I was born February 9, 1839, in Ohio Township, Beaver County, Pennsylvania.
My father, James Hamilton, son of Thomas and Mary McClellan Hamilton, was born February 13,1789, and died in Ohio Township, September 5,1843.
As I was but four years old when my father died, my recollections of him have faded away, with the exception of one little episode: I clearly remember holding his hand as he led me to the top of the hill one afternoon to see a fox hunt. The hunters had horns and dogs and made a great noise, which impressed my childish mind.
My father was enlisted for service in the war of 1812 and, although I think he did no actual fighting, my mother received a pension from the government for many years.
My mother, Margaret Sloane Hamilton, daughter of William and Ann Miller Sloane, was born March 1, 1779. She lived before her marriage, and I think was born, across the river from Vanport.
She and my father were married October 12,1824.
A little incident connected with Mother stands out in my mind: After Father's death, she took me to New Salem Church to be baptized. I remember riding behind her on horseback or in wagons.
I had six brothers and sisters: William, Thomas, Martha, Robert, James, and Mary. We were all born in a little log house, which my father built over the hill and out of sight of Fairview Road, which skirted our farm.
Not long before his death, Father built a second log house in the same hollow and this one we weatherboarded and enlarged. Part of the family lived in it until I moved to Beaver. These log houses have been torn down.
I remained at my mother's home until I was twentyone years of age, when I enlisted for service in the Civil War, April 21, 1861. There had been a mass meeting at the Beaver Court House after the firing on Fort Sumpter (sic). The Hon. Daniel Agnew presided at this meeting and among the speakers were Colonel Richard Roberts and Thomas Cunningham, two of the leading lawyers of Beaver County. After the meeting, those who desired to enlist adjourned to the prothonotary's office. The Hon. Alexander R. Thomas was prothonotary at the time and young Matthew Quay was his clerk. Quay enlisted that night and was made second lieutenant and Milo R. Adams, of Bridgewater, Captain. (Quay rose to rank ofColonel.)
We called our company, "The Curtin Rifles of Beaver."
We camped for several weeks at Rochester in the old car factory. The people of the valley towns furnished our food and we did our own cooking. The ladies of Rochester made grey uniforms for us, but before we reached the front we had to discard these uniforms as the government had decided to adopt blue ones.
From Rochester we went to Camp Wright on the Allegheny River above Pittsburgh. Here we drilled for several weeks. We couldn't get in for the three months' service call as the quota was already filled, so Governor Curtin called us "The Pennsylvania Reserves" to be ready for the next call. The next call came soon; it was for three hundred thousand men for three years.
From Camp Wright we started for Harrisburg, camping over night here and there along the way. We reached Harrisburg in the day of the first Bull Run Fight; we could hear the firing quite distinctly.
At Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, we were sworn into the United States Service for three years by Mustering Officer, William T. Sherman, who afterwards became a major-general.
We camped at Baltimore one night on the way to Washington. We had looked for trouble at Baltimore, and had been ordered to have our rifles loaded and our bayonets fixed as we left the train there, but everything was quiet. Next morning we left on freight cars for Washington, where the soldiers of the first call were straggling in the battlefield, their three months' service being up.
We remained in defence of Washington for several weeks, drilling and preparing for service at the front. Then we went into Virginia, crossing the Potomac River on a chain bridge. We went back into the country four or five miles, locating at Camp Pierpont. We remained there for several months with more drilling and preparation.
From Camp Pierpont we marched farther into Virginia, stopping at Hunter's Mill overnight. Then we were ordered back to Alexandria. That day's march was a memorable one; it rained steadily all day and we were thoroughly drenched by the time we reached Alexandria.
We remained at Alexandria for several days, then took a boat to the White House Landing, which was as far as we could go by water. From the White House landing we marched to Mechanicsville. I remember climbing a tree there and looking toward Richmond, four miles distant; I could see the steeples of the churches.
It was at Mechanicsville that we first came into conflict with the Confederate Army. That was the beginning of the Seven Days' Fight. The last of the Seven Days' Battles was at Malvern Hill, about a mile from Harrison's Landing, our camping ground. Our gun boats, coming up the James River, drove the Confederate Army from its position.
While we were at Harrison's Landing, President Lincoln and General McClellan came down together to view the army. McClellan was a good looking man and a splendid figure on horseback, but Lincoln was rather awkward. I was within fifteen or twenty feet of them.
This was the last time I saw Lincoln. About eighteen months before, I had seen him at Wellsville, Ohio, where I happened to be visiting relatives when he went through on the train. The train stopped while he made a speech from the platform of his car. I remember just one sentence of that speech; it was the closing one: "My fellow citizens, help me maintain the government." The train was starting as he uttered those words.
While at Harrison's Landing I had an attack of jaundice and was sent to the hospital in Philadelphia, where I remained until strong enough to return to my regiment.
Soon after my return, came the battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia.
We crossed the Rappahannock River on the pontoon bridges. Our company had stood on guard while these bridges were being made.
After crossing the river, we slept on the ground near the river and the next morning we got ready for the impending battle, which started about three o'clock in the afternoon.
As we were crossing an open space the enemy opened heavy fire and we were repulsed. I was wounded in two places by the same volley and as I lay wounded on the battlefield, the Confederate Army established lines between me and my regiment. A Confederate soldier came to me and helped me to get up; then he took me out of danger and showed me how to get to a hospital, where wounded soldiers of both sides were being cared for. This hospital was a small barn and my bed was a pile of straw. I stayed here for a week and a Confederate surgeon, who was in charge, amputated my arm. I begged him to save it,but he said he couldn't save it and my life, too, as the wrist was shattered. He was most kind and courteous; he gave me chloroform before the operation, and as he was leaving he gave me a drink of brandy. I have always been sorry that I did not remember his name; I onlv know that he was from a Georgia regiment.
I remember eating biscuits baked by the Confederate cook here at this barn-hospital.
From here I was taken to Libby Prison Hospital. There wasn't an empty bed when I arrived, so I had to sleep on the floor the first night. Before the next night, one of my comrades died and I was put in his bed. While I was here, the bullet that had entered my shoulder, came near the surface at a point several inches down and a young surgeon removed it. This same young surgeon dressed my arm, and as he did it, remarked: "If you had staved in Pennsylvania, where you belong, you wouldn't have gotten this."
I stayed at Libby Prison about six weeks. The chief surgeon of the Prison' Hospital came to me and said: "We are about to parole some prisoners and send them back to the Union lines. I'll not send you, but if you think you are able to go I'll let you go." I assured him that I was able to go. He turned to the nurse and told him to get me ready.
We were taken to the boat-landing and put on a boat which carried us to Annapolis, Maryland. From there we went to St. John's College Hospital, about one-half mile from the city I remained there until I was able to come home.
I was discharged from the service on April 27,1863.
At Annapolis I took a train for Baltimore, where I got a train to Pittsburgh. I reached Pittsburgh shortly after noon on Saturday. I had my dinner there, and then came to Beaver.
When I reached Beaver I walked up street and into John Barclay's store. (John Barclay was the father of Mrs. M. S. Quay. His store stood near where the Post Office now stands). After talking a bit to Mr. Barclay, I started to the Cleveland and Pittsburgh R.R. Station to take a train to Industry, which was the nearest point on the railroad to my home.
Mr. Barclay's son, William, came into the store shortly after I left, and when he heard that I had gone to the station, hurried after me, intercepted me at the station and took me to his home, where I stayed over night. He was living on what is now Quay Square. I slept in a downstairs bedroom here, (probably in the tall four-poster, which years later fascinated the children, as they glanced in on their way to and from school.)
Sunday morning William took me to my home in the country.
I stayed at my home for some time, resting, studying, and learning to write with my left hand.
About this time, I was elected Constable of Ohio Township, but I did not care for this office, so one day I went to Pittsburgh and called upon Peter Duff and W. H.. Duff of Duff's College. After a conference with them, I came home and tendered my resignation as Constable. Then I enrolled at Duff's College, where I took a course in book-keeping.
After completing my course, I was appointed to a clerkship in the Surveyor-General's office at Harrisburg, and there I remained for nine years. It was while here, on October 13, 1869, 1 was married to Margaret A. Bradshaw of South Beaver Township. She died in Harrisburg, September 19, 1872. My two sisters, Martha and Mary, took turns keeping house for me and caring for my little daughter, May, until the department changed hands and I retired.
A few weeks before the change from the Republican to the Democratic Administration, Congressman McClellan came to me one day, in the Surveyor-General's office, and told me that he would have me retained if I wished to stay. I told him that I had no claim on the Democratic Party and would rather go After this I returned to the farm and lived with my brothers and sisters.
On September 19, 1876, 1 married Margaret Cowden of Harrisburg, and we went to housekeeping in a new house which I had just built on our farm. The new house was up over the hill from the old homestead and stood close to the road, but it seemed rather lonesome to a city girl. We stayed here just one winter, moving to Beaver early in June, 1877.
We bought the house on the comer of Fourth Street and College Avenue, where we lived for fifty-three years. It was in this house that our three sons, Winfield Cowden, William Wallace, and James Edwin were born.
Soon after I came to Beaver, Frank Minor, who was County Treasurer, appointed me his deputy.
Mr. Minor was succeeded by Alexander Morrison, who retained me in the position.
At the close of my six years as Deputy, I was elected Treasurer. After serving my term as Treasurer of Beaver County, I was elected Secretary of the Home Protective Saving and Loan Association of Beaver County, which position I occupied for seventeen years, retiring at the age of seventv-five.
Since then I have lived a quiet life, but have kept busy; I have been Commander of the Beaver Post of the G.A.R. several times and have held the office of Elder in the Presbyterian Church of Beaver for forty-seven consecutive years, having been elected first in 1884
As I write this I am in my ninety-third year and am enjoying reasonably good health. I keep up with the times pretty well. I have a radio in my room and get much general information from it as well as entertainment.
Had I dictated this autobiography thirty of forty years ago, I might have included many more details, but my memory has failed me on some points.
I have lived through many events and have seen many changes.
At this writing we are in the worst financial depression through which I have ever passed. I hope better times will soon be here.