Genealogy Trails
Schuylkill County
Mexican War

Transcribed by Debbie Ovechka

There had been a constant friction between Mexico and the United States prior the admission of Texas into the Union.

The Mexicans imprisoned Americans, seized their ships and confiscated their goods. In 1831 this country concluded a treaty of commerce with Mexico, which was frequently violated and the Americans retaliated by assisting Texas to become an independent State. Then years later, March 1, 1845, Texas was added to the United States, and a declaration of war followed. November 1, 1846, Governor Shunk issued a call for volunteer which was immediately responded to by two regiments of infantry from Pennsylvania. Schuylkill County responded with Washington Artillery, now Co. F, of Pottsville, Fourth Regiment, National Guard of Pennsylvania. November 30, 1846, the company reported at Philadelphia, joining six companies from that city, two from Pittsburgh and one from Wilkes-Barre. Peace was concluded after a strenuous warfare of not quite two years and the Pennsylvania infantry disbanded in Philadelphia, July 24, 1848.

Muster Roll of Co. B, 1st Regt., Pa. Vols., War With Mexico, December 5, 1846

(From copy in possession of Col. Daniel Nagle, Pottsville, PA.)

Officers Age/Years
Captain, James Nagle -- 25 -- Pottsville
1st Lieut., Simon S. Nagle -- 25 -- Pottsville
2nd LIeut., Franklin B. Kaercher -- 25 -- Pottsville
3rd Lieut., Jacob Fellnagle -- 20 -- Pottsville
1st Sergt., Edward Rehr -- 32 -- Pottsville
2nd Sergt., William S. Nagle -- 20 -- Pottsville
3rd Sergt., Edward Kaercher -- 21 -- Pottsville
4th Sergt., J.L. McMicken -- 24 -- Pottsville
1st Corporal, Enos Zentmyer -- 25 -- Pottsville
2nd Corporal, David Llewellyn -- 22 -- Pottsville
(On Way to New Orleans)
3rd Corporal, J. Egbert Farnum -- 23 -- Pottsville
4th Corporal, Edward W. Masson -- 25 -- Pottsville
1st Musician, Daniel Nagle, Drummer -- 18 -- Pottsville
2nd Musician, Reuben Stamm, Fifer -- 23 -- Pottsville

Privates
William C. Boland -- 23 -- Pottsville
Charles Crimshaw -- 23 -- Pottsville
Daniel Shappell -- 36 -- Pottsville
Elias Shelly -- 26 -- Pottsville
Emanuel Shelly -- 26 -- Pottsville
A.H. Berger --- Pottsville
Nelson Berger --- Pottsville
Henry Smink -- 27 -- Pottsville
George Seitzinger -- 27 -- Pottsville
William Seitzinger -- 40 -- Pottsville
John Stegner -- 29 -- Pottsville
John Shuster -- 22 -- Pottsville
(Discharged at Perote Castle, January 7, 1847)
Jacob W. Shoub -- 22 -- Pottsville
Michael Sands -- 22 -- Pottsville
(Left at New Orleans, January 15, 1847)
James Sands -- 25 -- Pottsville
Robert H. Savage -- 28 -- Pottsville
(Left at New Orleans, January 12, 1847)
Samuel Shadman -- 22 -- Pottsville
Henry Fisher -- 21 -- Pottsville
George W. Garrett -- 24 -- Pottsville
John C. Gilman -- 34 -- Pottsville
Thomas W. Guthrie -- 21 -- Pottsville
(Discharged at Vera Cruz)
Elias F. Hiney -- 26 -- Pottsville
John Hays -- 22 -- Pottsville
Peter Hass -- 26 -- Pottsville
William H. Hatcheley -- 25 -- Pottsville
John Jennings -- 24 -- Pottsville
(Left at New Orleans, January 12, 1847)
Elias Kelly -- 26 -- Pottsville
(Discharged at Vera Cruz, March 17, 1847
John Kepply -- 28 -- Pottsville
Singleton Kimmel -- 22 -- Pottsville
Michael Lust -- 37 -- Pottsville
William Tyson -- 24 -- Pottsville
Abel B. Macy -- 28 -- Pottsville
Alexander McDonald -- 22 -- Pottsville
John Mooney -- 21 -- Pottsville
(Left sick at Pittsburgh, December 21, 1846)
John Myers -- 21 -- Pottsville
Samuel McLaughlin -- 35 -- Pottsville
(Discharged at Vera Cruz, April 2, 1847)
Thomas Simpson -- 18 -- Pottsville
(Left in Mexico)
Robert F. Walter -- 26 -- Pottsville
Gottloeb Wishue -- 22 -- Pottsville
Robert Welsch -- 22 -- Pottsville
William Wolfinger -- 22 -- Pottsville
William Witecomb -- 25 -- Pottsville
Owen D. Thomas -- 29 -- Pottsville
Andrew Stamm -- 20 -- Pottsville
John Douty
(Killed at San Angel, by Mexican Greaser
in ambush --- Pottsville
Joel Metz --- Pottsville
James H. Ruckel -- 23 -- Pottsville
David Jones -- 22 -- Pottsville
(Discharged at Vera Cruz, April, 1847)
Benjamin Shell -- 20 -- Pottsville
Benjamin Smith -- 20 -- Pottsville
(Died at Perote Castle, June 29, 1847)
Augustus H. Boyer -- 21 -- Pottsville
Bernard Barr -- 32 -- Pottsville
Valentine K. Mills -- 30 -- Pottsville
(Died at Perote Castle, August 8, 1847)
William Merkle -- 25 -- Pottsville
(Killed by Mexican Greaser in ambush
at San Angel, about August 1st)
Benjamin Nagle -- 26 -- Pottsville
(Died at San Angel, Mexico)
John M. Nolan -- 24 -- Pottsville
Francis M. Wynkoop -- 28 -- Pottsville
(Elected Colonel from the ranks at Pittsburgh)
Francis C. McGeen -- 23 -- Pottsville
Henry Richards -- 22 -- Pottsville
John Hand -- 19 -- Philadelphia
Thomas W. Guthrie -- 22 -- Philadelphia
Henry Graeff -- 26 -- Philadelphia
(Died at Jalapa, Mexico)
Patrick H. McElroy -- 23 -- Pittsburgh
(Left January 5, 1847 at New Orleans)
Joshua Jenkins -- 24 -- Pittsburgh
Thomas Quiddington -- 42 -- Pittsburgh
John McCormick -- 19 -- Pittsburgh
William Hines -- 20 -- Pittsburgh
Thomas J. Gilpin --- Pittsburgh
Mahlon A. Fraser -- 25 -- Pittsburgh
(Left at Vera Cruz, April 8, 1847 - New Orleans)
William Knockhouse -- 22 -- Schuylkill Haven
William H. Stackpole -- 21 -- Waynesburg
Samuel Montgomery -- 22 -- Waynesburg
(Died at Perote Castle, August 26, 1847)
Levi Bright -- 30 -- Reading
(Lost on march from Pueblo to Perote)
Charles Seagraves -- 22 -- Reading
George W. Hesser -- 27 -- McVeytown
Seth Price -- 26 -- Orwigsburg
Edward Robins -- 21 -- Port Carbon
Levi Essler --- ----

Commissioned officers -- 4
Musicians -- 2
Non-commissioned officers -- 8
Private soldiers -- 83

Total -- 97

Number of men enlisted in Pottsville -- 74
Number enlisted outside of Pottsville, but in county -- 10
Number enlisted outside of county along route to New Orleans -- 13

Total -- 97

The following is a copy of a letter written by William Merkle, July 16, 1847, to his mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Merkle, of Spring Garden, Schuylkill Haven, several days before his death. Col. Daniel Nagle says: "William Merkle and John Douty went out for a walk, one morning, beyond the picket line, when they were shot by Mexican Greasers lying in ambush. Their bodies were recovered and buried within the redoubts." (History of Merkles) The original is in the possession of his great nephew, Prof. Bartolet, Instructor of Mathematics, Collegiate Institute, York, Pa. The stamp bears the date of November 5, 1847, Vera Cruz, Mexico. William Merkle was an uncle of W.J. Zerbey, deceased, of Pottsville.


Castle of Revote, Mexico, July 16, 1847

My Dear Mother:

I am now in this castle, 36 miles from Jalapa, about 110 from Vera Cruz, and more than 2,000 from you and my own dear home. I am in good health, good spirits, and pleased with my companions. Here we live on the best productions of Mexico, without work, and permitted to enjoy ourselves as we most desire: and so long as we enjoy health, no one could wish for more happiness. The building is very large, the city of Revote a short mile distant, and the whole country around is a level plain of cultivated land, bounded by mountains of immense height, for their tops are always covered with snow. Beef, pork potatoes, onions, beans, peas, tomatoes, etc., are very plenty, but very dear here.

We have had some hard fighting, but, thank God, I am yet among the living, although in the midst of all the trials. On the evening of the 21st of June, our company with some others, left here to relieve a train of wagons from Vera Cruz, and the next morning at three o'clock we routed our savage enemies at Lavidia, about 16 miles from here. The Mexicans numbered about 500 - our force about 300; but we routed and defeated them, killing about 100 of them, without loss of a single man, although we lost four horses.

We are not awaiting fresh orders, and expect to have another engagement with more than 5,000 Mexicans who have fortified the National Bridge, between here and Vera Cruz. When or whither we go is uncertain.

The sick and wounded are dying very fast in our hospital. The funerals average from 10 to 13 every day. We have only lost five out of our company by death, but many by desertion and discharge.

We are uncertain when peace will be agreed upon, or when we will return home.

I have never received an answer to any of my letters home, and you need not expect another until you write to.

Your affectionate son, William Merkle


Mrs. Elizabeth Merkle:

The Civil War of the Rebellion has not been adverted to in these pages. It is of two recent occurrences and its history too well known to class it with the early events to which the volume is devoted. Its stirring history is left to the pen of the historian of the future if it has not been already covered by the ready writer.

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Source citation: "Blue Book of Schuylkill County : who was who and why in interior eastern Pennsylvania, in colonial days, the Huguenots and Palatines, their service in Queen Anne's, French and Indian, and Revolutionary Wars : history of Zerbey, Schwalm, Miller, Merkle, Minnich, Staudt, and many other representative families" by Ella Zerbey Elliott; Pottsville, Pa.: "Republican", 1916

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