Still More Union City Civil War Veterans
John James Johnson
John James Johnson, son of Titus and Mary a. Johnson, was born February 2, 1846, near Union City, Pennsylvania.
He enlisted in the Navy on January 22, 1864, and served on the General Burnside, 11th Division, Mississippi Squadron. He was discharged on June 23, 1865.
At the end of the Civil War, John returned to Union City, and later he went to Stockton, New York, where he married Louisa A. Barber. They had eight children. AFter Louisa died, John married Rosetta Gibbons of Singer Lake, Pennsylvania and they had a daughter. A third wife, Mrs. Eliza Mosher, survived him.
John died at the home of his daughter Rose B. Maynard, 49 Miles Street, in Union City on Tuesday, April 26, 1932, at the age of 86 years. He was of a loving disposition, a good neighbor, ever ready to help. He was a member of the Methodist Church and Reverend F.S. Neigh officiated at his burial in Evergreen Cemetery.
Jacob Kamerer
Jacob K. Kamerer was born in Wertemburg, Germany, on April 4, 1839. After coming to the United States with his parents, Jacob learned the carpenter's trade which he followed for several years. He then became involved in the oil business for several yeas, but finally entered the lumber trade and following the lumber trade successfully.
He lived in Union City for thirty five years and had always been regarded as one of the most u upright and highly respected citizens. He was elected mayor twice and elected to the council and the school board several times. In his public business he always worked zealously for the upbuilding of Union City for the best interests of all her people.
During the Civil War, Jacob served the Union as a soldier in the Army and also served in the Grand Army of the Republic, being one of its most active members.
On August 4, 1864, he married Miss Eliza M. Johnson, and they had three children, two of them surviving until adulthood. They were Fred J. Kamerer, and Mrs. Grow G. Kellogg, both of Union City. His wife died on April 25, 1874, and on December 28, 1874, he married Miss Margaret H. McIntyre who survived him. They had one son, S. Ed. Kamerer. he died in January 1901, and his funeral was held from the Baptist Church in Union City.
Cyrus M. King
Cyrus M. King was a farmer in Union Township, an honored member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and a firm Republican.
He was born in Chautauqua County, New York, on May 20, 1837. A son of Jasper and Betsey Pickett King of Vermont. He was a grandson of the Revolutionary War hero, General E. Pickett. His grandfather on his father's side was Thomas King who served in the War of 1812.
When Cyrus was 21, he went to war, enlisting in Company G, 169th Regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteers on September 16, 1862. His first battle was at Yorktown, Virginia, under General McClellan. After that he went to Gettysburg on July 1-3, 1863, and was wounded when a bullet struck him in the breast near his heart. He had a euchre deck, a book of poems, some letters and a picture in his breast pocket. These items probably saved his life for they were perforated by and stopped the force of the bullet, which would have otherwise passed through his body.
His next battle was at Southside Railroad where he was wounded in the hip by a minnie ball. Although seriously wounded, he wouldn't go into a hospital because he preferred the camp and battle field to hospital life.
His next battle was the battle of Petersburg which he came out of unwounded. After that, his term of enlistment expired and he came home. After twenty days of peace, he again took up arms on September 5, 1864. This time he enlisted in Company B, 98th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. He was promoted to sergeant of his company and participated in many battles. One time after he had given orders to ten posts under him and he was passing between them on the way back to his tent. A shot fired by a rebel guerrilla hit him. The ball struck the front piece of his cap and ploughed a furrow across the top of his head, inflicting a scalp wound. He was at Richmond when Lee surrendered.
When the Civil War ended, Cyrus came home and took up farming which he did for the rest of his life. He married Harriet Cowden on September 29, 1864, and they had four children.
Edgar B. Lamphier
Edgar B. Lamphier, one of the best known and most highly respected citizens of Union City, died in January 1911. As befitted a Civil War veteran, he was buried in Evergreen Cemetery with the help of the Colonel John W. McLane Post 102, Grand Army of the Republic.
One of a family of seven children, Edgar was born in Poultney, New York, on September 3, 1846. After being educated at common schools, he became a skillful woodworker, following in the footsteps of his father who was a master carpenter.
He lived at home until the Civil War broke out. On September 12, 1862, he enlisted at Plattsburgh, New York, in the 26th New York Battery and served his full term of three years. He was in many engagements in Alabama during his enlistment, including Cane River, Spanish Fort, Avanelles Prairie, and Fort Blakely.
Edgar was honorably discharged from the army on September 12, 1865, at New Orleans. He came directly to the home of his sister, Mrs. L.H. McLean of Union City.
On August 26, 1871, he married Miss Phoebe Moris Gillett, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William A. Gillett, and they set up housekeeping on Fourth Avenue in Union City. They had two daughters. For several years Edgar worked as a wagon maker and had shops on both Willow and Crooked Streets. For twenty years he served as assessor for the entire Borough of Union City until it was divided into two wards. Then he served as assessor of the Second Ward.
In April 1878, an item in the Union City Times noted that E.B. Lamphier had been appointed to make sure that soldiers buried in Union City cemeteries who had no headstones for their graves would get them. Congress had passed a law requiring that headstones be put over the graves of soldiers of the regular and volunteer forces of the United States and also of those who were buried in village and private cemeteries. Edgar Lamphier faithfully carried out his trust, and many Union City veterans had headstones over their graves because of his efforts.
George F. Laubender
George F. Laubender of Union City had an interesting Civil War assignment. He was a member of the Independent Union Light Guards, a body of cavalry raised by David Tod, the war governor of Ohio. The Guard was formed of picked men, one hundred in numbers, with each county in Ohio furnishing one man over six feet in height who had already been in the service.
These especially picked men were detached as President Lincoln's body guard. The Light Guards were formed in 1863, and and mounted on black horses, made up a magnificent body of men. In December of 1863, they went to Washington and remained there on duty until September 1865.
Joseph Layton
Joseph Layton, a veteran of the Civil War, made his home with Frank Collins, west of Union City, for several years. Joseph died Sunday, December 17, 1899. He was buried in Evergreen Cemetery.
Samuel Lord
Samuel P. Lord, Civil War veteran and farmer, was born in Richmond Township on April 26, 1847, in Crawford County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Zalmon and Maria Mansfield Lord. His mother was a native of Fairfield County, Connecticut. Zalmon was born in 1792, and in 1814, came to Pennsylvania, setting in Richmond Township where he farmed until his death. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, and his father Gould Lord, Samuel's grandfather, served in the Revolutionary War.
Samuel was raised and educated in Richmond Township, and when he was only 16 years old, he ran away and enlisted in the Union Army on March 31, 1864. He served in Company B of the 12th Pennsylvania Cavalry, under the command of Captain Daniel B. Lewis. His first introduction to battle happened at Strasburg, West Virginia, then at Lynchburg and then Charleston, West Virginia.
At Charleston, Samuel's horse was shot and fell across his body, causing him serious injuries. He was then taken prisoner by Mosby's men and sent to Lynchburg, Virginia, as a prisoner. Here he was kept for three weeks and then transferred to Libby.
On July 27, 1864, Samuel was sent to Andersonville where he was kept until october when he was transferred to Savannah, Georgia. From there he was sent to Millen, where he remained until December 20, 1864, when he escaped. The sick were to be paroled on a certain date and a comrade of Samuel's was among those listed, but he died during the night. Samuel assumed his name and place and succeeded in making his escape. He went to Savannah where he was put aboard the United States Hospital boat Atlantic, far more dead than alive from exposure and torture.
Next, Samuel was taken to Annapolis, Maryland, to the Naval School Hospital where he was under treatment for three weeks. He then came home on furlough and remained for sixty days. Joining his regiment on February 23, 1865, Samuel participated in the Battles of Front Royal and Hamilton. He was mustered out of the service on June 28, 1865 by general order of the War Department.
After the Civil War, Samuel returned to his home in Crawford County and lived there until 1871 when he came to Union Township. In 1881, he purchased his farm which consisted of 50 acres of well cultivated land near the Philadelphia & Erie Railroad between Union City and Elgin.
Samuel was married on April 2, 1866, to Miss Fanny E. Knickerbocker. They had 16 children.