The Yeager Family in the Civil War (Part 9)
Posted By Norman Gasbarro on June 17, 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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Henry Casper Yeager served in the 82nd Pennsylvania Infantry, Company E, as a 2nd Lieutenant. He was mustered into service on 21 September 1861, but resigned on 10 July 1862, for reasons not stated in the available on-line information. There is also a record of prior service as a Sergeant in the 19th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company E, from 27 April 1861 through discharge on 27 August 1861. Henry Casper Yeager was born about 1833 and he died on 19 May 1890. Less than a year prior to his death he applied for a pension, which the record shows that he received. He had resided in Philadelphia at the time of the Civil War.
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Charles Yeager was born about 1826 and died in 1911. At age 36, he enlisted at Philadelphia in the 119th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company D, as a Private and was mustered into service on 11 August 1862. On 29 December 1862, he was discharged on a Surgeon’s Certificate of Disability. The date of his pension application was 3 May 1897.
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Frederick Yeager first served in the 122nd Pennsylvania Infantry, Company F, as a Private, from 11 August 1862 through 15 may 1863, and then served in the 195th Pennsylvania Infantry, Companies B and C, as a 1st Sergeant from 17 July 1864 through 21 June 1865. His transfer of companies occurred in November 1864, and on 16 March 1865, he was promoted from Sergeant to 1st Sergeant. It is believed that he was from Lancaster, because that is where he enlisted. Frederick was born about 1844 and died on 3 September 1896. He applied for a pension on 19 December 1885 based on his service and he collected the pension until his death with no widow surviving him.
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Jeremiah Yeager is also found in the records as Jeremiah Yager. Enrolling at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania at age 38 (born about 1824), he was then mustered into the service of the 126th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company H, as a Private on 9 August 1862. He received an honorable discharge on 20 May 1863.
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Elias S. Yeager, sometimes referred to as E. S. Yeager, was born on 3 January 1843 and died on 26 February 1911. He is buried at Charles Evans Cemetery, Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania. While residing in Berks County in 1861, he enrolled in the 25th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company C, as a Private, on 18 April 1861, and was mustered into service at Washington, D.C. He was discharged with his company on 26 July 1861 at the conclusion of his3-month term of enlistment.
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James A. Yeager was born on 7 December 1829 and died on 2 June 1896. He served in the 176th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company B, as a Private, from 7 November 1862 through 18 August 1863. On 22 April 1891, he applied for an invalid pension, which he received and collected until his death. His wife, Mary A. Yeager, died before him. He is buried at Cedar Church Cemetery, Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. For more information about him, see his Findagrave Memorial.
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Pennsylvania Veterans’ Index Cards are from the Pennsylvania Archives. The Military Index Card is from the National Archives via Fold3.