BIOGRAPHY: Lieutenant Edward R. DUNEGAN, Cambria County, PA 

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Lynne Canterbury and Diann 
Olsen. 

Portions of this book were transcribed by Clark Creery, Martha Humenik, Betty 
Mirovich and Sharon Ringler.

USGENWEB ARCHIVES (tm) NOTICE All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives 
remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in 
accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of 
providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by 
anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities 
so long as all notices and submitter information are included. These electronic 
pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including 
copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to 
uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb 
Archives to store the file permanently for free access. 
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cambria/ 
____________________________________________________________

From Wiley, Samuel T., ed. Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Cambria 
County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Union Publishing Co., 1896, p. 259-60
____________________________________________________________

LIEUTENANT EDWARD R. DUNEGAN, a merchant of St. Augustine, this county, and a 
justice of the peace of Clearfield township for over a quarter of a century, was 
born in Croyle township, this county, January 19, 1835, and is a son of Michael 
and Catherine (Rudden) Dunegan. His father was born in county Fermanage, 
Ireland, in 1792. In his native country he followed the avocation of a farmer. 
In 1829, shortly after his marriage, he emigrated to the United States. He 
landed at the city of Quebec, thence he went to Montreal, whence he drifted into 
the State of New York, and later into Eastern Pennsylvania, and in 1833 located 
in Croyle township, on the old and famous Portage railroad at the time it was 
being built, and became a sub-contractor in the construction of it. After the 
road had been completed he held the position of foreman at the foot of plane 
No.5. He remained on the Portage road until 1845, the date upon which he removed 
to St. Augustine. In that vicinity he purchased several large tracts of 
woodland, and cleared considerable portions of it for cultivation. To 
agricultural pursuits and lumbering he devoted the remainder of his active life, 
dying May 19, 1888, at the advanced age of ninety-six years. He was a man of 
great energy and enterprise, and was quite successful in all his undertakings. 
He was a lifelong democrat of the Jefferson school, and held various township 
offices, and voted or every democratic candidate for president from Jackson to 
Cleveland. In his religious belief and practice he was a devoted Catholic.
     A few months before he left Ireland he had married Catherine Rudden, of 
County Cavan and to their union were born three sons: Patrick, deceased, was a 
farmer and teacher, and died March 16, 1879, at the age of forty-nine years, 
leaving a family of three sons and two daughter; Edward R., subject; Michael J., 
deceased, who died May 16, 1889 at the age of fifty-two years, leaving a family 
of five sons and three daughters.  
     The school boy days of Edward R. Dunegan were spent upon the farm, and he 
was given such educational advantages as were offered by the common schools. He 
was of a studious turn of mind and improved well his time, and was soon found 
well qualified for the profession of teaching, which he followed in connection 
with farming a number of years in Clearfield township. When the clouds of war 
arose, and the country was threatened with dismemberment, he left the school 
room and the farm to take up the life of a soldier. He enlisted on July 24, 
1862, in company K, One Hundred and Twenty-fifth regiment, Pennsylvania 
Volunteer infantry, and, upon the organization of the company, he was elected 
first lieutenant, and served until May 20, 1863, when he was mustered out at 
Harrisburg, this State. Among the more important battles in which he 
participated were the following Chantilly, August 31, 1862; South Mountain, 
September 13, 1862; Antietam, September 17, 1862, where one-third of the 
regiment was killed or wounded; Fredericksburg, December 17, 1862, and 
Chancellorsville, May 1-3, 1863. It was during the latter conflict, on Sunday, 
May 3, when the Union troops were making their retreat from the disastrous 
battlefield, under Geary's division of the Twelfth Army corps in the 
neighborhood of the Plank road, that the bravery of Lieutenant Dunegan was so 
marked as to attract the attention of General Geary, who complimented him in 
person for his gallant conduct, and afterwards urged his promotion to the 
position of captain in a very complimentary letter of recommendation, addressed 
to Andrew G. Curtin, then Governor of Pennsylvania.
     Mr. Dunegan has always been a staunch democrat, and, prior to his 
enlistment in the service of his country, had been elected county auditor. In 
1864 he was elected a county commissioner, and served with credit a full term of 
three years. At the close of his service as commissioner, he engaged in the 
mercantile business at St. Augustine, and has continued that line to the present 
time. During 1879-80-81 he served as clerk to the board of county commissioners. 
In 1868 he was elected a justice of the peace in Clearfield township, and has 
served continuously in that office to the present time. His long-continued 
service in this office is the highest testimony of the esteem in which he is 
held by his neighbors, and those who know him best.
     Lieutenant Dunegan is still actively engaged in the mercantile business in 
St. Augustine, Pennsylvania, and there is nothing affords him more pleasure than 
to meet an old comrade and recount the exciting scenes they participated in 
during the battle-storms of the great rebellion.