USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > Biographical annals of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, containing genealogical records of representative families, including many of the early settlers and biographical sketches of prominent citizens, Vol. I > Part 75
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Mr. Well's first wife passed away in 1849 and was interred in the burial ground of the Established Church in Blaina. Her children :
wells
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Henry and John, both of whom married in Eng- land and now reside in Cleveland, Ohio, and follow the occupation of iron workers ; Julia, who was born in England, and died in childhood; William J., the subject of this sketch; Thomas, now a resident of Savannah, Georgia, engaged in manufacturing cars for the Georgia Central Rail- road Company; Alfred, who married and is pastor of a Baptist church in Rocktown, New Jersey ; and Charles, who married and is an iron worker in Toledo, Ohio.
William J. Wells came to Minersville with his father in 1858, with an experience (young as he was) of eight years in the rolling mills in Blaina. He sought and obtained employment in and about the coal mines in the towns where his father resided, his last work before enlisting be- ing that of a pumping engineer. He enlisted August 12, 1861, in what became Company F, Forty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, which was organized at Pottsville, Pennsylvania, by James Nagle. The regiment was ordered to Harrisburg as soon as its ranks were filled and was quartered at Camp Curtin, where it remained until October 1, 1861, when it was mustered into the United States service for three years and at once sent to the front. It went to Fortress Mon- roe, Virginia, and remained there until the elev- enth of the following month when it jonied Gen- eral Burnsides expedition to Hatteras, North Carolina, where it remained until the spring of 1862, when it participated in the campaign which resulted in the battle of Newbern. The regi- ment remained in Newbern until July 6, 1862, and then returned to Newport News, Virginia, thence to Fredericksburg to co-operate with Gen- eral Pope's army at Slaughter Mountain, which occupied the time from August 2 to 14. in- clusive. It was then at Kellys Ford, August 19; Groveton. August 29: second Bull Run. August 13; and Chantilly, September I. It next partici- pated in the Antietam campaign which comprised the battles of South Mountain, Maryland, Sep- tember 14: and Antietam Creck, September 17. After the battle of Antietam the forces moved to Pleasant Valley, Maryland, where they were
encamped from October 7 to 27, enjoying a much needed rest. From Pleasant Valley the regi- ment was sent to Fredericksburg, Virginia, and on November 10, 1862, was in a skirmish at Amissville, Virginia, and December 12th to the 14th was engaged in the battle of Fredericksburg, under Burnside, and again met with severe losses.
The regiment then went into camp for the winter and on March 16, 1863, being a part of Burnsides Ninth Army Corps, went to Lexing- ton, Kentucky, where it did garrison duty until September 8. During a portion of this time, Mr. Wells did duty as orderly at the headquarters of Generals Burnside, Hartsuff, Wilcox and Stur- gis. In September 1863, the regiment went with Burnside in his invasion of east Tennessee, known as the Knoxville campaign and partici- pated in the engagements of Bulls Gap, October 4: Blue Springs, October 10; Lenore Station, November 13; Loudoun Bridge, November 15; Campbell's Station, November 16; and siege of Knoxville, November 17 to December 5. During the siege the regiment was in the attack at North Knoxville, November 24. a short but very fierce battle. After Longstreets's retreat, the regiment did duty at Pleasant Valley, or Blaine's Cross Roads, Tennessee, from December 7, 1863. until January 13. 1864. From that time to January 23. 1864, the regiment marched some two hun- dred miles from Pleasant Valley to Knoxville, Tennessee whence they took the cars for home.
On January 1, 1864, the regiment re-enlisted for three years, and was sent to Pottsville, Penn- sylvania, on veteran furlough, remaining there until March 14, recruiting men to fill the ranks. The regiment was then ordered to Annapolis, Maryland, where it remained until the com- mencement of Grant's campaign which resulted in the surrender of Lee.
In this campaign the regiment was engaged in the following battles : Wilderness, May 6, and 7: Spottsylvania Courthouse. May 8 to 18. in- clusive ; engagements at Taylors Bridge, May 23: North Anna River. May 24 to 27: Tolo- potomy Creek, May 29: Bethesda Church. May
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30; Mechumps Creek, May 31 ; Battle of Cold Harbor, June I to 6, and White Oak Swamp, June 13.
Then followed the flank movement on Peters- burg, Virginia, June 14 to 16 and the crossing of the James river. On June 16 they were in the assault on Petersburg, after which they were in the skirmishes and battles incident to the siege of Petersburg from June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865, among them being the assault on the Petersburg and Norfolk Railroad, June 18, 1864, and Welden Railroad, June 22 and 23. About the 25th of June, 1864, Colonel Pleasants (a civil mining engineer by profession) of the Forty- eighth Regiment, which was composed of miners from the coal region of Pennsylvania, conceived the idea of the famous mine at Petersburg, which he claimed could be built by his regiment and the fort in his front blown up and the advance on Petersburg made easy. From June 25 to July 30, men of the Forty-eighth ceased to be soldiers and were again miners and did all the work in building the mine and placing in it twenty-five thousand pounds of powder and for the work thus performed the regiment received special commendation in general orders. After the mine explosion the regiment participated in a battle known as Welden Railroad, August 18 to 21 ; Poplar Spring Church, September 30; Hatches Run, October 27 and 28. The regiment then did duty in Fort Sedgewick (Fort Hell), from De- cember, 1864, to April, 1865, after which they were in an attack on Fort Mahone and in the fall of Petersburg, April 2, 1865. In almost the last battle of the war Sergeant Wells received a gun- shot wound in the right arm, which incapacitated him for further service. On July 17, 1865, he was mustered out with his regiment at Pottsville, Pennsylvania. The following letters are self ex- planatory :
POTTSVILLE, July 31, 1866.
"This is to certify that I am well acquainted with Sergeant William J. Wells, who served his full term of enlistment in Company F, Forty- eighth Regiment Pennsylvania Veteran Volun- teers, commanded by me, during the late Rebel-
lion and always was a good and faithful soldier who always performed his duties satisfactorily to all.
"He was one of the unfortunate ones to get wounded in the right arm in front of Petersburg, Virginia, which disables him to do hard manual labor : so he went through a course of study and qualified himself for school teaching or a clerk- ship, and I take great pleasure in recommending him favorably as a trustworthy, honest and sober young man, and one who deserves at least a fa- vorable situation from the hands of his fellow- citizens for his services rendered to his country. JAMES NAGLE, Late colonel and brigadier general, U. S. A."
POTTSVILLE, August 6, 1866. "To all whom it may concern :-
"The bearer hereof, Sergeant William J. Wells, I am well acquainted with. I know him to be a very worthy young man, of sober and in- dustrious habits.
"He enlisted in the Forty-eighth Regiment Pennsylvanina Volunteers at its organization, for three years, in Captain Joseph H. Hoskins' Com- pany, of Minersville, and, at the expiration of said term of service, he re-enlisted and served faithfully through all its service until the regi- ment was mustered out at the close of the war. He was wounded once. I often took particular notice of him as being a very clean, tidy and obedient soldier. I never knew him to shirk from any duty, but was always ready and willing to perform any service required of him. For a while, he was clerk for his captain.
Very Respectfully, DANIEL NAGLE,
Late colonel One Hundred and Seventy-third Pennsylvania Volunteers and formerly major of the Forty-eighth Regiment."
After the war Mr. Wells returned to Miners- ville, and, on September 1, 1865, he entered Dick- inson Seminary, Williamsport. After ten months in the seminary, he took a school in Yorkville, a suburb of Pottsville, where he taught for two years.
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In 1868, he came to Norristown (having married in his second year at Yorkville) and be- came the principal of the Bridgeport school and held the position four years, giving entire satis- faction.
In 1872, he secured the Marble Hall school, in Whitemarsh township, and the long daily walk from his home in Norristown to the school, a distance of five miles, proved of great benefit to his health. He taught the school for two years and during that time passed a successful examination for a Philadelphia school but pre- ferred to remain in Norristown. He therefore occupied the position of principal of Sandy Street school and taught there six years. In 1880 he accepted the principalship of the Oak Street school, Norristown, where he has taught con- tinuously to the present time.
For many years he has been secretary of the local Teachers' Institute. After his removal to Norristown, Mr. Wells became a member of Curtis Lodge, No. 239, I. O. O. F. He passed through all the chairs, becoming Noble Grand in 1879. In May, 1878, he was mustered into Zook Post, No. 11, G. A. R., and has been from the first an energetic and earnest member thereof. In 1884 he was made commander of the Post, having previously been its adjutant five years and one year subsequently. Mr. Wells is the historian of the Post, and well wrote in two memorial volumes presented to it a comprehen- sive war record of each of the members.
In 1884, he was appointed an aide on the staff of Robert B. Beath, then commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and in 1889 served as aide on the staff of W. C. Johnson, senior vice commander-in-chief. He was a delegate to the state encampment held at Harrisburg and has been assistant department inspector of posts of Montgomery county for a period of ten years; also assistant inspector at large for the depart- ment of Pennsylvania.
On December 24, 1866, Mr. Wells married Miss Annetta Garner, daughter of Eli and Mary Garner, of Norristown. She was born February 12, 1843, and died June 17, 1873. Their children are: Frank E., born December 13, 1868; and
Alonzo R., born September 28, 1871. Frank E. went to Augusta, Georgia, about 1890, to visit an uncle and died in the hospital of that city of typhoid fever sometime in 1892. Alonzo is mar- ried and lives in Norristown.
Eli Garner was born in Bucks county, Sep- tember 9, 1809, and died March 13, 1888. He married, October 2, 1832, Mary Ann Smith, who was born August 9, 1809, and died September 5, 190I.
On May 17, 1879, Mr. Wells married (second wife) Miss Leah Shultz, who was born February 23, 1853, in Llewellyn, Pennsylvania. Her fa- ther, John Shultz, was born in the province of Saxe Weimer, Germany, and eighteen years later emigrated to America, locating in White Haven. He learned tailoring in his native land but never followed it in this country, as some- thing more to his taste offered soon after he reached his new home. For a time he was en- gaged in building canals and railroads and was a pioneer in that line in his section of his state. He worked in the mines at Llewellyn, then en- gaged in the lumber business for Samuel Gris- com, which proved to be a starting point in a business in which he was very successful and which he followed for thirty years. Near Llewellyn he cleared the timber from more than a hundred acres, while in the Rice Mountains in Schuylkill county, in Clark's valley, in Dau- phin county, Yellow Springs, Lebanon county and Cherry Run, Union county, he cleared large tracts. In his death Tremont lost one of its best citizens-one whose honor and integrity was never questioned and whose influence was always on the side of right. Of him it was said, "The laborer found in him a kind employer ; the needy, the spirit of charity. He lived not unto himself, but for the welfare of his fellow men and for the glory of Christ, His Redeemer."
By his second marriage Mr. Wells had three children, namely: Nina, who died in infancy ; Ivan S., born September 2, 1883; and Leah MI., born June 27, 1890, and died when eleven months old. Mr. and Mrs. Wells are both members of the First Methodist Episcopal church of Nor- ristown.
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William J. Wells is a Republican in politics. He has taken an active part in political work, and has rendered efficient service in town council, serving three terms in all, and occupying im- portant chairmanships in that body. He is a patriotic, progressive and public-spirited citizen, being found invariably on the side of improve- ment. Mr. Wells has been an active pension at- torney since 1890 and has been very successful in his efforts in that direction.
SAMUEL F. JARRETT. The Jarretts are among the oldest families in Montgomery county, their ancestor having come, it is said, from the Highlands of Scotland to America more than two hundred years ago. The first Jarrett in this country was John Jarrett, who in 1700 set- tled in Horsham township, and in old records the family coat of arms appears in connection with his name. In the early records of Abington, Hor- sham and other meetings in this vicinity, the name occurs frequently, and its members have intermarried with those of the older families, not only of Friends, but of other religious de- nominations.
In the records of Gwynedd Monthly Meeting the name is frequently found. One of the de- scendants of the settler was John Jarrett, who was born in 1719 and married Alice Conrad. Their children were: John, Mary, Elizabeth, Hannah, Rachel, William, Alice, Jonathan, David, Jesse, Tacy and Joseph. Of these children Jesse mar- ried Elizabeth Palmer and they had six chil- dren, as follows: Mary, who married Isaac Shoe- maker ; David, who lived to be about ninety-three year of age; Alice; Joseph, Tacy, who married James Kirk ; and John, who became a merchant in Philadelphia. David Jarrett (father) was born in Whitemarsh township, October 24, 1797, fol- lowed the occupation of a farmer in Upper Provi- dence township, removing in 1836, and locating in Plymouth township. He died October 20, 1890, his remains being interred in Plymouth Friends burying-ground. David Jarrett was a member of the Society of Friends. He was a Re- publican in politics and served for several years as a school director. He married Rebecca Farra,
daughter of Atkinson Farra, of Norristown. She was born January 31, 1798, and died February II, 1872. Their children: Jesse, born September 27, 1822, who married Ann G. Bean and died in 1898; Samuel F., born November 19, 1825; Charles P., who was living in the south at the outbreak of the Civil war and becoming an officer in the Confederate service, was killed at the battle of Shiloh ; Atkinson F., born September 13, 1830; Elizabeth, born July 15, 1833 ; John, who married Margaret Loeser ; Lucretia, who was born Janu- ary 26, 1838, married Joseph Umstead ; Chalkley, who married Elizabeth Bisson; Atkinson, who married Amanda Skean; and John Jarrett, is deceased.
Samuel F. Jarrett served for three consecu- tive terms as county treasurer, being the first . Republican ever elected to this office in Mont- gomery. Born in Upper Providence, and reared in that township and Plymouth, he remained with his father on the farm until he was twenty- four years of age. He then engaged in farm- ing in Lower Providence, continuing there until 1853. He purchased in that year his farm in Norriton, two and a half miles west of Norris- town, to which he removed and where he now lives. He is one of the most successful farmers of his generation in Montgomery county. On June 3. 1849, he married Amanda Crawford, whose parents, Joseph and Rebecca (Francis) Crawford, lived in Lower Providence. They had two children: Emma, who died in infancy ; and Anna R., wife of Dr. W. H. Reed, of Norris- town.
When Lee threatened Pennsylvania. Samuel F. Jarrett enlisted in the Norris Cavalry and was in the emergency service two months in Maryland. He was always an active Republi- can, and in 1872, when many Democrats were dissatisfied with the nomination of Horace Gree- ley on their party ticket for president and either remained at home on the day of election or bolted the ticket, he was on the Republican ballot for county treasurer and was elected by a majority of twelve votes. He was given the nomination by his party the next year and was again elected. The constitution of the state having meanwhile-
Samo Jarrett
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been changed (1874), and the term of county treasurer extended to three years, Mr. Jarrett was again nominated and re-elected by an in- creased majority. Although he did not again seek or hold public office, he has always taken an active interest in county politics and has been the trusted and valued advisor of the party lead- ers. He has always been recognized as one of the most substantial and reliable citizens of the county, his high reputation for integrity and veracity and his excellent sense and sound judg- ment causing him to be universally esteemed. He has been for many years a member of the board of directors of the Peoples National Bank of Norristown, and a stockholder in six other banks of the vicinity. He is also president of the Norristown Farmers' Market Company. He is a life member of the Historical Society.
ABRAHAM KEELER METZ was born in Worcester township, Montgomery county, May 25, 1846. He attended the public schools until he was seventeen years of age and then started to work on his father's farm. He has been a farmer ever since. A few years after leaving school he purchased the Samuel R. Detwiler farm, where he has lived ever since. He married Mary Jane, daughter of Matthias Fox, of Towamencin township. They had twelve children : Margaret, born January 30, 1869, is unmarried; Joseph, horn January 13, 1870, died September 13, 1871 ; Harvey, born September 12, 1871, died February 6, 1893; Amos, born February 21, 1873, died September 15, 1874; Hannah, born December 7, 1874, died March 20, 1877 ; Mary Elizabeth, born October 29, 1876; Martha, born September 3. 1878, married Harry Burgert in the spring of 1904; Henry, born June 13, 1880 ; Susanna, born May 28, 1882, was married June 16, 1900, to Oswin S. Erb, son of Reuben and Sarah Erb; Abraham F., born July 28, 1884; Emma, born January 3, 1887, and Harrison, born January II, 1889, are at home. Of these children Henry mar- ried Sophrania Graft and they have three chil- dren : Elmer, born February 20, 1899: Flora, born in August, 1901, and Eleanor, born in Sep- tember, 1903. The farm of Abraham K. Metz
consists of twenty-nine acres and one hundred and thirty-nine perches. The house was built in 1755. In politics Mr. Metz is a Republican and he belongs to the Mennonite church.
Garrett Metz (grandfather) was born April 28, 1715, in Towamencin township. . He mar- ried Hannah Heebner.
Joseph H. Metz (father), of Worcester town- ship, married, March 31, 1844, Hannah H. Keeler, daughter of Henry and Susan ( Hunsberger ) Keeler, who was born June 17, 1822. The cere- mony was performed by Rev. W. T. Gerhart. Their children : Abraham K., the subject of this sketch ; Lydia K., born December 29, 1847, died in infancy ; Susanna K., born May 13, 1849, mar- ried Henry F. Frederick, a farmer, they having no children; Garret K., born January 24, 1851, married Hannah Saylor, daughter of Jeriah Say- lor, who lives in Philadelphia, they having seven children ; Hannah K., born September 30, 1853, married John Heffendrager, a farmer, they hav- ing three children; Margaret K., born November 23, 1854, married Joseph Moyer, a son of Abra- ham Moyer, who is a farmer, they having five children, one deceased ; Henry K., born March 8, 1856, died in infancy; Jacob K., born August 26, 1857, died in infancy ; John K., twin brother of Jacob K .; William K., born November 3, 1859 ; Joseph K., born December 24, 1861, died in infancy ; Samnel K., born September 20, 1863, married Lizzie Gotshall, daughter of Jacob Got- shall, Samuel being a farmer in Towamencin, and they having seven children, one deceased ; Lizzie K., born August 31, 1866, lives with her brother, William K.
Mary Jane (Fox) Metz, wife of Abraham K. Metz, was born July 10, 1847, in Chester county. Her father was Matthias Fox, a plasterer by trade, who died at the age of forty-seven years, and is buried near Kulpsville, Pennsylvania. His wife was Margaret (Gotshalk) Fox, who died at the age of seventy-one years. Their chil- dren are : Mary Jane (Mrs. Metz ) ; Andrew Fox, born in 1850: Henry, who was born in 1853. and lives in Nebraska, where he is a painter by trade ; Matthias, born in 1856, a farmer and lives in Skippack township: William, born in 1858. re-
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siding at Lansdale; Hannah, born about 1860; Abraham, born in 1861, living at Ambler.
The brothers and sister of Matthias Fox were : Nicholas, John, Moses, Abraham, Henry, Benjamin and Kate, who married John Meadows. The sisters of Mrs. Metz's mother were: Susan, wife of Simon Heist; and Annie, who was the first wife of Mrs. Metz's father. There was one child by that marriage-Jacob Fox.
JOHN E. LENHART, a well known farmer of Hatfield township, is a native of Cheltenham township, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, where he was born October 14, 1862. He is a son of the late John F. Lenhart, of that town- ship.
He was educated in the public schools of Cheltenham, and on leaving school engaged in farming on the homestead, which he continued for several years with great success. He then rented a farm on shares, remaining on it nine years. In 1893 he removed to Hatfield township, near Col- mar, having purchased a fine farm on which he now resides, being the old Peter Evans farm, of one hundred and thirty acres. In June, 1886, Mr. Lenhart married Miss Catherine Mann, of the city of Philadelphia. The children of Mr. and Mrs. John E. Lenhart: John A., George E., Ruth E., Catherine M., Edith V., Joseph E., Lydia B. Mr. Lenhart is a Democrat in politics. He is an active member of the Junior Order of American Mechanics. He is a successful farmer, and a man who is respected by the community in which he lives. He and his family attend the Baptist church.
The Lenharts are an old family in Montgom- ery county, of German origin. George Lenhart, born March 8, 1754, emigrated from Germany to the United States when he was seventeen years of age, in company with his brother Peter, their pa- rents, who accompanied them, both having died and been buried at sea. The young men were sold to pay for their passage, and George served three years and nine months with Jonathan Tyson. At the expiration of his term of service he located in Upper Dublin township, then Philadelphia, now Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, where
he engaged in lime burning and in buying and sell- ing real estate. He married Catherine Hoffman, who died January 31, 1783. The children of the couple were John, George, Jonathan and one who died young. Mr. Lenhart married (second wife) Christiana Kohler, their children being Mary, Henry, Joseph, Sarah, Christiana and Margaret. George Lenhart, who was the great- grandfather of John E. Lenhart, subject of this sketch, was an active and exemplary worker in the Reformed church of Germantown.
Of the children of George Lenhart, Joseph (grandfather) was born January 30, 1788, in Upper Dublin township, but in 1801 removed, with his parents to the farm in Cheltenham on which John E. Lenhart was born. He married Elizabeth, daughter of John Funk, of that vicinity. Their children : John F., Margaret (Mrs. David Heist), and Catharine (Mrs. Isaiah Campbell). Joseph Lenhart died January 7, 1845.
John F. Lcnhart (father) was born Novem- ber 25, 1821, on the homestead in Cheltenham township, where he was employed in farming his entire life. On the death of his father he in- herited a portion of the estate and purchased the remainder. He gave much attention to horticul- ture, and propagated several fine varieties of fruit, and was generally a very successful farmer. Mr. Lenhart married, November 13, 1851, Ruth, daughter of Joseph Addis, of Moreland town- ship. Their children : Amy (deceased), Margaret (Mrs. John D. Stout), Joseph (deceased), Eliza (Mrs. Franklin P. Bryan), John E., subject of this sketch, and one who died in infancy. Mr. Lenhart was a director of the Limekiln Turnpike Company, and also of the Willow Grove and Germantown Turnpike Company. In politics he was a Democrat. In religious faith he was a Presbyterian, and he and his family attended the Market Square church, in Germantown.
JOHN S. McHARG is a descendant of an old family of Lower Providence township. He was born near Shannonville, now Audubon, Sep- tember 16, 1840. He was reared in farm pursuits, attending the public schools of the neighborhood, and the Academy at Mount Kirk, where he com-
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