Thread by @pptsapper

Hubert Anton Casimir Dilger

German-born and military-trained, on a leave of absence from the Duke of Baden, in command of Battery I, 1st Ohio Light Artillery at the time of Gettysburg Nicknamed "Leatherbreeches" because of his fondness for wearing leather pants

At Chancellorsville in May, Dilger fought Jackson's flank attack with his battery, until he was left with just one gun left. And then he kept fighting with that.

He's a VERY good gunner. And trained his battery expertly.

His battery goes into action just after noon, north of Gettysburg. The first shot is high, causing the Rebels to mock the US artillerists (never a good idea). Dilger, in annoyance, sights the next shot himself, fires. Entirely dismounts a rebel gun. Sights another gun. Fires.

"What effect, Captain Dilger?" Asked an officer in the 157th NY.

"I have spiked a gun for them, plugging it at the muzzle," replied Dilger, looking through his binoculars. This was confirmed by a private in the 17th Connecticut.

This is why you don't mock artillerists

Dilger's 1st Ohio - and later the 13th NY Battery - face off against 8 rebel guns. The Buckeyes dismount five of them. Then they bring up 4 more. Then 16 more. Dilger has to fight like hell to extricate his guns from the closing rebel infantry and back up to Cemetery Hill

And yet, Dilger had this to say about Gettysburg: "Somehow or other I felt a joyous exaltation, a perfect indifference to circumstances through the whole of that 3 days' fight, & have seldom enjoyed 3 days more in my life"

Dilger receives the MOH for his actions at Chancellorsville and after the war, heads up the Ohio National Guard

Then has a son who is basically a traitor in WWI

And then grandsons who fight on opposite sides during WWII

A complicated family history, to say the least