PRIVATES HARRY DESILVER, JACOB FITZWATER, CHARLES MCGINLEY, DAVID HARKINSON, WALTER WILSON, JOSEPH WRIGHT, THOMAS WILLIS AND JONATHAN STOKES, ALL OF CO. C.

Court convened at Gen. Rosecrans Headquarters, Nashville, TN, January 15, 1863; adjourned to meet Feb. 11, 1863; proceedings referred to Army of Cumberland Judge Advocate, Feb. 30, 1864. 40 pp., on light blue, lined, legal pad, 7.75 x 12.75”, tied with faded pink ribbon. Exhibits vertical fold marks and slight soiling. Else VG.

The 15^th Pennsylvania Cavalry was an elite cavalry unit organized by Captain William Palmer of “A” Company, “Anderson Troop” in August 1862. It was destined to serve as the headquarters escort and scouting unit of the western Army of the Cumberland and become the favored regiment of Generals Rosecrans and Thomas. Following the Battle of Antietam, an engagement in which Captain Palmer was captured, the regiment was ordered to Louisville and then to Nashville on the eve of the Battle of Stones River, Dec. 30-January 2, 1862.

Unfortunately, the unit had never been properly officered and suffered a lack of experienced non-commissioned officers, causing extreme dissatisfaction within the Regiment. When the peremptory order was received to join the army advance to Stones river, December 26, 1862, 600 men stacked arms and refused to leave camp. The 300 men who did accompany the army comported themselves admirably, fighting on the right Union cavalry flank at Stones River.

In the meantime, Court Martial proceedings were put in motion against those who remained in Nashville. Though  the verdict recorded in this document was later set aside and regimental affairs put to rights following the return of Captain Palmer (later Colonel) from Rebel captivity…..on January 15^th, Private Harry Desilver and seven other privates from Co. “C” were charged with mutiny and failure to obey a lawful order, found guilty on all charges and specifications, and sentenced to be “shot to death with musketry”, with two thirds of the Court concurring, before adjourning to meet again February 11, 1863. By which time cooler heads within regiment and without prevailed.

The 15^th PA received its promised officers, came together under the recently returned Col. Palmer, and later performed admirably at the Battles of Chickamauga and Nashville. The grievances of the Nashville “mutineers” had the sympathy of the entire regiment, and the incident never affected its spirit or impaired its efficiency the rest of the way in.

A fascinating episode of the 15^th PA cavalry. Superb collectible accompanied by a brief amount of internet research material.   [jp]

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