The Civil War touched the lives of many in our family, from courageous soldiers who fought on the front lines to those who served in support roles or endured hardships far from battlefields. Their stories of valor, loss, and resilience form a powerful legacy passed down through generations.
Daniel Updegrove, a steadfast soldier of the 9th Regiment Pennsylvania Cavalry (also known as the 92nd Volunteers), Company B, enlisted in August 1864 and served until the war’s end in June 1865. His service was marked by both hardship and perseverance. Shortly after joining, Daniel was captured at Lovejoy Station, Georgia, on August 20, 1864. He endured imprisonment in Confederate facilities at Macon and Augusta, Georgia, then Charleston, South Carolina, before being held 21 days in the notorious Libby Prison. Despite these hardships, Daniel returned to his unit and fought valiantly during the Siege of Savannah in December 1864 and took part in the Carolinas Campaign early in 1865, engaging at key battles such as Johnson’s Station, Averysboro, Bentonville, and Raleigh, culminating in witnessing the surrender at Bennett’s House.¹²¹⁴⁵
Daniel’s brother, Solomon Updegrove, also served in the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Company B, but his story ended tragically. Enlisting earlier in February 1864, Solomon was killed in action at the Battle of Waynesboro, Georgia, on December 4, 1864. He had been an active participant in the Atlanta Campaign and the subsequent sweeping operations through Georgia and the Carolinas under General Sherman’s command, including the fierce cavalry engagements that characterized Sherman’s March to the Sea.²³
The Updegrove family’s commitment extended beyond these two brothers. Daniel’s first cousins also served with distinction. John J. Updegrove, in the 39th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company H, fought in some of the most intense battles of the war. He was present at Antietam, known as the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, and at Fredericksburg, enduring harsh winter skirmishes in between. His service spanned from August 1862 until May 1863. Similarly, Solomon S. Updegrove served in the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Company E, from 1862 to 1865. Solomon saw combat at Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and Cedar Creek. His capture at Germanna Ford, Virginia, in 1863 led to imprisonment in Confederate camps including Andersonville, yet he survived and was promoted to Corporal and then Sergeant before transferring to the 3rd Pennsylvania Provisional Cavalry near war’s end.³
Other distant cousins also joined the fight: John R. Updegrove served until his death in 1863 in the 173rd Pennsylvania Infantry, while John S. Updegrove was active in the 127th Pennsylvania Infantry, protecting strategic positions from August 1862 through May 1863.
Andrew Hensel, another of our ancestors, also served as a soldier during the war, though details of his service remain undocumented. His contribution, though less recorded, was part of the broader tapestry of sacrifice woven by our family during this turbulent era.
Robert Thompson, while not a soldier himself, was deeply affected by the war. Working as a laborer and coal miner throughout the conflict, Robert later became Porter Township Supervisor and Tax Collector, serving his community in peacetime. The war’s toll hit close to home through his siblings. His sister, Elizabeth Kimmel, volunteered as a nurse at Carver General Hospital in Washington, D.C., a large facility with a capacity for 1,300 patients. Tragically, Elizabeth contracted a fatal disease and died in 1864, a solemn reminder of the risks faced by medical volunteers.¹⁴
Robert’s brothers also served with distinction: William W. Thompson, of the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company G, fought in key battles including Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville before dying in 1862. He rests at Antietam National Cemetery.³ Alexander F. Thompson had a varied service record, beginning in the 129th Pennsylvania Infantry, advancing through emergency militia, and eventually serving in the 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry. His campaigns spanned Antietam through Sherman’s Atlanta and Carolinas operations.³⁵⁶ Meanwhile, David P. Thompson, wounded at Crampton’s Gap during the Maryland Campaign, served in the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry and later as a lieutenant in emergency militia, playing a role in defending Gettysburg in 1863.¹³
David Wert, another ancestor, did not serve in combat, but his brothers joined the Union cause. Adam W. Wert served in the 130th Pennsylvania Infantry, participating in battles at Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville.³ His brother John H. Wert served in the 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, guarding strategic positions in Virginia and participating in winter expeditions, though his service was largely away from the heaviest fighting.³
Our family’s broader Civil War legacy also includes ancestors like Robert Robinson, who enlisted very late in the conflict with the 35th U.S. Colored Infantry, a regiment primarily composed of formerly enslaved men fighting for their freedom. Joe Washington, a southern Union soldier from South Carolina, and Michael Keefer, a member of the 36th Pennsylvania regiment, reflect the diverse roles our ancestors held during the war.
Other siblings of ancestors also joined the struggle. For example, Adam Row, Adeline’s brother, served in the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Company L, participating in major battles across Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia, including Sherman’s March to the Sea and the Carolinas Campaign. Meanwhile, brothers Daniel, Samuel, and Christian Oberlander, as well as John Gaugler, Jacob Layman, and Jos McCloud—all Pennsylvanians—fought in the war, underscoring the deep family commitment to the Union cause.
Interestingly, not all relatives sided with the Union. Two brothers, Moses and Wilson Serves, fought for the Georgia Confederacy despite being from Pennsylvania. Likewise, Bell Thompson, a 56-year-old southerner, played a role in reorganizing the Georgia militia, highlighting the complex loyalties within extended family networks.
Through sacrifice, courage, and service, our ancestors shaped their generation and the nation’s history during the Civil War. Their stories, both of battlefield valor and homefront endurance, remind us of the profound costs of conflict and the enduring strength of family bonds.
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