Eli Crumrine American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming Annals of Wyoming, Vol. 58, p. 13, 1986       One effect of the Civil War, an unbelievably bloody affair,  is that it gave soldiers the opportunity to experience lands and peoples with whom they would otherwise have been unfamiliar. The men in the 85th Pennsylvania, for example, traveled across the south from Virginia to Georgia and back. If they survived, they came home more worldly (and perhaps haunted) than they otherwise would have been because of this experience.   &n ..read more

  Lieutenant John W. Acheson The Progessive Men of the Commonwealth of PA, Vol. 1, 1900, p. 269          Lieutenant John Wishart Acheson was an ambitious, intelligent and courageous soldier. He survived the war but died shortly afterwards at the young age of 34. Nonetheless, the accomplishments of Acheson and his brothers as a members of various Union regiments are noteworthy.       Lieutenant John Wishart Acheson of the 85th PA was the first son of Judge Alexander Wilson Acheson, a prominent member of the Little Washington  ..read more

  LOC       During the Civil War, Colonel Joshua Blackwood Howell had several personal assistants who attended to his needs in the field. Some were military personnel, like his aide, Lieutenant George A. Edson of the First Massachusetts Cavalry. Edson was with Howell in the summer of 1863 on Morris Island, near Charleston, South Carolina, when a Confederate shell scored a direct hit on the bombproof from which Howell was directing trench-digging operations. Howell was knocked unconscious and buried under a pile of rubble. Edson immediately pulled Howell out from u ..read more

Milton B. Chase of Company E, 85th PA Courtesy of Sherry (Chase) Reinhardt    When the war began, the 85th had a number of reliable chroniclers whose writings became valuable primary source material in telling the story of their regiment. For example, Lieutenant Colonel Henry A. Purviance was part-owner of the Washington (PA) Tribune and Reporter and wrote half a dozen lengthy letters that were published in his own newspaper.     Likewise, Private Robert Roddy was the brother of Edward Roddy, who owned the Genius of Liberty newspaper in Uniontown. Roddy's le ..read more

  Captain Lewis Watkins of the 85th Pennsylvania Property of Ronn Palm Museum of Civil War Images Gettysburg, PA         A few years ago, I started a virtual cemetery on findagrave.com for those men who served in the 85th Pennsylvania infantry during the Civil War. Whenever I visit southwestern Pennsylvania, I try to visit a cemetery or two in search of more gravesites for members of the regiment. I want to point out that almost all of this work has already been done by intrepid genealogy lovers who have photographed and cataloged a high percentage of cemeter ..read more

   As mentioned in my previous post, I am going to conduct a series of Book Talks around southwestern Pennsylvania in June to promote my history of the 85th Pennsylvania regiment in the Civil War. The men from this regiment hailed from the counties of Greene, Washington, Fayette and Somserset.     The dates are as follows: June 13       Amwell, Washington County June 14       Waynesburg, Greene County June 15       California, Washington County June 16       Connellsville, Fayette County   ..read more

 I have scheduled four speaking engagements in the middle of June to talk about my history of the 85th Pennsylvania regiment. The books will be available for a discount. These events are listed on my speaking/page on this blog. More information will be available soon. Thanks ..read more

 Here is a facebook page that has a link to a full review of my book about the 85th Pennsylvania entitled, "Such Hard and Severe Service." It is written by Brett Schulte, who has a comprehensive website about the Petersburg, VA front during the Civil War. https://www.facebook.com/PetersburgSiege/posts/5080833068648446 ..read more

 It's ready! Volume II of my history of the 85th Pennsylvania regiment is available for sale at the following: https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/dan-clendaniel/such-hard-and-severe-service-the-85th-pennsylvania-in-the-civil-war-volume-ii-1864-1865/paperback/product-v78kge.html?page=1&pageSize=4 This volume picks up the story of the 85th PA at the beginning of 1864. They are stationed on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina for basically a few months of R & R. Then in the spring it's back to the war in Virginia in the Bermuda Hundred. This is followed by the Appomattox Camp ..read more

Pittsburgh Press 12-23-1894   P.16           Several members of the 85th Pennsylvania regiment had highly successful careers following the war. Captain Robert P. Hughes of Little Washington, who enlisted as a private, rose the rank of major general in the army. Entrepreneur Norman Bruce Ream from Somerset County became one of the wealthiest men in the country. Edward Campbell became a judge in Uniontown, Fayette County.          Another member of the regiment who prospered was Sergeant George Sisson Fulmer of Company D, who ..read more