finding.
Shortly, however, the line of march was taken up again, as the rebel forces had turned their attention to the army of General Pope, who stood between Washington and Richmond. The division to which the regiment was attached was ordered to Alexandria, and, after disembarking, immediately advanced to Centerville, where it was assigned to the not very pleasant but important duty of covering the retreat of Pope’s army which had been defeated in the second battle of Bull Run; this was successfully accomplished, and well may the members of the regiment feel proud of having had part in insuring the safety of the Capital of the Nation at that particular time. Then followed Lee’s invasion of the north, the battle of South Mountain and Antietam, the capture of Miles at Harper’s Ferry, whom the division was sent to reinforce, but who had capitulated before it reached him, the chase after a foraging detachment of rebels, and the return to the Army of the Potomac near New Baltimore, Virginia.
Here the division was attached to the famous Sixth Corps, whose fortune became hereafter its own until the close of the war. General Burnside having assumed command of the army about this time the order was given to advance by way of Fredericksburg, where, on the 13th of December, 1862, a terrific battle was fought with disastrous results to the Union arms. The army then went into winter quarters on the north side of the Rappahannock, and, with the exception of the Burnside stuck In the mad march, remained quiet until the spring of 1863.
Meanwhile the command of the army had been transferred to fighting Joe Hooker, who, on the lst of May, crossed the river a few miles above the city with the bulk of the army, leaving the Sixth Corps under command of (that famous soldier and fatherly commander) John Sedgwick, in front of Fredericksburg, with instructions to take the rebel intrenchments In the rear of the city. This task was nobly accomplished by the corps on the 3rd of May, the regiment as usual taking a conspicuous part in this action. The line of march was almost immediately taken up again towards Chancelorsville, but General Hooker having meanwhile been defeated at this point, General Lee sent heavy reinforcements against the gallant Sixth, checking our advance at Salem Church. Stubbornly fighting against superior numbers the corps steadily retraced its steps, and reached the north side of the river on the 5th sustaining a very heavy loss in its numbers. This ended the Hooker campaign and brought the regiment back to its former quarters until June 20, when it became apparent that the wily rebel leader, Lee, was planning another advance into the loyal States, but shrouded his movements in such impenetrable darkness, that his army was well on its way before the Union commander had any idea of his intentions.
July 1 found the regiment at Manchester. Maryland, while other corps had already opened the ball at this renowned field of Gettysburg where we have assembled to-day, and where the greatest struggle for mastery took place between the old, well-tried opponents, the armies of the Potomac and Northern Virginia.
In the evening the corps was ordered to Gettysburg, the Ninety-eighth having the right of the line. No one of the participants will ever forget that march of thirty-eight miles with but little rest. Weary and footsore it arrived on the afternoon of July 2, and immediately went into action from the position yonder where we have just rededicated one of the monuments. Nothing daunted by their weariness, or even the retreat of their comrades of other corps, who were closely followed by the enemy, they went forward at the word of command, and, after having fixed bayonets, with a Union hurrah.
Here, again, at a critical moment, the regiment fully proved that it was composed of no mean material, for had it not stemmed the current of the rebel advance God knows what would have been the result if the rebels had captured yonder heights, but the timely arrival of the regiment proved to be the turning tide of the fortunes of war in two distinct results. The retreating Union soldiers, amazed by this outburst of confidence and devotion to duty, and seeing the line steadily advancing, halted, faced about and joined in the forwardmovement of their brethren of the Ninety-eighth, while, on the other hand, the rebels received a check to their onward march, wheeled about and exchanged the role of pursuers to the one of pursued. The regiment drove the retreating foe beyond this stone wall into the wheatfield, and was, later in the day, withdrawn to this position, which it held successfully until the close of the battle.
I have shown you with pardonable pride that in several important actions the regiment fulfilled its duty to the best of its ability, and would but casually mention here, that about one year later, it was again its good fortune to save the capital of the Nation, being the first regiment of the corps to drive the rebels from in front of Fort Stevens, under the eyes of the late lamented Lincoln, who personally tendered his thanks to the commander for the part taken in defeating the rebel designs, and assuring him that his services at that particular critical time should never be forgotten. For three long days the fate of the Union hung in the balance on this Pennsylvania field, thousands of her sons were engaged in this conflict, on her own dear soil, whilst thousands, aye millions, were praying for the success of our arms. At last the decision was rendered, the God of battles crowned with victory the Union army, and the highest tide of treason and rebellion had been reached on this very field. Hence-forth the unholy cause entered upon its decline, which, while not as rapid as we all could have wished, at least showed itself in their efforts becoming weaker, for no offensive movement in force towards the northern states was again attempted.
Well do you remember, however, how stubbornly almost every inch of ground was contested, and thousands upon thousands of lives had yet to be sacrificed before the death blow to treason was struck at Appomattox in ’65, the Ninety-eighth being no mean factor In the struggle to the end.
But let us now look to the immediate cause of our assemblage here to-day. Shortly after peace was restored to our bleeding country, a spontaneous movement started up to preserve to posterity the outlines of the field of Gettysburg, proclaiming as it does to-day the valor of the citizen soldiery of the American Republic.
A commission was formed, subscriptions solicited, and section after section acquired by purchase and donation until today nearly the whole field of carnage is owned by the Gettysburg Battlefield Association. Regimental associations showed a tendency to commemorate the position held by each of them during the terrific struggle, in marking the spots by the erection of monuments.
One after another was raised upon the field by the survivors, and well may you feel proud, my comrades, that a few years ago you put your shoulders to the wheel, and by a united effort, and with the assistance of your friends, you placed yonder memento upon this field in memory of our fallen comrades. The efforts of the survivors of the war induced the representatives of our beloved State of Pennsylvania to give them a helping hand in this noble undertaking by appropriating a certain sum of money for a monument, to be erected upon the spot where each Pennsylvania regiment and battery fought and bled in those memorable days. Today we have assembled to dedicate these monuments in the presence of our wives and children, our uncles and aunts and our friends in general, many a hand has again clasped the hand of comrades after an interval of years, friendships have been renewed, past hardships and privations have been brought vividly to our mind, let us also drop a silent tear for those near and dear ones who freely gave their lives for the land they loved, as we look upon this beautiful tribute of love to them which but a few moments ago, has been stripped of the flag that hid its beauties.
May you, my comrades, remember, that the visitors to this spot, in the years when we too shall have joined the great army above, amy drop a grateful tear to our memory, and thank the Lord, that, in the hour of danger to our beloved land, there were freemen enough to stand between their loved homes and those whose aim it was to destroy the liberties of a free people. But above all else may it continue to preach to posterity for years to come, that loyalty to our country should ever be second only to loyalty to our creator, the heavenly Father of us all.
May it serve as a warning to future generations that the American citizen will allow no one, no matter who he may be, to insult his flag or attempt to wrest one single star from its place. While we welcome under its folds the oppressed of all the world, let it be decidedly understood that those who bared their breast to the murderous bullet in defense of it, are jealously guarding its interests, and will not allow it to be lowered, dragged into the dust, or used for any other but the noblest purposes of mankind.
May we so direct the education of our children, and through them again our children’s children, that when they look upon these monuments, they may imbibe that spirit of devotion to country and flag which made their ancestors ready and willing to offer their lives in the defense of the Star Spangled Banner, the emblem of liberty, equal rights and national unity. O Lord, grant that it may wave until the end of time, over a nation of freemen enjoying happiness, prosperity and unity.
