Pvt. John Gormly of Company F. He was mustered into service on August 20th 1861 at the age of 16 against the wishes of his mother. He was wounded (shot in the leg) at the battle of Fair Oaks on May 31st 1862, captured and sent to Libby Prison (yes they did mix enlisted men with officers at that time.) It was said the best advice he ever recieved was to not eat any of the bread at Libby. He was exchanged in spring of 1863 and returned to the unit prior to the Gettysburg campaign. He is buried at New Cathedral Cemetery in Philadelphia.
Lt. Henry Crease Company B. He was mustered into Service on August 2nd 1861 at the arsenal in Philadelphia. He served his three year term and was mustered out of Service on September 8th 1864. We have yet to find his burial location.
1st Lt Fitzhugh Birney of Company A. He was born on January 9th 1842. Brother of David Bell Birney. He was mustered into service at the arsenal in Philadelphia on December 1st 1861. The following month in January of 1862, he was transfered to the signal corps. He died on June 17th 1864. He is buried at Williamsburg Cemetery in Groveland, NY. A picture of his headstone can be viewed on page three of The Virtual Cemetery.
1st Lt. Louis D. Baugh of Company G (Three Months Volunteers) of the 23rd Pennsylvania. He was born on August 3rd 1829. He was mustered in on April 21st 1861, being one of the first in Philadelphia to serve. He was mustered out on July 31st 1861. Notice the extravagant uniform he is wearing. It was labeled Washington Gray's but a decendant insisted that it was his Civil War uniform. He died on May 8th 1894 and is buried in West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia in section LA , Lot 63 , Grave 1. His headstone can be viewed on Page 9 of The Virtual Cemetery.
Robert B. Beath was born on January 25th 1839. He died at his home in Philadelphia, Pa., November 25, 1914. He enlisted in April 1861, as a private in the 23rd Pennsylvania Volunteers and was promoted to 2nd Corporal; reenlisted in September 1861, in the 28th Pennsylvania and was promoted sergeant and second lieutenant; was commissioned as captain in the 6th USCT and was wounded at the second Battle of Bull Run. He lost his right let at Chapin's farm n 1864 and was commissioned as Lt. Colonel in 1865. He was a charter member of the first post organized in Pennsylvania in October 1866 and from that moment his interest and activity in the organization never flagged until 48 years later, when he peacefully and painlessly passed from this life to that great beyond. In 1866 he became commander of Post No. 2. In 1867 junior vice department commander, 1869 to 1872 assistant adjutant general, and in 1873 department commander. Under Commanders-in-Chief Burnside, Hartranft and Wagner he served as adjutant general and in 1883 was elected commander-in-chief. When it became imperative that a history of the Grand Army of the Republic should be written it was unanimously conceded that the one man who was eminently fitted for that task was Robert B. Beath. And so that history was written and will always remain a monument and reminder to his comrades of his interest and devotion to their interests. He long served on the committee on rules and regulation and to his untiring labors upon that committee we owe our present system of conducting our affairs. He was the author of the Grand Army Blue book and at the time of this death was a member of the board of trustees of the permanent fund. He is buried at Woodlands Cemetery in Section L, Lot 240, Grave 7.
Three Members of the 23rd pose for a photo, most likely in a Philadelphia Studio just before,or at the outset of the War. The man on the right is Corp. Matthew Spence. Notice his high top boots.The detail of the 23rd PA uniform is clearly seen in this photo.
