|
SEARCH MY WASHINGTON COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA WEBSITES
History of and Other Families (o_f) from
The City and County of Washington Pennsylvania
Enhance your genealogy research about families in Little Washington, Washington County PA
using newspaper articles, birth, death, marriage, notices, obituaries (often with cemeteries
named), probates, deeds, surname finds, family trees, family histories, reunions and other information.
Site Search or Page Search (Ctl Key+F) easily finds items of interest.
WAR, WARS, VETERANS, WAR MEMORIALS
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES
Washington County Pennsylvania History and Families
The Washington Boys 85th regiment Pa. Volunteers
Article from the Observer newspaper, Oct. 9, 1908,
Whole Number 5935, p. 1:
Survivors of Famous Command to Gather in Washington Today -
First Lieutenant, Co. C., Eighty-fifth Regiment, Penna., Vols. -- Born
Washington, PA June 11, 1837 Died, Washington, PA, May 1, 1872 --
One of the Washington Boys who
served his country in the gallant 85th regiment Pa. Volunteers, was John
W. Acheson. He was born in the brick house which stands on the
south side of East Beau street opposite the Thistle block on June 11,
1837, and died in the old Acheson homestead, now a part of the
Washington hospital on May 1, 1872.
He graduated at Washington
college in the class of 1857 and for some time thereafter was professor
of Latin in his Alma Mater. He was mustered into the three months'
service April 25, 1867, as a member of the company commanded by
Captain Norton McGiffin. On November 14, 186_ (1861 ? or 1863?],
he enlisted as a private in Co. C. 85th Penna. regiment, was promoted to
first sergeant in January, second lieutenant in April and first
lieutenant in August of the next year. He was wounded twice in the
battle of Fair Oaks, in the wrist and in the cheek. In this
engagement he was in command of the company in the absence of the
captain on account of sickness.
On February 29, 1864, he was
appointed assistant adjutant general with the rank of captain and
transferred to the staff of General Absalom Baird. He was again
wounded in the severe battle of Jonesboro and was soon afterward
commissioned as major "for meitorious [sic] service during the
campaign from Chattanooga to Savannah, and thence through the Carolinas,
and for marked and distinguished bravery in the battle of
Jonesboro."
At the close of the war he
became a student of medicine and graduated at the University of
Pennsylvania March 13, 1868. For four years he was a successful
practitioner in his native town. Dr. Acheson had a gentle, genial
and attractive disposition and was beloved by all who knew him."
Next column, under the same main headline
""Survivors of Famous Command to Gather in Washington
Today - The Men Who Made History In the Stirring Days of the
Sixties as they Marched in the Ranks of the 85th Pennsylvania Will Again
Tell the Stories of Camp and Field -- Prominent Men To Make Addresses
---
The 36th annual reunion of the
85th regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, will be held in the Town hall
today, beginning at 10 o'clock and three sessions will be held,
concluding with a public campfire tonight at which prominent speakers
will take part. All arrangements for the reunion are completed and
the old veterans expect to have a most enjoyable day.
The 85th is one of Washington
county's own commands, and many of her sons wore the blue under its
flag. A large number of the survivors of the regiment reside
here and are keenly interested in the coming meeting of their old
comrades-in-arms. Washington people should turn out to give the
old soldiers a warm welcome.
Among the local members of the
regiment are A. W. Pollock, Boyd Crumrine, M. Sharp, Henry McCallister,
Joseph Brownlee, and Daniel Martin, John Neill, James F. Speer, of
Canonsburg; Owen Turner, of Houston; Matthew Templeton, of North
Strabane; John Patterson and John B. Bell, of Peters, were also members
of this command.
T. K. Fulton, of Canton, O., a
member of the Fulton brothers, of North Strabane township, belonged to
company A, but a card from him states that he will be unable to come to
the reunion because of ill health. A. McGill, who was a fifer in
Company B, also lives in Canton, but will not be present at the reunion.
Major General Robert P. Hughes,
U. S. A., retired, a former officer of the regiment and a native of this
county, has been invited to attend, but has not signified whether he
will be here.
Henry McCallister, of
Washington, was the youngest member of the regiment at the time of his
enlistment, being then 15 years and three months of age. He and
his father enlisted the same day and in the same company. His
father has been dead for several years.
*
|
