Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on May 8, 2015

The 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry Monument at Gettysburg is located east of the town of Gettysburg near Cavalry Field Road on the East Cavalry Battlefield.

A picture of the monument as shown above can be seen on Stephen Recker’s Virtual Gettysburg Web Site which has more information about the monument and the 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry.

A full description of the monument, its GPS Coordinates, additional photographs, and some of the history of the 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry, can be found on the Stone Sentinels Web Site.

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From the Philadelphia Inquirer of 11 September 1889 came an explanation of why there was no monument dedication for the 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry.

One of Those Not Erected.

The 3rd Regiment Cavalry was composed of independent volunteer companies existing before the war and for others that responded to the first call for troops.  It was ordered from Camp Curtin to Baltimore April 1861, came back to York, proceeded 27 May to join the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division.  It was mustered out on 29 July.  The officers were Colonel, Francis P. Minier; Lieutenant Colonel, John M. Power; Major, Oliver M. Irvine; Adjutant, James C. Noon.

The monument to be erected by the 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry has not been completed and will not be dedicated until October next, but a regimental reunion will be held in the public school house at Gettysburg on the evening of 11 September, and the survivors will take part in the parade on the 12th.

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Edward S. Jones

The commander of the 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry at Gettysburg was Lieutenant Colonel Edward S. Jones.

Jones claimed to be 21 years old at the time of his muster into the 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry as the Captain of Company C.  On the 20 November 1862, he was transferred to headquarters with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.  Although he was commissioned Colonel on 16 August 1864, he was not mustered at that rank and was discharged with the regiment on 24 August 1864.

On 30 December 1879 Jones applied for a pension which the Pension Index Cards (Fold3 and Ancestry.com) do not indicate that received.

For more information about the regimental history including its activities at the Battle of Gettysburg, see History of the Third Pennsylvania Cavalry (Sixtieth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers) in the American Civil War, 1861-1865. The book has long been out of print but is now available as a free download through Google Books.  See also the blog post presented here on 24 June 2011.

As of the date of this writing, a Findagrave Memorial has not been located for him.

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Around the base of the Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg are a series of plaques which, by regiment and company, note the names of every soldier who was present at the Battle of Gettysburg.  The plaque for the 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry is pictured below.  By clicking on the plaque it should enlarge so the names can be more clearly read.  If a name does not appear, it could be that the soldier did serve in the 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry, but was not part of the regiment during its days at Gettysburg.  There could also be errors on the plaque.

Category: Memorials | Comments Off on Monuments at Gettysburg – 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry
Tags: Monument

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on May 7, 2015

LONGEVITY – From the Harrisburg Patriot, 11 February 1903:

Pennsylvania Veteran Dead at 104

Philadelphia, 10 February 1903 — Lewis Butler, colored, aged 104 years, died at his home in this city today of general debility.  He was born in York, Pennsylvania, and was a veteran of the Civil War, serving as a Sergeant in the 43rd Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers [43rd U.S. Colored Troops].  Mr. Butler’s family is long-lived.  A brother, living in York, is 106 years of age and a sister in this city is 102 years old.

MENTAL ILLNESS – From the Harrisburg Patriot, 13 February 1903:

Frank Boyer

Frank Boyer, a veteran of the Civil war, died at the State Lunatic Asylum yesterday morning.  He was a member of Company F, 50th Pennsylvania Volunteers [50th Pennsylvania Infantry], during the war and before his admission to the insane hospital he resided in Pottsville.  Mr. Boyer was an inmate of that institution for many years, but was ill only a few weeks.  He will be buried with military ceremonies by Post 55, Grand Army of the Republic [G.A.R.], on Saturday at 2 p.m.  A meeting of the Post will be held this evening to take action on his death.

TRAIN ACCIDENT – From the Harrisburg Patriot, 25 May 1903

JOHN W. STEWART KILLED

Former Harrisburg Citizen Struck by Train — His Family Reside Here

Duncannon, 24 May 1903 — John W. Stewart was struck by a fast train on the Pennsylvania Railroad on Friday morning and received injuries from which he died.  He resided on his farm near Loeh’s Run.  It seems that he had been to the store which is some distance from his home and on opposite side of the railroad.  On returning, he was struck by an engine.  The train was stopped and he was picked up and taken to Newport where he died a few minutes later.  He was about sixty years of age and was a veteran of the Civil War.  Mr. Stewart resided in Harrisburg for many years where he worked in the iron works.  He is survived by his wife and one son, Charles Stewart, who resides in Harrisburg. 

Category: Stories | Comments Off on Three Unusual Deaths of Civil War Soldiers in 1903
Tags: African American, G.A.R.

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on May 6, 2015

The 2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry Monument at Gettysburg is located south of the town of Gettysburg on Cemetery Ridge behind Meade’s Headquarters.

The above drawing of the monument was included in the Philadelphia Inquirer article of 11 September 1889.

A picture of the monument can be seen on Stephen Recker’s Virtual Gettysburg Web Site which has more information about the monument and the 2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry.

A full description of the monument, its GPS Coordinates, additional photographs, and some of the history of the 2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry, can be found on the Stone Sentinels Web Site.

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From the Philadelphia Inquirer of 11 September 1889:

The Monument of the 2nd Cavalry.

The survivors of the 2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry, which served at General Meade’s headquarters during the Battle of Gettysburg, will dedicate their monument at 2 P.M.  They will meet at 1 P.M. at the court house and proceed to the monument.  Captain Albert N. Seip, president of the Regimental Association, will turn the monument over to John M. Krauth, Esq., who will accept it for the Battlefield Memorial Association.  An address on the operations of the regiment in that battle will be given by J. J. Galbraith, of Company M, Secretary of the Regimental Organization. A poem from Mr. George Parsons Lathrop, of New London, Connecticut, written expressly for this dedication and entitled “Battle Days,” will be read,

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Richard Butler Price

The commander of the 2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry at Gettysburg was Colonel Richard Butler Price.

Colonel Price enrolled in the 2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry on 23 June 1862 from Philadelphia, where he resided.  He commanded the regiment for most of the remainder of the war until his discharge on 31 January 1865.  On 13 March 1865, he was breveted Brigadier General.

The First Troop City Cavalry of Philadelphia is the subject of a book by the same name by Joseph Seymour.  Born in 1807, R. Butler Price was one of the oldest regimental commanders from Pennsylvania in the Civil War.  His experiences as a cavalry leader are summarized in that book in a photo caption found on page 16:

Some troopers also helped organize the 2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry.  Shown here is Col. R. Butler Price.  Price served with the troop for slightly less than six months in 1826, before rejoining the organization in 1830.  Price served with the troop as a private when the troop mustered into state service to put down an armed mob at the state capitol in Harrisburg in 1849 and likely served during the Kensington Riots that rocked the city of Philadelphia in 1844 during a series of civil disturbances known as the “Buckshot Wars,” so named because the involved troops were ordered to load their muskets with buckshot to disperse unruly mobs.  In 1861, Price helped organize the 2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry.  On 7 September 1861 he became the regiment’s colonel….

Price died in Philadelphia on 15 July 1876 and the funeral was conducted from his sister’s residence.  He is buried in Woodlands Cemetery, Philadelphia.  See his Findagrave Memorial for additional information.

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Around the base of the Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg are a series of plaques which, by regiment and company, note the names of every soldier who was present at the Battle of Gettysburg.  The plaque for the 2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry is pictured below.  By clicking on the plaque it should enlarge so the names can be more clearly read.  If a name does not appear, it could be that the soldier did serve in the 2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry, but was not part of the regiment during its days at Gettysburg.  There could also be errors on the plaque.

Category: Memorials | Comments Off on Monuments at Gettysburg – 2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry
Tags: Monument

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on May 5, 2015

A listing of the April 2015 posts on The Civil War Blog with direct links:

Why Was There a Cross-Burning in Elizabethville?

Monuments at Gettysburg – 121st Pennsylvania Infantry

Monuments at Gettysburg – 139th Pennsylvania Infantry

March 2015 Posts

Monuments at Gettysburg – 140th Pennsylvania Infantry

Capt. William E. Miller – Medal of Honor at Gettysburg

Monuments at Gettysburg – 141st Pennsylvania Infantry

Monuments at Gettysburg – 142nd Pennsylvania Infantry

Monuments at Gettysburg – 143rd Pennsylvania Infantry

Five War Veterans Who Died in 1919

The 150th Anniversary of the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln – The Lincoln Flag Hoax

Repasz Band Plays at Appomattox Anniversary

Monuments at Gettysburg – 145th Pennsylvania Infantry

Why Was There a Cross-Burning in Elizabethville?

Monuments at Gettysburg – 147th Pennsylvania Infantry

Monuments at Gettysburg – 148th Pennsylvania Infantry

Monuments at Gettysburg – 149th Pennsylvania Infantry

Monuments at Gettysburg – 150th Pennsylvania Infantry

Monuments at Gettysburg – 151st Pennsylvania Infantry

Monuments at Gettysburg – 153rd Pennsylvania Infantry

Monuments at Gettysburg – 155th Pennsylvania Infantry

Monuments at Gettysburg – 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry

Events of April 1865

Category: Overviews | Comments Off on April 2015 Posts
Tags: Table of Contents

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on May 4, 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 the 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 begins a multi-part series on these Pennsylvanians with the Yeager surname who served in the Civil War.

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Abraham Yeager, birth date not yet identified, was mustered into the service of the 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry, Company F, as a Private, on or about 27 June 1863 and served until he was discharged on 20 February 1864.  He applied for a pension on 4 October 1890, which he received.  After his death on 11 December 1912, he was buried at Grandview-West View Cemetery, Bolivar, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.  His widow Mary A. Yeager, then applied for pension benefits on 26 December 1912, which she received until her death.

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Jesse Yeager, born 22 November 1835, enrolled in the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry at Pittsburgh, and was mustered into service, Company I, at Harrisburg, on 19 November 1862, as a Private.  At the time, he declared himself to be 26 years old.  He was discharged by General Order on 10 July 1865.  After the war, he applied for a pension on 11 November 1879, which he received until his death.  He married Elizabeth Susanne Kiger, who did not survive him.  Jesse and his wife are buried at Centennial Cemetery, Aleppo, Greene County, Pennsylvania.  Additional information about him and his wife can be found at his Findagrave Memorial.

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William R. Yeager, born about 1841, enrolled in the 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry at Pittsburgh, and was mustered into Company F as a Private on 22 August 1862 at Carlisle.  At an unknown date, he transferred to Company C.  At his enrollment he was about 21 years old.  He was mustered out with his company on 21 June 1865.  On 6 August 1897, he applied for a pension, which he received and collected until his death.   No widow applied.

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Peter Yeager Jr. was born 3 March 1824.  In 1862, he enrolled at Forks, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, in the 153rd Pennsylvania Infantry, Company E, as a Private, and was mustered into service on 10 October 1862.  After being severely wounded at Gettysburg on 1 July 1863, he was discharged on a Surgeon’s Certificate of Disability on 23 July 1863 and he applied for a pension on 29 August 1863, which he received.  At the time of his enrollment he claimed to be 38 years old, was a laborer, and a resident of Easton, Northampton County.  Peter died on 7 November 1876 and is buried at Forks Cemetery, Stockertown, Northampton County, Pennsylvania.

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Henry F. Yeager was born on 25 September 1842 and died on 14 May 1889.  During the Civil War, he served in the 151st Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I, as a Private, from 1 November 1862 through his discharge on 28 July 1863.  At the time of his enlistment, he lived in Bernville Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, was 18 years old, and was working as a mechanic.  He died on 14 May 1889 and is buried in Charles Evans Cemetery, Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania.  On 26 March 1881, Henry applied for a pension, but the pension was not approved; there is also evidence that someone applied for support for a minor child (or children), which also was not granted.  Some additional information about him can be found at his Findagrave Memorial.

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Harrison Yeager was born about 1841 and was killed in action at Chancellorsville, Virginia, on 3 May 1863.  On 16 August 1862, he was mustered into service in the 148th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company H, as a Private.  At the time, he declared himself to be 21 years old, a carpenter by trade, and a resident of Juliana Furnace, Centre County, Pennsylvania.  He probably was not married because no widow applied for a pension based on his service.  On 3 January 1871, Harrison’s mother, Elizabeth Yeager, applied for benefits, which she received.  His place of burial has not been located as of this writing.

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Pennsylvania Veterans’ Index Cards are from the Pennsylvania Archives.

Category: Queries, Research | Comments Off on The Yeager Family in the Civil War (Part 1)
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