Reading in Berks County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Ringgold Light Artillery

First Defenders

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 4, 2009

1. Ringgold Light Artillery Memorial

Inscription.

Ringgold Light Artillery. First Defenders. To commemorate the patriotism and promptitude of the Ringgold Light Artillery of Reading, Pennsylvania, which reported for duty at Harrisburg, April 16, 1861, arriving there first of the Pennsylvania Companies; and with the Logan Guards of Lewistown, Washington Artillerists of Pottsville National Light Infantry of Pottsville, and Allen Infantry of Allentown, entered the City of Washington April 18, 1861, the first defenders of the Capital, this monument was erected by the Citizens of Reading, July 4, 1901., Roster of the Ringgold Light Artillery Captain James McKnight Lieutenants Henry Nagle . William Graeff Sergeants George W. Durell . Henry S. Rush Daniel Kreisher . Jeremiah Seiders Corporals Levi J. Homan . Jacob Womert F.W. Folkman . Horatio Leader Musicians John A. Hook . George B. Eckert Privates. Solomon D. Ash . James M. Anthony . Charles B. Ansart . Anthony Ammon . Augustus Berger . George S. Bickley . Reuben R. Burkhart . Harrison G. Bouse . William W. Bowers . David Bechtel . Aaron Bechtel . Charles A. Bitting . Henry Coleman . William F. Christ . Amos Drenkel . Daniel M. Dickinson . Edward C. Eeling . Benjamin F. Ermentrout . Henry E. Eisenbise . William C. Eben . Samuel Evans . Robert Eltz . Henry Fleck . Adam Frees . John Fries Jr. . Harrison Fox . Christian C. Frantz . Adam Faust . William W. Fix . James A. Fox . Adelsen Gery . Charles W. Gebhard . Henry Geiger . Lemuel Gries . James H. Gentzler . George W. Green . Samuel Hamilton . Amos Huyett . Nathaniel B. Hill . Andrew S. Helms . William Haberacker . Jacob J. Hessler . Franklin Housel . John L. Kennedy . George W. Knabb . John D. Koch . Jacob Leeds . Harrison Lutz . Peter A. Lantz . Daniel J. Levan . George D. Leaf . Aaron H. LeVan . Charles Levan . Christopher Loeser . George S. Lauman . Isaac S. Leeds . Daniel Maltzberger . Charles P. Muhlenberg . Joseph H. McKnight . William M. Miller . William P. Mock . James L. Mast . Howard McILvain . John A. McLenedan . Henry Neihart . Edward P. Pearson Jr. . James Pfleger . Frederick Peck . Frederick H. Phillippi . Ferdinand S. Ritter . William Rapp Jr. . Henry Rush . Francis Rambo . Isaiah Rambo Sr. . George B. Rhoads . Jackson Sherman . Franklin Shaeffer . Edmund L. Smith . Franklin Smeck . George W. Silvis . Edward Scull . Charles Spangler . Jonathan Shearer . William H. Smith . Albert H. Shiery . William Sauerbier . Albert H. Seyfert . Daniel Witman . Henry Whiteside . Daniel S. Yohn . John L. Yohn . Frederick M. Yeager

To commemorate
the patriotism and promptitude
of the
Ringgold Light Artillery
of Reading, Pennsylvania,
which reported for duty at
Harrisburg, April 16, 1861,
arriving there first of the
Pennsylvania Companies;
and with the
Logan Guards of Lewistown,
Washington Artillerists of Pottsville
National Light Infantry of
Pottsville, and Allen Infantry
of Allentown,
entered the City of Washington
April 18, 1861,
the first defenders of the Capital,
this monument was erected by the
Citizens of Reading,
July 4, 1901.

Roster of the Ringgold Light Artillery
Captain
James McKnight
Lieutenants
Henry Nagle • William Graeff
Sergeants
George W. Durell • Henry S. Rush
Daniel Kreisher • Jeremiah Seiders
Corporals
Levi J. Homan • Jacob Womert
F.W. Folkman • Horatio Leader
Musicians
John A. Hook • George B. Eckert
Privates Solomon D. Ash • James M. Anthony • Charles B. Ansart • Anthony Ammon • Augustus Berger • George S. Bickley • Reuben R. Burkhart • Harrison G. Bouse • William W. Bowers • David Bechtel • Aaron Bechtel • Charles A. Bitting • Henry Coleman • William F. Christ • Amos Drenkel • Daniel M. Dickinson • Edward C. Eeling • Benjamin F. Ermentrout

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• Henry E. Eisenbise • William C. Eben • Samuel Evans • Robert Eltz • Henry Fleck • Adam Frees • John Fries Jr. • Harrison Fox • Christian C. Frantz • Adam Faust • William W. Fix • James A. Fox • Adelsen Gery • Charles W. Gebhard • Henry Geiger • Lemuel Gries • James H. Gentzler • George W. Green • Samuel Hamilton • Amos Huyett • Nathaniel B. Hill • Andrew S. Helms • William Haberacker • Jacob J. Hessler • Franklin Housel • John L. Kennedy • George W. Knabb • John D. Koch • Jacob Leeds • Harrison Lutz • Peter A. Lantz • Daniel J. Levan • George D. Leaf • Aaron H. LeVan • Charles Levan • Christopher Loeser • George S. Lauman • Isaac S. Leeds • Daniel Maltzberger • Charles P. Muhlenberg • Joseph H. McKnight • William M. Miller • William P. Mock • James L. Mast • Howard McILvain • John A. McLenedan • Henry Neihart • Edward P. Pearson Jr. • James Pfleger • Frederick Peck • Frederick H. Phillippi • Ferdinand S. Ritter • William Rapp Jr. • Henry Rush • Francis Rambo • Isaiah Rambo Sr. • George B. Rhoads • Jackson Sherman • Franklin Shaeffer • Edmund L. Smith • Franklin Smeck • George W. Silvis • Edward Scull • Charles Spangler • Jonathan Shearer • William H. Smith • Albert H. Shiery • William Sauerbier • Albert H. Seyfert • Daniel Witman • Henry Whiteside • Daniel S. Yohn • John L. Yohn • Frederick M. Yeager

Erected 1901 by Citizens of

Ringgold Light Artillery Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 4, 2009

2. Ringgold Light Artillery Marker

Reading.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Government & Politics • War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is April 16, 1581.

Location. 40° 20.079′ N, 75° 54.898′ W. Marker is in Reading, Pennsylvania, in Berks County. Marker is on Perkiomen Avenue (U.S. 422), on the left when traveling east. Memorial is along the southwest boundary of City Park, about 300 feet SE of the intersection of Perkiomen Avenue and Penn Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Reading PA 19602, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Penn's Common (within shouting distance of this marker); William McKinley (within shouting distance of this marker); Volunteer Firemen (within shouting distance of this marker); Thomas W. Dugan Memorial Tree (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Admiral Winfield Scott Schley U.S.N. Memorial Tree (about 600 feet away); Firemen's Union World War II Memorial (about 700 feet away); World War I Memorial Tree (about 700 feet away); Vietnam War Memorial (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Reading.

Also see . . .
1. The Ringgold Light Artillery of Reading. Google books website entry (William Muhlenberg Hiester · 1870) (Submitted on December 8, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)

2. The First Defenders. PA Roots website entry:
The Ringgold Artillery was among the first

Ringgold Light Artillery Roster Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 4, 2009

3. Ringgold Light Artillery Roster Marker

units to respond to the call for volunteers at the beginning of the Civil War. (Submitted on December 14, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)

Additional commentary.
1. Type of artillery
Many of the men of the Ringgold Light Artillery later joined Durell's Battery, Independent Battery D, Pennsylvania Volunteer Artillery. As Ringgold Artillery the battery was armed with 6-pdr field guns. As Durell's Battery it was equipped originally with 10-pdr Parrott rifles, and later in the war 3" Parrott rifles. The artillery piece at the monument is not a Parrott rifle but a 3" Ordnance rifle. The "PIC" on the muzzle stands for Phoenix Iron Company and was manufactured at Phoenixville PA.

— Submitted January 26, 2010, by Jacques Arthur Reed of Langwarrin Vic, Australia.

Ringgold Light Artillery Cannoneer Statue image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 4, 2009

4. Ringgold Light Artillery Cannoneer Statue

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 4, 2009

5. Ringgold Light Artillery Memorial

Looking northwest through City Park toward Christopher Columbus statue in background.

Cannon at Ringgold Light Artillery Memorial image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 4, 2009

6. Cannon at Ringgold Light Artillery Memorial

"No.133 PIco 1862 817lbs JMW" inscription.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 4, 2009

7. Cannon at Ringgold Light Artillery Memorial

"No.122 PICo 1862 816lbs. COL[?]" inscription.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 7, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 2,789 times since then and 62 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on December 8, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.