GARRETT J. PENDERGRAST (1802-1862)-- Naval officer War of 1812, Mexican War and Civil War.
GEORGE C. REAAD (1788-1862)-- Naval officer
WILLIAM RONCKENDORFF (1812-1891)-- Naval officer in Mexican and Civil War.
PINKERTON R. VAUGHAN, USMC (1841-1866)-- Medal of Honor recipient on USS Mississippi during action at Port Hudson.
JACOB ZEILIN (1806-1880)-- USMC Commandant and first Marine general.
--Old B-R'er
The McHenry County Civil War Round Table will be having its monthly discussion group on Saturday, Feb. 24 at the Panera Bread Co. store in Crystal Lake, Illinois. This month the topic will be "The Battle of the Ironclads at Hampton Roads.
It will be in person and on Zoom if we can get it up.
This battle between the CSS Virginia and USS Monitor changed naval warfare for ever.
Everyone invited (even non-members). All you need is an interest in history and especially the Civil War. And we even stay on topic at times.
Panera Bread is located on US-14 (Northwest Highway) by Main Street.
We meet from 10 am to 11:30.
Come on Down. --Old B-Runner
JOHN A. DAHLGREN (1809-1870)-- Admiral and commander of South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. Invented the Dahlgren gun.
PERCIVAL DRAYTON (1812-1865)-- Union Navy officer.
CHARLES ELLETT JR. (1810-1862)-- U.S. engineer who designed the Wheeling Suspension Bridge and during the Civil War , as an Army colonel, created and commanded the United States Ram Fleet in the Mississippi River.
CHARLES RIVERS ELLETT (1843-1863)-- Charles Ellett Jr's son and colonel in Union Army who commanded ships in the Ram Fleet.
--Old B-Runner
From Wikipedia.
While researching the West Laurel Hill Cemetery, I found out it was a part of the larger Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia. I figured I might as well look there for notables while Road Trippin'.
There were some, including naval officers who served during the War of 1812 which included the commander of the USS Constitution in its famed battle with the HMS Guerriere, Isaac Hull. And, there were several other naval officers from the War of 1812, Mexican and Civil Wars.
I'll write about the War of 1812 navy officers in my Not So Forgotten: War of 1812 blog.
Also, Union General George Gordon Meade, the victor at the Battle of Gettysburg is buried there.
Any naval officer connected to the Civil War will be listed in this blog.
--Old B-R'er
From Wikipedia.
Continuing with my Road Tripping Through History.
There are four other Union veterans buried in West Laurel Hill Cemetery (Name, life & where he earned his Medal of Honor):
CHARLES M. BETTS (1838-1905) Greensboro, N.C. April 1865. (This would have made him one of the last to receive the Medal during the war.)
WALLACE W.JOHNSON (1842-1911) 2nd Day Battle of Gettysburg
GEORGE HENRY STOCKTON (1833-1912) Vicksburg
ELWOOD N. WILLIAMS (1842-1921) Shiloh
--Old B-Runner
One thing I do when I di these blogs is take a road trip through history from time to time. That is when I take a post and see where it takes me. In this case, I'll be writing about the USS Ticonderoga, on which the good sergeant was serving and also do some research also on the cemetery where he was buried, West Laurel Hill, and see if there is anyone buried there of interest.
There is quite a long article in Wikipedia about this cemetery in Bela Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, west of Philadelphia. It was established in 1869 and has 200 acres. It is affiliated with the nearby Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.
Quite a few notable people and there is a long list of them. I have heard of some of them and others are of definite interest.
There are several other Union soldiers who were awarded the Medal of Honor.
I will cover them in the next post.
--Old B-Runner
From the Naval History and Heritage Command.
"BINDER, RICHARD, Sergeant USMC. Born 1840, Philadelphia, Pa. Accredited to Pennsylvania.
On board the USS Ticonderoga during the attacks on Fort Fisher, 24 and 25 December 1864; and 13 to 15 January 1865. Despite heavy return fire by the enemy, and the explosion of the 100-pounder Parrott rifle which killed8 men and wounded 12 more, Sergeant Binder, as Captain of a gun, performed his duties with skill and courage during the two days of battle.
As his ship again took position on the 13th, he remained steadfast as the Ticonderoga maintained a well-placed fire upon the batteries on shore, and thereafter, as she materially lessened the power of the guns on the mound which had been turned upon our assaulting columns.
During the action, the flag was planted on one of the strongest fortifications possessed by the rebels."
--Old B-Runner
After the war, Richard Binder was honorably discharged and received his Medal of Honor on June 22, 1865, although the ceremony for it wasn't held until the 1890s. Nine other men from the USS Ticonderoga received Medals of Honor at Fort Fisher.
In 1868 he married a woman named Fredericka who had immigrated from the same German city years prior. They had a daughter and son.
He resumed cutting hair. By 1890 he had four shops across Philadelphia and even expanded into tonics and toupees. He was quite a cane collector and had 600 of them, including one that had been used by President Abraham Lincoln.
He died February 26, 1912, from heart disease and is buried at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia.
For the Hairy Old. --Old B-R'er
From January 15, 2024, Medal of Honor Monday.
Sergeant Binder was born July 26, 1839, in Germany and moved to New York at age 15 before settling in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He worked as a barber and received his U.S. citizenship in 1860. Just before his 22nd birthday, he enlisted in the Marine Corps on July 11, 1861.
He first served on a ship that sank at the Battle of Port Royal, South Carolina, on November 1861. (The only Union ship I could find that sank at the battle was the transport Governor.)
From there he moved on to serve on other ships and participated in actions. In 1864, he was transferred to the USS Ticonderoga.
During the second attack on Fort Fisher, January 13-15, 1865, Sgt, Binder was captain of a gun on board his ship. During that time, he "performed his duties with skill and courage" according to his Medal of Honor citation.
Quite a Few Medals of Honor at Fisher. --Old B-Runner
From Confederate Navy Trivia by Terry Foenander.
*** At least one murder is known to have been committed on an officer of the Confederate Navy by a fellow officer. On October 15, 1862, Acting Master's Mate Joseph Goodwin Hester fired three shots at his commanding officer, Master's Mate (Acting Midshipman) William Andrews of Georgia, with a pistol, aboard the CSS Sumter, while that vessel was anchored off Gibraltar.
Andrews died almost instantly, and, after an inquest was held, his remains were laid to rest on October 17, at Gibraltar, attended by members of the Sumter as well as several officers of the One Hundredth Canada Regiment, stationed at the rock.
Hester was under suspicion by Andrews of pilfering articles from the vessel, but after arrest for the murder, Hester tried to vindicate his crime by claiming that Andrews had intended to commit treason by delivering the vessel into the hands of the US authorities.
However, the crew of the Sumter in a letter to the Confederate commissioner in London, James M. Mason, noted that the claim was without foundation, and that Andrews was beloved and respected by all who knew him, especially his crew.
Hester was held by British authorities at Gibraltar, and, after some correspondence with the Confederate authorities, the British sent him aboard the Shannon, to Bermuda, where it was hoped he would be brought through the blockade, for trial in the Confederate States.
However, permission was denied, and he was permitted to go free in Bermuda.
So, That's the Story. --Old B-Runner
