Military: CWR: Yoder, Tobias of interest in Somerset County, PA File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Keith Petenbrink and Meyersdale Public Library. Transcribed and proofread by: Keith Petenbrink. Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/somerset/ _________________________________________ Introduction and help of Civil War Research may be viewed at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/somerset/military/cwr/intro.txt Additional Civil War Research may be viewed at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/somerset/military/cwr/cwr.html __________________________________________ Yoder, Tobias * Born Sept. 26, 1831 in Stonycreek Twp. Somerset Co. Pa. * Died Mar. 24, 1897 age 69 years 6 month 24 days * Buried in Husband Cemetery, Somerset Twp. Somerset Co. Pa. * Private Co. A 39th Regiment 10th Pa. Reserve Corps * Enrolled July 16, 1861 at age 25 in Allegheny Co. Pa. * Mustered in July 17, 1861 SS, July 21, 1861 FS in Camp Wright, Harrisburg, Pa. * Transferred to Veterans Reserve Corps Sept. 1, 1863 * Served July 21, 1861 - Nov. 24, 1863 * Served Apr. 18, 1861 - Sept. 1, 1863 - 28 month 13 days * Height - 5'5"; Weight 156 pounds; Chest 42" around. * Disability - Shot through both lungs and through left shoulder * Wounded at General Hospital * Absent, wounded since June 30, 1862. * Sergeant Co. H 187th Regiment Pa. Infantry * Mustered in May 7, 1864 * Mustered out Aug. 3, 1865 with company * Invalid Pension: Applied Sept. 12, 1868, Application #185608, Certificate #96231; Widow Pension: Application #651487, Certificate #462246 * His regiment marched under McClellan's banner in the ill-fated peninsular campaign against Richmond and it was at New Market Cross Roads in front of Richmond, on the afternoon of June 30, 1862 that Yoder received wounds which would have instantly killed an ordinary mortal. His Co. had been in the thick of the fight for several hours, and was ordered back a short distance to some timber to clean their guns and receive a fresh supply of ammunition. Prior to this the buckle had been shot from Yoder's cap and a portion of the skirt of his coat had been carried away by the fragment of shell. A number of the Co. had been killed or wounded, but the balance after filling their cartridge boxes went forward again. Meanwhile the rebels changed positions and the brave Pennsylvanians marched into a veritable death trap. They were subjected to a cross fire from rebel regiments belonging to Jackson's and Hill's corps and Yoder was the recipient of seven bullets which struck him is "less time than a man could count to five" to use his own language. He did not fall but two comrades started for the rear with him. The Confederates charged and he told his comrades to lie down and save themselves, which they did. Two balls passed through his lungs, one crushing the left shoulder blade, and causing blood to spurt from his mouth. Two struck him in the side, one lodging under the hip bone and the other close to his spine near his kidneys; these two balls passed through a rubber blanket which he carried in a roll diagonally across his waist, which checked their force, otherwise they would have gone clear through his body and caused speedy death. The other three bullets made bad wounds. The tide of battle passed over him and McClellan's retreat left him in Confederate hands. The rebels cared for their own wounded first, occasionally giving Yoder a drink of water from a brook which ran nearby and tossing him a corn pone when he asked for something to eat. He lay thus without attention or shelter until the afternoon of the third day, when a four horse team and large wagon drove up within about twenty feet of him. Two big strapping Johnnies climbed down and asked Yoder if he could get into the wagon without assistance. "I'm a little stiff," was the reply, "but I guess I can make it if you give me time." He had raised himself up on one knee but wasn't quite lively enough to suit the fellows. "They grasped me by the color and legs and pitched me into the wagon like a hog, said Yoder in relating the story. "I landed pretty hard, but it didn't hurt me much;" and aside from the cords in my arm drawing up from the broken shoulder blade, I had suffered no inconvenience." He was incarcerated in Libby Prison and refused medical attention by his captors. Several Union surgeons were in Libby at that time, but they had no instruments or supplies of any character to dress his wounds with. The most he feared was that maggots would get into the wounds which were suppurating. Noticing a hogshead of tobacco on the sidewalk near the apartment in which he was confined, he conceived the idea of drawing a supply of this through the window by the aid of a window stop which he loosened and which had a small nail in one end. He managed to secure enough tobacco to successfully plug up the holes in his body, but the theft discovered and reported by one of the guards. For this offense he was placed in solitary confinement for 16 days. SOURCE: * Somerset Co. Pa. Genealogy Web * 1890 Veterans Census, Somerset Twp. Somerset Co. Pa. * Veterans Card File * Yoder Family History, Rootsweb.com * Meyersdale Commercial Apr. 8, 1897 * History of Bedford & Somerset Counties Volume III * Veterans Grave Registration * Muster Roll of Capt. James S. Hinchman, June 30, 1862 - Aug. 31, 1862 * Muster Roll of 1st Lieutenant George S. Knee, Aug. 31, 1862 - Oct. 30, 1862 * Muster Roster Co. A * 1906 County History, Somerset Co. Pa. * Footnote.com ------ Yoder, Tobias * Died Oct. 7, 1925 in Pittsburgh, Pa. * Private Co. G 61st Regiment Pa. Infantry * Substitute * Mustered in Oct. 26, 1864 at age 18 as Private in Chambersburg, Pa. * Mustered out June 28, 1865 with company * Invalid Pension: Applied Apr. 3, 1908 and Dec. 21, 1908, Application #1372822, Certificate #1147701 SOURCE: * 1906 County History, Somerset Co. Pa. * Muster Roster Co. G * Veterans Card File * Footnote.com ------ Yoder, Tobias * Somerset Post Office * Gunshot wound to lungs and shoulder * Monthly pension of 8 dollars. SOURCE: * 1883 List of Pensioners, Somerset Co. Pa. * Military Affairs Register Pa. Volunteers, Roll 295747