Dear List, I recently became aware of this wonderful source. The "Official Records" - known as the OR-Army or OR-Navy - are the published messages, notes & reports written by the officers during the Civil War. They were published between 1889-1922 by the U.S. War Department -- 128 volumes of Army records and 30 volumes of Navy. The entire collection is available online, fully searchable, at < www.ehistory.com/uscw/library/or> (Army) or < cdl.library.cornell.edu/moa/browse.mongraphs/ofre.html> The OR contain amazing descriptions of the locations where the soldiers camped & fought -- often with information abut the civilians. It is a great resource. Below are some of the passages obtained when I searched "Mount Union." Kathryn Doyle Piedmont, CA "The brigade, under my command, left Harrisburg by the Pennsylvania Central Railroad at 2 p. m., and arrived at Mount Union, distant 86 miles from harrisburg, at 7 p. m., where I reported to Colonel Hawley, and encamped for the night . Saturday, June 27. - I ordered five companies of the Sixty-fifth Regiment, under command of Lieutenant Colonel William F. Berens, commanding the regiment, about 5 miles distant, to Bell's Mills, near the Juniata River, there to establish his headquarters and picket the country in that region, and to protect the fords of the river . The remaining two companies of that regiment, Company A, Captain Seeber, and Company B, Captain Louis Krettner, I sent to guard a bridge across the Blue Juniate, about 2 miles distant; also the Pennsylvania canal and locks to the village of Mapletown, about 4 miles distant . There companies of the Seventy-fourth Regiment were, immediately on our arrival at Mount Union, sent out on picket at different points, distant from 2 to 4 miles, the remaining six companies held as a reserve at Mount Union . This number out during our stay, then relieved every two days until July 5. Mount Union is 86 miles from Harrisburg, on the Pennsylvania Central Railroad, which crosses the Blue Juniata River by a bridge costing over $1, 000, 000. The aqueduct of the Pennsylvania Canal also crosses this river at the same point . These structures were threatened by the enemy, and their destruction would have cut off all communication between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg ; hence this place was held to be very important, and the utmost vigilance enjoined to guard it, and at the same time avoid surprise from the enemy, on the alert, and all about us . Mount Union was occupied by the twenty-ninth Pennsylvania Militia, Colonel J. W. Hawley, who was in command of the post, and one company of cavalry, under the command of Captain [B. Mortimer] Morrow . Immediately on our arrival, five companies of the Twenty-ninth Pennsylvania were ordered to Orbisonia, Pa., about 30 miles distant . Colonel Hawley had two brass 12-pounders, sent to him by Major-General Couch, one of which was manned by picked men from my command, and placed in command of Private Edward M. Allen, an experienced artillerist and member of Company C. We were joined at Mount Union by our worthy chaplain, Rev. G. W. Heacock, D. D., and about 60 men sent to us by Adjutant [James M.] Johnson and Lieutenant Elisha T. Smith . It would be difficult to enumerate all the duties my regiment performed while at Mount Union ; officers and men were constantly on duty . No regiment could have done more or better under the circumstances . A generous spirit of rivalry pervaded the regiment as to who should be most active in the performance of duty . " "Our route was by the brigade guarded by Company A, Sixty-fifth Regiment, and Major Wings was sent in advance, with orders to detach 25 men, under command of Lieutenant Henry Rudolpf from that company, to join us ; also to go on to the village of Mapletown, and call in the pickets of Company B, Sixty-fifth regiment, Captain Louis Krettner, which company joined us at that place . I was joined at Mapletown and vicinity by 20 farmers, who volunteered their services as axmen. There were four roads or passes leading over the mountains, through bear Valley, to this bridge, and I decided to blockade these roads in the narrow passes in the mountains. Major Wing was sent with Captain Krettner's company 1 mile north of Mapleton, with instructions to blockade and defend Mill Creek road. I then moved on about 2 miles farther, and posted Company D, Captain Baker, in Bear Valley Pass; about one-half mile southeast, I posted 25 men of Company A, under command of Lieutenant Nagel; in another pass, one-half mile distant from this point, and half a mile higher up the mountain, were posted 25 men of Company A, under command of Lieutenant William Bean . All of these points were the narrowest in the passes, barely sufficient for 4 horsemen to ride abreast, and easily defended . All the roads were blockaded by felling trees across them ; trees were also cut nearly off at different points 500 yards in advance, and axmen stationed to fell them as soon as the enemy should pass, thus blockading them in. Men were also stationed on the upper side of the roads and on the sides off the mountain between the two points, prepared to meet them . It was impossible for a horseman to ride up or down the mountain on either side of the roads . I held 20 men, under command of Lieutenant Henry Rudolph, of the Sixty-fifth Regiment, at a convenient as a reserve. These dispositions were concluded at 1 a. m. "