Rededicated in the Wheatfield—154th

By John Wessner · Originally published October 2017 · p. 20

On July 2, 2017, the battle flag of the 62nd Penn. Vol. Inf., Co. M returned to the Wheatfield at Gettysburg for the battle’s 154th anniversary. The flag was rededicated before being returned to the company’s hometown of Hollidaysburg, Penn., where the flag will be placed on permanent display, moving between the town library in the summer months and the high school during the school year. A sister ceremony was held in Hollidaysburg on July 2 as well. Both ceremonies were organized under the leadership of American Legion Post 516, Commander Sam Dunkle. Gettysburg Park Ranger Chris Gwinn described the ceremony as, “the most significant event to occur at the monument to the 62nd Pennsylvania since it was dedicated by veterans of the regiment in 1889.” The keynote speaker for the event was Brigadier General Scott Perry of the Penn. National Guard, who also represents Pennsylvania’s 4th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. General Perry placed the crowd in attendance in the shoes of the men of the 62nd, stating, “if you’re uncomfortable, if you’re a little thirsty, if you’re a little hot, think about marching to this place in conditions hotter than it is, more humid than it is, wearing your wool uniform, carrying all your military equipment and jumping right into the fight. Think about the sounds…the words from your comrades in arms next to you, the screams from the enemy. Think about the unspeakable things your eyes will have seen during the course of this day.” He also spoke about the importance of citizen-soldiers who volunteer to serve their country, comparing those who served in the 62nd Penn. Inf. to those who serve in today’s National Guard. The story of the flag is truly fascinating. The men of Co. M were among those who answered Lincoln’s call for 75,000 volunteers following the bombardment of Fort Sumter. Like many other units from both North and South, when Co. M left Hollidaysburg in July of 1861, the women of the town sent them off to war by holding a ball where they presented them with a beautiful handmade flag. The flag was entrusted to First Sergeant Jack Mufty, who proudly volunteered to carry the flag and promised to return it safely to the community when the war was through. According to accounts, Mufty even slept with the flag and only permitted one other soldier, Samuel Herr, to carry it. In addition to Gettysburg, the flag survived Gaines’ Mill, Second Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Spotsylvania Court House, and Cold Harbor. In 1905, Co. M veteran Michael Halloran returned the flag to the Hollidaysburg Borough Council on behalf of the six surviving members of the company. Several of Halloran’s descendants served on the flag restoration committee and also attended the rededication ceremonies, with Michael Halloran and Timothy Breslin proudly unveiling the restored flag in the Wheatfield. Breslin stated that the family is “particularly proud that [Halloran] got together with some of the remaining veterans and presented [the flag] back to the borough [of Hollidaysburg].” In 1939, the flag was given to the Hollidaysburg Area School District for safekeeping, as the high school was among the only fireproof buildings in the community. The flag was nearly discarded when a custodian was asked to dispose of the flag. Fortunately, that custodian recognized the significance of this artifact, and decided instead to place the flag into storage. In 1963, an elderly gentleman arrived at the school library, asking if he could see the flag once more. School librarian Jan Kinney checked around and found the flag in the custodial storage closet. It was hung in the school library, moving when a new high school was constructed in the early 1970s. In 1995, building renovations resulted in the flag being taken down and placed in the building’s safe where it remained for over 20 years, until Hollidaysburg Area School District Superintendent Dr. Robert Gildea inquired about it. A district alum himself, Gildea remembered seeing the flag displayed in the library as a student. The flag was rediscovered in the safe and the effort to restore the flag got underway.

The restored flag of the 62nd Pennsylvania Infantry Volunteers, Company M.

Brig. Gen. Scott Perry of the Pennsylvania National Guard was the Keynote Speaker for the Gettysburg ceremony.

Numerous fundraising efforts followed, organized by the district, especially the high school’s history club under the leadership of Ms. Amy Dodson, a history teacher as well as a reenactor with the 46th Penn. Regt. Band. Under her leadership, students worked to research the stories of the men who made up the company. One of the first fundraisers held was a Civil War ball, a tribute to the ball that originally sent Co. M off to war. Numerous families and community organizations contributed to the flag’s restoration over the following year, led by the Hollidaysburg Area School District Foundation. With funding secured, the flag was sent to the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh. It was painstakingly removed from its department store frame and cardboard backing, properly cleaned, restored, and mounted so that it will last for many years to come. The center noted that a faint smell of smoke could be detected as the flag was cleaned. After being returned to Hollidaysburg, the restored flag was then beautifully framed under museum-quality glass with UV filters to prevent further damage. The community of Hollidaysburg is proud to honor the memory of the men who served in the 62nd Penn., and honored to be included in Gettysburg’s 154th Anniversary ceremonies. Future plans include creating a museum-quality display to be placed around the flag, including information boards and links for students and community members to find additional information online. For more information, including additional videos and photographs from the ceremonies, please visit https://www.facebook.com/hburgbattleflag