Clark McAllister, Reverend James Summerton, and John B. Young Civil War Veterans
Clark McAllister
For Clark McAllister, the road from Union City, Pennsylvania, to Appomattox seemed as normal as drying his boots by the campfire after a day long march in the rain. Before his final bivouac in Evergreen Cemetery, he served in some of the most important campaigns of the Civil War.
His parents, David and Susan McAllister, came to Greenfield Township in 1836 from New England. Clark's brother, David, who also served in the Civil War, was born in 1825 and Clark was born on February 28, 1837. Ten other brothers and sisters completed the McAllister family.
Clark lived in both Ohio and Minnesota for a few years and then in 1859, he crossed the plains with an ox team, visiting Washington, Oregon, and California. he mined gold in Idaho and after his gold fever had subsided, Clark returned to his family farm. He remained there until November 1863 and then he enlisted in Company K, 83rd Regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. He participated in the battles of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania , North Anna, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Weldon railroad, Hatcher's Run, Five Forks and Appomattox.
For Clark McAllister and the other soldiers, the Battle of Spottsylvania Courthouse was a wild melee in dark woods with every soldier trying to fight his way back to his own lines. Clark was wounded in the head, but his wound wasn't serious enough to keep him out of the Battle of the North Anna River. this battle was the high point of the 1864 overland campaign, which began with the Battle of the Wilderness and continued at Spottsylvania Courthouse. Then from May 31 to June 3, 1864, Carl fought at the Battle of Cold Harbor.
Cold harbor was General Robert E. Lee's last great victory in the field, but the Union troops advanced more deeply into Virginia. Clark and his regiment participated in the Petersburg Campaign from June 15, 1864, to April 1, 1865, and also fought in the extended Union lines to Hatcher's Run.
General Robert E. Lee and his army couldn't prevail against Clark McAllister and the Union Army. On April 2, 1865, he pulled out of Petersburg one step ahead of the Union Army and on april 6, 1865, he retreated to the Appomattox River. The last engagement that Clark McAllister took part in was Lee's surrender at Appomattox Courthouse in April 1865. Eventually he received a pension of $12 a month.
Clark married Aramina N. Ormsbee, and settled down to farm for his family. He was a faithful member of the Methodist church. His pastor, Reverend F.S. Neigh, conducted his funeral service on December 17, 1931, from his home on Sherman Street in Union City. His GAR comrades laid him to rest peacefully in Evergreen Cemetery.
Reverend James Summerton
Reverend James Summerton wrote to the Union City Times from Bethany, West Virginia on January 31, 1927. He said that he had enlisted on the U.S.S. Michigan in the summer of 1852 and that he had a canteen that he carried while marching through Georgia with General Sherman. After he left the Navy, james Summerton served with General Joseph Hooker at Look Out Mountain in 1863 and then with General Sherman up to the day Johnson surrendered on April 15, 1865.
The Time Enterprise of Monday, march 26, 1928, also printed a letter from Reverend Summerton that he wrote from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and gives some biographical information about him. He was born in 1837, and at an early age was determined to serve his country. The first time James Summerton enlisted, he left from Sharon, Pennsylvania to travel to Harrisburg on a canal boat.
At Harrisburg, Summerton was rejected because he was only 15 years old. Returning home, he soon succeeded in enlisting the Navy in the summer of 1852. He served nearly a year on the U.S.S. Michigan and then he was invalided home. After he regained his health, James again joined u p, this time with the 46th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. He traveled with Sherman on his march from Atlanta to the sea. From Lookout Mountain, his first battle, he served until Galesboro, North Carolina, at the close of the war. He fought in fourteen battles and several minor engagements.
After the war, James Summerton returned to Union City and established the first public bakery on the island in the rear of the Johnson House where the Johnson House Livery later stood. For many years he was a Methodist-Episcopal minister and served a number of pastorates in Erie and Crawford counties. He especially devoted himself to evangelical work.
For many years Reverend Summerton was a member of the G.A.R. and still cherished the old canteen which he had taken with him on his many weary marches through the South. The canteen never held anything stronger than water. Reverend Summerton said that the boys had captured quantities of apple jack on the march through Georgia and while he was in the Navy, a liquor ration of 1-2 gills was regularly served every morning. He always let the other fellow have his share. One drink of liquor and one "end" of tobacco served him all of his life.
John B. Young
John B. Young died at Union City, Pennsylvania on November 2, 1888, and was buried with honors at Evergreen Cemetery in Union City.
John was born in Blairsville, Pennsylvania on October 10, 1821. He was raised there and stayed until the outbreak of the Civil War. At the opening of the war, he was on a visit to a sister in Tennessee and was drafted and compelled to take up arms against the Union. As soon as he could he deserted the Confederate Army at the risk of his own life and enlisted in the Union Army. he served in Company B, 2nd Rgt. Kentucky Volunteers from May 12, 1861 to June 20, 1864. Sharing the hardships and sufferings with his "boys in blue" comrades until the Civil War ended, he came to LeBoeuf Township in the last part of 1865. here, he met and two years later married Miss Lola Greene. They had eight children, four boys and four girls who all survived John.
For three weeks, John B. Young had suffered from a severe cold, but thought it was nothing serious. He continued his work on a contract for a large bridge in the City of Erie which he completed. He returned home that evening and was taken much worse in the night. finally, he called a doctor and the doctor found that he was suffering from an acute attack of pneumonia in both lungs. John grew rapidly worse and died Friday, November 2,1888, at half past eight o'clock.
According to his obituary in the Union City Times, John was a kind and loving husband and father, generous to a fault, and had a host of friends who mourned his death. As a contractor, he built some of the best bridges and foundations in Erie County and always had the reputation of being square and honest in his dealings with his fellow men. Shortly before he died, John purchased a lot on Warden Street and was working hard to build a home for his family.
For Clark McAllister, the road from Union City, Pennsylvania, to Appomattox seemed as normal as drying his boots by the campfire after a day long march in the rain. Before his final bivouac in Evergreen Cemetery, he served in some of the most important campaigns of the Civil War.
His parents, David and Susan McAllister, came to Greenfield Township in 1836 from New England. Clark's brother, David, who also served in the Civil War, was born in 1825 and Clark was born on February 28, 1837. Ten other brothers and sisters completed the McAllister family.
Clark lived in both Ohio and Minnesota for a few years and then in 1859, he crossed the plains with an ox team, visiting Washington, Oregon, and California. he mined gold in Idaho and after his gold fever had subsided, Clark returned to his family farm. He remained there until November 1863 and then he enlisted in Company K, 83rd Regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. He participated in the battles of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania , North Anna, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Weldon railroad, Hatcher's Run, Five Forks and Appomattox.
For Clark McAllister and the other soldiers, the Battle of Spottsylvania Courthouse was a wild melee in dark woods with every soldier trying to fight his way back to his own lines. Clark was wounded in the head, but his wound wasn't serious enough to keep him out of the Battle of the North Anna River. this battle was the high point of the 1864 overland campaign, which began with the Battle of the Wilderness and continued at Spottsylvania Courthouse. Then from May 31 to June 3, 1864, Carl fought at the Battle of Cold Harbor.
Cold harbor was General Robert E. Lee's last great victory in the field, but the Union troops advanced more deeply into Virginia. Clark and his regiment participated in the Petersburg Campaign from June 15, 1864, to April 1, 1865, and also fought in the extended Union lines to Hatcher's Run.
General Robert E. Lee and his army couldn't prevail against Clark McAllister and the Union Army. On April 2, 1865, he pulled out of Petersburg one step ahead of the Union Army and on april 6, 1865, he retreated to the Appomattox River. The last engagement that Clark McAllister took part in was Lee's surrender at Appomattox Courthouse in April 1865. Eventually he received a pension of $12 a month.
Clark married Aramina N. Ormsbee, and settled down to farm for his family. He was a faithful member of the Methodist church. His pastor, Reverend F.S. Neigh, conducted his funeral service on December 17, 1931, from his home on Sherman Street in Union City. His GAR comrades laid him to rest peacefully in Evergreen Cemetery.
Reverend James Summerton
Reverend James Summerton wrote to the Union City Times from Bethany, West Virginia on January 31, 1927. He said that he had enlisted on the U.S.S. Michigan in the summer of 1852 and that he had a canteen that he carried while marching through Georgia with General Sherman. After he left the Navy, james Summerton served with General Joseph Hooker at Look Out Mountain in 1863 and then with General Sherman up to the day Johnson surrendered on April 15, 1865.
The Time Enterprise of Monday, march 26, 1928, also printed a letter from Reverend Summerton that he wrote from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and gives some biographical information about him. He was born in 1837, and at an early age was determined to serve his country. The first time James Summerton enlisted, he left from Sharon, Pennsylvania to travel to Harrisburg on a canal boat.
At Harrisburg, Summerton was rejected because he was only 15 years old. Returning home, he soon succeeded in enlisting the Navy in the summer of 1852. He served nearly a year on the U.S.S. Michigan and then he was invalided home. After he regained his health, James again joined u p, this time with the 46th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. He traveled with Sherman on his march from Atlanta to the sea. From Lookout Mountain, his first battle, he served until Galesboro, North Carolina, at the close of the war. He fought in fourteen battles and several minor engagements.
After the war, James Summerton returned to Union City and established the first public bakery on the island in the rear of the Johnson House where the Johnson House Livery later stood. For many years he was a Methodist-Episcopal minister and served a number of pastorates in Erie and Crawford counties. He especially devoted himself to evangelical work.
For many years Reverend Summerton was a member of the G.A.R. and still cherished the old canteen which he had taken with him on his many weary marches through the South. The canteen never held anything stronger than water. Reverend Summerton said that the boys had captured quantities of apple jack on the march through Georgia and while he was in the Navy, a liquor ration of 1-2 gills was regularly served every morning. He always let the other fellow have his share. One drink of liquor and one "end" of tobacco served him all of his life.
John B. Young
John B. Young died at Union City, Pennsylvania on November 2, 1888, and was buried with honors at Evergreen Cemetery in Union City.
John was born in Blairsville, Pennsylvania on October 10, 1821. He was raised there and stayed until the outbreak of the Civil War. At the opening of the war, he was on a visit to a sister in Tennessee and was drafted and compelled to take up arms against the Union. As soon as he could he deserted the Confederate Army at the risk of his own life and enlisted in the Union Army. he served in Company B, 2nd Rgt. Kentucky Volunteers from May 12, 1861 to June 20, 1864. Sharing the hardships and sufferings with his "boys in blue" comrades until the Civil War ended, he came to LeBoeuf Township in the last part of 1865. here, he met and two years later married Miss Lola Greene. They had eight children, four boys and four girls who all survived John.
For three weeks, John B. Young had suffered from a severe cold, but thought it was nothing serious. He continued his work on a contract for a large bridge in the City of Erie which he completed. He returned home that evening and was taken much worse in the night. finally, he called a doctor and the doctor found that he was suffering from an acute attack of pneumonia in both lungs. John grew rapidly worse and died Friday, November 2,1888, at half past eight o'clock.
According to his obituary in the Union City Times, John was a kind and loving husband and father, generous to a fault, and had a host of friends who mourned his death. As a contractor, he built some of the best bridges and foundations in Erie County and always had the reputation of being square and honest in his dealings with his fellow men. Shortly before he died, John purchased a lot on Warden Street and was working hard to build a home for his family.