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1861, William H. Whaland did
not immediately enlist. He enlisted for three years as a Private
on August 13, 1862 in Company B, 121st Pennsylvania Infantry
Regiment Pennsylvania. The
121st was recruited in Philadelphia and Venango County and
mustered into the service for three years, in September of 1862
at Philadelphia. It was ordered to Washington, where it was
attached to Casey's provisional brigade, and in October, it
became a part of General Meade's division near Antietam.
Fredericksburg was its first engagement, after which it
went into camp at Belle Plain for the winter. It broke camp
to participate in the "Mud March," and again for
the Chancellorsville movement in May, 1863, returning to
camp near Falmouth until the Gettysburg campaign. On
July 1, the regiment was hotly engaged and out of 263 men who
entered the fight only 84 reported for duty after the day was
over. The next day the men had some rest, but were active again
on the 3rd and then joined in the pursuit. The 121st guarded
Kelly's Ford and Cedar Run bridge, near Catlett's Station,
joined in the Mine Run movement, and then made winter quarters
at Culpeper, Virginia. In
1864, attached to the 5th corps, the regiment participated
in the battle of the Wilderness, where it sustained heavy
loss. At Spottsylvania, Jericho Ford, Bethesda Church and
Cold Harbor the men fought bravely, their ranks greatly reduced
in numbers. William H. Whaland was promoted to Full Sergeant on
May 12, in the midst of the fighting at Spottsylvania. At
Cold Harbor the 121st was assigned to the 1st division. It
aided in the construction of "Fort Hell" at
Petersburg; shared in the raid upon the Weldon railroad in
August, fought at Peebles Farm, at which time it formed
part of the 3rd brigade, 3rd division. In this engagement a
large number of the 121st were cut off by the enemy and
made prisoners. The
remnant of the regiment had a part in the movement on the
Weldon railroad in December, the Hatcher's run movement in
February of 1865, the fight at the Boydton Plank Road in
March, was active at the battle of Five Forks and
was present at Lee's surrender at Appomattox. A few days of
guard duty at Appomattox and two weeks, encampment on the South
Side railroad followed, after which the regiment proceeded to
Washington and was there mustered out on June 2, 1865 at
Arlington Heights, Virginia. Sergeant
Whaland was among those who mustered out of Company B, 121st
Pennsylvania Infantry on June 2, 1865. He returned to
Philadelphia, and was living there with his mother and hi sister
Abby when the Census was taken in 1870. The census does not
indicate a profession, but by 1879, when he had already moved to
Camden, William H. Whaland was working as a bricklayer. The
1879-1880 Camden City Directory shows William H. Whaland living
at 628 Cherry
Street. When
the Census was taken in 1880, William H. Whaland and family
resided at 411 Hartman
Street in South Camden. Hartman
Street was renamed Clinton
Street in 1882. The family at that time consisted of William
H. Wahland, his wife Mary, and children Lillian, Charles
W. Whaland and
William K. Whaland. Another son, Harry, was born in 1881. The
family moved to 721 Walnut
Street prior to the compilation of the 1881-1882 City
Directory. By the middle of 1882 William H. Whaland had moved to
717 Walnut
Street. On September 16, 1900 William H. Whaland was awarded
an $8.00 per month pension for his Civil War Service. William
H. Whaland was still residing at
717 Walnut
Street as late as the summer of 1910. By the
time the Census was taken, Mary Whaland had passed away. William
H. Whaland was still living at the Walnut
Street address with his two oldest sons, William K,, an
umbrella cutter, and Charles
W. Whaland, a Camden police officer.
Youngest son Harry had married Harriet Davis and was working as
a telegraph operator. By 1914 he had become a lawyer, practicing
in Camden. William
H. Whaland was living with his son, William, who by then had
also joined the Camden Police Department, at 1166 Everett Street
when the Census was taken in 1920. William
H. Whaland was a charter member of William
B. Hatch Post No. 37, Grand Army of the Republic.
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