1865 CIVIL WAR. Bible Presented to Mustering Sergeant who Survived Brutal Gettysburg Battle, &c.

A wonderful little item, presumably presented to Sergeant Bill [William] Whaland by the Sanitary Commission when he mustered out from the 121st Pennsylvania Infantry in June of 1865. His particular unit was a storied one, and one that suffered massive casualties throughout the War. 

William H. Whaland was born in Pennsylvania in 1841. When the Civil War erupted in April of 1861, he did not immediately enlist apparently because of family needs arising from the death of his father. He then enlisted for three years as a Private on August 13, 1862 in Company B, 121st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment Pennsylvania.

The 121st was recruited in Philadelphia and Venango County and mustered into the service with initial orders to head to Washington, where they were attached to Casey's provisional brigade. Then in October, they became a part of General Meade's division near Antietam.

Fredericksburg was their first engagement, after which they went into camp at Belle Plain for the winter. They broke camp and participated in the "Mud March," and again for the Chancellorsville movement in May, 1863, returning to camp near Falmouth until the Gettysburg campaign.

The 121st took massive casualties at Gettysburg, losing more than 2/3s of the regiment on just the opening day of the Campaign [263 reported on the morning of July 1, 1863. By evening, only 84 were accounted for. Two days later they guarded Kelly's Ford and Cedar Run Bridge, near Catlett's Station, joined in the Mine Run movement, and then made winter quarters at Culpeper, Virginia.

In 1864, attached to the 5th corps, the regiment participated in the Battle of the Wilderness, where it again sustained heavy losses. At Spottsylvania, Jericho Ford, Bethesda Church and Cold Harbor the men fought bravely, their ranks greatly reduced in numbers. William H. Whaland was promoted to Full Sergeant on May 12, in the midst of the fighting at Spottsylvania, by then one of the few "originals" remaining.

At Cold Harbor the 121st was assigned to the 1st division. It aided in the construction of "Fort Hell" at Petersburg; shared in the raid upon the Weldon railroad in August, fought at Peebles Farm, at which time it formed part of the 3rd brigade, 3rd division. In this engagement a large number of the 121st were cut off by the enemy and made prisoners.

The remnant of the regiment had a part in the movement on the Weldon railroad in December, the Hatcher's run movement in February of 1865, the fight at the Boydton Plank Road in March, was active at the battle of Five Forks and was present at Lee's surrender at Appomattox. A few days of guard duty at Appomattox and two weeks, encampment on the South Side railroad followed, after which the regiment proceeded to Washington and was there mustered out on June 2, 1865 at Arlington Heights, Virginia.

Sergeant Whaland was among those who mustered out of Company B, 121st Pennsylvania Infantry on June 2, 1865. 

[Civil War - Sanitary Commission - Bibles] The New Testament of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: Translated Out of the Original Greek; And with the Former Translations Diligently Compared and Revised. New York. American Bible Society. 1865. Pearly 32mo. 

Fair condition, chipped at spine and well worn as shown. Still, remarkable solid for all the cosmetic defects.