Montgomery County PA Archives Biographies.....Akins, Samuel October 5, 1832 - 
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Source: Biographical Annals of Montgomery County Pennsylvania, T. S. Benham & Company and the Lewis Publishing Company, 1904
Author: Ellwood Roberts, Editor

SAMUEL AKINS, a veteran of the Rebellion, and ex-coroner of 
Montgomery county, is a native of Upper Merion township, 
where he was born October 5, 1832. At the age of one year he 
was placed with a woman by the name of Harriet Davis, 
remaining, with her until he was eleven years of age. Many 
years have passed since Mrs. Davis death, but her motherly 
care and kindness are still as fresh in Mr. Akins' memory as 
though it were yesterday.

In 1843 he went to live with Mark Brooke on a farm in Radnor 
township, Delaware county, living with him until he had 
attained the age of sixteen years, and had learned farming 
very thoroughly. He then became impressed with the idea that 
it would be well to learn a trade, and he accordingly went 
to Chatham, in Chester county, and apprenticed himself to a 
Friend named Jackson, to learn the trade of machinist. 
According to their agreement, young Akins was to have board 
and clothing until he had learned his trade. He remained 
with Friend Jackson but a short time, on account of being 
extremely homesick and lonesome. He left Chatham and 
returned to Mrs. Davis, remaining there, however, but a 
little while, when he entered the employe of David Rambo, a 
farmer in Upper Merion; staying with him until his death 
which occurred about 1850.

Being again thrown on his own resources, young Akins sought 
and obtained employment with David Roberts, also a farmer. 
He remained with Mr. Roberts two years, and then drifted 
from place to place until he entered the employ of John 
Coats, and was with him three years, driving teams. He then 
went to Philadelphia, where he was engaged in various 
capacities until 1860, mostly in the store of his 
brother-in-law, John Eppelsheimer, a dealer in leather.

In 1860 he returned to Upper Merion, working for a short 
time for William Epright, a cousin. When the war of the 
Rebellion broke out, he was engaged in lime burning in Upper 
Merion township. He was at work when the beating of the 
drums of the recruiting officers, who were filling the call 
for 75,000 volunteers for three months, attracted his 
attention. He listened a moment, and then threw down the 
tool he was using, and started for Norristown, where he at 
once enlisted in Company A, Fourth Pennsylvania Volunteer 
Infantry, Captain William J. Bolton's Company, of Colonel 
John Frederick Hartranft's regiment.
 
On the 16th of April, 1861, the company started for 
Harrisburg. On its arrival at the state capital, he was 
mustered into the United States service for three months. 
This was on April 20.

The regiment was at Camp Curtin, near Harrisburg, for a few 
days, and then went to Washington by way of Philadelphia, 
Perryville and Annapolis, Maryland. At the last-named place, 
the regiment lay two weeks, and then went on to Washington, 
being quartered for a time in a Congregational church. From 
the church the men went to Camp Montgomery, and from there 
to Centreville. At Wapping's Heights Mr. Akins saw his first 
skirmish. The time of the regiment having expired, the men 
went back to Washington, were then sent to Harrisburg, and 
there mustered out of the service of the United States in 
July, 1861.

Mr. Akins had an attack of typhoid fever about the time of 
his being mustered out of service, and was sick for some 
weeks. On his recovery he obtained employment on a farm, 
remaining with his employer until August 8, 1862, when he 
enlisted in Company C, One Hundred and Thirty-eighth 
Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Captain George W. 
Guss, commanding the company, and Colonel Simewalt 
commanding the regiment. On the 20th of August, the regiment 
was mustered into the United States service. The regiment 
encamped at Harrisburg for a short time, and then went to 
the Relay House, near Baltimore, where they were camped 
nearly a year, guarding the Baltimore and Washington 
Railroad, his company being at a place called Dorsey's 
Switch.

In July, 1863, the regiment joined the Army of the Potomac 
at Maryland Heights, and after two weeks, marched to 
Washington, and were there but an hour or two when they 
boarded a car and went to Monoca, Virginia. They were in 
different skirmishes with the Army of the Potomac, being 
under fire in their first battle at Locust Grove.

During the winter of 1863-4 Mr. Akins was with his regiment 
at Brandywine Station, and in May, 1864, accompanied the 
Army of the Potomac on the Wilderness campaign. He was in 
the battle of the Wilderness on May 5, and the next day in 
making a charge, he was wounded in the left arm by a minie 
ball. He was taken back to Washington and placed in Douglass 
Hospital. On the 28th of June his arm was amputated some 
distance above the wrist, and in August following he was 
transferred to Philadelphia Hospital, at Twenty-fourth and 
South streets, After his recovery he did light duty about 
the hospital until he was transferred to a similar 
institution at Chester, Pennsylvania, where he remained 
until May 30, 1865, when he was mustered out of the United 
States service, the war being over.

Mr. Akins then returned to Montgomery county and secured 
employment in the Philadelphia and Reading Railway as a 
signal man. He was located at the signal tower at Spring 
Mill. He remained in this position for six years and a half, 
leaving it to accept an appointment as policeman for the 
borough of Bridgeport. He was the first police officer in 
Bridgeport, and received a better salary than in the 
position of signalman. Having been on the police force two 
years, in 1874 he engaged in huckstering. 

In 1876 he went to Kansas for a short time. On his return he 
was tax collector for nine years for Bridgeport. He was 
elected coroner of Montgomery county in the early eighties, 
and re-elected on the Republican ticket, serving six years 
very acceptably. He was also constable for four years. For 
many years he has been a delegate to Republican county 
conventions. He has also been judge of elections twice, 
having been appointed by the Court on one occasion. He is a 
member of Zook Post No. 11, Grand Army of the Republic, 
Norristown, and has been for many years, having been its 
sergeant major, and a trustee for many years. He has also 
been on the grave-marking committee.

In the army Mr. Akins was a corporal, and was appointed to 
the position of color sergeant. He was carrying the flag 
when he was shot down. He has been a member of the Ancient 
Order of United Workmen for over twenty years. He is a 
member of the Baptist church.
 
In September, 1865, he married Hannah Lyle, daughter of 
Charles Lyle, and they had two children: Harry W. Akins, who 
is now clerk of courts of Montgomery county, who married 
Miss Mary Taylor, and Mary Elizabeth, married Abraham 
Prince. Mrs. Hannah Akins having died, Mr. Akins married 
(second wife) Mrs. Isabella Campbell, daughter of William 
and Elizabeth (Lindsay) Brown. She is a native of Scotland, 
having come to America in July, 1855, with four sisters and 
one brother, and located in Montgomery county. By her first 
husband she had two daughters: Sarah E. and Annie B., who 
are unmarried, and employed as matrons in the Williamson 
Trades School, in Delaware county. She has also two children 
by the marriage with Mr. Akins: Alice A; and William S.

William Brown (Mrs. Akins father) was born in Ayrshire, 
Scotland, in the town of Nucunic, where his ancestors had 
resided for many generations. They were farmers, and at one 
time the owners of a valuable estate known as Launfeen, 
located near a town called Darble. They are Scotch 
Presbyterians of the old-fashioned faith, and endeavored to 
live up to it. Their children: William, Agnes, John, James, 
Ann, Hugh, Jane, Elizabeth, Isabella, and Maggie; of whom 
Agnes, John, William, James, Hugh and Elizabeth are 
deceased. All the survivors now live in America. Mr. Akins' 
father served in the Mexican and Indian wars.

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