Soldier Story: Lieutenant Harry Hudson 88th Pennsylvania Infantry

 

A story I learned about while reading up on the 88^th Pennsylvania Infantry

23-year-old Harry Hudson from Roxborough Philadelphia joined the 88^th Pennsylvania Infantry on September 13^th 1861.

At the beginning of their service the 88^th would move to Washington and act as provost guard for Alexandria Virginia.

By August of 1862 he had worked his way up to 1^st Lieutenant. The 88^th had worked their way to Culpeper Virginia with General Popes Army of Virginia as he pursued General Jackson near the Shenandoah.

On August 9^th they stood in battle line two miles outside of Culpeper as General Banks moved to check the Confederate advancement which would eventually be called the Battle of Cedar Mountain.

The 88^th would stand in line until nightfall listening to the sounds of battle in the distance

After both armies pulled away from battle they would move to the Rapidan within cannon shot distance of the Confederates

On the 18^th of August reports were that the enemy was massing on the other side of the river and in the middle of the night the 88^th and the rest of General Towers brigade pulled away from the Rapidan.

Lieutenant Hudson and Company C were ordered to an Orange and Alexandria railroad bridge that crossed near Raccoon Ford to destroy it. When they reached the bridge pioneers had already cut the deck loose and unfortunately when Lieutenant Hudson stepped on it, it collapsed and crashed on top of him crushing him.

He would be rendered unconscious and would die the next day.

The 88^th would then pull back to near Kelly's Ford that crossed the Rappahannock River

He would be buried in an unmarked grave next to the river on the 20^th of August, just another of the thousands of men without a stone to remember him by, but whose story should not be forgotten