Charles D. Manley Broomhall

An orphan, Charles D. M. Broomhall may have been raised by his mother's relatives. He and the other members of Company D enrolled at Media, Pennsylvania in the 124th Pennsylvania on 4 August 1862. Upon his enlistment, he was a teacher; 27 years old, 5 feet, 5 inches in height, with a light complexion, hazel eyes, and light hair (according to the information on his discharge). Company D was known as Gideon"s Band, and the company elected Norris L. Yarnall as its captain. On 9 August the company was sworn into the U.S. service for nine months, and that afternoon pitched their tents at Camp Curtin (Harrisburg). They were almost immediately ordered to Washington.

Less than three weeks after his enlistment, Sgt Broomhall and the 124th Pennsylvania Volunteers were marching hard toward a rendezvous with the Army of Northern Virginia at Antietam.

Sgt Broomhall and the rest of the 124th were part of the Federal 12th Corps attack through the Cornfield on the morning of 17 September. See an exciting extract from his diary describing his experiences on the Campaign.

He served with his regiment through Chancellorsville in May 1863. His enlistment expiring, he was honorably discharged 15 May with the rest of the Regiment. After mustering out of the 124th he lived in Media, but when Lee invaded Pennsylvania in 1863 he mustered into Co I of the 29th Pennsylvania Emergency Militia as a 1st Lieutenant at Harrisburg on 23 June. He was mustered out again on 1 August, having not participated in the Gettysburg Campaign.

He practiced as an attorney at least through 1880, and was District Attorney for Delaware County for one term (1866-68). At one time he was also a director of the Charter National Bank. He left the law due to a hearing problem and later in life had eye problems. By June 1901 he was a surveyor, and had begun collecting an Army pension of $10 per month.

He was apparently active in Veterans affairs, and corresponded with the Antietam Battlefield Board - assisting in locating the 124th on the battlefield maps. On October 24, 1902, still a bachelor, he died in his bed at the boarding house where he lived on West Street in Media.

Sources: US Pension Records, genealogical and family data, and obituary assembled by Carolyn Ivanoff, Shelton High School, Shelton, CT.

12/1/1831 in PA

10/24/1902; Media, PA; burial in Cumberland Cemetery, Middletown Twp., PA