We’ve written previously about a railroad disaster on the Northern Central Railroad near Millersburg, Pennsylvania on June 17, 1863. The wreck left six dead and scores injured when an axle on one of the railroad cars broke and caused a derailment.

This railroad wreck happened as refugees fled the Confederate invasion of Pennsylvania in a campaign that led to the Civil War’s bloodiest battle: Gettysburg.

This month, we came across an eyewitness account of the train wreck from the Luzerne Union newspaper of Wilkes-Barre. Their correspondent – writing under the penname LEE – described the accident and the circumstances that followed:

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For the Luzerne Union.

The Emergency – Rail Road Accident, &c.

Mr. Editor: About one week ago Gov. Curtin officially reported Lee’s army in Pennsylvania, so I packed up (got several photographs taken) and went to meet the invaders to show them a little of my skill in shooting; and when I arrived at Harrisburg I saw many thousands who had come there for the same purpose. Gen. Lee hearing of our intentions suddenly left our sacred soil with all his forces, consequently many of us being unable to see “the emergency” left Harrisburg on the N.C.R.R. on Friday noon train for our peaceful homes.

There were about five hundred passengers aboard this train, many of whom were obliged to ride on the platforms of the cars for want of other seats. The train was running about twenty-five miles an hour between Halifax and Millersburg, when an axle under the baggage car broke. This car ran about one hundred yards on the ties when it plowed into the ground and almost instantly stopped the whole train, the cars running into one another. Those standing on the platforms were the only ones injured. Of them 8 were killed [reports from the scene put this at 6] and about 15 seriously wounded.

Not till after the train had stopped, and the men, women and children had escaped from the cars, were we fully alive to the situation we were in. The mangled corpses, the wreck of cars, the narrow escape of us all struck us with amazement. After we had taken care of the dead, dying and wounded, we walked on to Millersburg where an inquest was held, when these facts were sworn to: That all the passengers had paid full first class fare; that mean old cars had been furnished; that many were obliged to ride on the platforms for want of any other seats; that another car would have furnished all with seats; that then the accident might have happened, but no one would have been killed; and that no one censures conductor but that all censure the Company severely.

Those who were killed were chiefly from the West Branch; one, Snyder, from Mauch Chunk. I advise all never to ride on the platform and always to take the rear car if they can get it. A wag estimated the damage done to the R. R. Co. at somewhere between two thousand and a million of dollars, which was about my estimate.

Many of the militia volunteered and were mustered into the United States service for six months, or during the emergency. A large force will soon be collected on our border to prevent invasion and assist Hooker in fighting the next battle. The boys who stayed under this last call intend to hurt somebody before they return, and I have no doubt they will do it.

LEE.

Wilkes-Barre, June 22, 1863.

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Read our previous story of the railroad disaster on the Northern Central Railroad

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