Martinsburg, West Virginia
June 14, 1863
Company F, 126th Ohio Volunteer
Infantry, suffered the following casualties during the Battle of
Martinsburg:
James O'Neal - POW on June 14, 1863 at Martinsburg, West Virginia - {it is
believed he was also a POW on May 6, 1864 at Wilderness, Virginia} - Died as
a prisoner August 2, 1864 at Andersonville, Georgia
Although James O'Neal is the only man listed in Company F who was
taken prisoner that day, we believe others were as well, including the
author of the
Diary
that is posted on this website.
Battle Summary:
Detachments of 126th Ohio, 106th New York Infantry, Potomac Home Brigade,
1st New York and 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry, and Maulsby's West Virginia
Battery.
About 8 a. m. the vedettes at Martinsburg were driven in and Col. Benjamin
F. Smith, commanding the garrison, took position on the Winchester Pike, but
later changed to higher ground near the cemetery.
About noon Gen. A. G. Jenkins, commanding the Confederates, sent in a demand
for a surrender, which was immediately refused by Smith. The Federal
artillery managed to hold the enemy in check until the wagon train was well
on the road to Williamsport and at sunset the order was given to withdraw.
Just as the troops commenced to form for the march the Confederate guns
secured the range and the fire caused some confusion in the Union ranks,
resulting in some 200 men being captured.
The Confederates lost 7 killed.
The affair was an incident of the Gettysburg campaign.
Source: The Union Army, vol. 6, p. 587
