Sixty Three men from Allentown served in the Civil War
in many different Regiments. This is a list taken from the Allentown Messenger, Sept. 1,
1904.
William Broomell, Apollo M. Bruere, Edward H. Ely, Francis Gelsinger, George
Hendrickson, Charles Joseph Shubert, Gilbert S. Johnson, Samuel Flock, Albert Nutt,
Jacob Ralph Sr., Jacob Ralph Jr., Abram Ralph, William E. B. Miller, George Hohl, Peter
Thomas, William Thomas, Dennis Ryan, Rulif Johnson, James Woby, Stacy Woby,
Samuel Sanders, Aaron Sanders, Karney Sanders, Joseph Dillon, Charles Marcus, Samuel
Woby, Jeremiah Johnson, Charles Dennis, Joseph Woby, Henry Quay, James Washington,
John Taylor Sr., Johnson Lutes, Josiah B. Holman, Thomas Har, Wilson Merrick, Edward
Southwick, E. Colin Johnson, Samuel Byard, Martin Worth, George Ashby, and Samuel
Moyer.
The colored men of the 22nd Regiment saw the hardest service during the siege of
Petersburg, VA, where all of the Sanders brothers were killed and James Woby was
wounded. The 22nd was also involved in the pursuit of John Wilkes Booth after Lincoln’s
assassination. At times they could plainly see the imprint of his crutch in his trail. Josiah
Holman of the 35th was a part of General Sherman’s march from Atlanta to the sea.
Charles Dennis escaped death at Fort Pillow, Tennessee, when it was captured by General
Forrest, whose troops massacred nearly the entire garrison.
Most of the Allentown area
men served in the 11th and 14th Infantry. Throughout many issues in the early 1900’s,
there were obituaries and many little stories about the veterans. We find mention of
Captain Theodore Stagg. Parker Borden, Joseph N. Hankins and Moses Applegate. 34
Allentown men served in the 11th.
From the 14th we find John W. Long, William A.
Parker and Henry Hankins; William H. Moore and Fuller B. Errickson from the 9th; also
William Perry and Thomas Dickson. There is mention of relatives of Allentown residents
such as Timothy Webster, husband of Charlotte, who was one of President Lincoln’s body
guards, and who was caught and hanged by the rebels while on scout duty.
Allentown
was greatly affected by the Civil War. Its after shock reverberates long into the 20th
century, as proved by the frequent writings in the Allentown Messenger.