Chapter 2
Armstrong County in The War of the Rebellion
Brady Alpines – Ninth Regiment
The Brady Alpines were mustered into the three months service, April 22,
1861, and attached to the 9th Pa., Vol. Inf., Col. Longnecker. About April 1
it was generally understood that the South would rebel against the North, when
Capt. William Sirwell, who was commanding the Brady Alpines and the Kittanning
Yeagers, with his military forethought, tendered the services of his company
to Gov. A. S. Curtin, of Pennsylvania, in case war should be declared. Capt.
Sirwell received notice from the Adjutant General of Pennsylvania that the
tender of his company to the state had been received and placed on file. At
the firing of the first gun on Fort Sumter, Capt. Sirwell received orders to
form his company at once and proceed to Harrisburg. When this order was
received the day was very pleasant, and the town was quiet as though it was
Sunday. In less than an hour the whole town was up in arms. Recruiting at once
commenced for the camp, and in forty-eight hours the company was in
Harrisburg, 115 strong, able-bodied men. The maximum strength of a company at
the breaking out of the war was seventy-seven, officers and privates. Hence
that was a surplus of thirty-seven men. Eighteen of the men joined other
companies and regiments, leaving still a surplus of fifteen men. Those
fifteen, all being from Kittanning and Armstrong county, utterly refusing to
join any other company, but would remain with the Brady Alpines, and did
remain during the three months’ service, and asked nothing for their service.
The captain managed to get three of his men attached to the quartermaster’s
department, and by that means was enabled to get as many rations and clothing
as fed and clothed the men during the service and rations to spare. In fact,
so careful were the men of their rations that they fed Capt. John Hastings’
company, from Punxsutawny, supper and breakfast, that company having run out
of provisions. When Capt. Sirwell returned home he could only count ninety-one
men, when he finally discovered he never counted himself, which would have
made the number correct on the rolls. Only seventy-seven of those men have
ever been paid by the government only what Capt. Sirwell gave them, he having
divided his own pay with the extra men. There were in this company twenty-two
men, each of whom measured over six feet, sixteen that weighed 200 pounds
each. The good citizens, men and women alike, contributed all their time,
labors and money to make the soldiers comfortable in their departure for the
war. A splendid silk flag was presented to this company, and each member was
presented with a Bible by the ladies of Kittanning. All that the mind could
imagine was done to make the soldiers comfortable. After the company left, the
citizens organized a committee to visit the families and provide everything
that was needed by the families to make them comfortable.This infant company was the root of all the military organizations that
left Armstrong county during the war.OFFICERS.
Capt.. William Sirwell, 1st Lieut. Norwood G. Penny, 2d Lieut. Samuel
Robertson, 1st Sergt. James L. McCain, 2nd Sergt. James Hillberrry, 3d Sergt.
James Lowther (resigned), 4th Sergt. James Gates, 1st Corp. Darwin Phelps, 2d
Corp. Henry Grazier, 3d Corp. Henry Glauts, 4th Corp. Matthias Freese.
Musicians Theo. Barrett (14 years old), Dan A. Olden (12 years old).PRIVATES.
George A. Armstrong, William Bell, Joseph P. Beggs, Joseph Brown, William
Bauer, Francis Boyd, Samuel Bouvard, Murray Cunningham, Alexander S. Davidson,
James Dugan, George W. Davis, Philip Edwards, Alfred L. Fluke, John Frederick,
August Frederick, Michael Fishter, George S. Frailey, William Frailey, Joseph
Gates, Joseph Garver, William Hill, Jacob Hobaugh, Henry W. Hoaks, James
Hetherington, Hiram Henry, Aldin Henry, George Hilterbran, James Huston,
Samuel Jordan*(5), Charles M. King. Valentine Kerr, Samuel F. Keiner, Scott
King, William A. Logan*(5), John Mott, George W. Mackey, George Mathews,
George McComb, George W. McMillen, James McMasters, George McCandless, David
L. McVey, Robert McNett, Milton McCormick, Charles McManus, John L. McElwain,
Archibald McMullin, Martin McCann, John McElravey, James McGarvey, George
Mathews, Randolph Oswald, Henry F. Phelps, Harrison Premkard, Isaac A. Price,
James Porter, Jefferson Reynolds, Albert Robinson, James Rhoads, ———
Rogers, Orlando W. Russ, John Roth, ——— Rumbaugh, James H. Stevenson,
Charles W. Smith, August Singer, Francis Shoup, George Sintser, George Serene,
John Scott, John H. Truby, Charles Trew, Jefferson Truit, ——– Vourhour,
Samuel Walker*(5), James B. Welty, Samuel Wasson, Henry Wygant, Frederick
Wagoner, Peter Whal, William W. Wallace, Thomas C. Wilson.Source: Page(s) 60-100, History of Armstrong County,
Pennsylvania by Robert Walker Smith, Esq. Chicago: Waterman, Watkins &
Co., 1883.
Transcribed January 1999 by James R. Hindman for the Armstrong County Smith
Project.
Contributed by James R. Hindman for use by the Armstrong County Genealogy
Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/armstrong/)Armstrong County Genealogy Project Notice:
These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format, for any
presentation, without prior written permission.Return to the Historical Index
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