69th Pennsylvania Infantry extra page

"Gettysburg: The Face of Battle"
A Distance Learning Program from Gettysburg National Military Park
Broadcast Live on May 9, 2001

SOLDIERS IN THE 69th PENNSYLVANIA INFANTRY

Colonel Dennis O'Kane - The commander of the 69th Pennsylvania Volunteers during the Gettysburg campaign. Employed in the restaurant and tavern business before the war, O'Kane was also active in a Philadelphia militia unit where he learned military drills and procedure. He was a brave man who expected discipline and courage from his soldiers in battle. One member of the 69th recalled that Colonel O'Kane "above all despised a coward."

Major James Duffy - Third in command of the 69th. 25 years old. Duffy had been promoted to major on March 31, 1863. He owned Duffy's hotel and tavern before the war, on the corner of South Broad and Locust Streets. He had married in April 1861 and the couple's first child was born in November 1862. Duffy is suffering the effects of sunstroke at Gettysburg, but he is there with his command on July 3.

Captain Patrick Tinen - Commander of Company D, 69th Pennsylvania Infantry. A paperhanger, machinist and bartender in Philadelphia before the war, Tinen was commissioned a lieutenant in the regiment when he enlisted in September 1861. He was promoted to captain, in command of the company on December 7, 1862, just before the terrible Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia. His experiences in that battle and again at Chancellorsville taught him many lessons on leadership. Captain Tinen and his company will be severely tested on July 3.

Private Thomas C. Diver - Company I. 20 years old, and the only child of Jane Diver, a widow. Thomas was a printer before the war. Each payday he sends his mother nearly all of the $13 a month he earns. In May 1863 he writes his mother; "Dear Mother I think that this war will not last longer than this summer and then even if it does I have got only 15 months to stay and that will slide around quicker than the 21 months that I have been away."

Corporal George P. Deichler - Company I. One of a handful of non-Irish, non-Philadelphians in the regiment, Deichler is an unmarried, 24 years old machinist from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He is a good soldier and was appointed corporal in his company for his attention to detail. Corporal Deichler's position is in the ranks with the privates, just behind the stone wall that marked their position on July 3.

Corporal Hugh Bradley - Company D. 28 years old. Born in County Tyrone, Ireland. His father died in 1841 and his mother, Jane Bradley, immigrated to America with her nine children. Jane relied solely upon Hugh and one of his brothers, Charles, for support. Charles became ill in 1860 and the burden of support fell upon Hugh. He dutifully sends his mother nearly all of his army paycheck. In the regiment he is known as "a savage sort of fellow."

1^st Lieutenant John Ryan - Company F. Second in command of the company. 26 years old, Ryan was a railroader before the war. At the Battle of Fredericksburg a piece of shell strikes him in the left abdomen. He returns to duty but suffers periods of intense spasms of pain in his side and he has difficulty digesting food.

The 69th Pennsylvania Infantry

GETTYSBURG: THE FACE OF BATTLE
A Satellite Broadcast- May 9, 2001

Gettysburg National Military Park
97 Taneytown Road
Gettysburg, PA 17325