Alexander Washington

Alexander Washington served in Company B of the 127th U.S.C.T. He was born around 1838 in Perry County, Pennsylvania.1 He enlisted in as a private in Harrisburg on August 24, 1864, and was mustered in on August 26 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His company descriptive book describes him as 26 years old and five feet and seven inches tall, with dark hair, eyes, and complexion. He was working as a ferryman at the time.2 Due to an injury sustained while on duty, he was absent sick in the General Hospital at Fort Monroe, Virginia, starting October 4, 1864. He was discharged on July 3, 1865, separate from the rest of his company, by a Surgeon’s Certificate of Disability. His disability is recorded as a spinal irritation, and the certificate stated that he was unable to walk erect, and had great pain in any motion of the body.3

According to the 1870 Federal Census, he was living in West Pennsboro, in Cumberland County, and working as a farmer. He lived with his wife, Sarah, although when they got married is unknown, and had four children at the time, named Alexander, George, Andrew David.4 His obituary reports that he moved to the Harrisburg area in 1887 and worked as a trucker.5 In July of that year, he was accused of assault and battery by a Dolly Washington, and plead guilty in August.6 The Sentinel reports that, in September of 1891, he left his horse in the street for an entire day, and an officer had to pick it up and feed it.7 In May of 1892, he was charged with gambling, and released from the county prison on bail. At some point in the 1890s, Washington purchased and lived on a farm in North Middleton Township, Pennsylvania, around the Carlisle area. In November of 1893, while living in North Middleton, two men poached a turkey from his property and his daughter reported them to her father.8 In January of 1894, the Carlisle Evening Herald reports that he purchased a horse and either forgot or refused to pay for it, and when the former owner tried to take the horse back from Washington’s son, Washington charged him with larceny.9 In 1895 and 1896, a Robert Lane and James McGonigal were arrested in separate instances of assault and battery towards Alexander Washington. Robert Lane denied the story and was found not guilty.10

Around 1898, Washington sold his property in North Middleton to a J.R. Coover, who then accused him of stealing lumber, hay, corn, fodder, and other materials from the property after it was sold. He was arrested in 1898, but disappeared at some point between then and 1899, when he returned to Carlisle and was arrested in September. The Carlisle Evening Herald reports that he had been living in New Jersey during his disappearance, although there are no census records recording his time there.11

Alexander Washington died from pleurisy on November 22, 1900, in his home on 1124 Herr Street in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. His obituary states that he was a member of the Seiblestown Mission in Harrisburg, and was survived by his wife, one brother, and seven children, George, Frederick, Andrew, Annie, David, Mary, George, and Solomon. The services were held on West Locust Avenue, with a Reverend Soott officiating.12 He is buried in Lincoln Cemetery in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, section A-1, grave number 14, with a marble headstone.13

  1. “Alexander Washington”, Carlisle Evening Herald, 4, Nov 26, 1900.
  2. Co. B, 127 Regiment, U.S.C.T. Company Descriptive Book.
  3. Co. B, 127 Regiment, U.S.C.T. Hospital Muster Roll, Sep/Oct 1864; Co. B, 127 Regiment, U.S.C.T. Rolls of Men Transferred, Sep 11, 1865; Co. B, 127 Regiment, U.S.C.T. Certificate of Disability for Discharge, Jul 3, 1865.
  4. 1870 United States Federal Census for Alexander Washington.
  5. “Alexander Washington”, Carlisle Evening Herald, 4, Nov 26, 1900.
  6. “Com vs Alexander Washington”, Carlisle Weekly Herald, 1, Jul 28, 1887; “Com vs Alexander Washington”, The Sentinel, 1, Aug 23, 1887.
  7. “Police Notes”, The Sentinel, 2, Sep 21, 1891.
  8. “Turkey Shooters Captured”, Carlisle Weekly Herald, 3, Nov 9, 1893.
  9. “Arrested on Sunday”, Carlisle Evening Herald, 1, Jan 15, 1894.
  10. “Quick Reading”, Carlisle Evening Herald, 4, Jul 10, 1895; “Com vs Robt Lane”, Carlisle Evening Herald, 4, Sep 12, 1895; “Held for Court”, The Sentinel, 3, Jul 24, 1896.
  11. “Charged with Larceny”, Carlisle Evening Herald, 1, Jan 19, 1898; “To Be Read at a Glance”, The Sentinel, 3, Jan 20, 1898; “After Eighteen Months”, Carlisle Evening Herald, 1,Sep 11, 1899.
  12. “Alexander Washington”, Carlisle Evening Herald, 4, Nov 26, 1900; “Recent Deaths”, Harrisburg Telegraph, 1, Nov 26, 1900. \
  13. Pennsylvania, U.S., Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-2012.

 

Bibliography:

1870 United States Federal Census for Alexander Washington. Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census - AncestryLibrary.com

Alexander Washington. Find a Grave Memorial 130193424. Ancestry.com. U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current - AncestryLibrary.com

Alexander Washington. Pennsylvania, U.S., Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-2012. Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, U.S., Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-2012 - AncestryLibrary.com

Alexander Washington, Co. B, 127 Regiment, U.S.C.T. Company Descriptive Book. https://www.fold3.com/image/306054849

Alexander Washington, Co. B, 127 Regiment, U.S.C.T. Company Muster-in Roll, Aug 26, 1864. https://www.fold3.com/image/306054850

Alexander Washington, Co. B, 127 Regiment, U.S.C.T. Hospital Muster Roll, Sep/Oct 1864. https://www.fold3.com/image/306054854

Alexander Washington, Co. B, 127 Regiment, U.S.C.T. Hospital Muster Roll, Nov/Dec 1864. https://www.fold3.com/image/306054857

Alexander Washington, Co. B, 127 Regiment, U.S.C.T. Hospital Muster Roll, Jan/Feb 1865. https://www.fold3.com/image/306054860

Alexander Washington, Co. B, 127 Regiment, U.S.C.T. Hospital Muster Roll, Mar/Apr 1865. https://www.fold3.com/image/306054865

Alexander Washington, Co. B, 127 Regiment, U.S.C.T. Hospital Muster Roll, May/June 1865. https://www.fold3.com/image/306054869

Alexander Washington, Co. B, 127 Regiment, U.S.C.T. Company Muster Roll, Jul/Aug 1865. https://www.fold3.com/image/306054870

Alexander Washington, Co. B, 127 Regiment, U.S.C.T. Rolls of Men Transferred, Sep 11, 1865. https://www.fold3.com/image/306054874

Alexander Washington, Co. B, 127 Regiment, U.S.C.T. Certificate of Disability for Discharge, Jul 3, 1865. https://www.fold3.com/image/306054879

“Alexander Washington”. Carlisle Evening Herald. Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Nov 26, 1900. Page 4. https://www.newspapers.com/image/270303257

“Washington”. The Sentinel. Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Nov 26, 1900. Page 3. https://www.newspapers.com/image/344388651

“Recent Deaths”. Harrisburg Telegraph. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Nov 26, 1900. Page 1. https://www.newspapers.com/image/39173814

“Com vs Alexander Washington”. Carlisle Weekly Herald. Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Jul 28, 1887. Page 1. https://www.newspapers.com/image/270174150

“Com vs Alexander Washington”. The Sentinel. Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Aug 23, 1887. Page 1. https://www.newspapers.com/image/343869305

“Police Notes”. The Sentinel. Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Sep 21, 1891. Page 2. https://www.newspapers.com/image/343957406

“A Prisoner’s Release”. The Sentinel. Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Mar 17, 1892. Page 3. https://www.newspapers.com/image/343908346

“Turkey Shooters Captured”. Carlisle Weekly Herald. Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Nov 9, 1893. Page 3. https://www.newspapers.com/image/270112869

“Arrested on Sunday”. Carlisle Evening Herald. Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Jan 15, 1894. Page 1. https://www.newspapers.com/image/270384572

“Says Stahl Isn’t Guilty”. The Sentinel. Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Apr 2, 1894. Page 3. https://www.newspapers.com/image/343897456

“Quick Reading”. Carlisle Evening Herald. Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Jul 10, 1895. Page 4. https://www.newspapers.com/image/275382497

“Says He Was Robbed”. Carlisle Evening Herald. Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Aug 31, 1895. Page 1. https://www.newspapers.com/image/275385361

“Com vs Robt Lane”. Carlisle Evening Herald. Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Sep 12, 1895. Page 4. https://www.newspapers.com/image/275386119

“Alexander Washington vs Robert Lane”. The Sentinel. Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Sep 12, 1895. Page 3. https://www.newspapers.com/image/343956264

“Held for Court”. The Sentinel. Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Jul 24, 1896. Page 3. https://www.newspapers.com/image/344166158

“Charged with Larceny”. Carlisle Evening Herald. Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Jan 19, 1898. Page 1. https://www.newspapers.com/image/270432580

“To Be Read at a Glance”. The Sentinel. Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Jan 20, 1898. Page 3. https://www.newspapers.com/image/344328693

“After Eighteen Months”. Carlisle Evening Herald. Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Sep 11, 1899. Page 1. https://www.newspapers.com/image/270445938

Search form

Regiment

Geographic Connection(s) to Cumberland County

Enlistment Location

Date of Enlistment

08/24/1864

Hometown:

Birthdate

01/01/1838

Date of Death

11/22/1900

Burial Location

Place of Settlement Following War