Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 237

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 2390

USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 237
USA > Pennsylvania > Monroe County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 237
USA > Pennsylvania > Susquehanna County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 237
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 237

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of the Republican party. He was a member of the German Reformed Church. He continued farming up' to his death, on September 6, 1862. Sarah ( Schoch) Smith survived him many years, passing away on the old homestead February II, 1895, in her eighty-ninth year.

Eleven children blessed their union, all born on the farm in Smithfield, and all of whom grew to manhood and womanhood.

(I) John J. died in November, 1862, unmar- ried.

(2) Samuel went to Northampton county and learned the trade of carpenter with his uncle, S. Smith. He married Caroline Engler, of the same county, where he lived from that time until the out- break of the Civil war, in which he enlisted as a member of Company K, 153rd Pennsylvania Vol- unteers, for one year's service, during which time he participated in the engagements at Chancellors- ville and Gettysburg. After the close of the war he removed his family to Wilkes Barre, Penn., where he still lives. They had four children: George, who died in 1884, in young manhood ; Emma, Stella and Harry. Stella was graduated from the Bloomsburg State Normal School, class of 1891, and has since been a successful teacher in the public schools of the city of Wilkes Barre. Harry is a bookkeeper in Wilkes Barre, and an accomplished musician. Emma lives with her par- ents. . Mr. Smith, his wife and family are members and active workers in the M. E. Church. Politic- ally Mr. Smith is a Republican.

(3) Mary died in August, 1895, at the Dela- ware Water Gap. She was unmarried. She was a member of the Lutheran Church; was devoted to her Church, and gave liberally of her means for its support. For eighteen years she was assistant matron of the Orphans' Home in Wilkes Barre, and was devoted to its interests.

(4) Levi, after leaving the old home, learned the trade of bricklaying and plastering, and for many years engaged in that pursuit. In the fall of 1862 he was drafted in the service. At the organization of the 176th regiment he was chosen second lieutenant of Company C, for nine months, which time he served on the coast of South Caro- lina. On his discharge from service he returned to East Stroudsburg, where he continued his occu- pation in connection with a farm he purchased near the town, which he has occupied for a good many years. In 1861 he married Miss Elizabeth Mott, daughter of Edward Mott, of Stroud township. They have three surviving children: Artisee, Sherman L. and Lutetia. Hannah died at the age of fifteen, and two children died in infancy. Sher- man L. is a graduate of the Millersville State Nor- mal School. He resides at Plymouth, Penn., and has been engaged in teaching in the public schools for a number of years. He married Catharine Walton, of Plymouth. They have one daughter. Artisee, also a graduate of Millersville State Nor. mal School, makes her home in Laramie, State (

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Wyoming, where she is successfully engaged in teaching. Lutetia married Howard Shively, of East Stroudsburg. Mr. Shively is a barber by trade. They live in Bushkill, Pike Co., Penn. They have one danghter.

(5) Henry Smith, Jr., married Miss Cathar- ine Mosteller, daughter of Philip Mosteller, of Hamilton township, Monroe Co., Penn. Mr. Smith is a mason by trade. They live in Scranton, Penn. They have two children, Howard M. and Hattie. Howard M. is a graduate of the Philadelphia Col- lege of Pharmacy, and has been engaged in phar- macy most of the time since his graduation. He now lives on a farm at Liberty Falls, N. Y. He married Miss Anna Gould, daughter of a Meth- odist minister. Two children, a daughter and son, have been born to them. Hattie is a graduate of the Scranton high school, and has given half a score of years of her life to teaching. She is mar- ried to Prof. James R. Hughs, a graduate of Buck- nell University. He is professor of Latin and Greek in the Scranton high school. Mr. Smith and his wife are members of the M. E. Church. Polit- ically Mr. Smith is an uncompromising Prohibi- tionist. (6) Aaron is the next in order of birth. (7) Margaret became the wife of Omer B. Smith, of Monroe county, Penn. He died in 1887, leaving two sons, Orville and Charles Russel. The former is by occupation a house painter ; the latter is still in school. O. B. Smith was a member of Com- pany G, 142nd regiment Pa. Vol., served during the Civil war, and was mustered out at the close of the struggle. He took part in a number of bat- tles, and was wounded in the hand at the battle of Fredericksburg, Va. After his marriage he moved to Wilkes Barre, where he was engaged as a car- penter until a few years before his death, when he returned to Monroe county, where he died. They lost a daughter in childhood. (8) Reuben mar- ried Miss Almeda Stetler, of Ashley, Luzerne Co., Penn., where they reside with their family of five children: Sterling, Elethea, Ruth, Day and Ethel. Sterling is married and lives in Ashley. Mr. Smith has been engaged in delivering coal to customers in Wilkes Barre and Ashley. (9) Elizabeth is the wife of E. D. Huffman, of Mar- shall's Creek, Monroe Co., Penn. They have eight children, four sons and four daughters. (10) Sarah is the wife of Joseph Newhart, of Delaware Water Gap, Penn. They have one daughter, Jen- nie, who lives with her parents. She is organist of the Presbyterian Church at Delaware Water Gap.

(II) Charles S., the youngest child, was born August 28, 1848. His early life was spent at home on the farm. At twenty he clerked for two years in a store in East Stroudsburg, and later taught school two winters in the old Houserville school house. In April, 1873, he entered the State Nor- mal School at Millersville, Penn., and was grad- uated from there in July, 1875. The following winter he was principal of the public schools of Rast Stroudsburg. In the Centennial year he be-

gan teaching in Tremount Seminary, Norristown, l'enn., and remained there five years. During his stay there, in June, 1880, he married Ella Dresher, of Norristown. In 1881, because of ill health, he resigned his position, and in September of that year went west and located at Cedar Rapids, Iowa. There he has since resided. After going to Iowa he was admitted to the practice of law, and has since given his time to law, loans and real estate. In politics he is a conservative Republican ; in religion a Presbyterian. He has never held any public office except that of school director; is a Sunday- school worker, Church trustee and Y. M. C. A. di- rector. Two children have been born into his fam- ily : Herbert H., on April 17, 1883; and Florence, on July 2, 1887.

Aaron Smith was brought up on the farm of his birth, and received such educational advantages as were afforded by the public schools of his boy- hood days. He was trained to agricultural pur- suits, assisting his father in the work about the home farm, and in his early manhood also learned the milling business, at which he served four years.

Mr. Smith was enrolled, August 18, 1862, at Stroudsburg, under W. K. Haviland for three years or during the war. The company was called to Harrisburg on September I. A regimental or- ganization was effected by the choice of the follow- ing officers: Colonel, Robert P. Cummings, of Somerset county; lieutenant-colonel, Alfred B. McCalmont, of Venango county; major, John Bradley, of Luzerne county. It was called the 142nd Regiment Pa. Vols., and was sworn into the U. S. service at Harrisburg. The following day they were ordered to Washington, and arrived there just as the wounded were coming in after the second battle of Bull Run. Few of them had ever seen the distinguished place before, and the dome of the great Capitol building rose up before them in great splendor as they entered the city. They learned from the wounded that came flocking into the city that the Army of the Potomac had been defeated on the same identical ground where the first battle of Bull Run had been fought the year before. The regiment was marched out about four miles, near the Maryland line, where they were or- dered into camp. Soon the regiment was actively engaged throwing up earthworks and felling the trees around the chain of forts. While encamped here Gen. McClellan, at the head of the defeated army, passed their camp for Maryland. A few days later the booming of cannon was heard, which proved to be at South Mountain between Gens. Hill and Longstreet, Confederates, and Hooker and Reno, Federals. Three days later, on the 17th of September, the battle of Antietam was fought. Gen. Lee retreated from the field. The loss of killed and wounded was heavy on both sides. Gen. Lee crossed the Potomac into Virginia. The 142nd regiment was ordered to pack up and leave for Washington, where they boarded a train on the B. & O. railroad for Frederick, Md. There a gen-

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eral field hospital was established for the wounded which were brought to that place from South Mountain and Antietam. The regiment was on duty there for a few weeks, where they heard the groans among the suffering, wounded and dying soldiers. From this place his regiment left for Antietam, where they joined the Army of the Po- tomac. On October 26, which was Sunday, with this grand old army they made their first day's march. They well remember the day. It com- menced raining in the morning and continued till late in the night, when it changed into sleet and snow. That was a night of suffering. In the morning they found the fences for miles around had been burned. The next morning they resumed their march, and that night camped at Berlin, on the Potomac. They remained there a few days, where they were supplied with rations and forty rounds of ammunition. Then they crossed the Potomac on their march to Fredericksburg. On the way, at Warrenton, Va., the Army of the Potomac was drawn up into line and reviewed by President Lincoln, Gen. McClellan and Gen. Burn- side. At this place Gen. Burnside superseded Gen. McClellan in command of the Army of the Poto- mac. They continued the march to Brooks Sta- tion, where the army encamped a few days, getting ready for the great battle of Fredericksburg, which was fought December 13, 1862, proving a dis- astrous defeat to Gen. Burnside's army. They re- treated across the Rappahannock under the dark- ness of the night. In the morning the defeated army was safely across the river. The loss to the regiment was 270 men killed and wounded. Major Bradley was shot in the leg, and died from its effects. The battle was brief but terrific. Many of Mr. Smith's comrades in his company fell in the advance. Mr. Smith found his overcoat the worse for wear after the battle, several holes being dis- covered. From this place the army went into win- ter quarters at Belle Plain, Va. In February a gen- eral move was ordered, which proved a disastrous affair, and was known as the "Burnside Mud March." The next engagement was at Chancel- lorsville, and there the army met with further dis- aster. His regiment, connected with the First Army Corps, was making a feint below Fredericks- burg to draw the enemy's force from Chancellors- ville. The enemy was shelling them from the heights. Disaster happened to the Eleventh Corps, and the regiment was ordered to report with haste to the right of the army. As they pulled out a piece of an exploded shell took the under jaw off of the Colonel's horse. Another horse was sub- stituted, a forward move was made. They reached Chancellorsville, a distance of eighteen miles, in the night. After crossing at the W. S. Ford they passed to the front, where the battle was raging. As the regiment went into line of battle on the eve of a charge, there came a lull in the battle, as both armies ceased firing. The regiment slept on their arms for the night. In the morning the battle was

resumed on the left and center. Rain fell that night in torrents and the army was withdrawn, a cause of discouragement, and the ranks depleted. The army then went into camp below Freder- icksburg, near the Rappahannock, doing picket duty and drilling, preparing for another movement. After a few weeks in camp, stories were rife for another movement. Orders were issued that men were to have forty rounds of ammunition and sev- eral days' rations, and ready to move at a moment's notice. Gen. Lee, with his entire army, was mak- ing up the Shenandoah Valley to invade Maryland and Pennsylvania. The Army of the Potomac was on its move toward Washington. His corps, the First, commanded by Gen. Reynolds, by long and hard marches up through Virginia and crossing the Potomac at Edward's Ferry, reached Emmetsburg June 30, by way of Frederick. Scouts reported the enemy in force at Gettysburg, eight miles away. Early on July I the corps left Emmetsburg and advanced toward Gettysburg, the weather being hot, the men jaded and worn out by long marching. They soon heard the firing of skirmishers; the column filed left of the town and came into line on Seminary ridge. The battle opened. Gen. Rey- nolds fell while riding with the advance skirmish- ers. Gen. Doubleday succeeded Gen. Reynolds in command. Batteries were gotten into position, and the firing was terrible. The enemy had a superior force in numbers. His corps fell back through the town, and escape seemed impossible. Here is where Mr. Smith was captured by the enemy, and perhaps two thousand beside. The remnant of Reynolds' corps formed in line on Cemetery Hill. Gen. Han- cock, with his corps, arrived in the nick of time,

and stayed the progress of the advancing foe for the day. At the close of this day's contest Mr.

Smith extracted a minie ball from his haversack, lodged among the hardtack. His colonel fell on the field mortally wounded, and many of his com- rades to rise no more. The cannonading on the second and third day was terrific. After Gen. Pickett's charge and repulse on the third day, Gen. Lee commenced his retreat the following day over the mountains into Maryland, crossed the Potomac at Williamsport, thence up the valley to Staunton, Va. In making this tramp Mr. Smith's shoes were

worn out, and he marched barefoot. His pants no longer reached to his ankles. The same was true of the rest of the large number of prisoners. They arrived at Richmond, and were marched over on Belle Isle, about August I. After spending two months on the island they were paroled and sent to Annapolis, where the men took a thorough scour- ing and received new clothing. Once more they were in God's country, where Old Glory waved over the land of the free and the homes of the brave. The winter was spent at Camp Parole, Annapolis, Md. The following day they were exchanged and joined their regiment, after Gen. Grant's cam- paign of the Wilderness, at Cold Harbor, on June 6, 1864. The army moved forward, marched through

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Chickahominy Swamp, crossed the James river and arrived in front of Petersburg June 18, 1864. They found the enemy in force, attacked, and pressed them back into their first line of earthworks, under the cover of darkness, formed the line, and threw up the breastworks as close to the enemy as could be got. Forts were then thrown up by large details of men nightly. In this way the line was estab- lished for miles, and supplied with cannon. An- other important move was made to take the Weldon railroad, which resulted in a severe engagement. The next engagement was that of Hatcher's Run; then Chapin's farm; then Davney's Mills. Winter now came on. In December Mr. Smith's corps and the cavalry made a raid nearly to the line of North Carolina for the destruction of the Weldon rail- road. The next move, in the spring of 1865, was to take the South Side railroad and Five Forks, which resulted in a hard-fought battle by the Fifth corps and cavalry. The Rebel army was routed. A forced march was made to Amelia Court House, where Gen. Lee was cut off from getting to Dan- ville. Lee then started his retreat toward Lynch- burg, and at Appomattox Court House was com- pelled to surrender, April 9, 1865. The subject of this review was an eye witness to his surrender. The Army of the Potomac considered the war brought to a close. They returned to Washington by way of Petersburg and Fredericksburg, where the comrades took part in the last grand review, and were mustered out of service a few days later. The subject was mustered out as first sergeant. They then went to Harrisburg, drew their final pay, bade each other farewell, and left for home. His regiment, the 142nd Pa. Vol., took part in twenty- four engagements. Mr. Smith did not spend one day in hospital.

Mr. Smith, on returning home, resumed farm- ing in Monroe county, and carried it on success- fully until 1884, when he sold the larger part of his place. In October, 1865, he was married to Mar- garet Overfield, of Middle Smithfield township, daughter of John M. and Lydia Overfield, who had a family of five children: Sarah died in infancy. William J., who was a resident of Elma, Howard Co., Iowa, died in November, 1898, leaving a widow and five children, three sons and two daughters. One son, Elmer E., M. D., is serving his second term as representative to the Iowa Legislature. William J. Overfield married Miss Maria Shoemaker, of New Jersey, daughter of Moses and Sarah (Van Campen) Shoemaker. George M. Overfield, who resides in Bethlehem, Penn., married Elizabeth Shick, of Northampton county. They have eight surviving children, three sons and five daughters, all of whom have graduated from the Bethlehem high school. Elizabeth Over- field became the wife of John V. Shoemaker, of New Jersey. In 1862 Mr. Shoemaker was chosen cap- tain of Company C, 178th drafted regiment of in- fantry, for nine months' service in the Civil war. He died in 1881. His wife passed away in July,

1888, without issue; and Margaret Overfield, wife of our subject. Mrs. Smith's great-great-grand- father was Paul Overfield. He was of Dutch ori- gin, and one of the early settlers of this county ; he was, according to records, assessed with 160 acres of land in Middle Smithfield township in 1786. Mrs. Margaret (Overfield) Smith's great- grandfather on her maternal side was George Mich- ael, Sr. He, with his wife Anna Margaret and their three sons and their wives, came from Forks township, Northampton county. They were of German parentage. They settled along the Dela- ware river, four miles above Shawnee, on four tracts of land conveyed by deed of Isaac Humphrey and his wife Elizabeth to George Michael, Sr., April 23, 1794, containing about eight hundred acres, consideration £2,900. George M. Michael, a grand- son, who lived in the same house, was a son of John Michael, Sr., and died July 16, 1893, at the ad- vanced age of ninety-three years and sixteen days. The grandparents of our subject's wife were John Michael, Sr., and Elizabeth (Schnable) Michael ; the latter, who died in 1830, was the mother of ten children, two sons and eight daughters. One of the daughters was Lydia (Michael) Overfield, mother of our subject's wife. She died April 9, 1891.

To our subject and wife have come two chil- dren: Lizzie, who died in childhood, and Lucy, who was born in March, 1870, and is still living with her parents. She received her education in the pubilc schools and the Kutztown ( Penn. ) State Normal School, graduating from the latter institu- tion in the class of 1890. She was successfully engaged in teaching for five years after her grad- uation, one year in Lansford, Carbon Co., Penn., and four successive years in the Stroudsburg public schools. Miss Smith is a well-informed, refined young lady, well known and liked in the locality where she lives. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Smith settled on the old Smith homestead, which he purchased after his father's death, and here he has since made his home, with the exception of three years which he spent in Middle Smithfield, along the Delaware river.

Mr. Smith is known as a frugal, industrious man, one who has made an honest living by his energy, good management and strictly temperate habits, and is ranked among the solid, respected citizens of the township. His estimable wife shares with him the good opinion of their friends and neighbors. They are noted for their kindness and hospitality, which are almost proverbial in Smith- field. Mr. Smith holds membership with the Luth- eran Church, his wife and daughter with the M. E. Church. They are regular attendants at Church services, and actively engaged in Sunday-school work. Mr. Smith served a number of terms as school director. He was appointed enumerator for Smithfield township, and took the census for 1890. Politically he is a Republican, and cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln for President of the United

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States in 1860. Socially he is a member of the G. A. R., belonging to Wadsworth Post 150, Strouds- burg, Penn. The Smith brothers are strictly non- drinkers and anti-tobacconists, an example worthy of imitation.

PARDON T. LINDSEY. Among the old residents of Lathrop township, Susquehanna coun- ty, the subject of this sketch takes high rank. His personality is forceful and attractive, and he has exemplified the life of an earnest and public-spirited citizen. His grandfather, Amherst Lindsey, a na- tive of Scotland, migrated to America and lived for years in Vermont. Later he removed to Bridge- water township, Susquehanna county, where he purchased a farm of 105 acres and resided a num- ber of years. He later purchased another farm, near by, and he died in Dimock township, at the same residence of his son.

Myron Lindsey, the father of our subject, was born in Vermont in 1804. He was a grown boy when he came with his father to Susquehanna coun- ty. He was married in Bridgewater township to Malinda Tiffany, daughter of Noah Tiffany, who settled in Brooklyn township in 1809. [A sketch of the Tiffany family appears elsewhere.] Myron Lindsey was a man of Christian character. In pol- itics he was a Republican in his later life. He died in Bridgewater in 1857 at the age of fifty- three years, his wife in 1891, at the advanced age of ninety years. Their children were as follows: James, who died in infancy; Mary Jane, who died young ; Olney, who died young; Nancy, who mar- ried Edwin Tiffany, and lived at Sugar Notch, Lu- zerne county; Pardon T., subject of this sketch ; and Lucy, wife of Highland Bissell, of Bridgewa- ter township.

Pardon T. Lindsey was born in Dimock town- ship, August 21, 1841. He was reared to manhood in Bridgewater township, and at the age of seven- teen years began farm work. On August 9, 1862, he enlisted in Company F, 14Ist P. V. I., and served until discharged on surgeon's certificate in Novém- ber of the same year. Mr. Lindsey, when his health was recovered, worked for a time as a car- penter and later in a sawmill. He was married, in 1867, in Brooklyn township, to Mary Goss, daugh- ter of Edward and Sarah (Gard) Goss. Edward Goss was married in Dimock township in 1822, and died December 25, 1868. His wife was born in Susquehanna, county March 6, 1825, and is now living at Glenwood, Penn. The family of Edward and Sarah Goss consisted of the following children : John Milan, who died young; Jane Ann, who also died young : Mary, wife of our subject, born June IO, 1849: Susan Emeline, born in 1851, wife of Carmon Sprague, of Lenox township; Edgar Fre- mont, who died in early childhood; Julietta, wife of E. W. Lord, of Hopbottom; and Minnie Au- gusta, wife of A. G. Wheeler, of Tompkinsville. Pennsylvania.

To our subject and wife have been born two

sons: Edwin, born in 1869, a carpenter of Peck- ville, Penn., and Ernest, born in 1873, a carpen- ter of Ashley, Penn. Mr. Lindsey located in Hop- bottom in 1868, and for nine years was employed by the D. L. & W. R. R. Co. Later he followed car- penter work in Lenox township. In 1884 he bought a farm of eleven acres in Lathrop township, and erected his present residence, doing all the work himself. In politics he is a stanch Republican. Himself and wife are prominent members of the Presbyterian Church at Brooklyn, of which for the past five years he has been a trustee. He is a member of Lieut. Rogers Post, G. A. R., No. 143, of Brooklyn, Penn. He now follows his trade of carpentering in connection with farming, and for his many sterling qualities is most highly regarded throughout the community in which he lives.

H. C. JACKSON, a prominent and influential farmer residing in Damascus township, Wayne county, was born on the old homestead there, May 12, 1848, and was one of the six children constituit- ing the family of John and Abbie W. (Appley) Jackson.

Reared under the parental roof, Mr. Jackson began his education in the public schools of the locality, later attending the Union Academy at Da- mascus, Penn., for several terms. After teaching for two terms in Fremont, Sullivan, Co., N. Y., he accepted a position as clerk for Fortnam & Smith, who conducted a general store at Tyler Hill, Wayne county, remaining with them for ten years. Subsequently he went to Dyberry town- ship, and entered the employ of Menner & Co., and conducted a branch store for that firm for eight years at Tanners Falls. In 1887 he located upon his present farm, known as the Monington farm, on which he has erected a model $2,000 residence, with broad piazza and bay windows. He has also built good barns, a spring house for milk, and made many other excellent improvements which add greatly to the value and attractive appearance of the place. In connection with general farming he is engaged in stock raising and dairying. He is interested in all the new and progressive methi- ods of farming, and in 1896 was elected vice-presi- dent of the Wayne County Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Co., which was organized in 1891.

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Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 237

Author: Publication date: 1900 Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co. Number of Pages: 2390

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 2390