History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 141

Author: George Dallas Albert, editor
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Into the very thickest of many bloody battles he was called to go, and his soldiers never refused to follow him. In the battle of Antietam, the Seven Days' battle, in Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, and many others he was present and never failed to perform bravely his part, and when the invading army of the South crossed the boundary of his native State he followed it and acquitted himself nobly on the stormy field of Gettysburg.

On one occasion, at Falls Church, he with but a few men was entirely surrounded, but dashing against the enemy he skillfully cut them right and left and opened the way for his men to follow. He was a noted swordsman, and in the fierce thrusts of a hand-to-hand fight he had very few equals in the Northern army. It requires great personal courage and nerve to engage in a conflict of this kind, but it is the universal testi- mony of both officers and soldiers that he was a man who knew no fear.

When in battle it was his habit to ride in front of his men, and above the roar of conflict and the clash of arms was heard his voice cheering his soldiers on to victory. In camp-life he was jovial and good na- tured, and would at any time incommode himself to

favor any soldier. It was his habit when a paper could be procured to gather the soldiers around him and read the news. In this he also excelled, and his soldiers all speak of his powers as a reader and a con- versationalist. On the 8th of December, 1863, he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel, and on the 28th of May following was made colonel. His death oc- curred in June, 1864, while in command of a brigade. A commission of brigadier-general was signed, and on its way to him, but he was never permitted to receive it. That Col. Covode was universally beloved by all his soldiers and officers is well shown by the tragic ac- count of his death, and the perilous adventure of the men who volunteered to rescue his dead body from the rebel lines.

The story of his death can probably be better told by introducing the following touching letter, written to Mrs. George H. Covode by Gen. W. N. Biddle on the day following the death of her husband :

" HEADQUARTERS FOURTH PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY, " June 96, 1864.

"MY DEAR MRs. COVODE,-It is my painful duty to write you of the loss of your busband, our colonel, in the notion of the 24th inst. In this great affliction I feel how entirely powerless are any human tym- pathies or condolences, even those as sincere and heartfelt as my own and my brother officers, to whom your husband was endeared by his many kindnesses. Loving him as we did, we can understand and ap- preciate your greater loms, and hope that God may comfort you in your grief. There is little to be maid of the fight in which the colonel fall. Through the day there were no apprehensions of any serious engage- ment, and the colonel was in particularly good spirits. The morning was passed under a large shade tree with many officers, the genial spir- its of Col. Covode enlivening the whole party. Suddenly, about three o'clock, the enemy's whole cavalry corps fell-upon our brigade and soon commenced driving us rapidly back, we rallying from time to time and making a running fight of it.

" Your husband showed even more than the usual gallantry for which he is distinguished,-perfectly cool and collected, encouraging our men, and everywhere in the front of the battle, so much so that I re- monstrated with him on his exposing himself unnecessarily. Finally at the fourth stand we made, be unfortunately mistook some of the rebel skirmishers for a part of our own regiment, and cansing the Second Pennsylvania to cease firing, rode towards them, waving his hand to call them in. Discovering his mistake he turned to ride back to the line, but, alas! too late. A perfect volley was fired at him and he fell, his left arm being shattered and having a mortal wound through the intes- tines. We ran to his assistance and carried him back to the woods, Sergt. Rankin, the first to reach him, being wounded badly and myself slightly as we carried the colonel off the field. It was a perfect hail of bullets round us. With the deepest regret I write that all efforts to bring him entirely off the field failed. He was placed on horseback and brought to the rear of the lines of the First Brigade, which was to support un. The motion of the horse hurting him, and supposing that there was time, a stretcher was rigged up on which he could lie down and be carried comfortably. Just as be was placed on it that bri- gade gave way, and the colonel refused to mount the horse again, order- ing all with him to leave him. One of our men captured near where he was escaped yesterday, and reports that the colonel died that mme evening. From the nature of his wounds there is no ground for hoping the contrary.

"He himself realized his position at once. Almost the first thing he said to me was, 'Oh, Biddle, I have my death-wound,' and when Col. Brinton tried to cheer him, telling him he would soon get over it, he said, ' No, colonel, I am shot through the stomach, and those wounds are always fatal.' He bore up most nobly, and met his fate with the calni- ness of a brave officer and Christian gentleman. He frequently asked to be left before he was, and it seemed that the hope of leaving some message of affection to you enabled him to undergo as much as he did. We were unfortunately separated after fixing the strotcher for him, but Lieut. Paul was with him until so surrounded he had to fight his way

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out. The burry, rush, sad confusion were so great that no time was had to receive messages. His diary and comne letters which foll out of his pocket I forward, together with lettere that he wes fated not to receive. I know nothing more, and regretting that there is no hope of his surviv- ing sorrow with you for his loes. May the Great Comforter give you Strength to pastain you in this grief.

" Very sincerely your friend, "W. N. BIDDLE."

His brigade occupied the position of rear-guard in Sheridan's famous retreating raid across the country between the Chickshominy and James Rivers. The rear-guard in a retreat is well known to be a most important and dangerous position. From Bates' His- tory, vol. ii., pages 529-80, together with other records, letters, etc., we gather that the battle in which the gallant colonel fell was near St. Mary's Church, in the Chickahominy Valley, Va. Here a line of battle was formed in front of Gen. Hampton's entire corps. Gen. Gregg, the commander of the division, knowing his in- ability to contend with the overwhelming numbers of the enemy now so near them, sent message after mes- sage to Gen. Sheridan for reinforcements. These were all captured by the enemy, who were thus apprised of the weakness of the rear-guard. Knowing this the rebels determined upon an attack, which they made in a fear- ful manner upon the whole line at about three o'clock P.M. It was evidently their intention to capture the entire corps, which, however, being composed of the bravest and most daring of the dashing Gen. Sheri- dan's army, as might be expected, made a strong and determined resistance. Owing mainly, however, to the vast numbers of the enemy, the rear-guard was repulsed and driven back in scattering retreat.

It was here more particularly that Col. Covode, re- gardless of his own safety, and evincing that daring, fearless nature which characterized his entire mili- tary life, was dashing up and down the line, exposed to the leaden hail of Hampton's army. In vain did he try to rally and reunite his scattered forces. From his youth he had been near-sighted, and perceiving on his right a squad of partly concealed men whom he mistook for his own, rode rapidly towards them, intending to form them within his own line of de- fense. Amid this scene of blood and carnage the

patriotic colonel was pierced by rebel bullets, which on the following morning proved fatal. Thus in the raging conflict, while nobly fighting at the head of his men, was cut down one of the most promising officers of the Union army. His soldiers gathered quickly around him, and after conveying him, much against his will, for about three miles, were overtaken by the advancing army, and were forced to leave him, as he requested, in the hands of the enemy. The rebels took from him his clothes and other valuables and left him on the field to die. Fortunately he fell into the hands of a colored family, consisting of an old man and his wife. They cared for him kindly until the next morning, when he died in great agony, mainly. from the effects of the wounds in the stomach. He was buried, and his grave marked by the colored friends who ministered to him in his last hours.

A few days after his death his father, Hon. John Covode, went in search of his body, but found the Union army so far retreated that his grave was miles within the rebel lines. A company of four of his old regiment, consisting of Lieut. J. C. Paul, of Company C, of Apollo ; Sergt. Henry Green, of Leechburg ; Corp. Samuel King, of Kittanning ; and Private A. Martin, of Company D, of Lockport, volunteered to cross the lines and search for his remains. Under cover of the night they passed around the army, and so far penetrated the rebel domain as to find hfs grave. They returned safely, having gone about forty miles. The next night Gen. Gregg ordered a party of thirty, provided with an ambulance-wagon, to go out and bring in his body. This party, com- manded by Capt. J. C. Paul, successfully accom- plished the task assigned, and returned to the Union lines with the body without having been molested. Mr. Covode took charge of his son's remains, and brought them home for interment in the old family burial-ground at West Fairfield, very near his old home. Thus in a quiet and elevated spot, overlook- ing three beautiful valleys which wind in either di- rection to the mountains beyond, he sleeps, within the same community through which he wandered and played but a few years ago when a mere child.

DONEGAL TOWNSHIP.

DONEGAL was the name given to one of the sub- divisions of the county when it was divided into townships by the justices at the sitting of the first court at Robert Hanna's in the early part of the year 1778 .. It was also the designation of that part of the country in the township divisions of the same when it belonged to the jurisdiction of Bedford County.

As a township of Westmoreland it was bounded as follows :

"To begin where the line of Fairfield township intersects the county line, and to run along that line to where the Youghiogheny crosses the same; thence down the north side of the Yougbiogheny to the top of Chestnut Ridge; thence along the top of the said Chestnut Ridge to the line of Armstrong township; thence up the Loyalhanna to the mouth of the Big Roaring Run; and thence up the said run to the place of beginning."

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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

It will readily be observed that the limits or bound- aries of the original township bore little resemblance to those of it now, they being of much greater extent than they are at present. The township then really embraced a great portion of Ligonier Valley, and besides including for the most part the area it now does, it likewise included a great portion of Cook, and that part of Ligonier Valley which lies between the Loyalhanna and the Chestnut Ridge. It was thus the actual township of much of that historic ground about Fort Ligonier, and all the old history of Cook -as indeed of that whole end of the valley-belongs to the early history of Donegal. But to follow out the plan which we have adopted in our sketches of these political subdivisions, and thus localizing them, we shall treat only of the township as it exists in its limits of to-day, and as we are familiar with it.

The first officers elected by the people were John Cavenot (probably an ancestor of the Cavens), con- stable; Samuel Shannon and Edward McDowell, overseers of the poor; George Glenn, supervisor.

The first curtailment or alteration in its territorial limits was at the formation of Fayette County, shortly after the end of the Revolution, when that part of the township south of its present boundary line and within the limits of the new county was stricken off with it. The last township taken from Donegal was Cook, in 1855.

DESCRIPTION.

Its present boundaries are as follows : On the north by Cook township, on the east by the Laurel Hill, the eastern boundary of the county, on the south by the Fayette County line, contiguous to Salt Lick township therein, and on the west by Chestnut Ridge.

Like all parts of the valley, the two sides touching the mountain ridges on the east and west are rocky, abrupt, and hard to farm. Along the centre . and about the bottoms of the streams the surface is more even and level, and here the soil is generally fertile and well adapted to light farming. In this occupation are the inhabitants mostly engaged. The lumber business, however, in the more hilly parts of the township furnishes employment to those who reside there, and to those engaged in marketing and sawing it it is ordinarily profitable. Of the timber here there is yet large quantities of it growing, and it may be many years before the people inhabiting there shall feel or suffer any want from its scarcity.

It is well watered by fine streams, the principal ones of which are Indian Creek and Roaring Run in the eastern and southern portion, and the Four-Mile Run in the northwestern part. The first two flow southward, and uniting pass into the Youghiogheny ; the other one flows northward into the Loyalhanna.1

The turnpike from Somerset to Mount Pleasant and thence to West Newton passes through the town-

ship from east to west. On this was located the borough of Donegal and the village of Jones' Mill, both of them very old points, and identified with the after-pioneer history and annals of the township. In the old days this road was much traversed. Hence it was kept in good repair, and to this day shows evi- dence of the cost and labor expended in its construc- tion. The Valley road from Donegal borough to Ligo- nier, by way of Stahlstown, is the highway for ingress and egress for the lower part of the valley, and to it many other roads from all sides go.

An idea of the natural resources of this section of country north of Jacobs Creek, along the proposed route of a much-talked-of railroad, may be had from the report of its engineer :

" It would not be amies to speak a word about the wealth of the coun- try through which the road passes.

"Coal .- There will be found in the mountains, on the line of the road, all the veins of coal of the lower coal measures. The principal of these are the Upper Freeport, six feet thick ; Lower Freeport, three feet; Kittaaning, four feet; and Clarion, four feet. All of these are mined at the places from whence they take their names. Besides these there are many smaller seams. The Upper Freeport is found in the top of the mountains, and the Clarion in the creek some distance below the falls. The lie of this coal is such as to be favorably mined on the line of the road. For the first two miles the line of the road lies in the Connellsville coal region, the properties of which coal are so well known as to require no word of praise. There is probably not a mile of the rund which does not pass through either the upper or lower coal mees- ures.

" Fire-Clay .- The mountains are well noted for the abundance of fire- clay, in fact, it exists all through the Chestnut Ridge. The clay along your route is of the same character as that of the Savage Fire-Brick Company, whose brick has obtained a wide repetation with farnace- and oven-builders.

" Limestone .- There are several large veins of limestone between Mount Pleasant and Donegal. One vein, which will be about on the same level as the grade of the road, is twenty-five feet thick. This limestone is of an excellent quality, as indicated by the crystals of cal- cite found existing through it in large quantities. Parties interested in the road have tested this stone in several ways, and it was found equal to any in the county. It may appear foolish to state that it is in this vein that American marble occurs, as pointed out by Dr. King, tho geologist, of Greensburg, or that on the crystals of calcite traces of lead have been discovered, which may yet lead to some large pocket rich enough to mine.

" Sand .- At White Rock, on the Pittsburgh, Washington and Baltimore Railroad, a large business is carried on by the shipment of cand. The same stone exists on the line of your road. About three miles off the line is an excellent quality of flint glass sand, and it is undoubtedly true that more of it may yet be found on Jacobs Creek.

" Building Stones .- These exist in large quantities and in almost every part of the mountains. A large portion of them are freestones. All are guod for foundations, or dressed are suitable for ornamental archi- tectural work. Stones are so plenty on the line of the road that ballast will not cost the company more than what it is necessary to pay for breaking them.

"Iron Ore .- About eight and half miles from Mount Pleasant, on the survey line, in the site of the old Mount Pleasant Furnace. It had in its dny a reputation, and was, I understand, a paying investment, but the strong competition caused by railroad transportation was not to be over- come by wagons, and itsstuck stands to-day a monument of richness of the country. With a railroad passing through it, with its ore, with its coal adjacent to its ore ready to be coked, there is no country richer in min- eral wealth. There are four kinds of ore found in the Ridge, namely : kidney, red shale, fossiliferous, and bog. The latter of these is said to contain 3316 per cent. of iron by an experienced person. The kidney, according to the word of an eminent analytical chemist, contains 50 per cent. Nothing better is needed, as an ore of that quality will take iron men by surprise. The amount of ore is immense, and is only surpassed by the quantity of coal.

1 It is evident that the " Roaring Run" which marked one of the boundaries of the original township, "as flowing into the Loyalbanna," is not now generally known by that name.

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" Timber .-- At first sight this is most abundant of all the objects of wealth. Along the creek there is enough timber to place ties on ton theussad miles of railroad, and leaving enough for supplying the same with telegraph poles. No true estimate can be formed of the actual amount of timber on the line. Beech, maple, white-oak, and poplar exist in sbandance, and with them rock oak for tan bark, which may be mid to be almost inex hanstible."

POPULATION.

The last tabulated return of the population of the township (1880) puts it at twelve hundred and forty- two, which does not include the borough. There are two post-offices therein, namely, Donegal, Jones' Mills. There is but one borough incorporation,- Donegal.

OLD. SETTLERS.

Andrew Keslar's father came from Germany, and brought with him his son Andrew, then but seven years of age, and first settled in Maryland. Andrew moved to Donegal township in 1796, and till his death occupied the land which he opened out and culti- vated, and on which he raised his family. One of his sons, George, bought land across the line in Fay- otte County. Another of his sons is the present An- drew Keslar, now living in Donegal borough. He was born in 1801, and has passed a long and useful life near the borough and in it.

There is an interesting report of a hunting-match in Donegal township printed in the Gazette, July 11, 1828. As a memorial of the sport and one of the pastimes of our ancestors, and as preserving the names of some of the settlers to the manner born, we give it here :

"There were seven msen on one side, or company, as it was called, and six on the other side. Lewis Hays was captain of one company, and had M. Palmer, A. Howard, H. Hufford, John Gay, M. Haya, Jr., and J. Wetmer. J. Poarch was captain of the other company, and his men were George Hays, T Mccullough, J. Barclay, M. Haya, and P. Stairs. " As the result of the hunt the fret company killed 5 foxes, 19 Ground Hogs, 286 squirrela, 139 gray squirrela, 6 crows, 2 Hawks, 1 owl, 73 Blackbirds, a grand total of 618.

"The other party killed 1 fox, 14 ground Hogs, 265 squirrels, 112 gray squirrels, 8 crows, 5 Hawks, 1 owl, 95 Blackbirds, in all 567.

" P. Stairs bagged 195 squirrels, and of all kinds of game 173."

DONEGAL BOROUGH.

The village of Donegal dates from the early part of the century, and it was a convergent point for the whole of the upper part of the valley for training- days, for rifle-matches, for village sports, and for store and mail purposes in the days when men who are now old were young. Its situation on one of the great highways which was daily traversed by mail- and passenger-coaches, by the lumbering six-horse wagons, and by the droves of cattle and hogs from the West, made it a desirable location for the tavern- keeper, the blacksmith, the wagon-maker, and the country store-keeper. Hence, after the business was diverted from the old roads, such as these, the pros- perity of the place was retarded, and the business of the place was left dependent on those of the village, or of the immediate neighborhood.

The boundaries of the borough are set forth in de-

tail in the petition of the inhabitants for incorpora- tion as a borough. The petition is as follows :

"The petition of the undersigned citizens of Donegal township in said county (of Westmoreland) and residents of the village of Donegal and within the boundaries hereinafter mentioned, being a majority of free- holders in the limits aforesald, Respectfully represent, That they are desirous of being incorporated into a body corporate and politic under the name, style, and title of tha ' Borough of Donegal,' to include and embrace all the lands and persons residing therein, with the following limits and boundaries, viz. : Beginning at a post, thence by lands of Samuel Roadmau's heirs north 61 degrees, east 21 perches to a locust, north 4016 degrees eset 17/ perches to a locust, thence by land of Henry McKevan north 102/ perches to a post north 4114 degrees west 28 perches to cherry north 40 degrees west 84 perches to a post, thence by lands of Edward Ringler, south 4436 degrees west 86 perches to a post, thence by lands of Mary A. Kestler south 37 degrees west 23, perches to a post, north 1375 degrees west 54 perohes to a post, thence by land of Samuel Fligor conth 4 degrees west 15 perches to a chestnut, thence by lands of C. Hubb's heirs south 20}{ degrees west 322, porches to a pine oak, south 59 degrees east 54 perches to a chestnut, thenco by lands of John Walter north 6816 degrees east 70 perches to a post, thence by lauds of H. M. Millhoff and John Gay's heirs south 359% degrees cast 34f, porches to a post, thence by lands of Eli Keslar, north 50 degrees cast 38 perches to a post, south 3636 degrees east 56 perches to a post, south 39 degrees east 197, perches to a white oak, by lands of William Logan south 5436 degrees cost 41 ;; perches to the beginning."

William R. Hunter, Esq., made affidavit on the 13th of May, 1867, that the petition was signed by a majority of the freeholders residing within the limits of the proposed borough. On the 18th of May, 1867, the petition was passed on by the grand jury, who re- turn that the act of Assembly has been complied with, and they believe it expedient for the court to grant the prayer of the petitioners. On the 20th of August, 1867, ordered and directed that. the prayer of the peti- tioners should be granted, that the inhabitants within the limits designated should be incorporated under the style and title of the borough of Donegal, and designated the 20th day of September, 1867, as the time of holding the first election under their incorpo- ration, the election to be held at the house of Mrs. Nancy Hays in said borough. S. P. Hays was to give due notice of the time and place of holding the said election, Jeremiah Wirsing to be judge, and Ja- cob Gettemy and Eli P. Fry to be inspectors. The court also directed that thenceforth the borough should be a separate school district from and after the expiration of the current school year.

Probably no gentleman has done more for Donegal borough in all things that go to moral and intellec- tual improvement as well as material advancement- which fact will be readily admitted by his neighbors -than William R. Hunter, Esq. This gentleman still lives, and can have the satisfaction in his own lifetime of seeing these evidences of a lengthy and exemplary life around him on all sides. He is now, and has long been, one of the foremost business men of the place.

The population of the borough by the census of 1880 is one hundred and eighty-three. It contains three churches, Lutheran, Methodist Episcopal, and Baptist, a public-house (but does not allow license), and two stores.

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History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 141

Author: George Dallas Albert, editor Publication date: Publisher: Number of Pages:

Author: George Dallas Albert, editor
Publication date:
Publisher:
Number of Pages: