The following transcription was submitted by Lisa Bonar for inclusion at the Genealogy
in Washington Co., PA web site in November 1998.
Lisa writes:
"Here is some Civil War info. The first piece
is a newspaper article and I don't know which newspaper it came from. The
other is the appendix of The West Alexander Presbyterian Church book that
they published for an anniversary celebration in 1890."
Newspaper article with picture:
West Alexander, Pa., Oct. 26. - (Special.) - Although this town has but
700 inhabitants, 17 of them are Civil war veterans, a very unusual thing.
In the picture the names of the men and their commands are as follows:
>From left to right, upper row, C.C. Will, Sturgiss Volunteer Rifle Company;
James M. Chaney, Company H, Fourteenth Pennsylvania cavalry; W.F. Whitham,
Company D, Twelfth West Virginia infantry; James Waiter, Company L,
Twenty-first New York cavalry; W.M. Dunlap, Twelfth West Virginia infantry;
John C. Sims, Company H, Sixth West Virginia infantry; William Carson,
Company D, Twelfth West Virginia infantry; T.B. O’Donnell, Company C,
Twenty-second Pennsylvania cavalry; Joseph F. Kimmins, Company F, Third
West Virginia cavalry. Lower line, W.A. Barry, Knapp’s Pennsylvania
battery; Joseph Gilmore, Company N, Sixth West Virginia infantry; James W.
Pearson, Company D, Twelfth West Virginia infantry; David Howell, Company
D, First West Virginia cavalry; James W. Rice, Company K, First West
Virginia cavalry; Jacob West, Company F, Eighty-fifth Pennsylvania cavalry;
James Grimes, Company C, Sixth West Virginia infantry, John Beecroft,
Company I, First Pennsylvania cavalry.
Appendix of “The Presbyterian Church, West Alexander, Pa. 1790-1890”
This church furnished its full contribution of men to the war of the
rebellion in 1861. Twenty-six of the number were members of the church;
the remainder came from families connected at that time or since with the
congregation.
“Brave boys were they,
They came at their country’s call.”
One of the female members, Miss Mary Pollock, gave three years service in
the hospital at Washington City.
Capt. D.M. Blayney, company D, 12th W.Va. Inft.
Robt. McCammon, company D, 12th W.Va. Inft.
W.F. Whitham, company D, 12th W.Va. Inft.
Jos. Gilmore, company D, 12th W.Va. Inft. Died in prison at Wilmington,
N.C.
J.W. Murray, company D, 12th W.Va. Inft. Wounded at Piedmont.
J.D. Whitham, company D, 12th W.Va. Inft.
R.J. Vermilion, company D, 12th W.Va. Inft.
Henry G. Blayney, company D, 12th W.Va. Inft. Wounded at Kernstown.
Wm. Carson, company D, 12th W.Va. Inft.
Jno. Bushfield, company D, 12th W.Va. Inft. Died at home with camp fever.
W.M. Murray, company D, 12th W.Va. Inft.
A.F. Yates, company D, 12th W.Va. Inft.
Jas. W. Pierson, company D, 12th W.Va. Inft.
Geo. E. McCauslin, company D, 12th W.Va. Inft. Wounded at Cedar Creek,
taken prisioner and died.
E.N. Dunlap, company D, 12th W.Va. Inft.
Alfred Murray, company H, 14th Pa. Cav.
James Chaney, company H, 14th Pa. Cav.
John Todd, company H, 14th Pa. Cav.
B.F. Craig, company H, 14th Pa. Cav.
Capt. H.B. McMurray, company H, 14th Pa. Cav.
Samuel Ruth, company H, 14th Pa. Cav.
Jackson D. Porter, company K, 1st W.Va. Cav.
L.B. Whitham, company K, 1st W.Va. Cav.
David Howell, company B, 1st W.Va. Cav.
Jas. Rice, company K, 1st W.Va. Cav.
J.R. Anderson, company H, 87th Pa. Inft.
Jno. Sutherland, company H, 87th Pa. Inft.
Jos. Lawson, Jr., company D, 140th Pa. Inft. Lost at Gettysburg.
Ed. S. Alexander, company D, 140th Pa. Inft.
Capt. Milton Ray, company C, 140th Pa. Inft.
W.A. Barry, Knapp’s Battery
G.W. Ritchey, company B, 22d Pa. Cav.
Jos. Guess, company K, 140th Pa. Inft. Killed at Cold Harbor, 1864.
Isaac Goulding, company K, 140th Pa. Inft. Died in hospital at
Washington, D.C.
Lieut. Wm. Goulding, company K, 1st W.Va. Cav.
Moses Bell, 100th Pa. Vol Inft.
John Becroft, company I, 1st Pa. Cav.
W. Scott Armstrong, company C, 103d Pa. Inft.
Wm. Armstrong, company C, 140th Pa. Inft. Taken prisoner at Gettysburg
and died on Bell Island.
T. Milton Todd, Pa. Heavy Artillery.
Hamilton Todd, Holmes W.Va. Light Artillery.
Chester P. Murray, company I, 1st Pa. Cav.
Dr. J.B. Reed, 22d Pa. Cav.
John Fox, company H, 14th Pa. Cav.
Henry L. Pence, killed by Guerillas.