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Horatio O. Baum – Charter Member of Millersburg G.A.R. Post
Posted By Norman Gasbarro on July 29, 2018
Horatio Orlando “Harry” Baum was a charter member of the Kilpatrick Post, G.A.R., at Millersburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. His name is found on the charter which is on display at the Historical Society of Millersburg and Upper Paxton Township.
Charter with Names of Founding Members
Horatio O. Baum was born 23 September 1897 in Hamburg, Berks County, Pennsylvania, the son of Peter Christian Baum (1804-1866) and Catherine Beaver [Bonnell] Baum (1819-1891).
On 26 February 1864 at Reading, he enrolled as a recruit in the 48th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company D, and was mustered into service as a Private the same day and at the same place. His physical description included standing 5 foot 3 inches tall, brown hair, a light complexion, and blue eyes. He claimed he was 18 years old at the time, but if he was born in 1847, he was actually closer to 17 years old. He gave his occupation as confectioner. Not much more information is given about his military record on the Veterans’ File Card, shown above from the Pennsylvania Archives – except that he was mustered out with his company on 17 July 1865.
An interesting story about Horatio O. Baum and his brothers in the Civil War can be found at the the 48th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Blogspot, by John David Hoptak.
See: “One Flag, One Country, Three Brothers,” Or What They Fought For
Included in the blog post by Hoptak are some reflections by Horatio O. Baum on the war and his service in the 48th Pennsylvania Infantry.
In June1880, Horatio applied for a pension, which he received and collected until his death, which, according to the Penson Index Card (above) from Fold3, occurred at Langhorne, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 3 September 1916.
Records found on Ancestry.com indicate that about 1870, Horatio O. Baum married Laura Etta Yeager, who was born in 1852. Together they had at least five known children. Laura died in 1909 at Langhorne.
In 1870, Horatio was working as a telegraph operator and was living in Dauphin Borough, and in 1880, the family was living in Upper Paxton Township where he was still working as a telegraph operator. The connection to Millersburg is established by the 1880 census, the fact that one of his children, James Baum, was born in Millersburg in 1877, and that he was one of the founders of the Kilpatrick Post, G.A.R.
However, when the Millersburg Soldier Monument was erected early in the 20th Century, the name of Horatio O. Baum was not included. Probably, this is because by the 1890 census, he had moved back to Bucks County, where is also found in the 1900. In 1910, he gave his occupation as real estate agent – but was living in Osceola, Florida. Also, information has been located to confirm that he was a commander of the G.A.R. Post at Langhorne, No. 366, the Hugh A. Martindale Post. It would have been highly unusual for any veteran to be a member of more than one post.
H. Orlando Baum is buried at the Arlington Cemetery, Drexel Hill, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. While his grave marker notes his service in the 48th Pennsylvania Infantry, nothing is mentioned as to his Civil War service on the Findagrave Memorial.
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