the "Mechanicsburg Infantry"

The following appeared in the October 4, 1862 issue of the Cumberland Valley Journal, a newspaper from Mechanicsburg, PA.  After they returned home from service in Maryland as Co. F, 1st Pennsylvania Emergency Militia, the names of the brave men in town who rushed to the "call" the month before were printed in the Journal.  Interestingly, one of those names was David Carmany, the newspaper's editor.  Note the last two sentences at the end of the muster roll.
 
"MUSTER ROLL OF THE 'MECHANICSBURG INFANTRY' - The following is the muster roll of the company raised in this place in accordance with the proclamation of the Governor - for State defense - as it was composed upon leaving for the State line:

Captain, ..................................T.J. Kerr

First Lieutenant, .............G.W. Chalfant

Second Lieutenant, ........S.N. Emminger

1st Sergeant, ........................Jacob Emminger

2d      "     .................................S.G. Newman

3d      "      .............................George Hummel

4th      "     ...................................Alpheus Dale

Quartermaster Sergeant, .............R.H. Thomas

1st Corporal, .................................L.D. Keefer

2d       "      ........................................J.J. Clark

3d       "      ...................................D.D. Barton

4th      "      .................................Joseph Ritner

5th      "      ....................................S.F. Huston

6th      "      ..................................T.S. Comfort

7th      "      ..................................R.W. Oswald

8th      "      .....................................Henry Null

Privates                                          Privates

                             Barrick, George                       Llloyd, Charles A.

                             Beelman, George                     Lloyd, James E. 
                             Bishop, Eli                              Machlin, James L.
                             Bitner, Wm. H.                      Martin, Alfred
                             Bowman, B. F.                       Mateer, A. H.
                             Boyer, J. S                            Mateer, Samuel A.
                             Bobb, G. W.                           Miller, Augustus
                             Brindle, David                        Miller, J. C. 
                             Carl, Joseph                           Miller, William 
                             Carmany, D. J.                      Mohler, George H.
                             Clark, Andrew A.                  Nichol, J. M. 
                             Coble, D. W.                          Oswald, W. H.
                             Coble, Jacob                           Otstot, George
                             Coover, John R.                      Painter, B. C.
                             Coover, John L.                      Rich, A. G.
                             Coover, George                       Roddy, Thos. P. 
                             Cowden, Andrew                    Rupp, John C.
                             Dale, James A.                       Schutt G. L.
                             Dallam, George C.                  Seifert, Emanuel
                             Duey, George                         Seifert, Henry
                             Duey, Jacob                           Seifert, Peter
                             Eberly, A. K.                         Schroeder, H. B.
                             Eberly, Henry M.                   Sheely, William
                             Eberly, Levi                           Shellenberger, B. F.
                             Eberly, W. H.                        Slyder, Jacob
                             Friese, Michael, jr.                  Smith, James A.
                             Garber, Andrew A.                Smith, John J.
                             Gosweiler, Martin                   Statler, A. J.
                             Harkins, Daniel                      Statler, J. B.
                             Hauck, G. W.                         Statler, J. F.
                             Heffelfinger, Samuel               Titzel, C. H.
                             Heigly, David                         Titzel, G. W.
                             Hinkle, Samuel                       Tyson, James
                             Hurd, Daniel                          Weitzel, Peter
                             Hurst, D. W.                         Wengert, Amos
                             Irvin, James D.                      Wilson, William
                             Kauffman, Isaac                    Whisler, William H.
                             Kauffman, Isaac H.                Zimmerman, J. C.
                             Keene, E. S.                           Zug, J. E.
                             Leidig, Joseph 

During the absence of the company - in Maryland - thirteen returned home, from various reasons.  What the reasons were we do not pretend to say."

The author of the piece certainly did not need to say; it was already implied.  With whole companies, and sometimes regiments, being raised from the men of one town or one county, immense amounts of pressure were placed on each man to not abandon his comrades (his neighbors).  For many soldiers, having to face your friends and family again after the embarrassment of "skedaddling" in the face of the enemy was sometimes looked upon as something worse than the dangers of battle.  During the Maryland Campaign, there are several accounts, among the Emergency Militia, of men heading for home the moment rumors spread through the ranks that the enemy was near by.

Just as often, if not more common it would seem than "skedaddling", some Emergency Militiamen returned home before being ordered to do so because many felt a great unease about crossing the border, and fighting for the protection of Maryland.  Many felt very strongly about the fact that they had signed up to serve Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania only.  Since they could be ordered to march beyond Pennsylvania's borders, and fight with the Federal army, they feared there was nothing to stop them from being ordered to continue fighting and marching south, for the duration of the war.  In several instances, whole companies turned around and marched home when they arrived at Greencastle, near the border.  In the end, regimental commanders, and even Gov. Curtin himself, convinced the Keystone men that the best place to defend Pennsylvania, was in Maryland.