The year was 1862, when on October 22, 29 year old George Bilger, enrolled to fill the growing ranks of the Union Army.  Six days later, on October 28, he was mustered into the 172nd Regiment, Company B, Pennsylvania Drafted Militia Infantry at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as a Corporal for a period of nine (9) months.  At this point in time I don’t know whether the 172nd was in any engagements, but being a militia, they most likely stayed in or around Harrisburg itself.  In his enlistment papers with the 172nd, where he is reported present on each of the 7 Company muster rolls, he is listed as age 39 on the initial roll for October through December, 1862, but age 29 on the final roll for July when he is mustered out of service on the 31st, 1863.  George, having fulfilled his term of service returned to Beavertown and his occupation as a wheelwright.

While the time George spent in or around Harrisburg may have been relatively uneventful during the better part of his service, Harrisburg became a hot-bed of activity during his final month or two of service, just prior to his discharge on July 31, 1863.  George was most likely kept very busy preparing for the defense of Harrisburg with the approach of Lee's Confederate Army now out of Virginia and moving straight into the heartland of Pennsylvania, threatening Harrisburg itself.  Confederate General Richard S. Ewell had, on the 29th of June, 1863, just occupied Carlisle, a mere 18 miles west of Harrisburg, while one Confederate cavalry unit, that was scouting the area, camped just four (4) miles from it.  Had events not unfolded as they did, well to the south, in a sleepy little town called Gettysburg, George might have found himself in the battle of his life as Lee's initial objective was to capture Harrisburg and then destroy the Union army.

George and Jesse Bilger both enlist in August, 1864 for one year of service with the 184th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry (see photo at left) , George re-enlisting with the rank of sergeant on the 27th at Beavertown, Beaver Township, Snyder County and Jesse with the rank of private on the 20th in Harrisburg, although Centre Township, Snyder County is credited with the enlistment.  George appears to have been actually mustered in on September 10th in Harrisburg although they may both have been at the same time.  Unlike George’s earlier Drafted Militia roll cards, the cards for volunteers give us a description as to the appearance of each and their occupation.  George had dark eyes and hair with a fair complexion, standing 5 ft.- 10 in. tall, was a wheelwright while Jesse had gray eyes and sandy colored hair, stood 5 ft.- 9 in. tall and also of fair complexion and was a cooper (barrel maker).  The initial roll card for George lists his age as being 21 and a Sergeant, immediately followed by a subsequent roll that shows his age, now corrected, as 31, but his rank incorrectly as Private.  The record keeping left something to be desired.  Jesse’s roll cards however appear to be correct.

George and Jesse found themselves at Camp Curtin in Harrisburg. George initially was with Captain Edmond's Co., but this was later organized into Company I, while Jesse was assigned to Company B, 184th Regiment, which would later join up with others to form the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 2nd Corps.  They were being quickly trained to fill the ranks of a depleted 184th which had left on the 14th of May under Major Charles Kleckner to join in Grant’s Richmond campaign.  The 184th had already fought at Tolopotomy Creek on May 29th, 1864, then Cold Harbor, taking part in a series of assaults on June 1st - 3rd and 11th - 12th.  On June 15th -18th, they ended up south of the James in the initial assault on Petersburg.  By June 22nd, the 184th, had lost in heavy fighting, 350 men and 12 officers who were either killed, wounded or taken prisoner out of  the original 500 in a period of only 25 days.  Near the end of July, only a handful remained, but they still participated in expeditions to Deep Bottom on the 29th and 16th of August and again at Weldon Railroad on August 21, 1864.  With the arrival of the new recruits at Petersburg, the 184th was apparently re-assigned to the 1st Brigade.  Neither George nor Jesse had to wait long to see action.

    At 2:30 a.m., on the morning of Wednesday, October 26th, the 2nd Division, led by General Thomas W. Egan, the 1st Brigade, under Lieut. Col. Horace P. Rugg and the 184th Regiment, under Major Charles Kleckner, was quietly withdrawn from the front lines facing Petersburg, leaving only the 1st Division to cover for them.  At this point in time, the 1st Brigade consisted of the 19th Maine, 19th Massachusetts, 20th Massachusetts, 7th Michigan, 1st Minnesota (Co’s A & B), 59th New York, 152nd New York, 36th Wisconsin and the 184th Pennsylvania Regiments.  Most probably they marched east, then south (see map above) along the old Baxter road to an area just behind Fort Bross, which was located a short distance northeast of the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad near the right flank of the rear or secondary line of Union fortifications that protected the military railroad.  Here they were given six days rations and  ‘the full amount of ammunition’ and at 2:30 p.m. they marched along this line to the extreme left flank near Fort Dushane.  Fort Dushane was located just west of the Halifax road and the Petersburg & Weldon Railroad.  From here they headed south along Halifax road until they came to Robertson’s house where they bivouacked for the night.

    The morning of Thursday, October 27th began early at 3:30 a.m.  The day was dark and gloomy, with a heavy rain falling.  The 2nd Division continued along Halifax road with General Smyth’s 3rd Brigade in the lead, followed by Colonel Willett’s 2nd Brigade and finally Colonel Rugg’s 1st Brigade (184th) bringing up the rear.  They were preceded by a squadron of the 6th Ohio cavalry and Companies C and I of the 5th U.S. Artillery.  About ½ mile down Halifax Road, they turned right (west) to follow Church Road.  Around 6:00 a.m., just as they reached the Vaughan Road, skirmishers of the 2nd Division, came under the fire of Confederate cavalry posted at a house about 200 yards on their left.  The enemy quickly withdrew and the column proceeded rapidly, for the next two miles, down Vaughan Road until they met Young’s Georgia cavalry entrenched on the farside of Hatcher’s Run.  The skirmishers engaged the dismounted Georgia cavalry and came up to within 30 yards of their entrenchment, but could go no further until the main body arrived.  Egan sent Smyth’s 3rd Brigade forward, crossing Hatcher’s Run and over running the rebel position, capturing a number of prisoners.  Rugg’s 1st Brigade (184th) in the meantime had been deployed just to the left of the Vaughan road while Willett’s 2nd Brigade was deployed right to cover Smyth’s 3rd Brigade as he made his attack.

Once the far bank had been secured at around 6:30 a.m., the 2nd Division reformed and proceed down a narrow road that paralleled the Dabney Mill road, this time Rugg’s 1st Brigade (184th) led the column followed by Willett’s 2nd  Brigade with Smyth’s 3rd Brigade bringing up the rear.  At about 8:30 a.m. they reached Hatcher’s Run a second time, near Armstrong’s Mill.  Here the 1st Brigade was deployed across the road and skirmishers were sent across Hatcher’s Run again to assure no rebel troops were there and none were found.  The column reformed and pushed south west toward Dabney’s Mill, reaching the cross-road around 9:15 a.m. where the skirmishers captured Major Venable of Hampton’s Virginia Cavalry.  At about 9:45 a.m., Mott’s 3rd Division reached Dabney’s Mill, having come directly down Dabney Mill road, also referred to in official reports as ‘the plantation road’.  Egan again reformed his 2nd Division and with Rugg’s 1st Brigade (184th) in the lead, continued the advance along this narrow track toward Boydton Plank road.

At 10:30 a.m. the 1st Brigade reached the Boydton Plank road through an open field where they discovered Hampton’s Virginia cavalry was already deploying on their right, near the Burgess tavern at the junction of Boydton Plank and White Oak roads in an attempt to prevent them from crossing the bridge further on down the Boydton Plank road that spanned Hatcher’s Run near Burgess’ Mill.  Egan immediately responded by sending the 19th and 20th Massachusetts Regiments of Rugg’s 1st Brigade (184th), under the command of Capt. A. H. Embler, to probe the rebel position, approaching it along the right side of Boydton Plank.  The remainder of Rugg’s 1st Brigade (184th) was sent across to left side of Boydton Plank road while Willett’s 2nd Brigade was deployed in the open field on the right side.  As they were deploying, they began taking on rebel artillery fire (see photo below right) in the form of caseshot from four different batteries all about 800 yards away.  The first located directly in front of them, near the Burgess tavern, one to their left between Hatcher’s Run and White Oak road , another to the right of the Boydton Plank road on high ground near Hatcher’s Run and finally behind (south west) of them on the Boydton Plank road.  Both Companies of Beck’s 5th U.S. Artillery was immediately brought to bear and quickly silenced all four batteries, forcing them to re-deploy further away.

During this artillery duel, Egan temporarily deployed Smyth’s 3rd Brigade to cover his left flank and rear along the plank road until the first of Mott’s three brigades of his 3rd Division could arrive.  With the arrival of Brig. General DeTrobriand’s 1st Brigade (3rd Div.), Smyth’s 3rd Brigade was pulled out and moved forward along the Boydton plank road to replace Willett’s 2nd Brigade which was advancing forward with orders to take the rebel position directly in front of them near the tavern.  This all happened at around 11:30 a.m.  Charging the rebel positions at a run, Embler’s skirmishers ((19th & 20th Mass.) Rugg’s 1st Brig.) and Willett’s 2nd Brigade in support first drove the rebel skirmishers back across a small swampy ravine and stream.  There, Embler and Willett reformed their units and charged the main body on a crest near the tavern, driving them from this position.  Forcing the barricades from around the toll-gate at the tavern, Egan remarked, later in his official report, that “the Virginia highway regulations were not observed.”

With the position taken, Rugg’s 1st Brigade (184th) and Smyth’s 3rd Brigade were moved up along with two sections of Beck’s 5th Artillery.  Smyth’s 3rd Brigade was deployed on Willett’s right thereby extending the Union front, both being located to the right of Boydton Plank road while Rugg’s 1st Brigade (184th) formed off Willett’s left just past the tavern, and straddled the White Oak road, (see photo below left) extending to a ravine and swamp at a point of woods.  During this deployment, Rugg’s 1st Brigade (184th), began taking some severe rebel artillery fire from a position to Rugg’s left as was the front held by Willett’s 2nd and Smyth’s 3rd Brigades from another battery located near the mill pond dam, about 800 yards down the plank road.

At around 1:00 p.m. Egan ordered Smyth’s 3rd Brigade, to take the position near the mill pond dam (see photo at right) and bridge then occupied by the rebel artillery and infantry.  This they did quickly, capturing the bridge-head, a cannon, limber, caisson and driving the rebel forces back across the bridge spanning Hatcher’s Run.  Willett’s 2nd Brigade then was brought up in order to extend the front on the right flank of Smyth’s 3rd Brigade as they both faced a line of rebel skirmishers and entrenchments on the opposite bank of Hatcher’s Run.

At about 3:00 p.m., having been re-enforced with the arrival of the 3rd Brigade of Mott’s 3rd Division, commanded by Colonel Robert McAllister, who was deployed just behind Smyth’s 3rd Brigade, Egan was determined to cross Hatcher’s Run at the bridge near the mill pond dam and attack the main rebel position.  He first, however, wanted to make contact with General Crawford’s Division of Warren’s 5th Corps, which was attempting to advance toward them from the east in order to effect a linkup that would form a continuous front from the Burgess mill pond bridge all the way back to the western edge of the siege works around Petersburg.  So Egan sent out skirmishers of the 10th New York and 12th New Jersey who were advancing eastwards toward this expected linkup, instead they encountered increased fire from advancing rebel skirmishers.

Despite the increasing rebel fire, at around 4:00 p.m. Egan gave Smyth’s 3rd Brigade the order for an assault across Hatcher’s Run which was in progress until about 4:15 p.m., when two of three Confederate brigades, under Mahone, emerged into this gap in the line and having encountered the Union skirmishers, came up hard and fast.  Brig. General Byron R. Pierce’s 2nd Brigade (last of Mott’s three brigades of the 3rd Division) was coming up, through the open field behind McAllister’s 3rd Brigade (3rd Div.), but was still some distance away when the brigades of  Weisiger’s Virginians and McRae’s North Carolinians of Mahone’s command quickly appeared out of the woods. (see photo at left)   Pierce had heard the skirmishing to his right, but not until the firing became louder and more intense, did he begin to turn the 2nd Brigade in order to face the threat, but by then it was too late.  Pierce’s 2nd Brigade (3rd Div.), overlapped on both ends of it’s skirmish line, was thrown back in confusion toward the Boydton Plank road.

 To counter this new threat, Egan ordered Smyth’s 3rd Brigade to stop his advance and return immediately to his former position at the bridge-head and that McAllister’s 3rd Brigade (3rd Div.) should do an about face, and quickly advance in an effort to out-flank Mahone’s right flank comprising MacRae’s North Carolinians.  The Union brigades of Hoffman and Bragg under General Crawford of the 5th Corps were still some distance away as well but would eventually begin to apply pressure on Mahone’s left, engaging Weisiger’s Virginia Brigade while DeTrobriand’s 1st Brigade (3rd Div.) was ordered to do an about face as well and advance from it’s position west of the Boydton Plank road to engage Harris’s Brigade on Mahone’s front.

The attack by Mahone three Confederate brigades was also being felt by Rugg’s 1st Brigade (184th) as at about 4:30 they were ordered to also vacate their position on the White Oak road, leaving only a heavy skirmish line composed of the 1st Minnesota, 7th Michigan and 19th Massachusetts.  This left only the 19th Maine, 20th Massachusetts, 36th Wisconsin, 59th and 152nd New York and 184th Pennsylvania Regiments remaining in the main body of Rugg’s 1st Brigade.  When McAllister’s 3rd Brigade (3rd Div.) commenced its advance on Mahone’s right, Rugg’s 1st Brigade was to fill the void on Willett’s right flank. (see photo below right)  Although Rugg’s 1st Brigade (184th) had been taking fire, it appears that was neither heavy enough to keep Rugg’s 1st Brigade deployed in it’s position up to this point in the battle nor was it intense enough to initiate any maneuvers to drive off the rebel artillery battery or supporting dismounted cavalry.  Apparently an attack, by Confederate General Butler, was just commencing along the White Oak road against Rugg’s 1st Brigade (184th) just as this re-deployment was occurring.

Although it is merely conjecture, I feel, given the report by Major Charles Kleckner which states that: ‘during the engagement which followed were merely engaged in shifting position, losing 6 men killed, 10 wounded’, that it is plausible to suggest that during this ‘shifting position’, (see photo at right)  the 184th Regiment not only experienced greater exposure to enemy fire, but greatly increased enemy fire as well.  This combination, I believe, proved to be fateful for both Sergeant George Bilger and Private Jesse Bilger, as George took a minnie ball in his left upper thigh and Jesse receiving his fatal head wound.  Given that the entire 1st Brigade lost a total of 10 men killed and 28 wounded, throughout the entire battle,  I believe George and Jesse Bilger were hit at about the same time and on the White Oak road between 4:30 and 5:00 in the afternoon while executing this maneuver!

 In spite of Butler’s attack, Rugg’s 1st Brigade completed the maneuver to the other side of the Boydton Plank road and advanced into the open field to face MacRae’s North Carolinians.  There, the 36th Wisconsin, a flag less and disgraced regiment that had fled at the Battle of Reams Station months earlier was pulled out of Rugg’s 1st Brigade to be lead by Bvt. Lieut. Col. W.G. Mitchell, an aide decamp to General Hancock.  The 36th Wisconsin charged into MacRae’s beleaguered North Carolinians and they broke, but not before the 36th Wisconsin captured their colors, officers and more men then they themselves had and they were redeemed.  What remained of Mahone’s three brigades struggled to make it back to the cover of the woods were they had emerged earlier and the main threat to the whole of Hancock’s 2nd Corps was over.

At the first sound of Mahone’s attack, the whole of Hancock’s 2nd Corps was besieged, coming under heavy rebel fire on all sides.  Heth’s attack on Smyth’s 3rd Brigade (now back in it’s former position) and Willett’s 2nd Brigade along Hatcher’s Run, however, was quickly repulsed and Butler’s attack on the position formerly occupied by Rugg’s 1st Brigade (184th) along White Oak road withered under heavy Union fire of the skirmishers of Rugg’s 1st Brigade.  Fitzhugh Lee’s Confederate cavalry, which had been slowly pushing back only Gregg’s Union cavalry, now faced a skirmish line that threatened to overlap their own line as reinforcements, now freed up as Mahone’s attacked had been crushed, poured in on either side of Gregg’s beleaguered cavalry.  Fitzhugh Lee gave up the fight and pulled back.  Except for another attack by Heth on Smyth’s front at the bridgehead around 8:00, the main battle was over.

The sad part of this battle was that although the Union forces had beaten off every Confederate attempt to dislodge them, it was lack of ammunition for the inevitable early morning rebel attack and their feeble hold on Dabney Mill road, now barely passable, that forced General Hancock to make the final decision to withdraw.  Given the extent and strength of rebel en-trenchments that existed across Hatcher’s Run where none had previously been reported, and that Confederate snipers had been busy that day all along Dabney Mill road, Hancock was concerned that it might turn into a disaster that, in the back of everyone’s mind, would weight heavily against the Union cause and ultimately Lincoln as the elections were only a week or so away.

The order was given and around 10:00, Hancock’s 2nd Corps began their withdrawal.  Sadder still was that there were too few ambulance wagons available to handle the wounded and as many as 250 wounded Union soldiers, George Bilger among them, ended up being abandoned on the battlefield with no means to travel other than under their own power.  Colonel Kleckner reports that between 1:00 and 2:00 a.m., on the morning of Friday, October 28th, the 184th Regiment withdrew.

I can’t begin to imagine the anguish that George was going through.  He was hurting badly, he may or may not have seen his cousin Jesse go down, but most likely he knew that he had, he was probably cold and wet and if that weren’t enough, his unit and his friends were departing, but George was not the only one left behind.  In addition to the wounded, apparently in his eagerness to get his brigade out, Lieut. Col. Rugg made a feeble attempt to get notice out to his pickets that the 184th Regiment was withdrawing, but failed and never mentioned it to his superior, General Egan.  Commanding officer Captain Farwell of the 1st Minnesota and 7th Michigan found himself very much alone early that Friday morning.  With a slim chance of escape and with it the prospect of the Confederates capturing their flags, Captain Farwell tore his National colors apart to prevent it’s capture and passed out the pieces to each member of his regiment, then he had the State colors wrapped around his body under his clothes and they began their withdrawal just as rebel skirmishers were advancing.  Fighting the rebel skirmishers for several miles, they eventually reached the safety of Union lines, but  just narrowly escaped capture.

George, in the meantime, not fancying his prospects in a Confederate prisoner-of-war camp may have attempted to go with his unit, despite his debilitating leg wound, but was unable to keep up with them. Captain Kleckner reports that at the time he filed his report,  he was uncertain as to the number of missing as, “they are coming in at intervals, the last report being 35”.  The 184th Regiment arrived at their camp around 5:00 p.m. on Friday afternoon, having retraced, for the most part the route they originally took in.  George was originally listed as killed in action in the official paper work, but later notations corrected that.  He did not go directly to his unit’s surgeon, but rather was treated at the hospital at City Point, Virginia, which may be why the paperwork at the regimental level was wrong.  On October 30th, 1864, George was admitted to Emory General Hospital, (see photo at right) one of several around the outskirts of Washington D.C. where he spent the next several months recovering from his wound.  His medical card describes the treatments to the wound as follows; "Nov. 10th warm poultices (a medicated plaster), Nov. 20th creosote (liniment or grease) & poultices, Dec. 1st cold water dressings, Dec. 15th Resin cerate (salve) applied to wound, Dec. 30th Wound fairly healed dry dressings applied, Feb. 20th Wound healed no treatment required."  On February 21st George was discharged from the hospital and shortly thereafter rejoined the 184th Regiment.  On March 18, 1865, just a few weeks shy of Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House, Sergeant George Bilger was discharged, on a certificate of disability, from the Army of the Potomac becoming George Bilger, civilian.  The 184th Regiment was mustered out of service on June 2, 1865 at Munsay Hill, Virginia.

George, now a civilian would still feel the effects of his wound the rest of his life as he applied for and received a pension based on the incapacitating effect the minnie ball had on the muscles in his leg.  Prior to the war, George had been a wheelwright, but was unable to resume that line of work.  Census records list him as being a farmer after that.  George died March 20, 1912 and was buried alongside his wife Charlotte and daughter Jane in the cemetery south of Beaver Springs. (see photos at left)

Jesse Bilger’s death was remembered in a letter written Sunday, Oct. 30th, 1864, after the battle by George Henry of Co H, 184th Regiment who was a neighbor of Jesse’s before the war.  He wrote the following excerpt, transcribed here exactly as it appeared regarding Jesse Bilger, to his sister Amenia,; ”We had Some heard Marching and not alone that but Some heard fighting also we lost a good many in Killed and wounted and Some of our neighbors were amonst the Killed Jesse Bilger and Samuel Welfly, But Kind providence Saw fit to protect me from the flying Bullets Which were throwen into our Men in range”.   Jesse was most likely buried in a hastily dug grave after the battle subsided and as that grim, dreary day slipped into darkness.

On April 17, 1866, the Poplar Grove National Cemetery was surveyed and between July 1866 through June 1869 “Burial Corps” combed the area around Petersburg and most likely disinterred Jesse’s body along with 6,177 other Union soldiers for proper burial at Poplar Grove.  Unfortunately, of the 6,178 bodies recovered, only 2,139 were positively identified and having checked both at the Visitors Center and at the National Cemetery itself, (see right-most photo) I found no reference to Jesse Bilger, his final resting place known only to God and possibly marked with an “Unknown” white stone marker. (see left-most photo)

(This battle, in all it’s detail, can be found in; The History of the Second Army Corps by Francis A. Walker, pages 295-300 & 315 through the report submitted by Brigadier-General Thomas W. Egan and Major Charles Kleckner or for more interesting reading, by visiting the following web sites: www.thehistorynet.com and viewing the article; Hancock's Well Conducted Fizzle or the Petersburg National Battlefield