USA > Pennsylvania > Franklin County > Chambersburg > Historical sketch of Franklin County, Pennsylvania : prepared for the centennial celebration held at Chambersburg, Penn'a, July 4th, 1876, and subsequently enlarged by I. H. M'Cauley John M. Pomeroy, publisher. To which is added a valuable appendix by J. L. Suesserott, D. M. Kennedy and others, and embellished by over one hundred lithographic illustrations, drawn by W. W. Denslow > Part 11
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James M'Connell,
Thomas Childerstone,
Robert M'Kleary,,
Edward Dunn,
Hugh Maxwell,
Jolin Elder,
Robert M'Millon,
Noah Elder,
John M'Allen,
William Finnerty,
John M'Kee,
Andrew Foreman,
James M'Kilben,
Thomas Geddis,
Joseph M'Kelvey,
Thomas Harry,
John Neal,
John Harry,
Peter Piper,
John Hill,
John Patterson,
George Houston,
John Ryan,
Samuel Hockenberry,
Wiliam Shutter,
James Irwin,
Arthur Shields, V
James Jones,
John Vanlear,
David Kyle,
David Witherow,
Robert Lewis,
James Wallace,
John Little,
Peter Wilt.
Upon the arrival of these troops at Baltimore they were organized into a regiment under the command of John Findley, of this county. The following is the roster of the regimental officers: Colonel, John Findley; Major, David Fullerton; Surgeon, Dr. John M'Clelland; First Mate, Dr. John Boggs; Second Mate, Dr. Jesse M'Gaw; Adju- tant, James M'Dowell; Quartermaster, Thomas G. M'Culloh; Ser- geant Major, Andrew Lindsay; Quartermaster Sergeant, William Carson; Paymaster General, George Clark, Esq.
Upon the election of Captain Findley as colonel of the regiment, Lieutenant William Young was elected captain of the company in his stead. These troops marched on the 25th of August, 1814, and were in service until the 23d of September following, when they were discharged.
14
106
Historical Sketch of Franklin County.
THE MEXICAN WAR.
The annexation of Texas to the United States was the primary cause of this war. This was consummated on the 4th of July, 1845, by the action of the Legislature of Texas, giving approval to the bill passed by the Congress of the United States, for the union of the two republics. The Mexican authorities became very indignant and withdrew their minister from Washington, with threats of war. The United States government felt itself bound to sustain the inde- pendence and territorial claims of Texas -and Mexico refusing the overtures of our government for a peaceable settlement of the boun- dary lines between the two countries, General Taylor, early in 1846, was ordered to advance to the Rio Grande, the boundary claimed by Texas, and occupy the disputed territory. The Mexicans, under General Ampudia, on the 8th of May, 1846, were defeated by him at Palo Alto; and on the next day were a second time defeated at Resaca de la Palma, with a loss of near 1,000 men. On the 11th of May, 1846, Congress declared that war existed by the act of Mexico. The news of the commencement of hostilities occasioned the greatest excitement throughout this country. Ten millions of dollars were voted by Congress to carry on the war, and the Presi- dent was authorized to accept the services of fifty thousand volun- teers. Within a few weeks over two hundred thousand men voltin- teered for the war. In the spring of 1847 Captain Martin M. Moore, of Washington city, received authority to recruit a company in Pennsylvania, for the Mexican war. He opened a recruiting station at Chambersburg, and very soon enlisted a large company, paying a bounty of twelve dollars per man, with the right to each recruit to receive, when discharged, one hundred and sixty acres of land, or a treasury serip, or certificate, for one hundred dollars, bearing six per cent. interest. This company left Chambersburg on the 17th of March, 1847, numbering one hundred and twenty-two men, rank and file. The officers were :
Captain, Martin M. Moore.
First Lieutenant, Charles T. Campbell.
Second Lieutenant, Horace Haldeman.
Third Lieutenant, - Mead.
This company marched to Pittsburg by way of Bedford, where it received some additional recruits. It was called company B, elev- enth regiment U. S. infantry. It reached Brasos Santiago, about the 17th of April, 1847, and was for a considerable time in garrison at Tampico, Mexico, where a number of the men died of yellow fever. From Tampico the company passed to Vera Cruz, and accom- panied our army to the city of Mexico. Peace was secured by the treaty of Gaudaloupe Hidalgo, February 2d, 1848, though not formally proclaimed until the 4th of July following.
Captain Moore was dismissed from the service at Tampico, and
C. H. BUHRMAN CASH STORE
RES. CASH STORE& POST OFFICE OF C.H. BUHRMAN, ROUZERVILLE PA.
Page 3 Uy
RES. OF JOHN HEMMINGER, QUINCY TP. FRANKLIN CO. PA. (QUINCY P.O.)
Page 313.
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Historical Sketch of Franklin County.
thereafter the company was commanded by Lieutenant Charles T. Campbell. At the time of the signing of the treaty of peace this company was in the interior of Mexico, seventy-five miles above the city of Mexico. On the route home they met a number of men going out to join the company. On the return of the company to New York, about the 27th of July, 1848, it had but about twenty- four men in its ranks. I tried to get a copy of the roll of the com- pany, but the authorities at Washington city refused to give it for any purpose.
Captain Whipple and Lieutenant Hanson also recruited a number of men for this war in our county. The whole number recruited could not have been less than two hundred.
THE WAR OF THE REBELLION.
The contribution of our county to the armies that fought for the preservation of the Union in the late war of the rebellion, was quite large, and very creditable to the patriotism of our people. A full and complete record of these gallant troops is to be found in "Bates' History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers," published by anthority of the State of Pennsylvania, and it would therefore be useless to encumber the pages of this sketch with a statement of their names and the officers who commanded them. Besides, such lists, even if published, would by no means show who went out from our county in defence of their country in the hour of her need and peril; for many of them joined companies outside of the county, and their names and locations are only distinguishable by these who knew them. I shall, therefore, merely give the names of the companies and regiments, with their commanders.
THREE MONTHS' MEN -- 1861.
In April, 1861, the second regiment of the three months' men was organized at Camp Curtin, under the command of Colonel Fred- erick S. Stumbaugh, of Chambersburg. In it were the following companies from our county, viz. :
Company A, Captain Peter B. Housum, 77 officers and men. B, John Dobler, 73 :
C, James G. Elder, 73 ١١
£ "
This regiment was in service from the 21st of April, 1861, until the 26th of July, 1861.
THREE YEARS' MEN. 35TH REGIMENT-6TH RESERVES.
On the 22d of June, 1861, this regiment was organized at Camp Curtin, under the command of Colonel W. Wallace Ricketts, of Columbia county. The only company in it from our county, was-
108
Historical Sketch of Franklin County.
Company D, Captain William D. Dixon, 103 officers and men.
On the 12th of September, 1863, Captain Dixon was promoted to the lieutenant colonelcy of the regiment, which was mustered out of service, June 14th, 1864.
41ST REGIMENT-12TH RESERVES.
This regiment was organized at Camp Curtin, under the command of Colonel John H. Taggart, of Philadelphia, primarily for the three months' service, but not being accepted, were mustered into the State service for three years from the date of their enlistment. On the 10th of August, 1861, it was mustered into the United States service. The only company in it from our county was:
Company K, Captain John S. Eyster, 93 officers and men.
The regiment was mustered out of service June 11th, 1864.
43D REGIMENT-IST ARTILLERY.
This regiment was organized at Camp Curtin, under the command of Colonel Charles T. Campbell, in May, 1861. Company B, Cap- tain Hezekiah Easton, was from our county. It had in it, during its term of service, three hundred and twenty-three officers and men. On the 27th of June, 1862, Captain Easton was killed at the battle of Gaines' Mill, and on the 25th of July, 1865, after four years and four months service, the battery was mustered out at Harrisburg.
77TH REGIMENT.
This regiment was organized in October, 1861, by the election of Frederick S. Stumbaugh colonel and Peter B. Housum lieutenant colonel, both of whom were from our county. The following com- pany was from our county, viz. :
Company A, Captain Samuel R. M' Kesson, 219 officers and men.
Parts of companies D, G, and H, were also from our county. On the 16th of January, 1866, the regiment was mustered out of the ser- vice at Philadelphia.
87TH REGIMENT.
This regiment was originally organized in September, 1861, under Colonel George Hay. In September, 1864, it was reorganized. In March, 1865, company K, Captain D. B. Greenawalt, of our county, eighty-seven officers and men, was assigned to it. The regiment was mustered out of the service June 29th, 1865.
103D REGIMENT.
This regiment was organized on the 24th of February, 1862, under Colonel Theodore F. Lehman, and was reorganized and filled up in
109
Historical Sketch of Franklin County.
March, 1865, when company A, Captain Elias K. Lehman, eighty- eight officers and men, from our county, became connected with it. The war having closed, the regiment was mustered out of service on the 25th of June, 1865.
107TH REGIMENT.
This regiment was organized at Harrisburg on the 5th of March, 1862, by the election of Thomas A. Zeigle, of York county, colonel, and Robert W. M'Allen, of Franklin county, lieutenant colonel. One company, viz : Company K, Captain A. Jackson Brand, was from our county, and had in it during its term of service one hun- dred and sixty-nine officers and men. There were also a number of Franklin county men in the other companies. The regiment was mustered out of the service July 13th, 1865.
108TH REGIMENT-11TH CAVALRY.
Colonels, Josiah Harlen and Samuel P. Spear. Lieutenant Colonel, George Stetzel. Major, John S. Nimmon.
A large number of the men of this regiment were from our county, especially those in company D, Captains R. B. Ward and John S. Nimmon. The regiment was organized October 5th, 1861, and was mustered out of service July 13th, 1865.
112TH REGIMENT-2D ARTILLERY.
Colonel, Charles Angeroth, Sr. Lieutenant Colonel, B. F. Winger.
A large number of the men composing this regiment were recruited in our county. It was organized in January, 1862, and was mustered out of service at City Point, Virginia, on the 29th of January, 1866.
NINE MONTHS' MEN. 126TH REGIMENT-1862.
This regiment was recruited in about three weeks time, and ren- dezvoused at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, between the 6th and 10th of August, 1862, when a regimental organization was effected, with the following field officers, viz: James G. Elder, colonel; D. Watson Rowe, lieutenant colonel ; and James C. Austin, major. Many of the officers and men had served in the second regiment, for three months' service. The following companies were from our county, viz. :
110
Historical Sketch of Franklin County.
Company A, Captain, John Dobler, 102 officers and men. About one-half of
Company B, Captain, James C. Austin, C, Robert S. Brownson, 99 66 101 66
48
66
D, John H. Reed,
E, William H. Walker, 99
G, George L. Miles,
93
H, John H. Walker, 94
16
K, D. Watson Rowe, 101
66
16
The regiment was mustered out of the service at Harrisburg, on the 20th of May, 1863.
158TH REGIMENT.
This regiment was from Cumberland, Franklin and Fulton coun - ties, and was organized at Chambersburg in the early part of No- vember, 1862, with David B. M'Kibben, of the regular army, as colonel ; Elias S. Troxell, of our county, as lieutenant colonel ; and Martin C. Hale, of Cumberland county, as major. The following companies were from our county, viz. :
Company B, Captain, Elias K. Leliman, 108 officers and men.
D, 66 Archibald R. Rhea, 105 06 6.
E, = Elias S. Troxell, 104
G, Michael W. Trair, 102
I, William E. M'Dowell, 102 66
The regiment was mustered out of service at Chambersburg, Au- gust 12th, 1863.
THREE YEARS' MEN.
161ST REGIMENT-16TH CAVALRY. Colonel, John Irvin Gregg.
Was organized 18th November, 1562. Company H, of this regi -. ment, under command of Captain W. H. Sullenberger, was from this county, and had in it two hundred and three officers and men. It was mustered out of service at Richmond, Va., August 7th, 1865.
162D REGIMENT-17TH CAVALRY.
This regiment was organized 18th October, 1862, under Josiah H. Kellogg as colonel. Company G, Captain Luther B. Kurtz, one hundred and forty-seven officers and men, was from our county. It was mustered out of service August 16th, 1865.
NINE MONTHS' MEN-DRAFTED MILITIA. 165TH REGIMENT.
Colonel, Charles H. Buehler.
This regiment was organized 6th December, 1862, at Gettysburg. Company A, Captain Charles A. Funk, one hundred and one ofli- cers and men, was from our county. It was mustered out of service at Gettysburg, 28th July, 1863.
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Historical Sketch of Franklin County.
SIX MONTHS' MEN.
182D REGIMENT-21ST CAVALRY.
Colonel, William H. Boyd.
This regiment was organized at Chambersburg, about August, 1863, for six months' service. The following companies were raised - in our county, viz. :
Company D, Captain Josiah C. Hullinger, 105 officers and men.
H, Samuel Walker, 92
I, 66 Christian R. Pisle, 100
L, 66 Robert J. Boyd, 83 =
George L. Miles, 102 66
In February, 1864, the regiment was reorganized for a three years' service, under the former field and staff officers, and with the fol- lowing company officers from our county, viz. :
Company D, Captain, Josiah C. Hullinger, 68 officers and men. E, = Wm. H. Boyd, Jr., in part from our county.
Company K, Captain Henry C. Phenicie, 6 John H. Harmony, 133
139 officers and men. £ L,
The regiment was mustered out of service at Appomattox Court House, on the 8th of July, 1865.
ONE YEARS' MEN.
201ST REGIMENT. Colonel F. Asbury Awl.
Part of company K, Captain Alexander C. Landis, of this regi- ment, was from our county.
205TH REGIMENT.
Colonel, Joseph A. Mathews.
Part of company G, Captain Erasmus D. Wilts, of this regiment, was from our county.
207TH REGIMENT.
Colonel, Robert C. Cox.
This regiment was organized at Camp Curtin, September 8th, 1864. About one-half of Company F, Captain Martin G. Hale, was from this county. The regiment was mustered out May 13th, 1865.
209TH REGIMENT.
This regiment was organized at Camp Curtin on the 16th of Sep- tember, 1864, with Tobias B. Kauffman as colonel; George W.
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66
66
K,
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Historical Sketch of Franklin County.
Frederick, lieutenant colonel ; and John L. Ritchey, of our county, as major. It had in it from our county the company of Captain John L. Ritchey, ninety-two officers and men. The regiment was mustered out of service on the 31st of May, 1865, near Alexandria, Virginia.
210TII REGIMENT.
This regiment was organized at Camp Curtin on the 24th of Sep- tember, 1864, with William Sergeant as colonel. A large part of company D, of this regimeut, Captain H. W. M'Knight, was from our county, and there were also many men from this county in the other companies of the regiment. The regiment was mustered out. of the service May 30th, 1865.
INDEPENDENT BATTERY B.
Captain, Charles F. Mueller. Captain, Alanson J. Stevens.
A large part of this battery was recruited in our county for the seventy-seventh regiment by Captain Peter B. Housam, and on his promotion to the lieutenant coloneley of the seventy-sevent! the men were transferred to the company of Captain Muehler, ' u mustered into service November 6th, 1861. Captain Stevens was killed at the battle of Murfreesboro, and Captain Sammel M. M'Dow- ell succeeded to the command. It was mustered out of service Oc- - tober 12th, 1865.
MILITIA AND EMERGENCY TROOPS.
INDEPENDENT COMPANIES.
Captain John Jeffries; ninety-four officers and men. Organized September 5th, 1862. Discharged September 27th, 1862.
Captain John W. Douglas; eighty-five officers and men. Organ- ized September 1st, 1862. Discharged September 16th, 1862.
Captain James H. Montgomery ; eighty-nine officers and men. Organized September 8th, 1862. Discharged September 20th, 1862.
Captain George W. Eyster ; sixty-two, officers and men. Organ- ized September 12th, 1862. Discharged October 1st, 1862.
Captain John Denny Walker; sixty-five officers and men. Or- ganized September 11th, 1862. Discharged September 27th, 1862.
Captain K. Shannon Taylor; seventy-seven officers and men. Organized September 9th, 1862. Discharged September 25th, 1862.
Captain David Houser; seventy-seven officers and men. Organ- ized September 15th, 1862. Discharged October Ist, 1862.
Captain Thomas L. Fletcher ; eighty-four officers and men. Or- ganized September 14th, 1862. Discharged October 1st, 1862.
BUENA VISTA SPRINGS, WASHINGTON TP. FRANKLIN CO., PA. V. B. GILBERT, PROP.
Page 250.
SASH, DOORS, LUMBER .
TURNING, COAL &C:
OFFICE:
PLANING MILL OF H. SHEPLER & SON, CHAMBERSBURG, PA
Page 210.
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Historical Sketch of Franklin County.
Captain Charles W. Eyster; one hundred and eighteen officers and men. Organized September 14th, 1862. Discharged October 15th, 1862.
Captain David Vanee; eighty-eight officers and men. Organized September 18th, 1862. Discharged October 11th, 1862.
Captain Andrew M. Criswell ; fifty-two officers and men. Or- ganized September 15th, 1862. Discharged October 1st, 1862.
Captain Christian C. Foltz; forty-seven officers and men. Or- ganized September 11th, 1862. Discharged September 25th, 1862.
Total aggregate of officers and men, four thousand nine hundred.
MINERALS AND FURNACES.
.
Franklin county is exceedingly rich in iron ores-far more so, in- deed, than most people here or elsewhere imagine-and the manufac- ture of iron was commenced both on the eastern and on the western side of the county very many years ago. As early as 1783, as before stated, William, Benjamin and George Chambers erected the Monnt Pleasant furnace, in Path valley, and by industry, perseverance and good judgment, made the business not only remunerative to them- selves, but highly advantageous to the people of the surrounding districts. Everything necessary to the economical production of iron, save coal, abounds in close proximity to our ere beds; and I have heard a gentleman who has long been engaged in the manu- facture of iron, and who has visited and carefully inspected the great iron producing regions of the country, and who is qualified by his experience to judge, declare that, nowhere, in the whole range of his observation, does he know of any section of country that is richer in its iron ore deposits, or that offers greater induee- ments to the investment of capital in the iron business, than the county of Franklin. In his opinion, long before another genera- tion shall have passed away, there will be dozens of furnaces and forges in our county, where now only one or two are to be found ; that millions of dollars will be invested as soon as the trade of the country returns to its normal condition, where only thousands are now invested ; and that long before the second centennial of our national existence shall have arrived, the development of the vast ore beds along the eastern and western borders of our valley will most inevitably make ours one of the very largest iron producing counties of the Commonwealth. The iron made at our iron works, particularly that made at Stevens' old Caledonia works, and at Hughes' old works, now the Mont Alto works, has always main- tained an excellent reputation, and commanded ready sales, at re- munerative priees, because of its peculiar excellencies ; and there is no reason why that reputation shall not be maintained in the future.
"Hughes' Furnace," now the property of the Mont Alto company, was built by Daniel and Samuel Hughes, in 1808. It was cold blast,
15
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Historical Sketch of Franklin County.
and was what was known as a quarter stack. The water wheel used was 30 feet in diameter and three feet breast. The product was from eighteen to twenty tons of pig iron per week. The iron was hauled by wagons to the Potomac river at Williamsport, Maryland, and thence taken by boats to market. 1815 a foundry was built, and the entire product of the works was made into hollow ware and stoves and hanled by wagons to Baltimore. In 1832 Mr. Hughes built a rolling mill on the West Antietam creek. The wheel was thirty- six feet diameter and sixteen feet breast. In 1835 a nail works was also built near the rolling mill. In 1864 the Mont Alto Iron compa- ny purchased the works and seventeen thousand acres of land. They enlarged the furnace, changed from water to steam power, and in- troduced new machinery. In 1866 they abandoned the old forges and rolling mill, and built a steam bloom forge near the furnace, the second largest of the kind in the state. The product of the furnace is now one hundred tons per week, the largest known of any fur- nace of the same size, and using the same percentage of iron ores. In 1867 charcoal kilns were introduced, the first successful ones in Pennsylvania. In prosperous times the company employ five hun- dred men, seventy-five horses and mules, and run fifteen steam engines.
The Mont Alto Railroad company, between: April and October, 1872, with home labor entirely, built a railroad from the Cumberland Valley railroad, near Scotland, to the works of the Mont Alto Iron company, twelve and thirty one-hundredths miles long, at a cost of two hundred and thirty-six thousand six hundred dollars, which is regularly run twice a day, for the carrying of passengers and freight, and which has been of great convenience to the traveling public and to the iron company. They have also within the past three years opened up the gap, in the mouth of which their works stand, and laid ont at great expense a beautiful summer resort, under the name of "Mont Alto Park." Every convenience has been provided for pic-nics and parties of pleasure seekers; and those who have once enjoyed the cool shades and delights of the place will not fail to return to them again.
"Richmond Furnace," formerly "Mount Pleasant," is the oldest. iron works in the county, having been established in 1783. It was purchased from Daniel V. Ahl, by a company styled "The South- ern Pennsylvania Tron and Railroad company," who built a new anthracite furnace about the year 1871, and constructed a railroad from the Cumberland Valley railroad, near Marion, to their works, nineteen miles in length, with a branch road to Mercersburg, over two miles long, the whole improvement costing, including the in- dividual subscription, over seven hundred thousand dollars. The original company became embarrassed, and their works, franchises, &e., were sold out, and a new company organized in the year 1873,
115
Historical Sketch of Franklin County.
under the name of "Southern Pennsylvania Railway and Mining company," of which Thomas B. Kennedy, Esq., is president. The furnace is not now in operation. When run to its full capacity, it employs about two hundred men, and turns out about fifty tons of iron per week.
The "Franklin Furnace," situated near St. Thomas, in St. Thomas township, was built in the year 1828, by P. & G. Housum. It is now owned and carried on by Messrs. Hunter & Springer, and when in full blast, has a capacity of from forty to fifty tons of cold blast charcoal iron per week, and employs about seventy-five hands.
"Carrick Furnace" is situated in Metal township, Path Valley, about four miles south of Fannettsburg. It was built by General Samuel Dunn, in the year 1828. It is now carried on by R. M. Shalter, and mannfactures about thirty tons of iron per week.
We have also in the railroads now in operation, and in those pro- jected and destined to be made at no very distant day, every facility for the easy, cheap, and speedy transportation of our iron products, north, south, east and west; and it only requires that our country shall get over its present monetary depression, and trade and busi- ness once more have resumed their natural activities, to show that these opinions and predictions of my friend are true (in fact) and not merely the unwarranted conclusions of an incompetent judge.
Though chiefly an agricultural section of the Commonwealth, our county has steadily, if not rapidly, progressed in everything that pertains to the happiness and prosperity of her people. The lands within our borders have been largely cleared ; thoroughly cultivated; . and improved in the most substantial manner ; and have corres- pondingly enhanced in value, and now no people in any of the nu- merous counties of this great Commonwealth are better housed and provided for in every respect ; live better or more comfortably than do our people, and none, either agricultural, commercial, or me- chanical, have suffered less, or lost less, from the great financial . storms that have recently swept over the land, and left desolation, ruin and woe in their tracks, than have the people of this county.
CHANGES IN POPULATION,
When our county was first settled the Scotch-Irish element was, as before stated, largely in the preponderance. Fully nine-tenths of our citizens then were of that nationality, interspersed with a few Scotch and English, and Germans. The former then filled all our offices of honor, of trust, and of profit. They were our law-makers, and our leaders in times of peace, and in the perils and dangers of war; and to their credit be it said, that they discharged their duties nobły, and honorably, and well. They have died off, and their de- scendants, in very many instances, have abandoned the avocations
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