Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on July 6, 2015

In 1912, the Hon. James Martin Yeager wrote and published A Brief History of the Yeager, Buffington, Creighton, Jacobs, Lemon, Hoffman and Woodside Families and Their Collateral Kindred of Pennsylvania.  Yeager was formerly the President of Drew Seminary for Young Women of Carmel, New York as well as a former Member of the House of Representatives of Pennsylvania and a Marshal of the Middle District of Pennsylvania.  On pages 82-85, he presented a list of Pennsylvania soldiers he identified with the Yeager surname who had fought in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865.  In addition to the names of the soldiers, he named the regiment and company in which they fought.  Sixty-three veterans were thus identified.  A free download of Yeager’s book can be obtained at the Internet Archive.

There is much information still to be discovered about each of the veterans.  Readers of this blog are urged to add information to what is provided below – particularly genealogical information about each of the men, including the names of their parents and their decent from the earliest Yeager’s who arrived in Pennsylvania.  Additional stories about the Civil War service of these veterans is also sought, particularly if readers have access to the pension application files and military records from the National Archives.  Pictures are especially welcome!  Comments can be added to this post or sent by e-mail.

This post continues a multi-part series on these Pennsylvanians with the Yeager surname who served in the Civil War.

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David S. Yeager was born about 1843 and lived in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania in 1861 where he was working as a farmer.  After enlisting at Moscow, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, he was mustered into service in the 49th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company F, as a Private, on 25 September 1861 in Harrisburg.  On 24 October 1861, he transferred to Company C of the same regiment and then re-enlisted for another term of service on 24 December 1863.  The military record also shows that he was promoted to Corporal on 6 April 1865, but was reduced to ranks on 30 June 1865, before being mustered out of service on 15 July 1865.  After the war David S. Yeager applied for a pension on 19 November 1892, which he received and collected until his death on 2 February 1914;  his widow then applied on 5 February 1914 and collected the benefits until her death.

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Adam W. Yeager was about 32 years old when he enrolled in the 51st Pennsylvania Infantry, Company A, as a Private, at Norristown.  He was mustered into service on 12 September 1861 at Harrisburg and served with that regiment and company until he was killed in action in front of Petersburg, Virginia, on 15 July 1864.

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Milton John Yeager (also found in the records as Milton J. Yeager) was born in Germany on 2 February 1836 and at age 28 he enlisted at York, Pennsylvania, in the 87th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company A, as a Corporal, and was mustered into service at that place on 12 September 1861.  At some point during the war, he transferred to Company I and was promoted to the rank of 1st Sergeant.  The record also shows that he re-enlisted at Brandy Station, Virginia, on 22 February 1864, and was commissioned 1st Lieutenant, but was not officially mustered at that rank.  He was discharged with his company on 29 June 1865.  He applied for a pension on 29 April 1879, which was received and collected until his death on 18 March 1882.  His widow, Susan Yeager, applied for benefits on 16 October 1882, which she was awarded and received until her death.  Milton John Yeager is buried at Mount Olive Cemetery, Abbottstown, Adams County, Pennsylvania, but the wrong regiment of service is given on his grave marker.  Additional information about him can be found at his Findagrave Memorial and at the York County Heritage Trust Civil War Soldiers Index [Note:  Type “Yeager” into the search box near the bottom of the page and “Go”].

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Spencer G. Yeager served in the 8th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company B, as a Private, from 23 April 1861 through his 3-month term of service when he was discharged on 29 July 1861.  He then re-enlisted at Shamokin, Nrthumberland County, in the 49th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company C, as a Private, and mustered into service at Harrisburg, 9 September 1861.  He re-mustered at Camp Griffin, Virginia, on 24 October 1861 and served the remainder of the war in that regiment and company and was honorably discharged on 15 July 1865.  At the time of his first enlistment, he said he was 20 years old, resided in Moscow, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, and was employed as a laborer; at the time of his second enlistment he said he was a farmer residing in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.  Spencer was born in Moscow, Lackawanna County, about 1841.  He died in the Soldiers’ Home in Hampton, Virginia, on 16 May 1921, and is buried in the Hampton National Cemetery at that place.   See his Findagrave Memorial for more information.

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According to information supplied in the list of Yeager Civil War Soldiers (cited above), Albert Yeager served in the 28th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company D, and was killed at Bull Run.  He has not been located in any of the databases of Civil War soldiers which record the names of those who served in the 28th Pennsylvania Infantry, and at this time, nothing more is known about him.

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Augustus Yeager is also found in the records as Augustus Jager.  He first enlisted at Philadelphia at age 26 (born about 1835) in the 98th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company C, as a Private, and was mustered into service on 6 September 1861.  On 11 November 1862, he was discharged on a Surgeon’s Certificate of Disability.  On 2 September 1863, he was drafted into the service of the 28th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company B, as a Private, at Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania, and served until 11 October 1864, when he was discharged at Atlanta, Georgia, on a Surgeon’s Certificate of Disability.  He applied for a pension on 23 January 1875, which he received and collected until his death in 1908.  No widow applied for pension benefits.

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Horatio D. Yeager first enlisted in the 17th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company F, as a Private, at Philadelphia, and was mustered into the 3-month service on 25 April 1861 at Philadelphia.  He served his term and was discharged on 2 August 1861.  He then joined the 153rd Pennsylvania Infantry, Company C, as a 1st Lieutenant at Northampton County, Pennsylvania, and was mustered on 8 October 1862.  On 1 July 1863, he was wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg, and on 23 July 1863, he was discharged on a Surgeon’s Certificate of Disability.  Due to the severity of his injuries, Horatio was able to apply for an early disability pension which he collected until his death on 14 October 1907.  he is buried at the West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.  Additional information about him, including a more extensive biographical sketch and several pictures, can be found at his Findagrave Memorial.

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Pennsylvania Veterans’ File Cards are from the Pennsylvania Archives.

Category: Queries, Research
Tags: Yeager family