Capt. Peter Penn-Gaskell

Eric Wittenberg

1st Lieutenant
Keeper of the Scales
Joined
Jun 2, 2013
Location
Columbus, OH
Below is the well-known photograph of John Buford and his staff officers, taken in August 1863. Buford is seated. From left to right, Capt. Myles W. Keogh, Lt. Peter Penn-Gaskell, Capt. Craig Wadsworth, and the movie-star handsome young man on the right is Lt. Albert P. Morrow of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry. Keogh, of course, died with Custer at the Little Big Horn. Wadsworth was the nephew of Maj. Gen. James Wadsworth. He had served on the staff of Maj. Gen. John F. Reynolds, and joined Buford's staff after Reynolds' death. Penn-Gaskell has always been a mystery, but I believe I have solved some that mystery.

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Peter Penn-Gaskell was a direct, linear descendant of William Penn. Born on October 24, 1843, Penn-Gaskell was educated in Heidelberg, Germany, and then returned to the United States to fight for the Union. He was commissioned second lieutenant in the 1st New Jersey Cavalry on April 7, 1862 and was promoted to first lieutenant on November 7. In 1863, he joined Brig. Gen. John Buford’s staff as an aide-de-camp. He was promoted to captain on October 23, 1863. After Buford’s death in December 1863, Penn-Gaskell resigned his commission to become major of the 2nd Battalion Louisiana Cavalry, a new unit commanding by an Irish immigrant and adventurer named Daniel Keily. Keogh likely introduced Penn-Gaskell to Keily. Penn-Gaskell served in the 2nd Battalion Louisiana Cavalry until he resigned his commission on September 7, 1864. He inherited his family's hereditary estates at Shangarry and other locations in Ireland on the death of his father in 1866 and immigrated to Ireland. On July 6, 1869, he married Mary Kathleen Stubbs, daughter of Charles Edward Stubbs of Hyde Park, London. They had several children. Penn-Gaskell spent the rest of his life in the United Kingdom, mostly living in London. He died in London in 1905.

I've been looking for information on Peter Penn-Gaskell for years and am tickled that I finally found something useful on him.
 
Peter Penn-Gaskell's son, William Penn-Gaskell, was a captain in the British army during World War I. He was killed in action in 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. He was 44. His colonel said of him, "I admired his pluck and energy very much indeed in setting to work at his age to fit himself for the Front, and I always considered him a magnificent example to all of us and a pattern of everything an Officer and a gentleman should be. His fine example and gallant death, while he rallied his men, made the greatest impression upon all his comrades. His influence on his men was most inspiring."

Below is an image of William Penn-Gaskell in his British uniform.

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Very interesting. You may be already aware but, if I am not mistaken, Daniel Keily served with Keogh in the army of the Pope prior to coming to America to fight in our civil war.

In any case I really appreciate your posting this stuff.

John
 
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