This is from my diary, but investigations since the war make it
evident that it must be a mistake; that the 5th Ga. was not in that
road, but it was the 6th Ga., and this officer was probably Lieutenant-Colonel
J. M. Newton of that regiment.
Lieutenant, afterwards Captain, Charles McDougal was a Methodist
minister before he entered the army. If he could preach as well
as he could fight, he was worthy of a commission in the church militant.
This eye-witness was Captain Haviland, Company G, One Hundred
and Forty-second Pennsylvania Volunteers, whose regiment
was attached to the Pennsylvania Reserves, and which lost in that
charge two hundred and forty-three men killed and wounded. Captain
Haviland had been wounded, and was making his way with
Major John Bradley, also wounded, to the hospital. They happened
to be passing Birney's head-quarters when Meade rode up,
and heard the whole interview.
This order was dated January 23, 1863, and can be found
in the Annual American Cyclopædia, 1863, page 79, with a copious
extract from the report of the Committee of Congress on the Conduct
of the War. It is there stated that this order was issued subject
to the President's approval, and was sent to Washington for
that purpose, General Burnside soon following and interviewing the
President. It is also stated that it was not approved and was not
published. How, then, did I come in possession of its main features,
so as to note them in my diary at the time? And how should my
recollection of them be so clear, as they certainly are, unless it had
been made public. Possibly the press may have published it. It
was certainly published in some form.
Bates's History, Pennsylvania Volunteers, places here the name
of "Charles A. Meylert, second lieutenant, promoted from private,
Co. K, Feb. 23, 1863, missing since that date." Co. K's roll
notes the transfer of this man to Co. A. His name is not on the
original roll of Co. A, and is therefore omitted here. The following
note received from Captain Charles C. Norris, Co. A, explains:
Philadelphia, July 12, 1904. Colonel F. L. Hitchcock, Scranton, Pa.
My Dear Colonel: ... I have a copy of the muster-out roll of
Co. A, to which I have referred.... I would also state that Charles
A. Meylert does not appear on the muster-out roll, nor was he at
any time carried on the roll of Co. A.... On the march from
Harper's Ferry to Warrenton, Va., about Nov. 1, 1862, Co. A held
an election for officers to fill vacancies caused by the promotion of
Captain Shreve to be major of the regiment. The following were
elected: Chas. C. Norris, captain; Thomas Maxwell, first lieutenant,
and Edward W. Roderick, second lieutenant. The result of
this election was forwarded through head-quarters to Governor
Curtin. The commissions were not sent on until some time in
December, 1862. Colonel Albright, commanding the regiment, sent
for me one day and told me he had received a commission for
Charles A. Meylert as second lieutenant of Co. A; that it was an
outrage upon Co. A, and that he would send it back to Governor
Curtin with a letter, which I believe he did, the result of which was
Roderick's commission was issued in accordance with his election,
and he was mustered in, and Meylert's commission was revoked.
As the commanding officer of Co. A, I never received any official
notice or record of Meylert's commission or muster into service;
hence his name was never entered upon my company roll. How
Bates came to place his name upon my roll, I do not know.