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Richard Cutchall and Webster Wynn
Posted By Norman Gasbarro on September 28, 2012
The following sketch for Richard Cutchall appeared in the Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, pages 861-862. In fact-checking the sketch, several inconsistencies were found with the available records. Were there two men named Richard Cutchall? For some unknown reason, the Richard Cutchall of the biographical sketch moved to Middle Paxton Township, Dauphin County, and after the Civil War and married the widow of a former officer of the Gratztown Militia.
The map at the top of this post shows a small section of Middle Paxton Township in 1875, with the property of Richard Cutchall indicated as “Richard Gutshall, 129 acres.”
Richard Cutchall, farmer, was born in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, 25 October 1836. He is a son of William Cutchall and Hannah [Lane] Cutchall. William Cutchall was born in 1800, and died aged fifty-four. They had ten children, of whom four are deceased: Jacob Cutchall; George Washington Cutchall; John L. Cutchall; and Dutton Cutchall. Their living children are: Wilson Cutchall; William Cutchall; Richard Cutchall; Mary Cutchall, wife of Isaac Madden; Agnes Cutchall, wife of Martin Mathias; and Eliza Cutchall, wife of Simon Rohrer.
Richard Cutchall was educated in his native county. At ten years of age he was already occupied about farming, working during the summer and attending school during the winter months. After he was fourteen he was engaged in various kinds of wok, principally on the farm; he was thus employed until 1861, when the call came for volunteers, and he enlisted in the United States Army. His first enlistment was at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, in Company I, 14th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers [14th Pennsylvania Infantry], for four months. During his term of service he was in several severe skirmishes in Virginia. He was mustered out at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, returned to his home in Huntington County, and remained a short time. He re-enlisted 20 September 1861 in Company B, 110th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers [110thPennsylvania Infantry]. He took part in twenty-two battles, among which were Fredericksburg, Laurel Hill, Spottsylvania Court House, the Wilderness, South Mountain, the Second Bull Run, Port Republic, Gaines’ Mills, and Gettysburg. He was discharged at Harrisburg 13 June 1865, and returned to his native county. He afterwards removed to Middle Paxton Township, Dauphin County, and was variously employed until his marriage, when he engaged in farming, and has ever since pursued the same calling.
Mr. Cutchall was married 23 June 1867 to Barbara Wynn, widow of Webster Wynn. They had one child, Lizzie D. Cutchall, wife of William F. Beam. Mr. Cutchall is neutral in politics. The family attend the Evangelical Church.
Mrs. Cutchall was married to her first husband, Webster Wynn, 17 January 1854. They had four children, two of whom are deceased: Maria Wynn, wife of Samuel Brenneman; and Fanny Wynn, who died at the age of fifteen. Their living children are: Daniel Webster Wynn; and Zachary Taylor Wynn. Mrs. Cutchal was born in Wurtemberg, Germany. She came to this country with her parents in 1833. They located in Lancaster County, removed to Juniata County, returned to Lancaster County, and finally settled in Middle Paxton Township, Dauphin County. In 1861, the parents removed to Armstrong Valley where they died. They had ten children, two of whom died in childhood.
Webster Wynn, the first husband of Mrs. Cutchall, was a highly respected citizen. He served one three years’ term as director of the poor of Dauphin County. He was captain of a militia company at Gratztown. He was an ardent supporter of Henry Clay when he ran for president in 1844. He was at one time the only Whig in Middle Paxton Township, but through his influence, the party rapidly increased in number. The first wife of Mr. Wynn was Fanny Boll, by whom he had six children: Louisa Wynn; Annie Wynn; Leander Wynn; Jackson Wynn; William Wynn; and Henry Wynn, the last two twins. The parents of Mr. Wynn established the homestead at an early date. His father, Josiah Wynn, was a soldier in the war of 1812, whose widow Susannah Wynn drew a pension. She died aged about ninety-five.
Information from Findagrave states that Richard Cutchall was born 26 March 1837 and died 18 March 1903. He is buried in Dauphin Cemetery, Upper Paxton Township, Dauphin County. His grave stone is not pictured.
Another person named Richard Cutchall, or perhaps the same person, enlisted in the 104th Pennsylvania Infantry two days before the company’s discharge of the 110th Pennsylvania Infantry. This Richard Cutchall later applied for a pension, which he received, and after his death in 1898, his widow Margaret applied for and received the pension. What is strange about the circumstances of this other Richard Cutchall is that he was supposedly from the same place as the Richard Cutchall who is described in the Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, and about the same height, same color hair and same dark complexion. The Richard Cutchall of the 104th Pennsylvania Infantry is probably the one found in the 1860 Census as married to a woman named Margaret. No other Richard Cutchall has been found in the 1860 Census.
As for Richard Cutchall‘s date of enlistment in the 110th Pennsylvania Infantry, the Biographical Encyclopedia states that it was 20 September 1861. However, the Veterans’ Index Card gives the date of 17 January 1862 and the databases, American Civil War Soldiers and U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles give the year date as 1864.
The Biographical Encyclopedia also states that Richard Cutchall took part in the Battle of Gettysburg. Assuming that the regiment at the time was the 110th Pennsylvania Infantry, the tablet on the Pennsylvania Monument was checked for Company B:
Click to enlarge plaque.
The name of Richard Cutchall does not appear on the monument.
The Pension Index Card for the Richard Cutchall who served in the 104th Pennsylvania Infantry notes an application date of 3 June 1871, just four years after the other Richard Cutchall married Barbara Wynn and three years after his child with Barbara was born. The pension application numbers are different indicating that there are two separate files.
Only one Richard Cutchall has been found in the 1890 Veterans’ Census, and that for the one who served in the 104th Pennsylvania Infantry. At the time, he was living in Huntingdon County.
Only one Richard Cutchall has been found in the Findagrave database, and that for the one who is buried in Dauphin County.
There is also the issue of the prisoner of war status. According to the records at the Pennsylvania Archives, Richard Cutchall was taken prisoner on 2 June 1864 at Cold Harbor, Virginia, while a member of the the 110th Pennsylvania Infantry. He was released at Savannah, Georgia, 26 November 1864. This information is not included in the Biographical Encyclopedia.
The final issue is the spelling of the surname. In the Bates and associated records, Richard Cutchall appears as Richard Kuehall. In other possible variation of the this surname, he could be listed as Gottschall, Gottshall, or Gutschall.
As for Webster Wynn, who took Barbara as his second wife, he appears in the 1850 census for Rush Township, Dauphin County and there is a marked difference in his age and the age of Barbara. The older children in the household are children with his first wife, Fannie Boll. Webster Wynn was born about 1800 and Barbara was born about 1823.
The activities of the Gratztown Militia in the twenty years before the Civil War are difficult to research. Few records were kept. Although the name of Webster Wynn does not appear in any of the later lists, that probably would have been because he was too old to serve in the Civil War. It was the Gratztown Militia that was called into state service as the 36th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company C. Perhaps research on Webster Wynn would shed some more light on Fort Jackson which was most likely used as a training place for the Gratztown Militia and as an arsenal. The establishment of this “Fort” was probably during the presidential administration of Andrew Jackson, 1829-1837.
No information on Webster Wynn is found in A Comprehensive History of the Town of Gratz Pennsylvania.
Webster Wynn‘s date and place of death has not yet been located. Neither has his place of burial. However, he probably died before 1867, as that is the year his widow married Richard Cutchall.
Additional information is sought to clarify the many issues brought out by this post. Hopefully, a reader will be able to provide some answers. Comment to this post or send an e-mail (click here).
Richard Cutshall is my great grandfather. Born Mar 3, 1834. Died April 3, 1898 in Springfield twp. Huntington co. Pa. Buried at Walnut Grove Church of God, Maddensville, Pa. Son of John Cutshall born 1796 in Hunt Co, Pa Died 1846. Married Susan Catherine Lane 1822. She was born in Oct. 29, 1802 Hunt Co. died Jan 27, 1888. He had 13 children from 1855 to 1881 when my grandfather Harmon was born on July 3. He died May 5, 1960