In 1862, Colonel Jacob Frick organized a regiment of soldiers from Schuylkill County and other Coal Region communities for the US Army to fight in the Civil War.
The 129th Pennsylvania was born and in December 1862 it received its baptism by fire at Fredericksburg, Virginia in the fight at Marye’s Heights on December 13, 1862. The 129th Pennsylvania and the rest of General Ambrose Burnside’s Army of the Potomac were unable to dislodge Confederate forces from a ridgeline near Fredericksburg in one of the bloodiest military defeats in US history.
Major Joseph Anthony summed up the unit’s experience and the actions of Colonel Frick during the Battle of Fredericksburg:
How the bullets whistled and hissed about our heads, and the shell exploded right in our midst. Nothing could withstand that withering line of fire. Men fell around me on all sides, and it seemed and it seemed almost a miracle that I was untouched.
The line was kept in as good order as possible under the circumstances. We advanced to within a short distance of the wall-perhaps 50 or 75 yards-and then flesh and blood could stand it no longer. The line began to waver and part-our advance was checked. We could not keep the gaps in the ranks filled up.
The officers did their best to urge the men forward, but it was worse than useless as nothing but death stared them in the face… From the time we first started on the charge to the time we returned, was scarcely more than 15 or 20 minutes; yet in that short time 137 of our men had fallen either killed wounded, or afterwards discovered to be among the missing. Nine officers of the regiment were either killed or wounded, and so far as I know there was not one who faltered or hung back.
Our Colonel exposed himself fearlessly, keeping the line in good order, and cheering the men forward in that fearful advance; and afterwards when we were compelled to retire, restored the lines once more, so as to be prepared for any movement of the enemy.
For these actions, and those at the Battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863, the Federal government awarded Frick the Medal of Honor.
He returned to the Coal Region after the Civil War. He died in 1902 and is buried at Pottsville’s Presbyterian Cemetery on Howard Avenue.
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Jake, Irish Brigade Camp #4, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War will lay a wreath at the Irish Brigade Monument, city Dock Park, Fredericksburg, VA on Dec 15. I will use your post for my comments as the Camp Commander. I will give full credit to you for posting this story.
Wow! Sounds amazing – thank you for honoring their memory. And thanks for all you do. – Jake