BIO: Curtin P. STONEROD, Centre County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by JRB Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/centre/ http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/centre/1picts/commbios/comm-bios.htm _____________________________________________________________________ Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania: Including the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion: Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, Etc. Chicago: J. H. Beers, 1898. _____________________________________________________________________ CURTIN P. STONEROD, the well-known and efficient passenger and freight agent of the Pennsylvania railroad at Milesburg, Centre coun- 362 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ty, was born March 25, 1841, at Birmingham, Huntingdon Co., Penn. His father, John M. Stonerod, is a native of Mifflin county, Penn., born in 1823, and is now serving his second term as postmaster of Birmingham. He has held a number of local offices in his community, being constable for a number of years and justice of the peace for about seventeen years. He is a son of John and Mary Stonerod, whose births occurred at Lewistown, Mifflin county, where both died. By occupation the grandfather was a farmer, while the father of our subject worked at the carpenter's trade until 1885. The former served as sheriff of his county. At Birmingham, July 19, 1840, John M. Stonerod was married to Rachel Parker, who was born at Stone Valley, Huntingdon county, July 13, 1820, and died January 14, 1890, at Birmingham, after an illness of three days. She was attacked suddenly with "la grippe," followed by pneumonia, which caused her death. Besides her husband she left the following children to mourn her death: Curtin P., of this sketch; Mrs. Martha Strouble, of Dudley, Huntingdon county; Theodore and Fielding, of Pittsburg, Penn.; Mrs. Cecelia Parker, of Sharpsburg, Allegheny Co., Penn.; Mrs. Elizabeth Sprangle, of Fostoria, Blair Co., Penn.; and David K., of Altoona, Penn., all prominent and highly respected in the localities where they make their homes. Another child, Wesley, died at the age of four years. There are also thirty grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. In 1831 the mother joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, but later in life joined the Presbyterian Church, being a member in good standing of the same at the time of her death. The father has also been a consistent member of the Presbyterian Church since 1861, and in politics is a pronounced Democrat. The subject of this memoir remained under the parental roof until June, 1858, when he left home and assisted in the construction of three tressels for the Bellefonte & Snow Shoe railroad, which were six hundred feet long and seventy feet high. For two years he then served as brakeman on the railroad, but in 1861, the Civil war having broken out, he enlisted, on the first call for troops, in Company H, as drummer, 2nd Regiment, P. V. I. The officers of the company were Capt. Mitchell, First-Lieut. James A. Beaver, and Second-Lieut. Charles Hale. At the end of his three-months' service, our subject returned home and re-enlisted, September 17, 1861, this time in Company G, 51st P. V. I., Ninth Army Corps, under Capt. A. B. Snyder, First-Lieut. W. H. Blair, and Second-Lieut. P. A. Gaulin, Col. (in 1864 commissioned Brig. and Maj.-Gen. John F. Hartranft. The last named was afterward governor of Pennsylvania, but is now deceased. From drummer Mr. Stonerod was appointed sergeant-major, of his regiment, afterward was made second lieutenant and finally commissioned captain of his company. On the field of battle he was brave and fearless, always found at his post of duty, and won the confidence of those under him as well as the respect and esteem of his fellow officers. He was twice wounded, the first time at the battle of Antietam, September 17, 1863, when making a charge on Antietam Bridge, known as Burnside Bridge. This was only a deep flesh wound in the left side, the shot cutting off his sword belt. Concluding it was not a healthy place to stop, among shot and shell, he went on over the bridge in the charge with the regiment. On August 19, 1864, at the Weldon railroad, in front of Petersburg, Va., he was wounded in the right thigh, which has shortened the limb two and one- half inches, and for seventy-one days he was confined in the Alexander Hospital. After almost four years of arduous and faithful service, he was mustered out January 1, 1865, but was unable to work for a year after his return home. He participated in every battle fought by the 51st Pennsylvania Regiment up to August 19, 1864, at which time he was wounded and carried off the field. The following battles are engraved on the 51st Regiment Battle Flags*: Roanoke Island, Newbern, Camden, Second Bull Run, Chantilly, South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Vicksburg, Jackson, Campbell Station, Siege of Knoxville, Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor, Petersburg (Weldon Railroad, he was wounded in this battle), Ream Station and Hatcher's Run. He was under fire, and skirmishing, almost daily from the time Gen. Grant crossed the Potomac, until wounded in August, 1864. Mr. Stonerod then went into the oil regions of Venango county, Penn., where he remained one year, and later was appointed agent at Snow Shoe for the Bellefonte & Snow Shoe railroad, which position he filled for the long period of fourteen years. The road was then sold to the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and August 1, 1881, he was appointed agent to his present position at Milesburg. His long retention in the service of one company plainly indicates his fidelity to duty and the confidence and trust they repose in him. On November 25. 1867, Mr. Stonerod was * These battle flags (three) are in charge of the State archives at the State Capitol at Harrisburg. Penn., in glass cases; two of these flags are riddled with bullets (a cannon ball passing through the field of one of them), leaving them in ribbons and rags, so much so that they can never be unfurled again. COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 363 married to Miss Annie E. Dickson, and they now have five children: Boyd H., a telegraph operator of Bradford county, Penn.; Sarah B., at home; Stella M. and Gertrude, milliners, of New York; and Jane D., at home. Mrs. Stonerod was born at Bellefonte, August 9, 1844, and is a daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Lucas) Dickson, who were of Scotch-Irish extraction. The father was born in Lancaster county, Penn., but the mother was a native of Centre county, and and [sic] both died at Bellefonte, the former in 1846, and the latter in 1859, at the age of fifty-two years. By occupation the father was a blacksmith. In their family were the following children: Philip, deceased; Silas, a blacksmith and farmer of Snow Shoe, Centre county; Catherine, wife of R. Mulholland, of Nebraska; Martha, wife of Joseph Clark, of Du Bois, Penn.; Samuel, an undertaker of Snow Shoe; Sarah, deceased; Hezekiah, of Philipsburg, Penn.; Amelia, widow of Levi Boes, of Driftwood, Penn.; Clarissa, wife of George Quigley, a farmer of Driftwood; and Annie E., wife of our subject. Mr. Stonerod never fails to cast his ballot for the principles of the Republican party, and takes a prominent part in public affairs, supporting all enterprises calculated to benefit the community. Socially, he holds membership in the Grand Army of the Republic and the Union Veteran League. For fourteen years he was chairman of the Republican Town Committee.