From this town on April 27, 1861, the Cameron County Rifles, the Elk County Rifles, and the McKean County Rifles, under the leadership of Thomas L. Kane, embarked upon four rafts for Harrisburg, where they were mustered into the service of the State and formed the nucleus around which the Bucktail Regiment of the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps was organized. Kane later became commanding officer of the regiment and later a major general. During its term of service, the regiment was almost continuously attached to the Army of the Potomac and served in campaigns and battles including Dranesville, Mechanicsville, Gaines' Mill, New Market Cross Roads, Malvern Hill, Harrisonburg, Cross Keys, Catlett's Station, Groveton, Second Bull Run, South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spottsylvania Court House, North Anna, and Bethesda Church. The Cameron County Rifles under Capt. John A. Eldred later became Company C, the Elk County Rifles under Capt. Thomas B. Winslow later became Company G, and the McKean County Rifles under Capt. William T. Blanchard later became Company I of the Bucktails; the three companies were mustered in between May 29 and June 1, 1861, and all were mustered out on June 11, 1864.