Twentieth century history of Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 35

Author: Sell, Jesse C 1872-
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Publishing
Number of Pages: 1036

USA > Pennsylvania > Blair County > Altoona > Twentieth century history of Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens > Part 35

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ure, were compelled to fall back in disorder upon their reserves. Here they took up a position for a final stand, and made an at- tempt for a few minutes to retrieve the for- tunes of the day, but again had rained down upon them the same close and destructive fire. A few minutes only did they stand against it, when they turned dismayed and fled in disorder, leaving the Union forces in possession of the field, the killed and wounded, 300 prisoners, two guns, caissons and a thousand stand of small arms. The loss of the regiment was thirteen killed and thirty-eight wounded, out of 300 engaged, the severe marching of the few preceding days having rendered many unfit to stand in the ranks. Lieutenant William Kochers- perger was mortally wounded. The regi- ment was complimented in a special order for gallantry in this action. On the morn- ing succeeding the battle, the division ad- vanced in pursuit of the retreating foe as far as Harrisonburg.

The regiment then did provost duty at Winchester and later was assigned to Colonel Carroll's brigade which became a part of McDowell's corps and was ordered back to the Shenandoah valley, to the sup- port of Banks and Fremont, in their en- counters with Stonewall Jackson. On reach- ing the Luray valley, Shields' division was ordered down on the right bank of the river, to Port Republic, where the advance under Colonel Carroll met the advance of Jackson. In the battle which ensued the One Hun- dred and Tenth was posted on the left in a wood with the Fifth and Sixty-sixth Ohio thrown forward as skirmishers. Seeing the right hard pressed, General Tyler ordered the regiment to the threatened point, but before reaching it the enemy was driven, and it returned again to the former position. By this time the enemy had come up in heavy force on the left and outflank- ing it, compelled it to fall back, losing some guns and prisoners. Unable to stand up against the entire force of Jackson's army, General Tyler ordered a retreat and the divi-

sion fell back to Front Royal. The loss of the regiment was considerable in killed and wounded, especially so in prisoners. With the brigade the regiment retired to the de- fenses near Washington and upon the or- ganization of the Army of Northern Vir- ginia under General Pope, the brigade, now a part of Rickett's division of McDowell's corps, moved to Warrenton, where it re- mained until the close of July. It then moved forward to Culpepper court-house, near which on the 9th of August was fought the battle of Cedar Mountain. The One Hundred and Tenth supported several bat- teries during the engagement and sustained some loss. After the battle Pope advanced to the Rapidan, but soon commenced fall- ing back towards Washington, the enemy threatening his right and rear. At Thor- oughfare Gap, on the evening of the 28th Rickett's division was pitted against the en- tire strength of Longstreet's corps, strug- gling to force a passage and form a junction with Jackson. By presenting a bold front and by hard fighting the rebel chieftain was held in check by this one small division un- til after nightfall, when finding that further resistance was vain, it fell back to Manas- sas, and on the afternoon of the 29th, ar- rived at the battle ground of Bull Run. Early on the following morning, Rickett's division was sent to support Heintzelman and Reno, on the right, but later in the day was brought to the left, where, with Schenk and Milroy, and the Pennsylvania reserves, it maintained the unequal contest with great gallantry during the afternoon, but at night, overborne by superior numbers, together with the entire army, it was forced from the field, and fell back to Centerville. The color bearer of the One Hundred and Tenth, finding his capture inevitable, tore the colors from the staff and concealed them about his person. He was taken pris- oner but managed to escape and brought the flag safely into camp. During the An- tietam campaign the regiment was retained within the defenses of Washington, and

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was posted on Arlington heights. Later it rejoined the army and participated in the battle of Fredericksburg, where it sus- tained severe loss. On the 20th of Decem- ber Colonel Lewis, on account of physical disability, resigned and Lieutenant-Colonel Crother was promoted to be colonel, Major David M. Jones to lieutenant-colonel, and Captain Isaac Rodgers to major.

In the movement upon Chancellorsville, Sickles' corps first supported Sedgwick in his feint upon the left, at Franklin crossing. Starting from camp on the 28th the regi- ment lay with the corps on the left bank of the Rappahannock, opposite the pontoon, in readiness to cross, until the morning of the 30th, when it marched away to United States ford, and crossing the river, joined Hooker at Chancellorsville. The corps was posted on the right center and during the day and night operated on the flank of Jack- son's corps, then moving upon the right wing of the Union army, held by the Elev- enth corps. On the morning of the 3d Sickles having fallen back to the Chancel- lorsville house, and posted his artillery with his infantry in support, the enemy attacked them with the energy of desperation. Jack- son had been mortally wounded, and his soldiers threw themselves upon the Union lines with reckless daring, to avenge his fall. Colonel Crowther was killed in this terrible encounter, and nearly half of the effective strength of the regiment was either killed, wounded or taken prisoners. General Whipple, in command of the division, was also killed. At the conclusion of the battle the regiment returned to camp near Stone- man's switch.

Under the command of Lieutenant- Colonel Jones, the regiment moved on the Gettysburg campaign, about the middle of June, and on the evening of the Ist of July, arrived on the field, taking position on the left, at that time forming part of Trobri- and's brigade, of Birney's division. In the formation of the corps on the following morning, the regiment was posted at the

front, across the brow of a rocky, wooded eminence to the left and nearly parallel with the Emmettsburg pike. Skirmishing commenced early in the day, followed by a hot fire of artillery, but not until afternoon did the battle open in earnest. Ward's bri- gade was first struck away towards Round Top and two of DeTrobriand's regiments were hurried to his aid, leaving the latter with only a single line without support. Soon the tide of battle, sweeping on to- wards the right, reached DeTrobriand with desperation. The rebel horde came on but was again and again swept back by the steady fire of the One Hundred and Tenth Pennsylvania, and the Fifth Michi- gan. Finally with ammunition expended and ranks terribly shattered it was relieved by Zook's brigade, and retired to the line which had originally been selected for the Third corps to occupy, where it rested and intrenched and where it remained until the close of the battle. Lieutenant-Colonel Jones was severely wounded, losing a leg and Captain Cassidy of Company H was shot in the leg, receiving a wound which made him a cripple for life. The regiment after- wards participated in the pursuit of Lee and during the ensuing months participated in several lively skirmishes, eventually go- ing into winter quarters at Brancy station.

In the reorganization of the army, prepar- atory to the spring campaign of 1864, the One Hundred and Tenth was transferred with its brigade to the second corps under General Hancock. The commanding of- ficer of the regiment was Colonel Isaac Rod- gers, who had been promoted successively through all the grades from first lieutenant of Company B. Moving with the army to. the campaign of the Wilderness, the regi- ment crossed the Rapidan on May 4, and camped that night on the field of Chancel- lorsville. On the 6th it was engaged in the second day's battle of the Wilderness, and from that time until the Ioth was daily un- der fire, losing one-fourth of the men with which it had crossed the Rapidan on the

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4th. On the 12th it was actively engaged in the bloody battle at Spottsylvania court- house, taking a prominent part in the cap- ture of the entire Confederate division. In this action Lieutenant John W. Manning of Company H was killed and Colonel Rod- gers mortally wounded.

The regiment subsequently fought in all the engagement leading up to the capture of Petersburg and Richmond, including Cold Harbor, North Anna, Shady Grove Church, Tolopotomy, Weldon Railroad, Deep Bottom, Hatcher's Run, Fort Steadman and Amelia Springs. At Fort Steadman Col. Isaac T. Hamilton was severely wounded. Amelia Springs was the last battle of the regiment. At Clover Hill, Va., in the afternoon of the 9th of April, it received the joyful news of the surrender of the Confederate army, which vir- tually ended the war. Early in May the regi- ment faced north, and took up the line of the homeward march, passing through Richmond, reaching Washington defenses on the 15th and taking part in the great review of the Army of the Potomac at the national capital on the 23d of May. It was mustered out of the service on the 28th of June, 1865.

BLAIR MEN IN OTHER REGIMENTS.

Besides the regiments whose formation and services have been sketched in preceding pages, there were many others, serving with equally honorable records in the war of the rebellion, which contained men and officers from Blair county, though less numerous than they were found in the organizations already mentioned. Among such regiments may be mentioned the following, viz .: First artillery, Battery D, Capt. Ed Flood, raised partly in Blair county. Fifty-fifth regiment, Company I, Capt. David W. Madara; One Hundred and Fifty-second regiment, Capt. E. H. Miles and Lieut. John W. Blake, the One Hundred and Ninety-first, One Hundred and Ninety-fifth regiments of infantry and the Thirteenth Pennsylvania cav- alry. The Fourteenth United States infantry, of which Maj. William Williams, of Holli- daysburg, was one of the field officers, con-

tained in its ranks a considerable number of men from the county. Soldiers from Blair county also served in several of the Pennsyl- vania batteries, including the famous Knapp's battery, and many men went to the field with the militia in 1862 and again in 1863, under the calls for forces to repel the Confederate in- vasions of those years. The Third Emergency men was called into service September 11-13, 1862, to assist in repelling the threatened in- vasion of the state at that time and discharged September 23 and 25. In this regiment were many of the most prominent men in the state, together with two companies, F and G, made up largely of Blair county men.

SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.

When President McKinley issued his call for 75,000 volunteers after the destruction of the Maine in Havana harbor and the formal declaration of war against Spain was made by congress, there was an instant response from Blair county and steps were taken for the en- listment of a number of companies and the pa- triotic spirit of the people was roused to the highest pitch of enthusiasm. Only two com- panies, however, were permitted to enter the service of the government, both of which had previously been affiliated with the state Na- tional guard. They were Company C, of Hollidaysburg, which formed a part of the Fifth regiment and the Sheridan troop of Tyrone.

The Fifth regiment, made up of companies from Blair, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Clearfield, Center, Somerset, Indiana and Cambria coun- ties, left Altoona on Wednesday evening, April 27, for the rendezvous at Mt. Gretna, Pa., where the members of the command en- listed in the service of the government. The Fifth was commanded by Colonel Theodore Burchfield and Captain John H. West had command of Company C, with H. A. Miller, who had seen service in the Civil war as first lieutenant and William Van Allman as second lieutenant. The Sheridan troop of Tyrone left on the same evening, under the command of Captain C. S. W. Jones, with T. M. Fleck

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as first lieutenant, H. S. Fleck, second lieuten- ant, Dr. J. L. Brubaker, first lieutenant and sergeant, and H. A. Gripp, second lieutenant and sergeant. Both commands were given tremendous ovations upon their departure from their home towns.

The Fifth regiment remained at Mt. Gretna until May 18, when it was transferred to Chickamauga, Ga., remaining there until September 1, when it was transferred to Camp Hamilton, Lexington, Ky. They were there mustered out on September 17, and immedi- ately returned home, arriving in Altoona on Sunday, September 18. They were given a tremendous ovation upon their arrival in Al- toona, and escorted by various civic and mili- tary organizations and marshaled by Major John R. Garden and veterans of the Civil war, paraded over the principal streets of the city. Prior to the parade a brief program was ren- dered on the Logan House porch, where an address of welcome was delivered by Captain Robert Johnson, chairman of the reception committee. Thirteen members of the Fifth regiment died while it was in service, one of whom, Joseph Robinson, was a member of Company C. Energetic efforts were made in the course of the war to have the regiment participate in active service, but without avail.

The Sheridan troop, after a brief stay at Mt. Gretna, was made a part of the command of Gen. Nelson A. Miles, which occupied Porto Rico, it being a part of the Pennsyl- vania squadron of cavalry, with Major C. S. W. Jones, who had been promoted from the captaincy, in comamnd. Captain L. F. Craw- ford had command of the troop during its service. The command arrived home on Sep- tember 20, and was given a grand reception by the people of Tyrone, The troop consisted of three commissioned officers and 100 men.

Quite a number of Blair county men .took part in the subsequent operations in the Phil- ippines, although there was no distinct Blair county command. Three non-commissioned officers of the Fifth regiment, Edgar .S. Stayer, John S. Fair and George E. Steele,

obtained commissions in the regular army of the United States, and all saw active service on the islands. In all there were about thirty Blair countians who participated in the vari- ous campaigns in the archipelago, and there were several in the command that assisted in putting down the Boxer uprising in China. These have since formed an association which is affiliated with the American Veterans of Foreign Service.

BLAIR COUNTY AND THE MILITIA.

The National guard in the form in which it existed until the Dick lawi went into effect January 1, 1910, was organized in 1879, and in the same year Company C, of Hollidays- burg was organized. Martin Bell, the present judge of the county courts, was the captain of the company for a number of years, and was in command of the company when it was in service at the time of the great strike of em- ployes of the Carnegie Steel company at Homestead in 1888. He resigned when he became judge in 1893 and was succeeded by John H. West, who as already noted, was in command during the Spanish-American war. He was succeeded by H. A. Miller and the company is at present commanded by Capt. Woleslagle, of Altoona.

Company E of Altoona was organized in 1903, with Elmer K. Rupp in command. His successors have been William C. Leamer, William P. Maclay and L. M. Keim.

The Ffth regiment was disbanded January I, 1910, under the provisions of the Dick law, making the militia a part of the regular army of the United States, and the companies scat- tered through the regiments requiring more companies to fill up the prescribed twelve- company standard of the War department. Companies C and E were assigned to the Tenth regiment, with headquarters at Greens- . burg. The Fifth was commanded for a num- ber of years in its earlier days by James F. Milliken, of Hollidaysburg, and subsequently

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by Theodore Burchfield, of Altoona. Col. Hugh S. Taylor, of Bellefonte, was in com- mand when it lost its individuality.

Among those prominently identified with the militia in the county is Dr. A. S. Stayer, of Altoona. He enlisted as a private in Com-

pany C in 1879 and the following year was promoted to the post of surgeon of the regi- ment. At the present time he is a division surgeon and is not affected by the disbanding of the Fifth regiment. Dr. Stayer will reach the age limit and will be retired in 1913.

CHAPTER XV.

HISTORY OF THE TOWNSHIPS. Allegheny, Antis and Blair Townships.

ALLEGHENY TOWNSHIP.

Allegheny township was formed from. Frankstown in 1793, and originally em- braced, besides its present territory, the townships of Antis and Logan. As now de- fined its boundaries are Logan township on the north, Logan, Frankstown and Blair townships on the east, Blair and Juniata townships on the south, the latter township and Cambria county on the west. The township embraces some fine farming lands. The borough of Duncansville is located within the bounds of the township. The township received credit for 1,841 inhab- itants in 1900. The people are largely en- gaged in farming, special attention being given to market-gardening and dairying.

Upon the organization of Huntingdon county in 1787, the resident tax-payers of that part of Frankstown now known as Allegheny township were Thomas Arm- strong, Jacob Burgoon, from whom Bur- goon's run takes its name, Captain Thomas Blair, from whom Blair's gap derives its name, who then owned a large tract of land, horses, cattle, negro slaves, grist-mills, saw- mills and 'distilleries; John Blair, son of Thomas, after whom Blair county was named; Robert Curry, Henry Caldwell, John Edmiston, John Fetter, Michael Fet- ter, Jr., George Fetter, Matthew Hoffstadet, James Hart, John Kerr, William McFar- land, Hugh McFarland, Luke McGuire, Christopher Nipps, Matthew Patton, Dan- iel Titus, John Williams, Jacob Whittinger,

Matthew White, Charles Wellbaum, Henry Wetz, Francis Whitinger and William Williams. These men had all been wit- nesses of the exciting events transpiring during the Revolutionary struggle, and of the old French and Indian war which preceded it. Born as subjects of the reigning house of Great Britain, they were at the time of which we speak freemen, part and parcel of the then infant republic. It is very prob- able, too, that a majority of those of whom we have here mentioned had been active participants in the stirring events of the Colonial and Revolutionary times.

Captain Thomas Blair, the father of John Blair, after whom the county was named, was, prior to the beginning of the Revolu- tion, a resident of Path valley. He was ac- tive during that war in clearing the Upper Juniata valley of Tories and Indians, and at its close settled at the mouth of what has since been known as Blair's gap, in this township, where in 1788 he owned a grist- mill, saw-mill, one slave, four head of cattle, four horses, and 300 acres of land, the latter by virtue of a warrant. He was an ener- getic man, and by his untiring exertions succeeded in getting a pack-horse road cut through the gap at an early day. He was a native of Scotland, and was one of four or five brothers who settled at an early date in various parts of Pennsylvania.

His son, Hon. John Blair, just mentioned, was also a prominent and useful citizen, and resided for many years at the same place ..

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His usefulness and standing in the commu- nity made him probably the most conspicu- ous man of his day in this part of the state. He was foremost in the projection of the canal and Portage railroad. Blair town- ship was so named in honor of him in 1839, and in 1846, when Huntingdon county was divided, his old friends paid another tribute to his memory by giving the new county his name.

In this township, near the mouth of Sugar run, occurred the massacre of the "Bed ford Scout," an account of which will be found in another part of this volume.

After the conclusion of peace between Great Britain and the United States, and the consequent cessation of Indian hostili- ties on the eastern slope of the Alleghenies, settlements in the old township of Franks- town increased rapidly. From its great ex- tent in territory, however, many of the resi- dents were put to countless inconveniences, and in 1792 moved to have the township div- ided. The question was decided in favor of a division the following year, by the Hunt- ingdon county court of quarter sessions. The decree was signed on the second Mon- day of November, 1793, by Thomas Smith, president judge, and David Stewart, Robert Galbraith and Benjamin Elliott, associate judges.

The first assessment of Allegheny town- ship was made in the spring of 1794, and ac- cording to the roll, which is still preserved, there were seventy-seven residents within what are now the limits of the township. Thomas Williams was the assessor in the year 1810, and at the close of his report he said that there were then within the town- ship 33,4261/2 acres of resident land, 558 horses, 285 cows, seven distilleries, seven- teen occupations, four grist-mills, one full- ing-mill and one tannery. Total valuation of the foregoing, $99,328. There were 60,- 685 acres of unsettled lands, valued at $26,- 837. Total valuation of property to be as- sessed in the township, $126,165.

Villages .- Duncansville, which became a

borough in 1890, will be treated in another place. Bennington was formerly a town of considerable importance, but its glory has departed. In the days when the iron industry flourished in Blair county a fur- nace was located at Bennington. It was built in 1846. For some years it was owned and operated by the Blair Iron and Coal company. It furnished employment for sev- enty-five men, and its products amounted to 550 tons of pig-iron per month.

The hamlet known as the Foot of Ten, or Germanyville, so named because stand- ing at the foot of the tenth inclined plane of the old and famous Portage railroad, con- tains a grist-mill, schoolhouse and about twenty dwelling houses. Blair creek af- fords valuable water-power privileges, and the Huntingdon and Indiana turnpike also passes here.

Other villages that have sprung up in recent years are Cross Keys, where a post- office has been established, and Canan sta- tion. At Sunbrook, on an eminence over- looking the surrounding country, is the magnificent country place of John Lloyd, the president of the First National bank of Altoona.

Much attention has been paid to road building in Allegheny township in recent years. Many miles of road have been mac- adamized and thousands of dollars judi- ciously expended in permanent improve- ments to the highways. The educational welfare of the children has always received the consideration of the people of the town- ship, and as a rule the teachers here have been better compensated than those of other districts in the county. There are nine schools in the township, the township co-operating with the borough of Duncans- ville in the maintenance of the high school in the latter place.

ANTIS TOWNSHIP.

Antis township was carved from Allegheny in 1810, and forty years later a portion of it was detached to form the present township of

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Logan. As now organized it has Cambria county and Snyder township on the north, Snyder and Tyrone townships on the east, Tyrone and Logan townships on the south, the latter township and Cambria county on the west, while its water courses are the Juniata river and various tributaries, known as Tay- lor, Coal Bank, Shaw, Collier, Bell's Gap, Sugar Beaver Dam and Laurels runs.

Antis township embraces a considerable portion of the famous Tuckahoe valley. The main line of the Pennsylvania railroad crosses the eastern part in a northeasterly and south- westerly direction, and on this line at Fostoria, Tipton and Pinecroft, are centered a majority of the inhabitants. Bellwood borough, for- merly known as Bell's mills,-is located within the bounds of the township. The population was 2,204 in 1860; 1,893 in 1870; 2,282 in 1880; 2,060 in 1890, and 2,368 in 1900. The Pennsylvania & Northwestern division of the Pennsylvania railroad, formerly known as the Bell's Gap railroad, starts from Bellwood, and in following up the course of the Bell's Gap run, which flows southeasterly, it gains an al- titude at Lloydsville of over 1,100 feet above its starting point, nine miles away. This road was built in 1872, chiefly to bring coal from the mines on the mountain top to the main line, but, on account of the grand and roman- tic scenery along its course, its mountain peaks, deep gorges, cuts and windings, it is much visited and admired by summer tourists. Lloydsville has become a noted summer resort and picnic ground.

Immediately after the close of the Revolu- tionary war and the consequent discontinuance of Indian and Tory ravages under British auspices, several families settled within the present limits of Antis township, and finally became possessed of homesteads by right of occupation and improvements. Among these early settlers, located here as early as 1787, were William Allen, James Crawford, Jona- than Edington, Philip Edington, John Glas- gow, Robert Ricketts, Jesse Tipton, Edward Tipton and Measaugh Tipton. Later on we find the names on record of Christian Black,

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Twentieth century history of Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 35

Author: Sell, Jesse C 1872- Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Publishing Number of Pages: 1036

Author: Sell, Jesse C 1872-
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Publishing
Number of Pages: 1036