Postwar Photo of Corp. Gotlieb Staiger of Company C, 23rd PVI. He was mustered into Service on August 2nd 1861. On September 8th he moved with the Regiment to Washington D.C. for the defences of the Capital against possible Rebel Invasion. The 23rd was encamped at "The Queen Farm" owned by Jacob Queen and they made Camp Graham thier home. Typhoid Fever broke out in November and December of 61 and over fifty men of the unit died forcing them to move to higher ground near Bladensburg, MD. There they established Camp Clark . He was awarded the Ely Medal for Bravery at 2nd Fredericksburg. He served his three year enlistment and was promoted on June 1st 1864 from Private to Corporal. He mustered out of service on September 8th 1864. after the War he returned to Philadelphia and was a Member of the G.A.R. Post 2 as well as One of the 23rd Pennsylvania , Officers of Administration in 1903-1904. He died on December 12th 1924 and is buried at Knights of Pythias (Greenwood)Cemetery in Philadelphia in Section J, Div. 2,Lot 113, Grave Center.
Painting of Private Thomas W. Snowden, Company B, 23rd Pennsylvania Volunteers, "Birney's Zouaves', Gymnast Zouaves Company .Painting done either 1860 in Philadelphia or 1861 in Washington D.C. He mustered in on August 31st 1861. On September 8th he moved with the Regiment to Washington D.C. for the defences of the Capital against possible Rebel Invasion. The 23rd was encamped at "The Queen Farm" owned by Jacob Queen and they made Camp Graham thier home. Typhoid Fever broke out in November and December of 61 and over fifty men of the unit died forcing them to move to higher ground near Bladensburg, MD. There they established Camp Clark . He served his three year enlistment and was mustered out of service on September 8th 1864. At this time we have no information as to his death or burial. Photo Courtesy of Greg Martin.
General Thomas "Bucky" Hewson Neill, 23rd Pennsylvania Volunteers. Civil War Union Brevet Major General. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 9th 1826, he Graduted from the US Military Academy at West Point in 1847 near the top of his class, and served as an officer in the 5th United States Infantry on the American frontier. At the start of the War Between the States, he was made Colonel of 23rd Pennsylvania Regiment "Birney's Zouaves", seeing action in the Peninsula and Maryland Campaigns. He led a brigade of the VI Corps at the battles Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, and was promoted Brigadier General in April 1863. After the Battle of Gettysburg, he commanded a division during the Overland Campaign and served as Inspector General in the Valley Campaigns of 1964. For distinguished service, he was brevetted Major General of US Volunteers on March 13, 1865. After the war, remained in the Regular Army as commander of the 8th United States Cavalry and was commandant of cadets at West Point until he retired in 1883. Died on March 12th 1885. He is buried at West Point Military Cemetery in Section 18, Lot 13, Grave 28.
Private Andrew Jackson Keim, Company D, 23rd Pennsylvania Volunteers, "Birney's Zouaves". Andrew Jackson Keim was born September 25th 1846, in Phila, PA to William and Harriet Ann (Musick) Keim. He served as a private in Company D of the 23rd Pennsylvania Volunteers from his enlistment Feb 1, 1864 until his death at The Battle of Cold Harbor on June 1st 1864. The obit says due notice of the funeral will be given if the body is recovered. We did not find any other notice. His parents received his four month salary after his death. After his father died in 1869, his widowed mother received a pension from his service until her death in 1905. The Obituary was in the Phila Public Ledger Aug 13, 1864. Photo courtesy of Kathy Rieck of Voorhees, NJ. Writeup courtesy of Pat Hornik.
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Hand Drawn sketch of Major General David Bell Birney . He is buried at Woodlands Cemetery in Philadelphia in Section 6.6, Lot 52, Grave 1. For More information on the life of David Bell Birney visit the David Bell Birney Page.
Photo of of Sgt. Gustavus Adolpho Pommer Company H , 23rd Pennsylvania Volunteers, also known by their nickname, “Birney’s Zouaves”. He was born in Missouri in 1844. He enlisted into the 23rd Pennsylvania at the Schuylkill Arsenal in Philadelphia on August 10th 1861 .On September 8th 1861, he moved with the Regiment to Washington D.C, where he was encamped just three miles north of the Capitol on “The Queen’s Farm” at Camp Graham . He was there with the Regiment during the cold winter months and in December of 1861; Typhoid Fever broke out within the Camp which resulted in the Death of Fifty-One men of the 23rd Pennsylvania Volunteers. It was decided on March 12th 1862 to move the camp to higher ground in Bladensburg, Maryland to rid the epidemic and ready the Soldiers for campaign. The 23rd Pennsylvania moved to Bladensburg and were encamped at Camp Clark . He was Wounded at The Battle of Fair Oaks Virginia on May 31st 1862, near Richmond and again at The battle of Cedar Creek Virginia on October 19th 1864. When his enlistment in the 23rd Pennsylvania expired on September 8th 1864, he reenlisted and was transferred for the remaining 8 months to the 82nd Pennsylvania Volunteers. He was mustered out of Service on July 13th 1865. After the War, He moved to Junction Kansas where he was a School teacher. Gustavus Pommer died on March 16th 1885. He is buried at Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, MO in Plot 24-33 ,Lot 2491.
You can his gravesite on Page 63 of the 23rd Pennsylvania, Virtual Cemetery pages.
You can view Burial Information Gustavus Adolpho Pommer on Page 17 of the 23rd Pennsylvania, Burial records pages.
During his service, Gustavus Adolfo Pommer wrote Twelve Letters, most of them to his sweetheart Mary.
