Military: Mexican War: Fayette Co, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by M. Burns. mburns@tea-house.com USGENWEB NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. ____________________________________________________________ The Mexican War, Ellis History of Fayette Co p 189 The county of Fayette furnished to the United service in the Mexican war one full company of volunteers, raised and commanded by Capt (afterward colonel) William B Roberts, and a large number of men who enlisted in the company of Capt P N Gutherie, both of which commands performed good service on several of the battle fields of that war. The first company mentioned was formed and organized in the fall of 1846, and named the Fayette County Volunteers. It left the county of the 2nd of January, 1847, for Pittsburgh where it was mustered into service on the 4th of the same month and designated Company "H" of the Second Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers. The first commander of the company was, as has been stated, Capt Roberts, with William Quail as first lieutenant; but Capt Roberts was soon after promoted to the colonelcy of the regiment and Lieut Quail became captain of "H" Company. The roll of the company as mustered is given below, viz: Captain William B Roberts First Lieutenant William Quail Second Lieutenant Stewart Speer First Sergeant David Forrey Second Sergeant Absalom Guiler Third Sergeant Edmund Rine Fourth Sergeant Richard Irwin First Corporal Henry N Stillwagen Second Corporal Peter A Johns Third Corporal John Crawford Fourth Corporal James P Downer Drummer Daniel Jarrett Fifer Caleb Crossland PRIVATES Matthew Allen Ephraim Abercrombie Zephaniah E Barnes John Bishop Noah Bird Alexander Baine William C Bayes Edmund Beeson David Bedker Henry Bradford Henry Bryan Cyrus L Conner Harvey Chipps Samuel Coinworthy Hiram Downer George Ducket John Davis (1) John Davis Henry Fowg Benjamin F Frey William Freeman John W B Fetter Wilson Fee Beeson Gardner John H Gibson James Gordon Eli M Gregg John Gillis Elijah Gadd Daniel Hardesty James Hutchinson Henderson Harvey John Hutchinson Henderson Harvey John Hutchinson (1) Samuel Hyde Daniel Hazard Alexander Hood Hezekiah Inks Oliver E Jones Jackson Kilpatrick John P Kilpatrick John King Samuel Morgan William Moore John Mitz Thomas McBride John Mustard Cornelius McMicheal William Mendenhall Thomas Motes William F Nicholson Albert G Nicholson Jacob Orwin Samuel Page John Pollock Joseph Roody Henry Rist William Shaw Jesse Smith Vincent Seals Evans Shriver Martin S Stanly Benjamin Stevens John Sutton Solomon Shaw David Silvey John W Skiles John Stillwell David R Shaw James Shaw James Turner (1) William Turner Isaac Woolverton James F Ward Josiah W Winders Joseph Widdoes Hugh Walker Charles Yeaman William West The Second Regiment, of which the Fayette Volunteers formed a part, proceeded by way of New Orleans to Mexico, and landed at Lobos Island, near Vera Cruz, which was invested by the American forces and fleet. The regiment entered the city after its surrender, and moved thence to the interior by way of Puebla and Perote, being assigned to Quitman's division. During its term of service it took part in the engagements of Tobasco, Cerro Gordo, Contreras, Cherubusco, San Pascual, and at the storming of the Belen Gate (footnote: In the assault on the Belen Gate, Sept 10, 1847, Josiah W Winders of the Fayette company was mortally wounded. He was attended in his last moments by Cyrus L Conner, who promised him that his body should be sent home, and afterwards faithfully kept the promise. The names of others who fell in that assault have not been ascertained.) and it was the first regiment to enter within the walls of the capital. Afterwards it was moved to San Angel. Col Roberts died of disease in the city of Mexico, on the 3rd of October, 1847, and the command of the regiment was assumed by Lieutenant-Colonel John W Geary, afterwards Governor of Pennsylvania. The body of the dead colonel was embalmed, and with that of Lieutenant John Sturgeon of the Fayette County company, was sent back to Uniontown, where the remains were received with every demonstration of sorrow and respect. The funeral procession was escorted by the "Union Volunteers" and the "Fayette Cavalry," Capt James Gilmore. The committee of arrangements (chosen at a public meeting held for that purpose at Uniontown on the 8th of December) was composed of Gen H W Beeson (chairman), John Irons, John M Austin, Dr J Patrick, Armstrong Hadden, E P Oliphant, Dr Smith Fuller, Daniel Kaine, and William Wells. The gentlemen forming the committee of escort were Everhart Bierer (chairman), Col Robert Patterson, Amzi Fuller, Robert S Henderson, M W Irwin, William T Roberts, John Huston, Hugh Graham, John L Dawson, William C Stevens, W R Turner, S D Oliphant, John D Scott, Dr R M Walker, Henry Barkman, William Bailey, D H Phillips, E B Dawson, William Redick, and John Bierer. The remains of Col Roberts were interred in the Methodist graveyard in the borough of Uniontown, and a neat marble monument has been erected over his grave.