Major William Ross Hartshorne 42nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment Field & Staff Biographical Sketch ~

'William Ross Hartshorne was born in Curwensville, Pa., January 26, 1839, and educated at Tuscarora Academy. When Colonel Irvin recruited a company upon the outbreak of the Civil War, Harts­horne enlisted and was elected First-Lieutenant. This company upon its arrival at Harrisburg became Company K, of the Bucktails, but Lieutenant Hartshorne was transferred from it to the Signal Corps, and attached to the staff of General Banks. Returning to his regiment in February, 1862, he was promoted to Adjutant, taking part in the Peninsular campaign, Second Bull Run and South Mountain. He was wounded at Mechanicsville. At Antietam subsequent to the fall of Colonel McNeil he commanded the regiment. On May 22, 1863, he was promoted to Major, and at Gettysburg, subsequent to the death of Colonel Taylor, again commanded the regiment, which, under his or­ders, attacked and held in check the sharpshooters located in Devil's Den. The position of Colonel remaining vacant, Major Hartshorne con­tinued to command the regiment through the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, North Anna and Bethesda Church campaigns, after which it was mus tered out. Elected Colonel of the tgoth, he commanded it at Cold Har­bor. The igoth and igtst regiments were then formed into a brigade and Colonel Hartshorne by priority assumed command. On the 19th of August, 1864, he, with almost the entire brigade, was surrounded and captured while on the skirmish line. He was confined in the Con­federate prisons at Salisbury and Danville, and upon the capture of the Confederate Colonel Morris and Major Steele in Kentucky, by the Union authorities who adjudged them to be spies, was with Major Horton, of the 58th Massachusetts, selected by the Confederates for retaliatory purposes. The Union authorities were notified that treatment similar to that accorded to the captured Confederates would be meted out to Hartshorne and Horton (O. R. II. VIII., p. 57) who were put into irons and were at one time notified of the date set for their execution. The Federal authorities ultimately exchanged Colonel Morris and thus, on February 21, 1865, obtained the release of Colonel Hartshorne. On March 13, 1865, Colonel Hartshorne was brevetted Brigadier-General. He was mustered out with his regiment June 28, 1865. Subsequently to the war General Hartshorne led a quiet life. He was Superintendent of Public Grounds at Harrisburg and was a mem­ber of Governor Hartranft's, Governor Hoyt's and Governor Pattison's staffs. He resided chiefly in the Juniata Valley, a citizen of Academia, dying of cancer of the intestines on June 12, 1905, at the Philadelphia Oncologic Hospital. During the war, on December 15, 1863, General Hartshorne married Miss Alice Bresse, who, with three children, survives him.

Military Record Mustered in May 29, 1861-promoted Adjutant, February, 1862-wounded at Mechanicsville, June 26, 1862-promoted to Major, May 22, 1863-Promoted to Colonel, 190th Pennsylvania Volunteers, June 6, 1864-captured at Weldon Railroad, August 19, 1864 ­ brevetted Brigadier-General, March 13, 1865--mustered out with regiment June 28th, 1865