The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-07-19
NINE BROTHERS
IN UNION ARMY
They We're the Testers of
Manchester Township
NINE ENLISTED AND TWO WE'RE
DRAFTED, BUT, LET MIR.
LESTER TELL 1T.

Manchester township, Wayne coun-
ty, is proud of the Lester family.
Her oldest inhabitants are never
happier than when they are telling
the rising generation about the nine
Lester brothers who enlisted in the
Union Army way back in the early
sixties.
Judge Henry Wilson, who is as
modest and unassuming as he is
| learned in fine points of law, sent
Citizen man to Seelyville to inter-
view one of these Lester sons who
| took part in the First Battle of Bull
Run, July 21, 1861, the fiftieth ami
versary of which will occur next Fri
| day. Judge Wilson neglected, how
ever, to tell the newspaperman that
he was in that battle too, only in an
other regiment.
It's a long ways to Seelyville es-
pecially on a warm day. It's a
right smart piece from the Maple
City up to where Mr.. Lester lives,
| just beyond the palatial station of
the Delaware and Hudson Railroad.
The reporter had no trouble, how
ever, in finding his home last Friday
afternoon for everybody down
Seelyville way seems to know where
the Testers live.
| 81 never was SICK to amount to
anything" Mr.. Lester told the Citi-
zen man. Pm seventy-four past.
I'll be seventy-five next February
first.
"Yes, l was in the first battle of
Bulls Run" said the old veteran,
in reply to question. ~ was
wounded in that battle. Just a
slight scalp wound. l was a private
in Company B, Thirty-eighth New
York Infantry.
There was eleven of us broth
ers. Nine enlisted, and two were
drafted. There wasn't any two in
one regiment. They were scattered
all over.
81 lived in Manchester township
this county. Father was a farmer.
l had no inducement only to help put
the Rebellion down. The only in
/ ducement l had was s13 month, :,
4 remarked Mr.. Lester with a hearty
laugh when asked why he joined the
army.
81 was twenty-three when I en-
listed. l was the. first of the broth
ers to enlist. The oldest in the fam
lily was Charles, then came Henry,
Afford, Nathaniel, George, Erastus,
Morris, Warner, Alison and Joseph
and Benjamin, the twins. There
are only two living besides me, Geo.
; and Alison, both Equinunk farmers.
Father wanted to enlist, and If
, they would have taken him, he'd
have gone. He offered to go, but
on account of his age they wouldn't
. take him."
"The battle of Bulls Rum" for
so Mr.. Lester in common with other
veterans persists in calling it, com
menced about eleven o'clock and
lasted till near night. l was injured
about 4 o'clock. The bullet only
knocked me down. 1t was just al
the eve of the battle, and it was
on the time of retreat. They were
all leaving the field, and it left me
behind. I came very close to being
captured. The rebels were within
25 or 80 rods of me, and l got away
from them.
Joshua Pine was from the same
place l was, Equinunk. He served
with me, and was shot through the
neck. He was supposed to be dead
but he swung through after awhile
The bullet went right through his
neck. He's got piece of the necl
bone yet.
"Pine is younger than I. He.
about CT. There's quite few of oul
company left. I attended reunion
2. of the old soldiers in New Yorl
about three weeks ago, and I fount
that there were three of our com
! pany that l could recognize by theil
former looks. We had a good visit
Pine went too.
81 was in the battles of Sever
Pines, Fair Oaks, Malvern Hill
Second Bull Run, Characteristic
and Fredericksburg, too. Eugen,
McGrath, of New York, was the cap
tain of our company. Hobart Ware
I was the regiment commander. Gen
r eral Sickles was the corps command
3 er.
81 got married in 1865. After
: was discharged ] went to numbering
d and farming. We had five children
= two here, Freeman and Thomas, tw,
in Equinunk, Frank and Hattie
o wife of Harris Hill, and one daugh
d ter, Kittie, wife of Joseph Schultz
out in California.
, "God only knows why l sold ou
: at Equinnuk, where I'd been farm
ing, four years ago, and came here
!, I couldn't find any place to suit me
My son bought this place and sold
: to me-"
Eyes, we had some pretty har,
:. times. When they cut off our pro
i isions, we had to build corduro,
: roads to get to them"
Warner Lester and his wife ar
r spending their declining days in
cosy cottage. Soldier Testers eye
sight does not seem to be dinrme
+ nor his natural strength abated. H
s is enjoying green old age, in peac
and content, waiting for the sum
mons to Join his brothers and b
mustered in with the invisible hos
who fought and bled and died. froI
/ Bull Run to Appotomatox, that thi
n Unon might remain one and in
lseparable.