The 62nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Living History Family was greatly honored to present a progam on the 62nd PVI in January of 2025 at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and the Captain Thomas Espy G.A.R Post entitled, “Blood, Courage, and the Maltese Cross”. We were especially honored to give this presentation at the Captain Thomas Espy G.A.R Post, as Captain Espy was a member of Company H of the 62nd PVI, and sadly lost his life after being wounded at the battle of Gaines Mills in 1862. Members of our company plus some friends and fellow historians gave meaningful presentations on different soldiers of the 62nd PVI, including local author Mr. Tom McMillan who introduced us and spoke about his ancestor, Captain Thomas Espy!
Mr. Jon-Erik Gilot of the Carnegie Library introduced the program, with remarks from our friend Mr. Tom McMillan as well. Our young recruit Gavin Zimmerman read a brief history of the formation of the 62nd PVI, the names of its leaders, and the batttles the 62nd PVI fought in, as well as the numbers of soldiers wounded, missing, captured and killed in action. Then members of the 62nd PA family including Matt Hankinson, Jim Johnson, Van Cornish, Cindy McShane, Brian and Katie Wolfe and friend of the 62nd PVI LHF Mr. Paul Blackman shared personal stories about soldiers and family members of the 62nd PVI. Katie Wolfe spoke on behalf of our good President, Robert “Slim” Bowser on the importance of what we do as a living history family in passing on the stories of the brave men of the 62nd PA, including Slim’s ancestor, Sergeant Daniel Warren Swigart, who survived the war and gave the benediction as Reverend Swigart at the dedication of the 62nd PVI monument in the Wheatfield at Gettysburg. An original program from that ceremony is housed in the Armstrong County Historical Museum, and curator and 62nd PVI LHF member Jim Johnson brought it to Carnegie as a real link to the stories that were shared…
Mr. Tom McMillan
Mr. Paul Blackham then gave an excellent talk on the Virtual Cemetery of the 62nd PVI that he has created, with links to information on many gravesites of soldiers from the 62nd PVI. Paul shared some amazing stories about soldiers from the 62nd, many who survived the war, including one soldier who enlisted at around age 15 and lived long enough to hear about the bombing of Pearl Harbor on the radio in 1943!
Link here to the 62nd PVI Virtual Cemetery…https://www.findagrave.com/virtual-cemetery/1702685
Mr. Paul Blackham
The Wolfes then spoke on the Lowry brothers of Freeport, PA, Major William Gustin Lowry and Corporal Robert Alexander Lowry. Our Bugler, Private Brian Wolfe, read the tragic story of the accidental death of Corporal/Bugler Robert “Gan” Lowry from our great friend Mr. Ernest Spisak’s book on the 62nd PA, Pittsburgh’s Forgotten Civil War Regiment. The story moved the audience, as did the heart-wrenching passages read from Mother Lowry’s diary by Cindy McShane and Katie Wolfe, describing a Mother’s fear for her sons and her grief at their deaths. Major Lowry gave his life for his country on the Stony Hill at Gettysburg leading his company on July 2, 1863, and is buried today in the Soldiers National Cemetery at Gettysburg.
Katie Wolfe and Cindy McShane
Private Van Cornish then shared the sad story of Private William Dunn of Allegheny County, who enlisted in the 62nd PVI and sent most of his wages home to his large family, who depended on his wages for support. Sadly, Private Dunn lost his life in the Wheatfield at Gettysburg, and again the audience was visibly moved by his story of sacrifice and duty.
Private Matt Hankinson finished the program with the heartfelt story of Captain Edwin Little and his wife Maggie of Punxsutawney, PA. Reading quotes from the war time letters of Mr. and Mrs. Little made the audience smile, laugh and finally get teary-eyed as Captain Little’s story also ended with his death on the Stony Hill at Gettysburg, and his wife giving birth to a son shortly after who was named in honor of his father, but would never know him…
Private Matt Hankinson
Private Jim Johnson concluded the program reflecting on his ancestor’s service in the 62nd PVI, and the importance of remembering and sharing the stories of the 62nd PVI, highlighting in particular the great book written by the late Mr. Ernest Spisak, Pittsburgh’s Forgotten Civil War Regiment. We as a living history family are grateful for Ernie’s hard work and research to produce this record of the 62d PVI, as well as his friendship. Thus we concluded another meaningful and memorable event honoring ‘the boys’ of the 62nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry.
Private Jim Johnson
CoD62ndPVI 