History of Forest County, Chapter 6

Forest County
Chapter VI 

MILITARY HISTORY

 

SOLDIERS OF THE REVOLUTION, WAR OF 1812 AND MEXICAN WAR – FOREST COUNTY IN
THE CIVIL WAR – FIRST COMPANY ORGANIZED – EIGHTYTHIRD REGIMENT, P.V.I. –
THIRTY-NINTH, P.V.I. – FORTIETH, P.V.I. – ONE HUXDRED AND FIFTIETH, P.V.I. –
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRD, P.V.I. – ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTH, P.V.I. – SOLDIERS
GRAVES IN FOREST COUNTY – MISCELLANEOUS

FOREST COUNTY can boast of having among its pioneers men who fought through
the Revolution to establish liberty for all time in this part or the world. It
can also boast of pioneer citizens who went forth from their cabin homes here
to defend that new system or government when it was threatened by the old
enemy in 1812. Many of the veterans find mention in the chapter devoted to
pioneers, and there also two soldiers or the Mexican war are named.

William Hunter, who died in January, 1879, came from Westmoreland county
with his father, Poland Hunter, in 1798. He was then four years old, and his
sister (later Mrs. Dustin) was younger. They were brought hither, suspended in
pack-saddle shape, in blankets. The father built a cabin on Hunter’s Island
that year. In 1812 William’s elder brothers started for the war, but the youth
overtook them at Titusville, where Col. Titus made him a pair of moccasins to
cover his bruised feet. He and David built the Hunter mill, the first between
Franklin and Warren. In 1865 he moved to Erie county.

Early in 1861 a military company was formally organized here. Later, when
Lincoln called for 300,000 men, steps were taken to complete organization, and
D. S. Knox was chosen captain, with George Stowe and D. W. Clark, lieutenants.
On August 19, 1861, the company received a flag from the women of Tionesta,
and next morning embarked on White’s flatboat sixty-six strong. On the morning
of the 21st the command was received at Irvinetown, and proceeded to Erie. On
learning that eighty-one men were required to complete the strength, Capt.
Knox returned to Tionesta, enlisted twenty-one men, and pushed forward to
Erie, where he arrived September 5. A few days later twelve men of the
disbanded Youngsville company joined Company G, of the Eighty-third, and on
September 16, the command left Erie, under the title “Tionesta
Rangers.”

 

EIGHTY-THIRD REGIMENT, P. V. I.

This regiment was organized at Erie in 1$61, and before the close of the
year won an enviable fame. Subsequently at Big Bethel, siege of Yorktown,
Hanover Court House, Gaines’ Mills, Malvern Hill, Bull Run, Antietam, service
with Meagher’s famous brigade, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Manassas Gap,
Rappahannock depot, Mine Run, Wilderness, Laurel Hill, Bethesda, Peeble’s
farm, Hatcher’s Run, and at a hundred other places this command was in the
thickest of the fight. Capt. Daniel S. Knox, enrolled at Tionesta, August 19,
1861, was commissioned captain September 6, that year and resigned December
30, 1862, when George Stowe* was commissioned captain; he served until killed
at Laurel Hill. He entered the command August 19, and nine day’s later was
commissioned first lieutenant. Moses G. Corey, promoted from first sergeant to
second lieutenant August 30, and to first lieutenant, December 31, 1862, took
Capt. Stowe’s place May 9, 1864, and served until end of term September 26,
1864. Thomas J. Van Geisen, mustered in with company, was wounded at Malvern
Hill, was promoted from first sergeant to second lieutenant in December, 1862,
and to first lieutenant May 9, 1864. He was wounded at Petersburg, June 20,
1864, but served until end of term. John Herrington, * one of the original
company, promoted to second lieutenant July 16, 1862, was killed at Bull Run.
Benjamin A. Smith, * promoted second lieutenant in May, 1864, and commissioned
captain of Company E, in the new organization of October 31, 1864, was killed
at Hatcher’s Run, February 6, 1865. Daniel W. Clark, commissioned second
lieutenant September 6, 1861, promoted first lieutenant and regimental
quartermaster July 16, 1862 served until muster out in September, 1864.

The troops discharged September 7, 1864, at expiration of term were
sergeants James P. Siggins, wounded at Hanover Court House; Levi Burford,
wounded at Malvern Hill and again at Laurel Hill; John H. Van Geisen* was
wounded at Gaines’ Mills, and again at Laurel Hill, where he was taken
prisoner and carried to Confederate prison to die. Corporals – Sam. D. Girt,
died after the war; Jacob D. Saeger, wounded five times at Gettysburg and
three times at Laurel Hill; William Lawrence, at Gaines’ Mills and Gettysburg,
and John T. Watson, at the Wilderness. Private troops – William Albaugh, Lewis
S. Carpenter, Samuel Hoyt, * James D. Kerr, Jacob B. Leadum, H. K. Lyons, E.
M. Reynolds, W. S. Siggins, Charles C. Van Geisen, Philip Walters* and William
Webber, escaped wounds; James A. Dustin, was wounded at the Wilderness; G. W.
Fry, at Gettysburg; Moses B. Hunter and G. S. Mason, at Gaines’ Mills, where
he was also taken prisoner; Sam. C. Hunter and J. D. McClatchy, at Laurel
Hill; A. J. McCalmont, at Hanover Court House and Laurel Hill; John Myers and
J. D. Nellis, at Gettysburg; Ephraim T. Purdy-and James.A. Thompson, at
Fredericksburg; Joseph R. Wentworth, prisoner at Mine Run, died of fever in
Andersonville.

Among the troops discharged on account of wounds prior to expiration of
service were the following named: W. W. Diamond, wounded at Malvern Hill;
James L. Huddleson at Bull Run; Ben. F. Briggs, at Hanover Court House; John
L. Crutchlow and William Lyons, at Bull Run and Malvern Hill; Thomas H.
Crutchlow, at Fredericksburg; John C. Downing,·at Gaines’ Mills; Robert W.
Davis, at Malvern Hill; William Houge, G. W. McCalmont and Chris Syndle, also
at Malvern Hill.

The troops discharged for disability prior to end of term were Hiram Arters,
1863; Sergt. Alex. Holeman, Hamilton Mason,1863; W. B. Albaugh,* Sam Dram,
1862; H. L. Green,* 1863; Wm. Ikenburg, 1861; Adam Ikenburg, 1863; James M.
Lombring, 1863; Chauncey McCrea, W. W. McDonald, 1863; Robert Osgood,* 1862;
James S. Reynolds, Daniel Rustler, Geo. Stewart, J. H. Wentworth, Nick Weant,
and Charles Sigler, 1863, and Josiah Stanford, 1861.

The veterans who re-enlisted, December 26, 1863, were Sergt. Peter Grace,
wounded and taken prisoner at Gaines’ Mills, wounded at Fredericksburg,
promoted second lieutenant of Company E, new organization, first lieutenant.
December 28, 1864, made prisoner at Laurel Hill, retaken by Sheridan’s cavalry
and promoted captain, February 17, 1865; Andrew J. :Mitchell, wounded at North
Anna; M. F. Vogus, wounded at Fredericksburg and twice at Laurel Hill; Israel
Gibbs, wounded and taken prisoner at Laurel Hill; John Jolly, wounded at
Malvern Hill, Fredericksburg. Laurel Hill and Peeble’s farm; C. Krotzer,
wounded and taken prisoner at the Wilderness; W. W. Lowrie, killed at Laurel
Hill; H. W. McCalmont, wounded at Gaines’ Mills, killed at the Wilderness; G.
D. Paddock, wounded at Laurel Hill, died in Harewood Hospital; Joseph C.
Pettigrew, wounded at Peeble’s farm; John S. Range,* at Gettysburg; Wilson F.
Wentworth, wounded at Fredericksburg, killed at Laurel Hill, Daniel Stroup and
Ben P. Baskin.

The record of troops transferred to Company E, new organization, were
Jonathan Albaugh, wounded at Chancellorsville; J. H. Berlin, at Laurel Hill,
and made prisoner; John M. Brombaugh, wounded at Laurel Hill, also Walter
Dickson, Lewis Eaton, Stephen D. Hunt, Darius Kelly, Carlos Reynolds :and Jay
Smith; Joseph Dickson was wounded there and killed at Peeble’s farm, where
John Culbertson was also killed; Geo. Barroff, John Dougherty, Chas. A. Hill,
Henderson Rogers, Homer Towner and William Young were wounded at the
Wilderness; Rinaldo Eaton, wounded at Hatcher’s Run; Joseph R. Goheen, James
Hunter and Thomas J. Whitmore at Bull Run, and Silas McCalmont, at Gaines’
Mills.

The transferred troops mustered out without wounds were C. H. Albaugh, J.
Amy, Thomas Collins, S. Chriswell, Samuel Gillespie, John Gordon, Geo.
Huddleson, J. M. Knox, Perry Lard, J. H. Mater, D. McKay, F. Millett, G.
McNutt, J. Nuss. Lieut. James C. Percival, James Purdy, L. H. Russ, James
Robison, John G. Root, James Swailes, Jacob Fisher. Isaac W. Siggins, H.
Sweet, H. C. Smith, Thomas Strong, J. Toner, and Fletcher Watson.

The members of Company G, not enumerated above, who were killed on the
field or died of wounds or disease. are named as follows: James M. Bromley and
Arch. Bromley, killed at Bull Run; Eli Berlin, killed at Gettysburg; Robert C.
Baskin, Francis Eaton and Jacob Host, killed at Laurel Hill, and Otis C.
Montross, died of wounds received there; James Davis and John Ross, killed at
the Wilderness; W. S. Dawson and J. H. Kerr, died of disease at Hall’s Hill;
John M. Bromley, at Elmira, N. Y.; Leisure A. Hooks, John F. Kinsler, killed
at Malvern Hill; Samuel Henderson, died of wounds received there; Thomas R. B.
Plowman, was killed by the kick of a mule; Jacob T. Schriver, died in 1862 of
wounds received at Hanover Court House; Andrew J. Seager and Amos M. Whisner
were killed at Gaines’ Mills; Levi Turner, under sentence of death for
desertion, died in May, 1864; Robert W. McCane, died at Pt. Lookout, September
20, 1862, and John N. Heath, July 29,1862; G. C. Johnson died of disease July
19, 1862. The records show twelve deserters from this company.

De Witt B. Waldo, who enlisted in Company B, also John L. Barnes, Nathan
Burdick, Dan. K. Best, wounded at Fredericksburg, Gottfrey Snyder, G. P.
Seiple and Michaell Murphy, who was killed at Gettysburg, Eugene Randolph, of
Company D, wounded at Bull Run, H. J. Green, wounded and made prisoner at
Laurel Hill, and John Rhodes were members of this company.

* Deceased

THIRTY-NINTH REGIMENT. P. V. I.

Company E, Thirty-ninth Pennsylvania Infantry (or Tenth Pennsylvania
Reserve), was mustered into State service, May 1, 1861, and into the United
States army, July 5, 1861, with James B. Knox, captain; to which office Val.
Phipps was promoted August 15, 1862, succeeding Knox, J. B. Agnew being :first
lieutenant. Among the non-commissioned officers and privates were J. J.
Greenewalt, William Morgan, A. Spence and Daniel Black, who were mustered out;
Joshua B. .Agnew and Samuel Agnew were transferred to the One Hundred and
Ninetieth Regiment, in May, 1864; Matthew Black died of wounds received at
Gaines’ Mills; Sebastian Cook and James K. Clark were discharged on account of
wounds, in 1862. There were five members of the Agnew family who served in
Pennsylvania regiments.

FORTIETH REGIMENT, P. V. I.

Company K, Fortieth Pennsylvania Infantry, was mustered in June 7, 18th,
under Capt. Brady, who was killed at South Mountain, in 1862; Lemuel D. Dobbs.
Daniel L. Swarts, Elijah Bish and Solomon Fitzgerald served in this command,
and also C. Galbraith, who died in Andersonville.

ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH REGIMENT, P. V. I.

Company H, of the One Hundred and Fiftieth Regiment, was commanded by J. W.
H. Reisinger.

In Company I, of this command, were Francis A. Magee; John Agnew, Sr.,
discharged on surgeon’s certificate, and John F. Gaul, who became
lieutenant-colonel of the Fourth Pennsylvania Reserves.

ONE HUNDRED AND THIRD REGIMENT, P. V. I.

 

Company A, of the One Hundred and Third P. V. I., claimed G. W. Paup, the
date of whose discharge is unknown. Company H, Andrew J. Maze, who was
reported to have died in Andersonville, is a resident of this county; W. E.
Gray and L. R. Warner, who were captured at Plymouth; Ephraim Furree, date of
discharge unknown; Hiram Irwin, made prisoner, discharged in 1864; Benj.
Irwin, died at Beaufort, N. C.; Hezekiah Irwin, who died of wounds at Fair
Oaks; Perry Irwin, missing in September, 1863; Joseph R. Landis and John H.
Maze, transferred to the Veteran Reserves. There were seven brothers of the
Irwin family in Pennsylvania regiments.

 

ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTH REGIMENT, P. V. I.

Company B, of the One Hundred and Fifth P. V. I., was commanded by John C.
Dowling, who was killed at Fair Oaks. Among the troops were Judson J. Parsons,
William Fox, Hiram Wing, C. P. King, John Love, J. Schreckengost and George W.
Saxton. Joseph Titus died in Andersonville, and Joseph Williams was killed at
Fair Oaks.

SOLDIERS’ GRAVES IN FOREST COUNTY.

The following is a roll of the dead soldiers buried in this county as
nearly as can be gotten at present:

At Tionesta – Capt. George Stowe, Company G, 83d Penn. Vols.; James.
Thompson, Company G, 83d Penn. Vols.; Philip Walters, Company G, 83d Penn.
Vols.; Peter O. Conver, sergeant, 4th Penn. Cav.; D. McClintock, 74th N. Y.
Vols.; Lieut. O. W. Stadeen, 116th N. Y. Vols.; Maj. Mulkins, 69th Penn.
Vols.; Jacob Zents, Company F, 163d Penn. Vols.

In other parts of the county are James G. Huddleson, in Mount
Zion·Cemetery; J. S. Range, Company G, 83d, at Church Hill; Charles Zeigler,
at Whig Hill; Robert Osgood, Company B, 82d Penn., at Whig Hill; Andrew
McDonald, at North Pinegrove; Elliott Walker, at Neillsburg; Fred. Glassner,
in Bartholomew cemetery; Peter Sipple, in. Bartholomew cemetery; at Tionesta
lie Lieut. John Range, a soldier of the Revolution, Amstetter’s regiment,
Washington’s army, and other veterans of 1776-81 and 1812-15. Nicholas
Thompson is buried at Tionesta, and Abner Kinney is also interred in this
county.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Capt. James Zohnizer, who served in Company I, Fifty-first Penn.
Reg., from Neillsburg, died in 1889 …. Thomas Black was wounded during the
war, and after returning was killed by the limb of a tree. He served in the
Sixty-third Infantry.

Thomas Porter was in Company H, Thirty-seventh P. V. I.; three of his
brothers – Henry, David and George also served, the latter two dying; Barney
Martin was in Company F, Eleventh Pennsylvania Reserves; R. B. Crawford was in
the Fourth Cavalry.

Early in June, 1863, J. B. Agnew was on detached service, and from the 7th
to the 15th was in charge of ordnance train under special order of Gen. Meade.
Although discharged without rank, he filled a commissioned officer’s place for
over a year, and by special orders took a leading place on detached service.

There was a board of pension examiners appointed in Tionesta, Penn., on the
23d of August, 1889, and Dr. J. W. Morrow, of Tionesta, Penn., is a member of
that board. The board is organized as follows: President, Dr. S. S. Towler, of
Marienville, Penn.; secretary, Dr. J. W. Morrow; treasurer, Dr. J. B. Siggins,
of Tionesta, Penn.

Source: Page(s) 874-878, History of Counties of McKean, Elk and Forest,
Pennsylvania. 
Chicago, J.H. Beers & Co., 1890.
Transcribed November 2005 by Nathan Zipfel for the Forest County Genealogy
Project
Published 2005 by the Forest County Pennsylvania Genealogy Project”

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