Union Troops near Brogue Probably Independent Militia Company
As I related in a recent post, I was puzzled by an account in the July 7, 1863 York Gazette, first reported in the York Pennsylvanian. It said that “last Sunday” there was quite a scare at the Brogue when a company of Union soldiers were mistaken for Confederate invaders. Since two newspapers were involved, I wasn’t sure if “last Sunday” meant July 5 or June 28.
Thanks to an old friend, Bridget Kilgore-Pugh, formerly of York County, but now living in New Hampshire, the mystery might be solved. Bridget read my post and commented that I should look at Samuel P. Bates, History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers 1861-1865. She said she found one of her ancestors, Ankrim Kilgore, listed with a short-term independent company responding to the 1863 invasion of Pennsylvania.
Sure enough:
On page 1322, Volume 5 of Bates, there is a whole company of men, including Ankrim Kilgore, who all seem to be from Lower Chanceford Township. They were mustered in July 3, 1863 and discharged July 30, 1863. The Captain of the company was an experienced veteran, Osborn E. Stephens, who had served with the recently mustered-out 130th Pennsylvania Volunteers.
This well could have been the group of soldiers, on its way to be mustered in, that caused the Brogue panic.
A reprint of Bates, History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-1865 is available for reference use at the York County Heritage Trust Library/Archives. The best thing about the reprint is the every name index, which was not available when the monumental work was first published in 1869-71.
