Andrew Henry Embler

A 27 year old (plumbing?) business owner in Brooklyn, he enrolled on 19 April 1861 as First Lieutenant of Company H, 71st New York State Militia in New York City for 3 months' service. He was wounded at First Bull Run on 21 July and mustered out with his Company 10 days later. He then enrolled at Poolsville, MD, and enrolled as First Lieutenant, Company K, 82nd New York Infantry on 5 December 1861 (mustered 21 January 1862). He was promoted to Captain, Company E on 30 June 1862.

He was wounded in action at Antietam on 17 September 1862.

He transferred to Company I, 59th New York Infantry on 10 July 1864 at the consolidation, and was detailed as Assistant Commissary of the Division (2nd/2 Corps) in August, then as acting Assistant Adjutant General from October to January 1865.

He was later awarded the Medal of Honor for charging "at the head of 2 regiments" at the Boydton Plank Road, VA on 27 October 1864. He was discharged from the 59th NY on 21 March 1865 to take a US Volunteer commission as Major and aide-de-camp to General Gibbon and mustered out of the Volunteers on 5 December 1865. He was honored by brevets to Major (October 1864) for Boydton Plank Road and Lieutenant Colonel of Volunteers (May 1865) for his war service.

He briefly returned home to Montgomery but moved to Windsor, Connecticut about 1865 and to Hartford about 1870. He was a plumber there by 1880. He was a founder (1878) and later Treasurer and Secretary of the Southern New England Telephone Company, was in New Haven by 1900, and retired in January 1914. He was Captain of the 1st Foot, Connecticut National Guard by 1882 and was appointed Brigadier General and Adjutant General in 1890 at a salary of $500 per year.

His service from the New York Adjutant General1 and Heitman.2 He's seen in some records as Henry A. Embler. Personal details from his death notice in the New York Tribune of 29 July 1918 and family genealogists, at least one of whom has his birth in New York City. His gravesite is on Findagrave.

He married Maria Elnora Dickerson (1839-1927) in about 1865 and they had 10 children.

Thanks to Jim Buchanan [Walking the West Woods] for the pointer to Embler, his MOH notice, and for the following text of his letter to General Carman of the Antietam Battlefield Board:

January 19, 1905
Gen. E.A. Carman
Washington, D.C.

Dear Sir:

Accept my thanks for the very valuable set of Antietam maps.

The position of the 82nd NY is exactly right on [map] No. 8 thereafter I have no personal knowledge of its location as I was wounded right there.

In [map] No. 7 the Division is not accurately illustrated. The point of departure is correct but the command did not advance by the flank. The 3 Brigades went forward in 3 deployed lines. 1st, 3rd & 2d Brigades.

If we had advanced by the flank our front would have been in the proper direction when we halted and the story of the 2d Div 2d A.C. at Antietam would have been different. - ah-well - instead unfortunately we presented simply six men, the flanks of the 3 Brigades, in the direction of the enemy.

Again I thank you for remembering me.

Very kindly yours,
A.H. Embler

[from the New York Public Library, Ezra A. Carman Correspondence, Folder 3, 1905, January]

Morphy's Auctions sold his officer's side knife at auction for $9200 in 2005.

06/29/1834; Montgomery, NY

07/28/1918; New Haven, CT; burial in Evergreen Cemetery, New Haven, CT