John Andrew Irvin (1822-1893)

There are many stories concerning the early arrival of Irvins to south central Pennsylvania. Certainly, there were Irvins among the earliest settlers to cross the Susquehanna and to colonize the Cumberland Valley. There were some who rose to prominence, accumulating wealth and prestige prior to the American Revolution. 

It is unclear how, if at all, our John Andrew Irvin might have been related to these successful pioneers. Very little is known of his early life and, at this time, we still do not know the names of his parents and his siblings. We know only that he was born in Keefer’s Store, a PO formerly located in Letterkenny Township, Franklin County.[1]

As a young man, John Irvin lived for a time in the McConnelsburg area. He found work as a day laborer and he lived as a tenant on the property Christopher Marks, a landowner and farmer.[2] On November 25th, 1847, Thanksgiving Day, he married a German immigrant named Margaret Karn in the McConnelsburg Luthern Church.[3]

John and Margaret soon left McConnelsburg. John returned with his young wife to the Cumberland Vally, taking up residence in Hamilton Township, very near to the place of his birth. There he acquired, most likely as an inheritance, a farm valued at $1,800. He went about farming his land and raising his young family.[4]

Hard times may have fallen on the family during the 1850’s. They left the farm and the Cumberland Valley, settled now near Fannettsburg, across Blue Mountain in the secluded Path Valley. Though the family had grown to seven, the personal wealth of the family had dwindled considerably. No longer a land owner, John possessed just $100 of personal estate and found work as a day laborer on nearby farms. [5]

In 1861, war erupted among the states. The following year, John, aged 40, volunteered. He joined the PA 158th Infantry and entered service on Nov 4th. Ten days later, he was discharged by surgeon’s note. This did not deter John. In 1864, he again volunteered and with other men from Franklin County, he was assigned to PA 209th Infantry Company D for nine months of service.[6] On September 6th, just days after entering service, John purchased a six acre tract in Willow Hill, north of Fannettsburg,  for $480.[7]

John joined his company and traveled to Camp Curtain in Harrisburg where the 209th was organized. The regiment was promptly deployed. By the end of November, the 209th joined the encampment at Meade Station and assisted in the months-long Seige of Petersburg. Here, the opposing armies defended their positions in a network of trenches, neither side making meaningful gains for weeks on end. On March 25th of 1865, the 209th rushed from the encampment at Meade Station to the defense of nearby Fort Steadmen. The men of the 209th engaged in an uphill charge under heavy fire to successfully retake the fort. On April 2, the regiment participated in the capture of Petersburg, finally ending the siege. The 209th marched in the Grand Review in Washington DC one week before disbanding.[8] On the 31st of May, John mustered out with the company and returned to his family in Willow Hill.

Soon after the war, John developed crippling rheumatism. He believed that the rheumatism was contracted early in the second month of his service. He also attributed a hernia on his left side to his wartime activity. The heart disease that he later developed, he reasoned, was caused by the rheumatism. For nearly 30 years, John struggled with his disability. A day-laborer unable to work a full day, John relied on the patience of kind-hearted employers. In 1890, congress passed the Dependent Pension Act under which veterans who became disabled after being honorably discharged now qualified to receive a pension. John promptly applied, citing the rheumatism, the hernia, and the heart disease as disabilities that limited his ability to work. Several neighbors and former employers submitted affidavits describing the nature and extent of John’s disability. The pension was granted at a rate of $12 per month.[9]

On December 2, 1893, John succumbed to consumption. He was buried in the Fannettsburg Presbyterian Church Cemetery.[10] Margaret survived him by nearly three months. She died of “heart trouble and grippe” on February 24, 1894, just one day after her application for a widow’s pension was approved.[11] She was buried next to her husband. Their graves are no longer marked. Of John’s eight known children, only four survived him. His youngest son, William, settled his estate and handled the sale of the property.[12]

Above: The signature of John Andrew Irvin on his Declaration for an Invalid Pension dated 1889.

The Children Of John and Margaret

1. George Alvin (b. 1849 d. 1924) - George was a school teacher. His wife was named Elizabeth and they had four children, Annie, Franklin, Nora, and Bruce.
2. Mary Elizabeth (b. 1850 d. before 1894) - Married Andrew Metzgar and had two children, Rosy May and Mary.
3. Sarah Fredericke (b. 1852 d. 1866)
4. John (b. 1855 d. before 1894)
5. C. F. (b. 1858 d. before 1894)
6. James Henry Luther (b. 1863 d. 1941) Married Ida Bock and had many children, among them Wilmer. James was John Richard’s grandfather.
7. Laura Bell (b. 1866 d. 1928) married John Diehl. They had four known children: Carrie, Irvin, Charles, & Mary. Charles died in France in the First World War.
8. William Gordon (b. 1869 d. 1939) Married Annie Shearer. Annie died in only their third year of marriage.

Sources:

1. Franklin County Death Records 1893-1906

2. Bedford County Tax Records 1772-1850

3. Widow’s Petition for Soldier’s Pension (NARA)

4. 1850 Federal Census

5. 1860 Federal Census

6. Bates, Samuel P. History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers 1861-1865.

7. Franklin County Deeds 1784-1883

8. Sauers, Richard A. Advance the Colors: Pennsylvania Civil War Battle Flags.

9. NARA Veteran’s Pension File
10. Fannettsburg Presbyterian Church Records

11. Franklin County Death Records 1893-1906

12. Franklin County Orphan’s Court Record