BIO:  Edward Webster SPANGLER, York County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis

Copyright 2005.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/york/
_______________________________________________ 

History of York County, Pennsylvania.  John Gibson, Historical Editor.
Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886.
_______________________________________________ 

Part II, Biographical Sketches, York Borough, Pg 48

EDWARD WEBSTER SPANGLER was born in Paradise Township, York County, February 23, 
1846.  As a country boy he performed boy’s work on his widowed mother’s farm, 
and during four months in winter attended free school.  Never relishing 
agricultural labors he abandoned them at the first opportunity and at the age of 
thirteen became a student at the York County Academy.  After a year’s study he 
entered as a clerk in one of the leading dry goods houses in York.  In August, 
1862, at the age of sixteen years, he responded to the call of President Lincoln 
for nine months’ volunteers, and enlisted as a private in Company K. One Hundred 
and Thirtieth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers.  After a two months’ service, in 
the Army of the Potomac, he received his first baptism of fire at the battle of 
Antietam, in which his company lost in killed and wounded one-third of its 
number engaged.  Mr. Spangler fired the eighty rounds with which he was 
equipped, and finding use for more took ten rounds from the cartridge box of a 
dead comrade, eight of which he discharged before his regiment was relieved.  
During the engagement the stock of his rifle was shattered by a Confederate 
bullet.  At the battle of Fredericksburg, his division – the third of the second 
corps – made the initial and sanguinary charge on Mary’s Heights.  His colonel 
was killed at the first fire.  At Chancellorsville his division was thrown into 
the breach to arrest the victorious Confederates in their pursuit of the routed 
Eleventh Corps.  During the terrible Saturday night, May 2, 1863, Mr. Spangler’s 
company was fighting nearly all night on the plank road at the foot of the knoll 
on which our artillery was massed, and in front of which Stonewall Jackson was 
mortally wounded.  The next morning, Sunday, his division was compelled to give 
way, and his general of brigade, Hays, was taken prisoner.  Although in the 
fore-front of every battle, Mr. Spangler was unharmed in each.  The term of 
enlistment having expired, the regiment returned home and was disbanded.  After 
his return he was appointed deputy United States marshall of York County.  He 
was in service but a few weeks when his leg was broken by the kick of an 
abandoned Confederate horse and, being incapacitated for active duty, resigned.  
Upon his convalescence he resumed his studies at the York County Academy, during 
which he also registered as a student at law.  After attending a course of 
lectures in the law department of the University of Pennsylvania, at 
Philadelphia, he was admitted to the York bar, March 4, 1867.  He soon acquired 
a very lucrative practice which he has ever since retained.  He has been 
admitted to practice in the neighboring county courts and in the United States 
district court, and is an active practitioner in the supreme court during the 
week appointed for the argument of York County cases.  He has studiously 
eschewed politics, save his filling the office of president of the York 
Republican Club, in 1881, which position he subsequently resigned, having joined 
the independent wing of his party.  In 1881 he was one of the principal 
promoters in the building of York’s beautiful opera house, and superintended its 
first year’s management.  He has also taken an active interest in suburban 
development and laid out his real estate, extending from George Street to 
Cottage Hill, into building lots, which are propinquitous to nearly all of 
York’s manufactories, and are made accessible by the construction of the new and 
handsome Beach Street iron bridge, in the procuration of which he was mainly 
instrumental.  In January 1882, Mr. Spangler purchased the York Daily and Weekly 
Printing House, with daily and weekly editions, and extensive job department.  
With the valuable assistance of his two able publishing partners he at once 
introduced into these issues new life, features and methods, resulting in the 
large increase in their circulations and carrying them to the fore-front of 
successful inland journals.  Mr. Spangler possesses great energy and executive 
ability, is a sound and able advocate, and a pungent and forcible writer.