Francis (Franz) Mahler (1826–1863) was an officer in the Union Army during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. He was mortally wounded on the first day of the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

. He died in a field hospital three days later.

Early life

Mahler was born in

Grand Duchy of Baden The Grand Duchy of Baden () was a German polity on the east bank of the Rhine. It originally existed as a sovereign state from 1806 to 1871 and later as part of the German Empire until 1918. The duchy's 12th-century origins were as a Margravia ...

, on August 1, 1826. He was involved with the uprising of 1848–1849, and was a comrade of future Union General

Carl Schurz Carl Christian Schurz (; March 2, 1829 – May 14, 1906) was a German-American revolutionary and an American statesman, journalist, and reformer. He migrated to the United States after the German revolutions of 1848–1849 and became a prominent ...

during this period. Mahler was captured and was condemned to death for his part. However, he managed to escape. He came to the United States in 1851 at 24 years of age. He arrived in New York on the SS ''Charlemagne'' on August 20 of that year. Mahler married Jennie M. (March 26, 1832 – March 29, 1918) from Massachusetts.

Civil War service

In August 1861, following the outbreak of the American Civil War, Mahler assisted

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

liquor merchant

Henry Bohlen Henry Bohlen (October 22, 1810 – August 22, 1862) was a German-American Union Army, Union Brigadier general (United States), Brigadier General of the American Civil War. Before becoming the first foreign-born Union general in the Civil War, he f ...

to recruit and organize a regiment. This unit would eventually be designated the 75th Pennsylvania Infantry. Mahler was named lieutenant colonel. When Colonel

was promoted to brigadier general, on July 20, 1862, Mahler received his commission as

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

and took command of the 75th Pennsylvania Infantry. Mahler was wounded while leading the regiment on the second day at the

Second Battle of Bull Run The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederate ...

. At the

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Confederate General Robert E. Lee's risky decision to divide h ...

, the 75th Pennsylvania Infantry was one of the first units subjected to General "Stonewall" Jackson's flank attack, and was routed along with the rest of the 11th Corps.

Death at Gettysburg

During the

, the 75th Pennsylvania Infantry was heavily engaged on the first day (July 1, 1863), in open fields north of town. The men of this unit, having advanced a considerable distance after passing through the town, held ground just east of the Carlisle Road. The fighting intensified with the collapse of other regiments forming the Union line, and the 75th Pennsylvania Infantry was exposed to a murderous fire, that rapidly depleted the ranks. Mahler was wounded in the leg at the same time that his horse was shot out from under him. He managed to extricate himself from under the animal and, although crippled, continued to direct the troops under his command. However, as the regiment began to fall back, having been outflanked by the Confederates, Mahler received a mortal gunshot wound. Lieutenant T. Albert Steiger, at considerable risk to his own life, went to Mahler's assistance. Mahler was carried from the field with General

clasping his hand and weeping. Mahler's brother, Lieutenant Louis Mahler, a member of the same regiment, was also killed during this same firefight. However, it is unclear whether Mahler was aware of his brother's death. Mahler died in a

field hospital A field hospital is a temporary hospital or mobile medical unit that takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent facilities. This term was initially used in military medicine (such as the Mobile ...

at Gettysburg on the morning of July 4, 1863. He was 37 years old. Mahler is buried in Section B, Lot 263 of

Mount Peace Cemetery Mount Peace Cemetery is a cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that is owned and operated by the Odd Fellows Odd Fellows (or Oddfellows when referencing the Grand United Order of Oddfellows or some British-based fraternities; also Odd F ...

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mahler, Francis Emigrants from the Grand Duchy of Baden Immigrants to the United States Union army colonels 1826 births 1863 deaths Burials at Mount Peace Cemetery People from Baden-Baden Union military personnel killed in the American Civil War