Charles Plopper

A 26 year old Methodist preacher and farmer in Virgil, IL, he enlisted on 4 September 1861 and mustered in St. Charles, IL as a Private in Company A, 8th Illinois Cavalry on 18 September. He was promoted to Corporal, date not found.

He was mortally wounded by a gunshot to his chest in action during a cavalry skirmish at the Quebec Schoolhouse near Middletown, MD on 13 September 1862; his 27th birthday. Another member of his company, Wirt Roberts, helped him to the rear.

He was among the casualties of the skirmish who were

brought into Middletown and placed in the basement of the Lutheran Church, which is now used as a hospital, under the care of Dr. A. Hard, Eighth Illinois Cavalry. The ladies and gentlemen of the village promptly came forward and assisted the wounded in every way they could. There were in fact more ladies present than wounded men, and their friends may rely upon that these soldiers will receive the best attention ...

While a number of ladies were around him who had been waiting on him, he gave me your address, which I took down, and then said (and I will never forget his words – the ladies were all melted into tears) “Tell my wife how I died – that I thought of her and the dear children but that I commit them all into the hands of my heavenly Father."

Oh, he spoke so beautifully. Indeed it was good to be with him. We all felt it so. And how I have performed my sad office. May the God of the widow and the orphan guide and direct your every step.”

His service basics from the Adjutant General,1 who says he was killed outright on 13 September, his Pension Card, online from fold3, and the muster rolls extracts from the Illinois State Archives. His mortal wounding from Hard.2 The first quote above from a dispatch dated 14 September published in the New York Times of 19 September 1862 accompanying a list of casualties from the skirmish. The second from a letter of 19 September 1862 from the pastor of the German Reformed Church in Middletown, as excerpted in the Pomona (CA) Progress-Bulletin of 8 January 1961 [via newspapers.com]. Personal details from family genealogists. His picture from a photograph also published in the Progress-Bulletin; this version shared to the FamilySearch database by Jacob Loren Roundy.

Charles married Nancy Maria Campbell (later Barton, 1839-1898) in Sheboygan County, WI in December 1854 and they had 3 children.

Special thanks to 2x great-grandson Jerry Elliott for correcting Plopper's hospital and death location, for sharing his excellent collection of family documents and details, and for the pointers to the NYT and the Pomona Progress-Bulletin.

09/13/1835; Martinsburgh, NY

09/19/1862; Middletown, MD