The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1905-10-19

placed by that of stepfather, a min
lister of the Gospel and cultivated
"cholar Gen. Beaver ascribes what
ever success has come to him in life to
the training of his loving, wise. high
minded mother and the painstaking
care Of his stepfather. Young Beaver
graduated with honor in 1856 from
Jefferson College before he had reached
his 18th year. This was much distinc-
ton, for the class was an unusually
able one, and large number of its
members have attained distinction in
many walks of life. Young Beaver
studied law, was admitted to the bar,
and entered upon it's practice at Belle
fonte, Pa. With all the soldier blood
in him he naturally took an interest in
military matters. He foresaw the COM
ing struggle and began to prepare for
1t by enlisting in the Bellefonte Fenci-
bles, commanded by Capt. Andrew G..
sylvania's War Governor. Beaver en-
tered upon this. as he did upon every
other effort in life, with the greatest
earnestness and thoreughness. and So
perfected himself in drill and discipline
that at the first vacancy he was elected
which position he held when the war
opened. The Bellefonte Fencibles
promptly offered their services upon
the firing upon Fort Sumter and were
among the first troops to be accepted.
They became Co. II of the I'd Pa, and
reached Cockysville, Md, early on the
morning Of April %, 1861, where a
progress. The regiment was sent to
Gen. Patterson's columns in the Shen-
andoah Valley. and remained there un-
til it's time expired. Lieut.. Beaver was
no sooner out OF the service than he
assisted In raising the 4Sth Pa, Of
which he became Lieutenant-Colonel.
The regiment was part OF Gen.. T. w.
Sherman's Port Royal Expedition, and
did hard, perilous service in the cam
paigns on the sea coast and particularly
In the siege and capture OF Fort Pull
ask. During most Of this time Lieut.
Col. Beaver was in command Of q de-
tachment Of the regiment, and acquired
so much credit that when the second
call for troops came and Center County,
Pa, raised a regiment as its share,
there was strong demand that Beaver
should be assigned to 1t as Colonel
The War Department was adverse to
transferring officers from regiments in
County and the Captains Of the COM
panies and the recommendations Of
Gov Curtin were so strong that the
War Department yielded, and Beaver
became Colonel of the 148th Pa. For
three months this regiment guarded
INC NOTlneFH central ftdllTOdQ, WIN
headquarters at Cockysville, during
which time Col. Beaver drilled and dis
ciplined it with untiring industry in or
der to prepare it for it's great work in
the field. His discipline was rigid but
unfailngly uniform and just, so that
1t was quickly accepted by everyone
Such was the rapid Improvement that
the men soon had the satisfaction of
being mistaken for Regulars. In De-
cember, 1862, the 148th Pa. was or
dered to report to Gen. Hancock, and
upon doing so Col. Beaver requested to
be assigned to some veteran brigade
where his regiment would become sea-
soned in the shortest time for serv-
ice. It was assigned to the First Bril-
gade, First Division of the Second Corps
and had it's baptism of fire at Chancel-
lorsville. where 1t conducted itself with
such gallantry and steadiness as to win
the applause of the older regiments
with which 1t was associated. At the
beginning Of the fight Col Beaver was
struck by a bullet below the waist
band, and 1t was supposed MORALLY
wounded. Some Of his men gathered
about him. but he ordered them back
to their places in line, telling them 1t
would be time enough to bury the dead
when the battle was over The wound
fortunately did not prove to be as seri-
GUS as had been anticipated and he
rejoined his regiment as soon as he
was able to sit on a horse, though
against the Surgeons prohibition. While