Freelance Historian

Addison Whitaker

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Official records state that Whitaker “enlisted on 3/29/1862 as a Chaplain. On 3/29/1862 he was commissioned into Field & Staff PA 11th Cavalry. He Resigned on 4/9/1862.” The biography included with this CDV elaborates on that:

“He was absent on an incredible number of leaves – 75 days in 1862, 51 days in 1863 plus detached service for another 4 months, Five days in 1864 plus 45 days of detached service; ran a girl’s seminary in Belvidere NJ and this seemed to have been his reason to be away; he rec’d detached duty as “division chaplain” at Portsmouth; he did this unofficially August -November 1863 and rec’d official appointment 2-26-64; Portsmouth cmdr Genl Heckman requested he be sent back to his regt 3-29-64 in order to restore harmony in the US Christian Commission and other chaplains; Whitaker suggested he be made “superintendent of chaplain affairs” but resigned when he was simply told to return to the 11th PA Cavalry.”