behind AotW

Captain Edward Anderson Irwin, Company K, 13th Pennsylvania Reserves was a prisoner of war at Libby Prison in Richmond for about 3 months until exchanged in August 1862. He rejoined his Company just in time to receive a serious head wound – thought initially to be fatal – at Turner’s Gap on South Mountain on 14 September.

Not only did he survive, he was appointed Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment to date from 10 September 1862 while home recovering. He returned to duty in December and was almost immediately wounded again – while leading the “Bucktails” at Fredericksburg, VA. That wound to his arm disabled him for further field service and resigned and was discharged in May 1863.

This photograph of him wearing Captain’s bars is from Virtue, Liberty, Independence [pdf], online from the Pennsylvania Senate.