“He Was Wounded Bad But I Don’t Think Dangerous”

David Hayes McMicken lived a quiet life as a farmer in rural Lycoming County, Pa., until the Civil War began. He answered President Abraham Lincoln's call to defend the country, and joined the 34th Pennsylvania Infantry. This was in June 1861. A year later during the Peninsula Campaign, he became a casualty at the Battle of Gaines' Mill.
"Life on the Civil War Research Trail" is hosted by Ronald S. Coddington, Editor and Publisher of Military Images magazine. Learn more about our mission to showcase, interpret and preserve Civil War portrait photography at militaryimagesmagazine.com and shopmilitaryimages.com.
This episode is brought to you in part by image collector H Shindle: 757-506-9622 or [e-mail]
Image: Ronald S. Coddington
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[@oldgeezerproductions]

Thanks Ron for bringing to life an otherwise forgotten hero who died for his country. My own ancestor, who's name I bear, was on the Red River Campaign when he fell very sick and could not be cured in the hospital at Cairo and so he was sent home to Wisconsin, basically to die. He slowly regained his health, unlike the unfortunate David McMicken, and lived on to have children and great-grand children, one of which knows of his service and remembers his name.

[@susanschaffner4422]

I love hearing about famous generals of the war, but my favorite stories are about the everymen who fought doing the heavy lifting and sacrificing for their ideals.

[@philspaugy1756]

I have a passion for the “Boys of 61! “. Great video my friend!

[@directionallycorrect2027]

Another great pod Ron!

[@karlking4980]

Ron, Another excellent video. Did his uniform in the photo look like a regulation officers coat? Something about it seemed different. Perhaps the lapels. Also, I wonder how they knew it was a Confederate brigade attacking them. Whenever I read an article where a soldier says something like “so and so’s brigade or division attacked us,” they never state how in the heat of battle they knew. Keep the great work!

[@curtgomes]

How many soldiers, on both sides like McMicken, have stories that stories will never be known?

[@oldgeezerproductions]

So true except perhaps for the descendants of those men. I have two ancestors, one who volunteered immediately when the war began and participated in the Vicksburg and Red River campaigns and another who participated at the Battle of Five Forks and was there when Lee surrendered his forces at Appomattox. Both men were privates and certainly did their duty, but are otherwise unknown by no one except me, since their grandchildren are long dead and now nobody in my extended family knows or cares about such things.

[@curtgomes]

@@oldgeezerproductions I understand. It's tragic that so much is lost and so little is appreciated, but it's reality.

[@toolsteel8482]

Thank you for sharing this man’s war service. I enjoy each and every one of these episodes. I wonder if they annulled the confederate officers exchange since Mcmicken died or exchanged him for another.

[@lifeonthecivilwarresearchtrail]

The exchange of the Confederate officer, 2nd Lt. Linn Banks Holt of the 8th North Carolina Infantry, was honored. Here is a summary of his service following the exchange: * Wounded 8/20/1863 Morris Island, SC (Hand wound. Or 09/06/63) * Absent Wounded 2/28/1864 (place not stated) (Estimated days) * Returned 3/1/1864 (place not stated) (Estimated day) * Wounded 5/15/1864 Petersburg, VA (Head wound. Estimated date) * POW 9/30/1864 Fort Harrison, VA * Returned 9/30/1864 (place not stated) (Estimated day) * Wounded 9/30/1864 Fort Harrison, VA (Left thigh wound) * Transferred 12/22/1864 Point Lookout, MD * Transferred 1/2/1865 Old Capitol Prison, Washington, DC * Transferred 2/3/1865 Fort Delaware, DE * Oath of Allegiance 6/17/1865 Fort Delaware, DE (Released)

[@toolsteel8482]

Thank you for the reply.

[@frankfischer1281]

One of the many who died as a result of a wound that, if it happened today would be easily survivable.

[@theicecavalier342]

Wow, that story sounds like a great book! Too bad it didn't have a happy ending 😢

[@rogersheddy6414]

I was born and raised in Jersey Shore.

[@carlh-thehermitwithwi-fi679]

i once had the honor of re-meeting my high school history teacher years after i graduated and he retired. We, of course, talked history. He was a Civl War buff. I asked him "so what _really_ caused the Civil War?" He sipped his beer and said the most honest thing i ever heard on the matter. "If the Federal Government would have just left people and their earned profits alone, that war would not have happened" WOW!

[@owensomers8572]

Wow, that is the saddest thing I have ever heard.

[@carlh-thehermitwithwi-fi679]

@youtubeprofilewordsname12345 "how can a man in Vermont, who does not plant the seed, grow the crop, till the land, harvest the crop, then wash it an take it to market..who then wants to tax me for my labor, then tax me again for my profit? If such a man, as he calls himself, wishes to take some renumeration of this, let him come down and do the work! He did not earn it!"

[@owensomers8572]

@@carlh-thehermitwithwi-fi679 Ah, so you learned there are no, nor apparently have there ever been, farmers in Vermont.

[@spacehonky6315]

Lost Causer alert. Remarkable are the grotesquely twisted explanations that gloss over people as property. I'd expect a bit more from a modern American History teacher. Did he wax religiously on and on about how sainted slave owners were doing God's work, when caring so deeply about their human property? It was really all about taxes?! Yeah, sure.🙄

[@oldgeezerproductions]

@@spacehonky6315 Well said indeed. That was the most dishonest "Lost Cause" propaganda anyone is likely to ever encounter. I most seriously, most seriously doubt such a encounter ever happened or that such stupid words were ever spoken by an allegedly "educated" man.