Pickel, Adam H., d. 1863

Papers, 1862 September 25-1863 October 28
13 items

Pickel, Adam H., d. 1863
Rank:	Private
Regiment:	68th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment. Co. G (1862-1865)
Service:	1862 August 26-1863 July 2

Background note:

Adam H. Pickel, of Phoenixville, Pa., was apparently married at the time of his enlistment in the 68th Pennsylvania Infantry at Philadelphia in August, 1862. While not up to full strength and not yet fully armed, this regiment was rushed to northern Virginia to take part in the fall campaigns of 1862 in the Blue Ridge, arriving in the state in late September.

Upon the the replacement of McClellan with Burnside and the reorganization of Army of the Potomac, the 68th Pennsylvania was placed in the 1st Brigade, III Corps, under the command of General John C. Robinson. They were engaged at Fredericksburg, suffering a number of casualties while defending the 1st Rhode Island Artillery. After wintering in the mud at Falmouth, the regiment took part in the battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg in 1863. The 68th were caught in a bloodbath in the Peach Orchard on the second day of Gettysburg, where Pickel was reported killed.

Scope and Contents:

The Pickel Papers contain nine letters written by Adam H. Pickel to his parents in Phoenixville and one written to a sister. This correspondence suggests that Pickel had received a good education and had more than a minor talent as a writer. It is clear, however, that there are numerous letters no longer present with collection, including, apparently, the letters in which Pickel described his experiences in battle.

Pickel's surviving letters nevertheless provide some interesting commentary on the war. In particular, his letters regarding Chancellorsville, even though they lack a thorough description of the battle, provide a strong feeling of the horror of that engagement. Further, he argues vehemently that, rumors aside, Joe Hooker was not drunk at Chancellorsville. Pickel claims to have seen the General perhaps 20 times during the battle, and that he exhibited no obvious signs of inebriation. He admitted, however, to Hooker's well-known fondness for whiskey. Also worth noting is Pickel's critical response in support of a Dr. Oberholzer, who wrote a letter to hometown newspaper, the Daily Phoenix, pointing out how poorly run the Army was.

M-2886.4; M-2984.1
Cat. 11/92 rsc

Link to subject index to the Adam H. Pickel Papers

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