The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-03-02
GENERAL JAMES A. BEAVER
Statesman, LAWYER aud Soldier.
(Phlladephia Press.l

philadelphia PressO
THAT wasone of the finest exhibit.
tions of sl0irmish line manoeuver and
fighting i ever saw"
Thus spoke General Warren, the old
commander of the Fifth Corps, of
Colonel of a Pennsylvania Regiment,
young In years, who was giving evil
dance of his military ability and cour-
age while commanding the skirmish
line at Auburn Hill the read opening
to the battle of Bristow Station. This
young man had even then remark
able record as q soldier, but II grew
stronger and brighter as the war clouds
| thickened aud the clash of arms filled
the land with their terrible realities.
The soldier thus complimcnted is II
descendant of distinctively Pennsyl
vauia Dutch family. Not long after
| William Pean made his friendly treaty
! with the Indians, and laid the founda-
| tion of this great commonwealth, his
| ancestors emigrated from Alsace to
seek their fortunes on the new Con-
! tinent. They settled ian what is now
| Chester County, and for more than five
| generations have added strong men
and women to the sturdy population
of the Keystone State.
He seems to have inherited military
liking from his ancestory, some of
whom were soldiers i'm the early In
dian war. His great grandfather served
| i'm the Revolutionary war, and was n
| member of Captain Church's company
of famous Mad Anthony Wayne's reg
iment. After the struggles of the Rev
olution resulted in liberty for the Coli
onies, he settled in Franklin County
and married Miss Keefer, a COM
lsa'l, tS,tn n,xf l,ss INI
| i'm Lebanon County and raised fam
| ily, one son of which took up his
residence in Millerstown, Perry
County, on the banks of the Juniata,
and following the family bent went to
merchandising.
GENERAL Beavers EARLY LIFE.
James A. Beaver. his son was born
at Millerstown, October 21, 1897, and
| is consequently in his forty-fifth year.
His father died when he was only
three years of age, and he was brought
up by his grandfather, who lived in
Miffiin County. He laid the founda-
tiCn of his education in the common
schools of his native place and of Milf
fin, and under the tuition of his
grandfather, who was a minister. He
was sent TO Jefferson College at
Cannonsburg, Washington County, to
complete his education, when about
sixteen years of age, He graduated
with honors from that institution on
the 9th of August, 1856, when nine
teen years old, and almost Immediately
removed to Bellefonte, where he now
resides, to fit himself for the legal pro-
fession. He began the study of law
with Hon. H. y. McAllister, one OF
| Al liSti tn.. ~
Central PENNSYLVANIA, who died while
n member of the convention which
formed the present Constitution OF
this State. Almost from the moment
when young Beaver came to Centre
County he began taking an active part
in the politics and society of that
section. He was admitted to the ban
when barely twenty-one years of age
and SO rapidly had he developed into
a lawyer that Mr.. McAllister ut one,
took him into partnership, n business
connection which continued until the
death of the latter. While studying
law, young Beaver showed great taste
for military life and study, and Joined
the BellefOnte Fencibles, a crack mill
tary company, commanded by An
drew G Curtin, the famous war Gov
ernor. He soon showed great prof
cheney in drill, ready knowledge o
tactics, and was chosen Second Lieu
tenant of the company. When tn,
war broke out he still held that posi-
tion. The first gun of the Rebellion
. had hardly been fired when meet
ing was called and it was agreed tha
the officers shold resign their com
missions and that the company should
) be recruited for active service in the
: | tn lott
, positions of officers and men. AS i
by magic the ranks of q new COMPANY
were filled ana Beaver chosen it,
First Lieutenant.
IN THE WAR FOR TIE UNION.
: Mr. Curtin had then been elected
: Governor, and the First Lieutenan
= of the old company was chosen cap
tain of the new organization. 1t wa
assigned to the Second Pennsylvani,
Infantry as Company H and served a
: such during the first three months
; campaign. The regiment become
, part of General Robert Patterson
command and marched into Shenan
doah Valley before the battle of Bul
I Run. 1t was near enough to tin
. skirmish at Falling Waters, one of tn,
, first engagements of the war, to hea
the shrek of shell but not to smell
powder.
e After the three months campaign
8 Lieutenant Beaver united with Lieu
tenant-C Colonel Thomas Welsh, O
Columbia, Pennsylvania Infantry,
full three years regiment. Welsh be
f came its Colonel and Beaver its Lieu
tenant-Colonel. This command wa
ordered into South Carolina, and di,
service at Beaufort and Hilton HeaC
for nearly year. During this tim
Pennsylvania was pouring its troop
: into the field as no other State i'm tin
Union was. During August of 1856
nearly n full regiment was raised II
Centre county, and when that wa
: about ready for the field Lieutenant
Colonel Beaver was requested to be
come It's commanding officer. He re
signed on the 4th of September, 1862
, and reached Harrisburg on the 6tl
and took command of his new regi
ment (the One Hundred and Forty
E eighth on the same day without evel
, going to his home. armed and equip
ped 1T in two days, and on the Stl
marched along the line of the North
ern Central Railroad to do guard dut,
This was during the Antietam cam
> paign and the COnfederates wer
making desperate efforts to get a foo
hold on northern soil, and to destrO,
the Northern Central Railroad leading
e into Baltimore, one of the importan
, links in the line of communication
between the North and its base O
military operations at Washington.
: From the timp Colon al Ranvar lac