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139th Pennsylvania Infantry – Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg
Posted By Norman Gasbarro on June 2, 2011
(Part 36 of an ongoing series on the Battle of Gettysburg). Around the base of the Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg are a series of plaques which, by regiment and company, note the names of every soldier who was present at the Battle of Gettysburg. This post will present the plaque recognizing the men who served in the 139th Pennsylvania Infantry. By clicking on the plaque it should enlarge so the names can be more clearly read. Following the plaque is a list of the men who have thus far been identified as eligible for inclusion in this Civil War Research Project who, it is believed, served for a time in the 139th Pennsylvania Infantry . Not all the names may appear on the Pennsylvania Memorial plaques. If a name does not appear, it could be that the soldier did serve in the 139th Pennsylvania Infantry, but was not part of the regiment during its days at Gettysburg – or it could mean that the soldier was erroneous included in the 139th Pennsylvania Infantry list. There could also be errors on the plaque. Readers are invited to submit comments about any names appearing below, or on the plaque, especially if they believe the soldier was from the Lykens Valley area and should be included in this study.
Click on picture to enlarge.
Men from the Lykens Valley area who probably served in the 139th Pennsylvania Infantry :
Alexander F. “A. F.” Thompson
Information for this post was taken from the files of the Civil War Research Project. A separate digital file is kept on each of the above-named men. Information is sought on any men from the Lykens Valley area who were soldiers or sailors during the Civil War.
The plaque shown under the 139th Pennsylvania Infantry-Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettsburg is not the 139th. It is the 121st.
Thank you for pointing out the error! I have just uploaded the correct plaque (139th PA) and deleted the incorrect one.(121st PA)..
Hi, Rusty Swenson here in Baltimore. My great-grandfather David Boggs Freetly is on this placque in E Company. He was wounded twice during the war, in May of 1863 in Salem Heights and in May of 1864 in Spottsylvania. He’s the only reason I’m here today. His only son David Ralph Freetly, born well after the war, was my grandfather on my mother’s side. David was the son of Jacob Freetly, who was Apollo, Pa.’s first lawyer (1857). Sites like yours contribute immensely to learning about family history, especially if you’re like me and didn’t pay much attention to such “mundane” things in my earlier years. I’m told he was buried without a headstone at Apollo Riverview Cemetery, something I am currently looking into. David B (D.B. Freetly on this placque) went on to be one the earlier oil people in the late 1800’s working in the Oil City area as I recall.
Hi, Since I recently retired and have time now to look deeper into the Swenson/Freetly families, I have found more info on David Boggs Freetly. David was born on October 31, 1842 in Pittsburgh , P.a, his father was Jacob Freetly, the first lawyer in Apollo , Pa. David died in Apollo, Pa. on February 23rd, 1920 from an “accidental fall from window”. As he was buried in Apollo cemetery without a headstone, a War Department order for a headstone was submitted in 1932 by Milo McCutcheon of RFD#2 Apollo.
Conrad Smith of Company I is my GG Grandfather. I am researching a regimental history of the 139th and would appreciate any information you or your followers could provide. I have already done research in the Official Records, various pages on wikipedia, PA Roots, PA Civil War and Bates’ History. I was in contact with Albert Richardson in Pittsburgh and he sent me copies of the Divvens and Hiebert diaries. (I have since lost contact with him so if anyone knows of him I would appreciate any news.) I am particularly interested in letters, diaries or other first hand accounts.
Conrad went back to Pittsburgh after the war and married Anna Bock. They had five children before Anna passed away. He then married her little sister Ida Bock. He worked for the Philadephia Quartz company and was sent to Anderson Indiana to scout a new location for them. The family moved there shortly after. Conrad’s son Walter was the father of Sarah Emily Smith Wilkinson who was the mother of Alice Jean Wilkinson Kreissler who is my mother.
My 2nd Great Grandfather, Wilson Dean, was in Company A of the 139th. He was a musician who played the flute. I was wondering if anyone knows the reason for having musicians in the infantry during the Civil War.