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Update on Hiram Groff – Captured at Gettysburg, Then Parolled
Posted By Norman Gasbarro on April 28, 2016
On 4 November 2014, a post entitled “The Groff Brothers? Hiram, Valentine and William,” was presented here. Some questions were asked in that post and readers were asked to submit additional information about the men named Groff. Note: A prior post also discussed “Israel M. Groff and Sons – All Civil War Veterans?”
The following information was received from Gary Martino, the great-great grandson of Hiram Groff, who served in the 26th Pennsylvania Infantry (Emergency of 1863) and whose name appears on the Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg:
Hiram was with the 26th PVM Emergency Regiment and taken prisoner near Gettysburg on June 27th. His Regiment actually opened the battle of Gettysburg during a scouting patrol where they ran into Lee’s forces. They were forced into retreat, some being killed and some, like Hiram, were captured.
I took a photo of the framed documents attached. They were in our family bible and were professionally mounted and framed so I could not photocopy the original. Included are Hiram’s parole of honor (signed July 2nd 1863), honorable discharge from the GAR and a photo of him at about 50 years of age with my GG Grandmother Sarah. They are both buried at Middletown PA cemetery. He was obviously paroled because every Confederate troop was needed on the line and they couldn’t spare men to guard prisoners, luckily for my Hiram. Not sure if Jubal Early actually signed it or not, maybe you can tell me? Probably just by order of….
Also would like to connect to anyone else related to Hiram since they are my bloodline.
The three attached photographs are presented below:
Hiram and Sarah Groff
Parole by Order of Jubal Early
Grand Army of the Republic Certificate
The document from the Simon Cameron Post of the Grand Army of the Republic in Middletown, Dauphin County, is a certificate given to Hiram Groff by that Post which verifies some personal information such as his age and place of birth, Chester County, Pennsylvania, and his military service and dates of service.
As previously mentioned, Hiram Groff does have connections to Millersburg (he joined the local militia there which went to Gettysburg in late June 1863), and Mifflin Township (where he is found in the draft registration records of 1863, working as a saddler).
However, his name does not appear on the Millersburg Soldier Monument. Also, he was not included in the 1967 Elizabethville Sesquicentennial List of Civil War veterans, but possibly should be included in the 2017 list being prepared for the Bicentennial – if he lived in 1863 in the Southern part of Mifflin Township which was more closely associated with Elizabethville than Berrysburg.
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