It was hot, humid, and the smell of gun powder filled the air. I was filled with a sense of patriotism. I was in awe of what had transpired on this battlefield 154 years ago. What horrors had the civil war flag seen as it was carried through battle?
On July 2, 2017, Hollidaysburg American Legion Post 516 hosted a Civil War battle flag rededication ceremony for Company M – 62nd Infantry Regiment.
The ceremony was held at the regiment’s monument, located in the Wheatfield at Gettysburg National Military Park. Over 250 people were in attendance to observe the event, which was co-sponsored by the National Park Service.
Purpose
The purpose of the ceremony was to rededicate the Battle Flag and to pay tribute to the men who served in Company M. Many had paid the ultimate sacrifice and gave their lives in the struggle.
The battle flag has been in the possession of the Hollidaysburg borough and/or school district since 1909. It was presented by Private Michael Halloran on behalf of the six remaining members of Company M.
Through years of exposure and age, the flag had begun to deteriorate.
Several groups within the community joined together to restore the flag and provide a suitable museum-quality acid-free archival frame.
The group raised over $8,000 and the flag was restored in accordance with Smithsonian standards.
Two Ceremonies
American Legion Post 516 hosted two rededication ceremonies to honor the flag.
The first ceremony was held 154 years to the day from the fateful battle in the Wheatfield at Gettysburg. Company M fought during the battle in July 1863 and carried the flag with them.
Wheatfield at Gettysburg
At the Wheatfield battlefield in Gettysburg at 10 a.m. on July 2, the 62nd Infantry Regiment Color Guard re-enactment group opened the ceremony by posting the colors. The men were wearing period uniforms of the V Corps of the Army of the Potomac.
Park Ranger Chris Gwinn welcomed everyone and provided an overview of the battle and the role the 62nd Infantry Regiment played.
Rebecca Culp, an alumnus of Hollidaysburg Area High School (HAHS), sang the national anthem acapella with the crowd joining in.
The anthem was followed by Bishop Michael Rhyne, bishop of the Allegany Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, providing the invocation and blessing.
Reghan Fitch, a recent graduate of HAHS, dressed in a “period” hoop skirt, led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Master of Ceremonies
Master of Ceremonies and Post 516 Commander Sam Dunkle opened the flag dedication portion of the ceremony with a quote from President Abraham Lincoln.
Dunkle related that during Lincoln’s second Inaugural Address the president gave us the mandate to uphold with these words:
“With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the Nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphans – to do all which may achieve and cherish a just a lasting peace among ourselves and all nations.”
Dunkle stated that Lincoln was, of course, talking about finishing the Civil War and taking care of the veterans and their family members afterward.
Dunkle emphasized that we were upholding Lincoln’s mandate as we paid tribute to those who served and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to keep our nation as one.
The Unveiling of the Battle Flag
Special guests Timothy Breslin and Michael Halloran, direct descendants of Private Michael Halloran, had the honor of unveiling the battle flag.
They stated:
“On behalf of our great-great grandfather, Private Michael Halloran, and all the other men of Company M, 62nd Infantry Regiment, we present the restored battle flag for rededication on this hallowed ground of the Wheatfield on the 154th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. May we never forget those brave men who fought and died here to preserve our great Nation.”
Amy Dodson, Hollidaysburg Area High School history teacher, shared some insights into the history of Company M and the soldiers who comprised the unit.
Dr. Robert Gildea, superintendent of HASD, provided remarks on the story of the battle flag’s journey from being presented by the ladies of the town to the troops at a ball prior to the war, to how the flag found its place hanging in the library of the school.
Keynote Speaker
The keynote speaker was Brigadier General Scott Perry, Assistant Adjutant General-Army, Pa. National Guard and United States Congressman from the 4th Pennsylvania District. He started his remarks conveying that Company M was an all-volunteer unit from Blair County in Central Pennsylvania.
General Perry reminded us that those men willingly answered President Lincoln’s call to arms to preserve the Union.
He opined how the soldiers of Company M saw action in every major engagement in the eastern theater of the war in places like Seven Days Battle, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and of course Gettysburg.
General Perry spoke about the sacrifices made by the soldiers and their heroic actions on that day.
He stated:
“The 62nd Regiment was engaged in some of the fiercest hand-to-hand combat on the battlefield. Words like uncommon valor, selfless service, and heroism are often used to describe their actions that took place here on that fateful day in July of 1863.”
Upon the conclusion of BG Perry’s remarks, Culp once again returned to sing “America the Beautiful.” Her voice lifted over the battlefield with grace and poise, moving many to tears.
https://youtu.be/CHS_bMlDPEk
BG Perry, Dr. Gildea, Mayor John Stultz, and John Wessner, a teacher, and reenactor portraying a Union Soldier assisted in laying a wreath at the base of the 62nd Infantry Regiment’s monument.
Blessing the Flag
Bishop Michael Rhyne then moved forward and provided a blessing of the battle flag and monument by offering a prayer. He then sprinkled holy water on the flag, monument and the surrounding grounds.
The audience stood and rendered proper honors by saluting or placing their hand over your heart while Kirk Eichenlaub, a student, played Taps.
End of Ceremony
Upon conclusion of the ceremony, the flag was symbolically returned to its hometown of Hollidaysburg in a “military convoy” escorted by the Pennsylvania National Guard Military Police Squad with two HUMVEEs as lead and trail vehicles. The journey was reminiscent of the flag’s original journey 154 years to the day from the fateful battle.
Upon arrival in Hollidaysburg, another dedication ceremony was held for the townspeople.
Hollidaysburg Court House
The second ceremony took place on the Courthouse steps with some 150+ community members in attendance.
It was fitting that the ceremonies were held on the day marking the 154th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg.
The flag is currently housed at the Hollidaysburg Area Senior High Library during the school year. During the summer months, it resides at the Hollidaysburg Community Library. Stop in and visit and see the flag.
