“The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.” –Proverbs 15:33

It wasn’t long after returning from Gettysburg, where we commemorated the 158th Anniversary of the Battle, and conducted our annual “Wheatfield Tribute” to honor the men of the 62nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Corps, Army of the Potomac [see the recent post “The Wheatfield: 158 years Later”], that I picked up my copy of “The Valley Mirror” from July 17, 2014…I keep this issue where I can find it, and from time to time will read the front page article “With Honor and Humility”, penned by our friend Ernie Spisak, after he had been our guest of honor for our “Wheatfield Tribute” on July 5, 2014…with tear-filled eyes I can still hear his voice saying “What a day this is…what a great day this is”…

It was after meeting Ernie following the release of his wonderful book “Pittsburgh’s Forgotten Civil War Regiment” [the regimental history of the 62nd PVI] that we invited Ernie, his wife Peggy, and daughter Danielle to be our guests for the ceremony…by this time in his life, Ernie’s eyesight was diminished, but he could see our regimental flag unfurled in the July sun…having devoted so much of his life to completing the history of the 62nd, it was a very special day for everyone…with permission from “The Mirror”, I will share Ernie’s words with you…

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“With Honor and Humility”, by Ernie Spisak

If it is true that spirits walk the face of this earth, then, surely on this day, July 5, 2014, and at this place, their presence could be felt. Under a cloudless blue sky, void of the customary oppressive humidity, a steady summer breeze blew across a large empty field. Quietly, I sat watching a large American flag waving in the breeze. Straining my ears, I heard a far off voice whispering. “Across the Nation, this day should be celebrated with parades, picnics, and illuminations in the sky”. John Adams spoke these words on July 4th, 1776, with the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Over the past 30 or so years, I have walked and stood on this field many times. However, this day was different; it exceeded my wildest imaginations.

A bright morning sun shone down upon the field. Simultaneously, the wind rattled the leaves in the far off trees and snapped the large American flag above my head. The distant voices of long ago faintly drifted on the breeze. “Well”, asked a young woman, “do we have a Monarchy or a Republic?” Mr. Benjamin Franklin, in 1787, replied, “A Republic, if you can keep it”. On that September 17th in Philadelphia, the Continental Congress completed the Nation’s Constitution.

It is Mr. Franklin’s remarks that lured me to this place today. In the spring of 1861, Franklin’s newly formed republic split in two and our country plunged into a great Civil War. During the second year of this war, in July of 1863, two enormous armies converged on this small crossroads village of Gettysburg. Under the Stars and Stripes, I sit on one of the many fields of battle. I sit in the Wheatfield where Rebels and Yankees turned the golden field of wheat into a bloody “Whirlpool of Death”.

A regiment from Pittsburgh, the 62nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, fought in this Wheatfield. Today, I am sitting no more than ten feet from the monument dedicated to this regiment. Flying opposite of the American flag is the flag of the Fifth Corps; its red maltese cross with a white background blowing in the breeze. I am here as a guest of men who had ancestors serving in this regiment.

In the shadow of this large monument, this portion of the Wheatfield, within minutes, came alive. Before my eyes stood men of the 62nd in full uniform and equipped for battle. In formation, they formed to the side of their monument. Quietly, a First Sergeant called out commands to the troops. He then walked over to me, greeted me and requested that I hold something for him. Again, was I sitting among the spirits of the brave men who fought in this “Whirlpool of Death”?

No, this day I was sitting among the men who invited me. They are men who reenact the living history of Company D of the 62nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. As I sat, First Sergeant Daniel Warren Swigart, [aka Slim Bowser] handed me a shaft of wheat held together with a large mourning ribbon; he then went about his duties this day.

As other reenactors spoke, this First Sergeant returned to where I was sitting, stood by my side, then asked me to accompany him with the wheat and place it at the foot of the monument. Humbly, I followed the First Sergeant’s instructions and with honor assisted him with placing the shaft of wheat at the foot of the monument. I then retired to my seat. In full uniform, with his white gloves glistening in the sun, the First Sergeant stood at my side. Quietly, under the sounding of Taps, he gently placed his hand on my left shoulder. For a brief moment, fighting back a tear, my heart felt for these men, present and past, that today on this hallowed ground “The Circle of the 62nd Pennsylvania Had Gone Unbroken”.

Let it be known, that I humbly accepted the invitation of Company D because I recently published the history of the 62nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. In 1889, twenty six years after the Battle of Gettysburg, Adjutant William Patterson spoke these words at the dedication of the monument. He said, “The only glory the rank and file have is the honor and reputation of their own organization”. Today, 125 years later, these words still hold true. They hold true due to the sincere heartfelt dedication of the living history reenactors of Company D.

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This photo of Ernie, holding a copy of his regimental history, was taken on the occasion of the sale of the 500th copy of the book….this framed image travels with us wherever we go…Ernie became a dear friend until his sudden passing on April 20, 2017…his affection for the 62nd Regiment, past, and present, are evident in his words…those sentiments are returned many times over…the descendants of the 62nd Veterans are eternally grateful to Ernie, Peggy and Danielle, for the overwhelming devotion to making certain that the 62nd story lives on…

As Providence would have it, many of the circumstances present in 2014 were present in 2021, including the weather, the need for remembrance, and the outpouring of support for the ceremony…

And as I was contemplating how to put these things together for this post, the scripture verse from Proverbs appeared on the screen like a beacon during this weeks message…

May God bless the 62nd PVI, the Spisak’s, and all of the members of the 62nd PVI Living History Family, as well as our friends and supporting cast…

The Circle of the 62nd Pennsylvania remains Unbroken!