The Reading Artillerists was a militia organization founded in Reading, Pennsylvania during the late 18th century. Mustering in for the first time during the presidential era of George Washington, members of this artillery unit went on to serve tours of duty in the War of 1812, Mexican–American War and, as members of the Union Army during the American Civil War, before later disbanding.
Having determined that Reading needed to improve its military readiness, civic leaders of the 1880s authorized the formation of a new artillery unit, and also chose to name it as "Reading Artillerists" in deference to the original unit's storied history. That militia unit then mustered in for the Spanish–American War, and continued its service during the early part of the 20th century.
History
Founding
An 1859 Reading Times article, "A Condensed History of the Reading Artillerists", reported that the Reading Artillerists was founded in 1799 for the purpose of quelling the celebrated Whiskey Rebellion," but the exact founding date was half a decade earlier on March 23, 1794, according to Berks County historian Morton L. Montgomery.
Known as the Reading Union Volunteers when mustered in for the Whiskey Rebellion, this militia unit quickly gained a reputation for skill and dependability, as evidenced by its having been accorded the honor, just seven months after its founding, of serving as the escort for U.S. President George Washington. During George Washington's visit to Reading, on October 1, 1794, a parade was held in Washington's honor, "and the distinguished visitor reviewed the troops from the second story front window of the building over the doorway. The 'Reading Union Volunteers' participated in this military parade, and on the next day when President Washington continued his journey towards Carlisle, they accompanied him as an escort. While at Carlisle, they served as his body-guard...When they returned, the name of the Company was changed to 'Reading Washington Guards,'" according to Montgomery. The commanding officer of the unit at this time was 22-year-old Captain Daniel de Benneville Keim, a Reading native.
Mustering out after the rebellion's end, members of this unit continued to maintain their readiness as a functioning militia, and mustered in again formally as the Reading Washington Guards in 1799 in response to the Fries's Rebellion, which erupted when Congress attempted to tax house windows.
War of 1812
Just over a decade later, the Reading Washington Guards were called upon during the War of 1812. During this phase of duty, the group changed its name yet again, this time becoming the Reading Washington Blues sometime in or before October 1814.
Departing for Philadelphia by boat on the Schuylkill River on September 16, 1814, the unit helped defend the city from threatened invasions by British troops. When those threats lessened, the seventy-four militiamen from Reading were ordered to Camp Dupont near Wilmington, Delaware, where "they became a part of the 'Advance Light Brigade,' in the First Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, which was under the command of General Cadwalader."
Ordered from Camp Dupont to Baltimore, they were assigned to artillery duty, and given charge of four brass, six-pound cannon, one of which they would bring home with them to Reading when they returned to the city. They were officially mustered out from service in March 1815.
Sometime between their service in Baltimore and 1820, the members of the unit opted to change their name again – this time to the Reading Artillerists. Keim was re-elected as the group's captain in 1820 with William Darling, Peter Aurand, and Peter Reitzel serving, respectively, as first, second, and third lieutenants. The unit strength at this time was ninety-eight.
1820s–1830s
In 1824, the Reading Artillerists were among the Pennsylvania soldiers who were on hand in Philadelphia to welcome the Marquis de Lafayette, the last living French general who fought beside George Washington during the American Revolution. Sometime after this, the unit's blue uniforms were exchanged for dark gray with yellow facings. On July 19, 1828, the unit's leadership adopted "a code of laws for the better government of the corps.
In 1830, the Artillerists' longtime commanding officer, Daniel Keim, ended his tenure of leadership. He was succeeded by his nephew, George May Keim, who served as captain from 1830–1834. A former manager of the Reading Library Company, George Keim later went on to become Colonel of the 53rd Pennsylvania and, in 1835, "Major-General of the Sixth Division," according to The Biographical Encyclopaedia of Pennsylvania.