The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-03-31

dress in which he recited the military y
record of the deceased.
Tobias Yoder was born in Shade town
ship in ls27 and was past seventy years
of age at the time of his death. He was a
thoroughly upright, conscientious, chris
tian man and was highly esteemed by all
who knew him. He was an uncompro-
missing member of the Republican party
and an ardent admirer of President Nc
Kinley. Prior TO the election las, fall he
erected a campaign pole near his resi-
dence from which floated the stars and
stripes. The last time he run the flag pp
was OH the morning of McKinley's in
auguratiOu.
He is survived by his wife and eleven
children, as follows: Henry H., of
Brothersvalley township; Mrs. F. b.
Colborn, of Bayard, w. Va; Jacob, of
Columbus, o.; Mrs. John Fisher, of Gar
rett; George, Of Bayard, w. Va; Milton,
OF Somerset township; Mrs. Emma Bar
kett, of Somerset; Grant, OF Waterloo,
To-: Francis, of Somerset township; Sus-
an and Nina, who are unmarried and
live at home.
Tobias Yoder was one of four brothers,
at the outbreak of the war. John was
killed in the army and Henry died from
disease contracted in the service. Moses
resides in Stonycreek township.
| In addition TO the wounds sustained in
the war Mr.. Eoder subsequently met
with mishaps that would have killed
an ordinary man. On one occasion he
was run over by hand car on the ;. *
c. Il. r., aud when examined by a ply
sician it was found that four or five of
his ribs had been broken. On another
occasion a coal mine in which he was
working caved in, killing dog lying by
his side and requiring Herculenian eff
forts on his part to remove the slate and
earth under which he was embedded.
The following record of Mr.. Yoder's
| military career was compiled for the
J Waterloo Daily Courier.
Tobias Yoder had an army record
equaled by few soldiers and survived
wounds which not one man in many
thousands could have lived through.
Prior to the rebellion he was noted as an
athlete and was the champion wrestler of
Somerset county. His parents owned
timber farm of over two hundred acres
which was cleared in part by the Yoder
boys and welding the AK, together with
the rough life of woodsman developed
the muscles of the sturdy Tobias and fit
ted him for the terrible ordeal which
destiny had in store for him. When he
was examined for enlistment the sur
geon's record shows that his chest meas
urement was i2 inches over the bare skin.
No more perfect specimen of physical
manhood or braver warrior ever should
cred a musket. Tobias was "a years of
age when tine war broke out, and, inn
bued with the fire of patriotism he enlist
ed in the frst company raised in Somer-
| set county, Company a, 10Th Pa, Re
serves, which was recruited by General
Koontz-
His regiment marched under McClel-
lan's banner in the ill-fated peninsular
campaign against Richmond and it was
at New Market Cross Roads, in front of
Richmond, on the afternoon of June 80,
1862, that Yoder received wounds which
would have instantly killed an ordinary
mortal. His company had been in the
thick of the fight tor several hours, and
was ordered back short distance to
some timber to clean their guns and re-
ceive a fresh supply of ammunition.
Prior to this the buckle had been shot
from Yoder's cap, and a portion of the
skirt of his coat had been carried away
by fragment of shell. A number of the
company had been killed or wounded,
but the balance after filling their car
fridge boxes went forward again. Mean
while the rebels changed position and the
brave Pennsylvanians march into a veri-
table death trap. They were subjected
10 a cross fire from rebel regiments be-
longing to Jackson's and Hills corps and
Yoder was the recipient of seven bullets
which struck him in less time than
man could count five'' to use his own
language. He did not fall but two COM
ra les started for the rear with him. The
Confederates charged and he told his
comrades to lay down and save them
through his lungs, one crushing the left
shoulder blade, and causing the blood to
squirt from his mouth. Two struck him
in the side, one lodging under the hip
bone and the other close to his spine near
his kidneys; these two balls passed
through rubber blanket which he car
ried in a roll diagonally across his waist,
which checked their force, otherwise
they would have gone clear through his
body and caused speedy death. The
other three bullets made bad wounds.
The tide of battle passed over him and
McClellan's retreat left him in Confeder-
ate hands. The rebels cared for their
own wounded first, occasionally giving
Yoder a drink of water from a brook
which ran near by and tossing him a
corn pone when he asked for something
To eat. He lay thus without attention or
shelter until the afternoon of the third
day when a four horse team and large
wagon drove up within about twenty
feet of him. Two big, strapping john
nies climbed down and asked Yoder if he
could get into the wagon wit hout assist
ance. I'm little stiff," was his reply.
"but guess / can make 1t if you give me
time" lie had raised himself up on one
knee but wasn't quite lively enough to
suit the fellows. They grasped him by
the collar and legs "and pitched me into
the wagon like hog" said Yoder in re-
lating the story. 81 landed pretty hard,
bat il didn't hurt me much and aside
from the cords in my left arm drawing
had suffered no inconvenience"
He was incarcerated in Libby prison
and refused medical attention by his
capt9rs. Several Union surgeons were
in Libby at that time, but they had no
instruments or supplies ofany character
to dress his wounds with. The most he
feared was that the maggots would get
into the wounds which were suppurating.
Noticing a hogshead of tobacco on the
sidewalk near the apartment in which he
was confined, he conceived the idea OF
drawing a supply of this through the win
dow by aid ola window stop which he
loosened and which had small nail in
one end. He managed to secure enough
Tobacco to successfully plug up the holes
in his body. but the then was discovered
and he was reported by one ofthe guards.
For this .'offease'' he was placed in soli