Military: Mexican War: Fayette Co, PA

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The Mexican War, Ellis History of Fayette Co p 189

The county of Fayette furnished to the United service in the Mexican war
one full company of volunteers, raised and commanded by Capt (afterward
colonel) William B Roberts, and a large number of men who enlisted in the
company of Capt P N Gutherie, both of which commands performed good service
on several of the battle fields of that war.
The first company mentioned was formed and organized in the fall of 1846,
and named the Fayette County Volunteers.  It left the county of the 2nd of
January, 1847, for Pittsburgh where it was mustered into service on the 4th
of the same month and designated Company "H" of the Second Regiment of
Pennsylvania Volunteers. The first commander of the company was, as has
been stated, Capt Roberts, with William Quail as first lieutenant; but Capt
Roberts was soon after promoted to the colonelcy of the regiment and Lieut
Quail became captain of "H" Company. The roll of the company as mustered is
given below, viz:

Captain William B Roberts

First Lieutenant William Quail

Second Lieutenant Stewart Speer

First Sergeant David Forrey

Second Sergeant Absalom Guiler

Third Sergeant Edmund Rine

Fourth Sergeant Richard Irwin

First Corporal Henry N Stillwagen

Second Corporal Peter A Johns

Third Corporal John Crawford

Fourth Corporal James P Downer

Drummer Daniel Jarrett

Fifer Caleb Crossland

PRIVATES

Matthew Allen

Ephraim Abercrombie

Zephaniah E Barnes

John Bishop

Noah Bird

Alexander Baine

William C Bayes

Edmund Beeson

David Bedker

Henry Bradford

Henry Bryan

Cyrus L Conner

Harvey Chipps

Samuel Coinworthy

Hiram Downer

George Ducket

John Davis (1)

John Davis

Henry Fowg

Benjamin F Frey

William Freeman

John W B Fetter

Wilson Fee

Beeson Gardner

John H Gibson

James Gordon

Eli M Gregg

John Gillis

Elijah Gadd

Daniel Hardesty

James Hutchinson

Henderson Harvey

John Hutchinson

Henderson Harvey

John Hutchinson (1)

Samuel Hyde

Daniel Hazard

Alexander Hood

Hezekiah Inks

Oliver E Jones

Jackson Kilpatrick

John P Kilpatrick

John King

Samuel Morgan

William Moore

John Mitz

Thomas McBride

John Mustard

Cornelius McMicheal

William Mendenhall

Thomas Motes

William F Nicholson

Albert G Nicholson

Jacob Orwin

Samuel Page

John Pollock

Joseph Roody

Henry Rist

William Shaw

Jesse Smith

Vincent Seals

Evans Shriver

Martin S Stanly

Benjamin Stevens

John Sutton

Solomon Shaw

David Silvey

John W Skiles

John Stillwell

David R Shaw

James Shaw

James Turner (1)

William Turner

Isaac Woolverton

James F Ward

Josiah W Winders

Joseph Widdoes

Hugh Walker

Charles Yeaman

William West

The Second Regiment, of which the Fayette Volunteers formed a part,
proceeded by way of New Orleans to Mexico, and landed at Lobos Island, near
Vera Cruz, which was invested by the American forces and fleet.  The
regiment entered the city after its surrender, and moved thence to the
interior by way of Puebla and Perote, being assigned to Quitman's division.
During its term of service it took part in the engagements of Tobasco,
Cerro Gordo, Contreras, Cherubusco, San Pascual, and at the storming of the
Belen Gate (footnote: In the assault on the Belen Gate, Sept 10, 1847,
Josiah W Winders of the Fayette company was mortally wounded. He was
attended in his last moments by Cyrus L Conner, who promised him that his
body should be sent home, and afterwards faithfully kept the promise. The
names of others who fell in that assault have not been ascertained.) and it
was the first regiment to enter within the walls of the capital. Afterwards
it was moved to San Angel.
    Col Roberts died of disease in the city of Mexico, on the 3rd of October,
1847, and the command of the regiment was assumed by Lieutenant-Colonel
John W Geary, afterwards Governor of Pennsylvania. The body of the dead
colonel was embalmed, and with that of Lieutenant John Sturgeon of the
Fayette County company, was sent back to Uniontown, where the remains were
received with every demonstration of sorrow and respect.  The funeral
procession was escorted by the "Union Volunteers" and the "Fayette
Cavalry," Capt James Gilmore. The committee of arrangements (chosen at a
public meeting held for that purpose at Uniontown on the 8th of December)
was composed of Gen H W Beeson (chairman), John Irons, John M Austin, Dr J
Patrick, Armstrong Hadden, E P Oliphant, Dr Smith Fuller, Daniel Kaine, and
William Wells.  The gentlemen forming the committee of escort were Everhart
Bierer (chairman), Col Robert Patterson, Amzi Fuller, Robert S Henderson, M
W Irwin, William T Roberts, John Huston, Hugh Graham, John L Dawson,
William C Stevens, W R Turner, S D Oliphant, John D Scott, Dr R M Walker,
Henry Barkman, William Bailey, D H Phillips, E B Dawson, William Redick,
and John Bierer. The remains of Col Roberts were interred in the Methodist
graveyard in the borough of Uniontown, and a neat marble monument has been
erected over his grave.