Image is a three-quarter standing view of 2^nd Lieutenant Hillary Beyer of Company H, 90^th Pennsylvania Infantry. Beyer is posed cradling what looks to be a Model 1840 Artillery Officer’s saber in his left arm. He wears a dark frock coat with 2^nd Lieutenant’s shoulder straps, sash and waist belt with rectangular eagle plate. The image is very clear with great contrast. It is also mostly clean but there is a thin line of ink stretching from Beyer’s right arm almost to the edge of the photo. This line is so thin that at first it looks to be a hair but it is indeed ink.

The reverse of the image has a pencil inscription of “H. BEYER” along with some collector information. The photographers imprint is for F. GUTEKUNST… PHILADA. The ID is confirmed by an online database and a similar picture in the unit history.

Hillary Beyer was born September 28, 1837 in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. He was 23 years old when he enlisted as a Private in Company H, 90^th Pennsylvania Infantry on September 17, 1861. Beyer accompanied his regiment to Washington in March of 1862 where it was assigned to McDowell’s 3^rd Corps and sent to the Shenandoah Valley and then joined Pope’s army for the 2^nd Bull Run battle where the regiment saw its first real action. During the Antietam Campaign the regiment was in Hooker’s 1^st Corps and fought at South Mountain and Antietam.

By the time of the battle of Antietam Beyer was a 2^nd Lieutenant having been promoted on the 1^st of September. It was at Antietam that Beyer’s actions won him the Medal of Honor. A statement written by Beyer’s Company Commander describes the action:

“I was in command of Company A, 90^th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry…. In the early morning of the 17^th our regiment advanced to the front. We moved out of the east woods into the open field, under heavy artillery fire from the enemy’s guns posted in the vicinity of the Dunkard Church. In our advance we soon met the enemy’s infantry and became hotly engaged… Being outnumbered by the enemy and no troops on our immediate right or left, the regiment could not hold the ground. It fell back to the east woods and through it to the open field in rear. Here I witnessed the acts of personal bravery and self-sacrifice to which I call your attention. The soldier to whom I refer was my first sergeant, Hillary Beyer, who did not fall back with his company. The act was in remaining alone out on the open field on the line we had fought on caring for the wounded and actually carrying one of my wounded men…some distance to the rear of the line of battle and placing him behind a rock that projected from the ground, giving the wounded man protection from the enemy’s bullets…. At the time Sergeant Beyer performed this noble work he was subjected to a very heavy artillery and infantry fire from the enemy, who continued to fire on our regiment as it fell back…”

Beyer went on to serve in the other battles of the 90^th and actually commanded his Company during the fighting at Gettysburg due to the early wounding of his Company Commander. He was promoted to 1^st Lieutenant on November 24, 1863 and was eventually mustered out on the expiration of his term on November 26, 1864. After his war service he lived in Germantown, Pennsylvania. He died on September 24, 1907.

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