Residence: Warren Co,PA
Elistment Age-26. Farmer
Enlisted: Sep 11,1861 at West Chester Co,PA. Corp
Mustered into Co "C" 97th PA Infantry
Killed at Bermuda Hundred,VA.
Promotions: Sgt,Apr 30,1862
The death of Sgt Acker was occasioned by one of those irregularities that came to be regarded as a bane to the service-the unauthorized orders of a junior staff officer to non-commissioned officers or soldiers on duty at the front. One of these, on a tour of observation along the line, ambitious of displaying authority, ordered Sgt Acker, with a few men, to advance into a piece of wood upon the left, to ascertain if there were any of the enemy concealed in it.
He was informed that it was full of them, but insisted upon the advance being made. There being no commissioned officer in sight to whom Sgt could appeal, and not at liberty to leave the position ascertain the correctness of the order, Sgt Acker felt it his duty to obey the Lieutenant. He cautiously advanced, with three or four men, having to crawl upon the ground through the grass. They had barely reached the edge of the timber when the Sgt was shot through the heart by a rebel sharpshooter only a few paces in advances. The men returned dragging the lifeless body with them.
Upon seeing the fatel result of his order, the Lieutenant quickly retired to avoid identification. Many efforts were made to ascertain his name, but without success, he evidently took care to keep out of sight of the men who were able to identify him, and as no other officer saw him at the front, he was not discovered and held responsible for his action. Perhaps under no other circumstances would a like order have been obeyed by any non-commissioned officer of the Regiment, without the sanction of one of their officers or an officer known to them, but, being under fire in action, the excitement of the occasion induced the conviction that there was no choice but to obey the order, and Sgt Acker, faithful to every known duty, was brave enough to obey rather than to shrink from any danger.
From the "History of the Ninety-Seventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry" By Isaiah Price
From 1897 cemetery transcription: Sergeant Joseph R. Acker, son of Conrad & Leah Acker. Died age 29. With Company C of the 97th Penna. Volunteers, he was killed at the battle of Bermuda Hundred, Virginia [May 1864]. He was buried on the field on the evening of the same day. Reinterred, 30 November 1864
Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine. Philadelphia, PA: Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, 1895-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011.)
Elistment Age-26. Farmer
Enlisted: Sep 11,1861 at West Chester Co,PA. Corp
Mustered into Co "C" 97th PA Infantry
Killed at Bermuda Hundred,VA.
Promotions: Sgt,Apr 30,1862
The death of Sgt Acker was occasioned by one of those irregularities that came to be regarded as a bane to the service-the unauthorized orders of a junior staff officer to non-commissioned officers or soldiers on duty at the front. One of these, on a tour of observation along the line, ambitious of displaying authority, ordered Sgt Acker, with a few men, to advance into a piece of wood upon the left, to ascertain if there were any of the enemy concealed in it.
He was informed that it was full of them, but insisted upon the advance being made. There being no commissioned officer in sight to whom Sgt could appeal, and not at liberty to leave the position ascertain the correctness of the order, Sgt Acker felt it his duty to obey the Lieutenant. He cautiously advanced, with three or four men, having to crawl upon the ground through the grass. They had barely reached the edge of the timber when the Sgt was shot through the heart by a rebel sharpshooter only a few paces in advances. The men returned dragging the lifeless body with them.
Upon seeing the fatel result of his order, the Lieutenant quickly retired to avoid identification. Many efforts were made to ascertain his name, but without success, he evidently took care to keep out of sight of the men who were able to identify him, and as no other officer saw him at the front, he was not discovered and held responsible for his action. Perhaps under no other circumstances would a like order have been obeyed by any non-commissioned officer of the Regiment, without the sanction of one of their officers or an officer known to them, but, being under fire in action, the excitement of the occasion induced the conviction that there was no choice but to obey the order, and Sgt Acker, faithful to every known duty, was brave enough to obey rather than to shrink from any danger.
From the "History of the Ninety-Seventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry" By Isaiah Price
From 1897 cemetery transcription: Sergeant Joseph R. Acker, son of Conrad & Leah Acker. Died age 29. With Company C of the 97th Penna. Volunteers, he was killed at the battle of Bermuda Hundred, Virginia [May 1864]. He was buried on the field on the evening of the same day. Reinterred, 30 November 1864
Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine. Philadelphia, PA: Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, 1895-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011.)
Residence: Warren Co,PA
Elistment Age-26. Farmer
Enlisted: Sep 11,1861 at West Chester Co,PA. Corp
Mustered into Co "C" 97th PA Infantry
Killed at Bermuda Hundred,VA.
Promotions: Sgt,Apr 30,1862
The death of Sgt Acker was occasioned by one of those irregularities that came to be regarded as a bane to the service-the unauthorized orders of a junior staff officer to non-commissioned officers or soldiers on duty at the front. One of these, on a tour of observation along the line, ambitious of displaying authority, ordered Sgt Acker, with a few men, to advance into a piece of wood upon the left, to ascertain if there were any of the enemy concealed in it.
He was informed that it was full of them, but insisted upon the advance being made. There being no commissioned officer in sight to whom Sgt could appeal, and not at liberty to leave the position ascertain the correctness of the order, Sgt Acker felt it his duty to obey the Lieutenant. He cautiously advanced, with three or four men, having to crawl upon the ground through the grass. They had barely reached the edge of the timber when the Sgt was shot through the heart by a rebel sharpshooter only a few paces in advances. The men returned dragging the lifeless body with them.
Upon seeing the fatel result of his order, the Lieutenant quickly retired to avoid identification. Many efforts were made to ascertain his name, but without success, he evidently took care to keep out of sight of the men who were able to identify him, and as no other officer saw him at the front, he was not discovered and held responsible for his action. Perhaps under no other circumstances would a like order have been obeyed by any non-commissioned officer of the Regiment, without the sanction of one of their officers or an officer known to them, but, being under fire in action, the excitement of the occasion induced the conviction that there was no choice but to obey the order, and Sgt Acker, faithful to every known duty, was brave enough to obey rather than to shrink from any danger.
From the "History of the Ninety-Seventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry" By Isaiah Price
From 1897 cemetery transcription: Sergeant Joseph R. Acker, son of Conrad & Leah Acker. Died age 29. With Company C of the 97th Penna. Volunteers, he was killed at the battle of Bermuda Hundred, Virginia [May 1864]. He was buried on the field on the evening of the same day. Reinterred, 30 November 1864
Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine. Philadelphia, PA: Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, 1895-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011.)
Elistment Age-26. Farmer
Enlisted: Sep 11,1861 at West Chester Co,PA. Corp
Mustered into Co "C" 97th PA Infantry
Killed at Bermuda Hundred,VA.
Promotions: Sgt,Apr 30,1862
The death of Sgt Acker was occasioned by one of those irregularities that came to be regarded as a bane to the service-the unauthorized orders of a junior staff officer to non-commissioned officers or soldiers on duty at the front. One of these, on a tour of observation along the line, ambitious of displaying authority, ordered Sgt Acker, with a few men, to advance into a piece of wood upon the left, to ascertain if there were any of the enemy concealed in it.
He was informed that it was full of them, but insisted upon the advance being made. There being no commissioned officer in sight to whom Sgt could appeal, and not at liberty to leave the position ascertain the correctness of the order, Sgt Acker felt it his duty to obey the Lieutenant. He cautiously advanced, with three or four men, having to crawl upon the ground through the grass. They had barely reached the edge of the timber when the Sgt was shot through the heart by a rebel sharpshooter only a few paces in advances. The men returned dragging the lifeless body with them.
Upon seeing the fatel result of his order, the Lieutenant quickly retired to avoid identification. Many efforts were made to ascertain his name, but without success, he evidently took care to keep out of sight of the men who were able to identify him, and as no other officer saw him at the front, he was not discovered and held responsible for his action. Perhaps under no other circumstances would a like order have been obeyed by any non-commissioned officer of the Regiment, without the sanction of one of their officers or an officer known to them, but, being under fire in action, the excitement of the occasion induced the conviction that there was no choice but to obey the order, and Sgt Acker, faithful to every known duty, was brave enough to obey rather than to shrink from any danger.
From the "History of the Ninety-Seventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry" By Isaiah Price
From 1897 cemetery transcription: Sergeant Joseph R. Acker, son of Conrad & Leah Acker. Died age 29. With Company C of the 97th Penna. Volunteers, he was killed at the battle of Bermuda Hundred, Virginia [May 1864]. He was buried on the field on the evening of the same day. Reinterred, 30 November 1864
Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine. Philadelphia, PA: Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, 1895-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011.)
Gravesite Details
PA Civil War Dard Files 1861-1866. Cemetery Records. Personal Research
Family Members
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