15 year old sergeant Jeremiah Gallagher. 69th pa killed in action July 3rd

Civilwarhistorian2003

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• Jul 25, 2026

• #1

15 year old sergeant Jeremiah Gallagher. 69th pa killed in action July 3rd

Jeremiah was born in county donegal Ireland in 1848.
Sgt Gallagher was killed between 2:00 and 2;45 by Pickett's Charge on the Union Center on Cemetery Hill. He was shot in the intestines and was killed. He was located West of Hancock Ave, and near the Copse of trees.In the subsequent battle report by Capt Chas. McAnally Gallaghers commander at Gettysburg he was "riddled with bullets" as he fell mortally wounded. He's one of the youngest soldiers buried in Gettysburg national cemetery.

 

R

Reconstructed Rebel

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• Jul 25, 2026

• #2

For a 14-15 year old to be a sergeant says something about his leadership abilities and maturity.

 

Last edited: Jul 25, 2026

Civilwarhistorian2003

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• Jul 25, 2026

• #3

Reconstructed Rebel said:

For a 16 year old to be a sergeant says something about his leadership abilities and maturity.

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Especially for being only 14/15
His birthday isn't known only his birth year unfortunately. I couldn't find out much else about him. I try to post as many of there stories as I can because there are so many forgotten stories in Gettysburg national cemetery.

 

JOHN42768

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• Jul 25, 2026

• #4

A brave young lad indeed

 

R

Reconstructed Rebel

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• Jul 25, 2026

• #5

Civilwarhistorian2003 said:

Especially for being only 14/15
His birthday isn't known only his birth year unfortunately. I couldn't find out much else about him. I try to post as many of there stories as I can because there are so many forgotten stories in Gettysburg national cemetery.

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Thanks for that correction - I edited my post. That's what I get for trying to think before I have my coffee! His youth is even more surprising. What a fine man he was likely to be if he could have lived to adulthood.

 

Bruce Vail

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• Jul 25, 2026

• #6

I'm always saddened by stories like this. In a better world teenagers would be exempt from military service (and I include 18- and 19-year-olds). My teenaged son is now in his 30s and I worried a lot the Global War on Terror (Bush Jr.) would fall to him.

 

Scott1967

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• Jul 25, 2026

• #7

His enlistment age is given as 23 in Sept 1861 , That means if he died age 15 he was 13 when he enlisted as a sergeant not a private I find that hard to believe.

No doubting his bravery and that of the 69th PA.

 

N

Nathan Stuart

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• Jul 25, 2026

• #8

In the absence of any other solid information found, it's difficult to believe that a 13 (or 15) yo Gallagher would have been appointed a company sergeant at the time of inception of the regiment. (The average age of enlisted men was early to mid-20s).

Notwithstanding the inconsistent age information found on his 'Find-a-Grave' listing (see https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24955483/jeremiah-gallagher ), seems more likely he was aged 23 years at the time of enlistment, as some information indicates (see https://www.pa-roots.org/data/read.php?76,899373 ).

 

C

Cavalier

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• Jul 26, 2026

• #9

Whatever his actual age, Gallaghers a hero in my book. If I recall correctly the 69th. put up a gallant stand there at the copse of trees.

John

 

mwalker6043

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• Jul 27, 2026

• #10

According to Ancestry, he may have arrived in America in April, 1860 and settled in Philadelphia. Looks like he was initially buried in Evergreen Cemetery and later moved to the National Cemetery.

 

huskerblitz

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• Jul 27, 2026

• #11

Scott1967 said:

His enlistment age is given as 23 in Sept 1861 , That means if he died age 15 he was 13 when he enlisted as a sergeant not a private I find that hard to believe.

No doubting his bravery and that of the 69th PA.

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I wonder if it wasn't just a typo when creating the card...13 instead of 23, 15 instead of 25, etc.

 

Civilwarhistorian2003

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• Jul 31, 2026

• #12

Marsena Stout 136th NY killed by ricocheting canister shot

Instantly killed by a grapeshot which ricocheted off the limb of a tree under which he was standing with another soldier and hit him in the chest; after he had helped a friend to a field hospital that had passed out from heat stroke.
He was 18 years old.