Son of John McFERREN (b:Abt. 1785 Shippensburg, Cumberland, Pennsylvania d:24 Mar 1851 Quincy Twp, Franklin County, Pennsylvania and unknown mother).
AGE: 86 Years, 6 Months, 29 Days
AGE,COMPUTED DATE: Tombstone Inscription: "PETER McFERREN died 11 December 1898 Aged 86 Yrs. 6 Mos. and 29 Days" Computed by World Clock/Calendar, resulting date: Tuesday, May 12, 1812; smaller units (days) are subtracted before the larger units (months/years). If the larger units are subtracted first, the result would have been: Wednesday, May 13, 1812. World Clock/Calculator: http://www.timeanddate.com/date/dateadd.html
OBITUARY: 1 OF 2
"20 Dec 1898: Quincy, Franklin, Pennsylvania (Star Sentinel, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
"Hunters returning last Tuesday from their camp on the SOUTH MOUNTAIN found the dead body of Peter McFerren, lying in his cabin, on the mountainside several miles from Quincy, Franklin county. The old man, over 87 years of age had lived the life of a recluse for many years. He was fond of hunting, and had cut himself off from family and friends. He had been dead four or five days. McFerren was a veteran of the Civil War and leaves a wife and four (sic-6) children."
PLACE OF BIRTH: Before the Civil War (1860s), Quincy, Franklin was formerly part of Antrim, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. "Antrim" is a region in Northern Ireland, and there is evidence to support that many McFerrens came from there; however, there are many spellings of the McFerren name--which complicates research.
1880 U.S. CENSUS: Peter Mcphern [Peter McFERREN]
Age: 68
Birth Year: abt 1812
Birthplace: Pennsylvania Home in 1880: Quincy, Franklin, Pennsylvania
Race: White
Gender: Male
Marital Status: (sic) Widower
(Not true: Nancy Keiffer McFerren died two years later in 1900)
Father's Birthplace: Ireland Mother's Birthplace: Ireland Occupation: Farm Laborer
MILITARY SERVICE:
MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR (ERRONEOUS INFORMATION) was mis-posted (clerical error) on Peter's Civil War Pension Index paper. Information researched by Dorothy Vigano at the National Archives in December 2015 declares the following military service to be erroneous: 1846-1848: Mexican-American War; from Civil War Pension Index 1880 & 1899
1862-1863: CIVIL WAR-1ST TOUR OF DUTY: Company E, 158th
NAME SPELLING: McPherron/McPheron, Peter
Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Private.
Served in place of Frederick C. Trittle.
M'Pherron, Peter, Private , November 1, 1862, Mustered out with Company, August 12, 1863
PLACES OF SERVICE: Suffolk, VA; Newbern, NC; Fredericksburg, VA; Washington, NC; Swift Creek, NC; Ft. Monroe, VA; Harper's Ferry, WV; Boonsboro, MD; Fredrick, MD; South Mountain, MD/PA; Chambersburg, PA
WEBSOURCE:
http://www.pa-roots.com/pacw/infantry/158th/158thcoe.html
1864-1866: CIVIL WAR-2ND TOUR OF DUTY:
NAME SPELLING: M'Farren or M'Farre, Peter
Company (Battery) A, 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery, 112th Regiment, Private.
M'Farren, Peter Private. January 18, 1864
3 Yrs; Mustered out with Battery, January 29, 1866; Vet
WEBSOURCES:
http://www.pa-roots.com/pacw/artillery/2ndartillery/2dartcoa.html
https://archive.org/stream/historyofsecondp00wardg#page/n7/mode/2up
https://archive.org/stream/historyofsecondp00wardg#page/234/mode/2up
BATTLE ASSIGNMENTS (Dates/Service 18 Jan 1864-29 Jan 1866)
Garrison duty in the Defense of Washington north of the Potomac till May 27, 1864.
(Two Independent Cos. Heavy Artillery assigned as Cos. "L" and "M" November 24, 1862.)
Moved to Port Royal, Va., May 27-28, 1864, thence marched to Cold Harbor May 28-June 4.
Battles about Cold Harbor June 4-12.
Before Petersburg June 15-19.
Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865.
In trenches before Petersburg till August 23, 1864.
Mine Explosion, Petersburg, July 30.
Duty on the Bermuda Hundred front till September.
Weldon Railroad August 18-21.
WOUNDED AT BATTLE OF CHAFFIN'S (CHAPIN'S) FARM
Information obtained in December 2015 from the National Archives from his military medical record indicated he had been wounded in the leg.
New Market Heights (Dates: September 28-30).
Wounded 29 Sep 1864 (2nd day of battle)
http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battles-detail.htm?battleCode=VA075
(Attached, Photos Tab)
Fair Oaks October 27-28 (Co. "G").
Ordered to Bermuda front December 2, and duty there till April, 1865.
Fall of Petersburg April 2.
Duty at Petersburg till May, and in counties of lower Virginia, Sub-District of the Blackwater, District of the Nottaway, till January, 1866.
Mustered out at City Point, Va., January 29. 1866,
and discharged at Philadelphia, Pa., February 16, 1866.
POSSIBLE RELATIVE: Samuel McFerren, Find A Grave Memorial# 48305431, 14 Nov 1814-25 Jul 1901 Buried: Cedar Grove Cemetery, Chambersburg PA. Both served in Civil War in same unit at the same time: CO E, 158TH PA INFANTRY.
POSSIBLE UNMARKED BURIAL SITES OF McFERRENS AT SNOW HILL NUNNERY CEMETERY (WITHOUT MEMORIALS): See photo of 4 Aug 2012. The bare spot to the right of Peter McFerren's GAR gravestone may be the burial spot for his 7 children who do not have memorials in FindAGrave (unmarked graves).
NEW GAR GRAVESTONE: The McFerren-Blanton family of Peter McFerren applied for a new gravestone due to the deteriorated condition of Peter's GAR memorial. The VETERANS ADMINISTRATION AT QUANTICO, VA approved and shipped a NEW GRANITE TOMBSTONE for Peter which was received on 29 Apr 2016. The new memorial was installed at Snow Hill Cemetery in June 2016. We are grateful for the assistance of Grove Bowersox Funeral Home, Inc., 50 S. Broad Street, Waynesboro, PA 17268 (717) 762-2811. The old gravestone was buried horizontally on top of Peter's gravesite.
=================================
ANCESTRY.COM RECORD:
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/16992995/person/451336833
===============================
YEAR OF BIRTH CONFLICT:
Find A Grave contributor, Dennis Brandt contributed the following , 14 Jun 18:
"Peter McFerren's birth date as posted here is suspect.
1. The 1850 census lists him as a thirty-four-year-old, 1860 appears to say forty, 1870 claims fifty-five, and 1880 has him sixty-eight years old. Three of the four are inconsistent with a ca. 1812 birth year.
2. The company register for the 158th Pennsylvania (as of October 16, 1862) lists his age as sixty, and the regiment's muster roll claims sixty-one, consistent with a ca. 1801 or 1802 birth year.
3. Both the company register and muster roll for the 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery (enlistment date January 18, 1864) list his age as fifty, consistent with a ca. 1814 birth, but the Pennsylvania Archives' ARIAS file entry says forty-seven, consistent with a ca. 1817 birth year.
Out of nine sources, only one corresponds to a ca. 1812 birth year, and only two of those eight agree with each other. The stated ages McFerren gave to the 158th Pennsylvania are astonishing and enough on their own to give question to every age he claimed because that would make him the solitary man in a database of 20,000 south-central Pennsylvania Civil War veterans who padded his age and not understated it as did most.
It should be noted that using the ages he did offer should have led to rejection at both enlistments because he was in excess of the legal maximum enlistment age of forty-five. (No, recruiters didn't always reject overage men.)
Contributor:
Dennis Brandt"
--
AGE: 86 Years, 6 Months, 29 Days
AGE,COMPUTED DATE: Tombstone Inscription: "PETER McFERREN died 11 December 1898 Aged 86 Yrs. 6 Mos. and 29 Days" Computed by World Clock/Calendar, resulting date: Tuesday, May 12, 1812; smaller units (days) are subtracted before the larger units (months/years). If the larger units are subtracted first, the result would have been: Wednesday, May 13, 1812. World Clock/Calculator: http://www.timeanddate.com/date/dateadd.html
OBITUARY: 1 OF 2
"20 Dec 1898: Quincy, Franklin, Pennsylvania (Star Sentinel, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
"Hunters returning last Tuesday from their camp on the SOUTH MOUNTAIN found the dead body of Peter McFerren, lying in his cabin, on the mountainside several miles from Quincy, Franklin county. The old man, over 87 years of age had lived the life of a recluse for many years. He was fond of hunting, and had cut himself off from family and friends. He had been dead four or five days. McFerren was a veteran of the Civil War and leaves a wife and four (sic-6) children."
PLACE OF BIRTH: Before the Civil War (1860s), Quincy, Franklin was formerly part of Antrim, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. "Antrim" is a region in Northern Ireland, and there is evidence to support that many McFerrens came from there; however, there are many spellings of the McFerren name--which complicates research.
1880 U.S. CENSUS: Peter Mcphern [Peter McFERREN]
Age: 68
Birth Year: abt 1812
Birthplace: Pennsylvania Home in 1880: Quincy, Franklin, Pennsylvania
Race: White
Gender: Male
Marital Status: (sic) Widower
(Not true: Nancy Keiffer McFerren died two years later in 1900)
Father's Birthplace: Ireland Mother's Birthplace: Ireland Occupation: Farm Laborer
MILITARY SERVICE:
MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR (ERRONEOUS INFORMATION) was mis-posted (clerical error) on Peter's Civil War Pension Index paper. Information researched by Dorothy Vigano at the National Archives in December 2015 declares the following military service to be erroneous: 1846-1848: Mexican-American War; from Civil War Pension Index 1880 & 1899
1862-1863: CIVIL WAR-1ST TOUR OF DUTY: Company E, 158th
NAME SPELLING: McPherron/McPheron, Peter
Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Private.
Served in place of Frederick C. Trittle.
M'Pherron, Peter, Private , November 1, 1862, Mustered out with Company, August 12, 1863
PLACES OF SERVICE: Suffolk, VA; Newbern, NC; Fredericksburg, VA; Washington, NC; Swift Creek, NC; Ft. Monroe, VA; Harper's Ferry, WV; Boonsboro, MD; Fredrick, MD; South Mountain, MD/PA; Chambersburg, PA
WEBSOURCE:
http://www.pa-roots.com/pacw/infantry/158th/158thcoe.html
1864-1866: CIVIL WAR-2ND TOUR OF DUTY:
NAME SPELLING: M'Farren or M'Farre, Peter
Company (Battery) A, 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery, 112th Regiment, Private.
M'Farren, Peter Private. January 18, 1864
3 Yrs; Mustered out with Battery, January 29, 1866; Vet
WEBSOURCES:
http://www.pa-roots.com/pacw/artillery/2ndartillery/2dartcoa.html
https://archive.org/stream/historyofsecondp00wardg#page/n7/mode/2up
https://archive.org/stream/historyofsecondp00wardg#page/234/mode/2up
BATTLE ASSIGNMENTS (Dates/Service 18 Jan 1864-29 Jan 1866)
Garrison duty in the Defense of Washington north of the Potomac till May 27, 1864.
(Two Independent Cos. Heavy Artillery assigned as Cos. "L" and "M" November 24, 1862.)
Moved to Port Royal, Va., May 27-28, 1864, thence marched to Cold Harbor May 28-June 4.
Battles about Cold Harbor June 4-12.
Before Petersburg June 15-19.
Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865.
In trenches before Petersburg till August 23, 1864.
Mine Explosion, Petersburg, July 30.
Duty on the Bermuda Hundred front till September.
Weldon Railroad August 18-21.
WOUNDED AT BATTLE OF CHAFFIN'S (CHAPIN'S) FARM
Information obtained in December 2015 from the National Archives from his military medical record indicated he had been wounded in the leg.
New Market Heights (Dates: September 28-30).
Wounded 29 Sep 1864 (2nd day of battle)
http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battles-detail.htm?battleCode=VA075
(Attached, Photos Tab)
Fair Oaks October 27-28 (Co. "G").
Ordered to Bermuda front December 2, and duty there till April, 1865.
Fall of Petersburg April 2.
Duty at Petersburg till May, and in counties of lower Virginia, Sub-District of the Blackwater, District of the Nottaway, till January, 1866.
Mustered out at City Point, Va., January 29. 1866,
and discharged at Philadelphia, Pa., February 16, 1866.
POSSIBLE RELATIVE: Samuel McFerren, Find A Grave Memorial# 48305431, 14 Nov 1814-25 Jul 1901 Buried: Cedar Grove Cemetery, Chambersburg PA. Both served in Civil War in same unit at the same time: CO E, 158TH PA INFANTRY.
POSSIBLE UNMARKED BURIAL SITES OF McFERRENS AT SNOW HILL NUNNERY CEMETERY (WITHOUT MEMORIALS): See photo of 4 Aug 2012. The bare spot to the right of Peter McFerren's GAR gravestone may be the burial spot for his 7 children who do not have memorials in FindAGrave (unmarked graves).
NEW GAR GRAVESTONE: The McFerren-Blanton family of Peter McFerren applied for a new gravestone due to the deteriorated condition of Peter's GAR memorial. The VETERANS ADMINISTRATION AT QUANTICO, VA approved and shipped a NEW GRANITE TOMBSTONE for Peter which was received on 29 Apr 2016. The new memorial was installed at Snow Hill Cemetery in June 2016. We are grateful for the assistance of Grove Bowersox Funeral Home, Inc., 50 S. Broad Street, Waynesboro, PA 17268 (717) 762-2811. The old gravestone was buried horizontally on top of Peter's gravesite.
=================================
ANCESTRY.COM RECORD:
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/16992995/person/451336833
===============================
YEAR OF BIRTH CONFLICT:
Find A Grave contributor, Dennis Brandt contributed the following , 14 Jun 18:
"Peter McFerren's birth date as posted here is suspect.
1. The 1850 census lists him as a thirty-four-year-old, 1860 appears to say forty, 1870 claims fifty-five, and 1880 has him sixty-eight years old. Three of the four are inconsistent with a ca. 1812 birth year.
2. The company register for the 158th Pennsylvania (as of October 16, 1862) lists his age as sixty, and the regiment's muster roll claims sixty-one, consistent with a ca. 1801 or 1802 birth year.
3. Both the company register and muster roll for the 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery (enlistment date January 18, 1864) list his age as fifty, consistent with a ca. 1814 birth, but the Pennsylvania Archives' ARIAS file entry says forty-seven, consistent with a ca. 1817 birth year.
Out of nine sources, only one corresponds to a ca. 1812 birth year, and only two of those eight agree with each other. The stated ages McFerren gave to the 158th Pennsylvania are astonishing and enough on their own to give question to every age he claimed because that would make him the solitary man in a database of 20,000 south-central Pennsylvania Civil War veterans who padded his age and not understated it as did most.
It should be noted that using the ages he did offer should have led to rejection at both enlistments because he was in excess of the legal maximum enlistment age of forty-five. (No, recruiters didn't always reject overage men.)
Contributor:
Dennis Brandt"
--
Son of John McFERREN (b:Abt. 1785 Shippensburg, Cumberland, Pennsylvania d:24 Mar 1851 Quincy Twp, Franklin County, Pennsylvania and unknown mother).
AGE: 86 Years, 6 Months, 29 Days
AGE,COMPUTED DATE: Tombstone Inscription: "PETER McFERREN died 11 December 1898 Aged 86 Yrs. 6 Mos. and 29 Days" Computed by World Clock/Calendar, resulting date: Tuesday, May 12, 1812; smaller units (days) are subtracted before the larger units (months/years). If the larger units are subtracted first, the result would have been: Wednesday, May 13, 1812. World Clock/Calculator: http://www.timeanddate.com/date/dateadd.html
OBITUARY: 1 OF 2
"20 Dec 1898: Quincy, Franklin, Pennsylvania (Star Sentinel, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
"Hunters returning last Tuesday from their camp on the SOUTH MOUNTAIN found the dead body of Peter McFerren, lying in his cabin, on the mountainside several miles from Quincy, Franklin county. The old man, over 87 years of age had lived the life of a recluse for many years. He was fond of hunting, and had cut himself off from family and friends. He had been dead four or five days. McFerren was a veteran of the Civil War and leaves a wife and four (sic-6) children."
PLACE OF BIRTH: Before the Civil War (1860s), Quincy, Franklin was formerly part of Antrim, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. "Antrim" is a region in Northern Ireland, and there is evidence to support that many McFerrens came from there; however, there are many spellings of the McFerren name--which complicates research.
1880 U.S. CENSUS: Peter Mcphern [Peter McFERREN]
Age: 68
Birth Year: abt 1812
Birthplace: Pennsylvania Home in 1880: Quincy, Franklin, Pennsylvania
Race: White
Gender: Male
Marital Status: (sic) Widower
(Not true: Nancy Keiffer McFerren died two years later in 1900)
Father's Birthplace: Ireland Mother's Birthplace: Ireland Occupation: Farm Laborer
MILITARY SERVICE:
MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR (ERRONEOUS INFORMATION) was mis-posted (clerical error) on Peter's Civil War Pension Index paper. Information researched by Dorothy Vigano at the National Archives in December 2015 declares the following military service to be erroneous: 1846-1848: Mexican-American War; from Civil War Pension Index 1880 & 1899
1862-1863: CIVIL WAR-1ST TOUR OF DUTY: Company E, 158th
NAME SPELLING: McPherron/McPheron, Peter
Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Private.
Served in place of Frederick C. Trittle.
M'Pherron, Peter, Private , November 1, 1862, Mustered out with Company, August 12, 1863
PLACES OF SERVICE: Suffolk, VA; Newbern, NC; Fredericksburg, VA; Washington, NC; Swift Creek, NC; Ft. Monroe, VA; Harper's Ferry, WV; Boonsboro, MD; Fredrick, MD; South Mountain, MD/PA; Chambersburg, PA
WEBSOURCE:
http://www.pa-roots.com/pacw/infantry/158th/158thcoe.html
1864-1866: CIVIL WAR-2ND TOUR OF DUTY:
NAME SPELLING: M'Farren or M'Farre, Peter
Company (Battery) A, 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery, 112th Regiment, Private.
M'Farren, Peter Private. January 18, 1864
3 Yrs; Mustered out with Battery, January 29, 1866; Vet
WEBSOURCES:
http://www.pa-roots.com/pacw/artillery/2ndartillery/2dartcoa.html
https://archive.org/stream/historyofsecondp00wardg#page/n7/mode/2up
https://archive.org/stream/historyofsecondp00wardg#page/234/mode/2up
BATTLE ASSIGNMENTS (Dates/Service 18 Jan 1864-29 Jan 1866)
Garrison duty in the Defense of Washington north of the Potomac till May 27, 1864.
(Two Independent Cos. Heavy Artillery assigned as Cos. "L" and "M" November 24, 1862.)
Moved to Port Royal, Va., May 27-28, 1864, thence marched to Cold Harbor May 28-June 4.
Battles about Cold Harbor June 4-12.
Before Petersburg June 15-19.
Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865.
In trenches before Petersburg till August 23, 1864.
Mine Explosion, Petersburg, July 30.
Duty on the Bermuda Hundred front till September.
Weldon Railroad August 18-21.
WOUNDED AT BATTLE OF CHAFFIN'S (CHAPIN'S) FARM
Information obtained in December 2015 from the National Archives from his military medical record indicated he had been wounded in the leg.
New Market Heights (Dates: September 28-30).
Wounded 29 Sep 1864 (2nd day of battle)
http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battles-detail.htm?battleCode=VA075
(Attached, Photos Tab)
Fair Oaks October 27-28 (Co. "G").
Ordered to Bermuda front December 2, and duty there till April, 1865.
Fall of Petersburg April 2.
Duty at Petersburg till May, and in counties of lower Virginia, Sub-District of the Blackwater, District of the Nottaway, till January, 1866.
Mustered out at City Point, Va., January 29. 1866,
and discharged at Philadelphia, Pa., February 16, 1866.
POSSIBLE RELATIVE: Samuel McFerren, Find A Grave Memorial# 48305431, 14 Nov 1814-25 Jul 1901 Buried: Cedar Grove Cemetery, Chambersburg PA. Both served in Civil War in same unit at the same time: CO E, 158TH PA INFANTRY.
POSSIBLE UNMARKED BURIAL SITES OF McFERRENS AT SNOW HILL NUNNERY CEMETERY (WITHOUT MEMORIALS): See photo of 4 Aug 2012. The bare spot to the right of Peter McFerren's GAR gravestone may be the burial spot for his 7 children who do not have memorials in FindAGrave (unmarked graves).
NEW GAR GRAVESTONE: The McFerren-Blanton family of Peter McFerren applied for a new gravestone due to the deteriorated condition of Peter's GAR memorial. The VETERANS ADMINISTRATION AT QUANTICO, VA approved and shipped a NEW GRANITE TOMBSTONE for Peter which was received on 29 Apr 2016. The new memorial was installed at Snow Hill Cemetery in June 2016. We are grateful for the assistance of Grove Bowersox Funeral Home, Inc., 50 S. Broad Street, Waynesboro, PA 17268 (717) 762-2811. The old gravestone was buried horizontally on top of Peter's gravesite.
=================================
ANCESTRY.COM RECORD:
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/16992995/person/451336833
===============================
YEAR OF BIRTH CONFLICT:
Find A Grave contributor, Dennis Brandt contributed the following , 14 Jun 18:
"Peter McFerren's birth date as posted here is suspect.
1. The 1850 census lists him as a thirty-four-year-old, 1860 appears to say forty, 1870 claims fifty-five, and 1880 has him sixty-eight years old. Three of the four are inconsistent with a ca. 1812 birth year.
2. The company register for the 158th Pennsylvania (as of October 16, 1862) lists his age as sixty, and the regiment's muster roll claims sixty-one, consistent with a ca. 1801 or 1802 birth year.
3. Both the company register and muster roll for the 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery (enlistment date January 18, 1864) list his age as fifty, consistent with a ca. 1814 birth, but the Pennsylvania Archives' ARIAS file entry says forty-seven, consistent with a ca. 1817 birth year.
Out of nine sources, only one corresponds to a ca. 1812 birth year, and only two of those eight agree with each other. The stated ages McFerren gave to the 158th Pennsylvania are astonishing and enough on their own to give question to every age he claimed because that would make him the solitary man in a database of 20,000 south-central Pennsylvania Civil War veterans who padded his age and not understated it as did most.
It should be noted that using the ages he did offer should have led to rejection at both enlistments because he was in excess of the legal maximum enlistment age of forty-five. (No, recruiters didn't always reject overage men.)
Contributor:
Dennis Brandt"
--
AGE: 86 Years, 6 Months, 29 Days
AGE,COMPUTED DATE: Tombstone Inscription: "PETER McFERREN died 11 December 1898 Aged 86 Yrs. 6 Mos. and 29 Days" Computed by World Clock/Calendar, resulting date: Tuesday, May 12, 1812; smaller units (days) are subtracted before the larger units (months/years). If the larger units are subtracted first, the result would have been: Wednesday, May 13, 1812. World Clock/Calculator: http://www.timeanddate.com/date/dateadd.html
OBITUARY: 1 OF 2
"20 Dec 1898: Quincy, Franklin, Pennsylvania (Star Sentinel, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
"Hunters returning last Tuesday from their camp on the SOUTH MOUNTAIN found the dead body of Peter McFerren, lying in his cabin, on the mountainside several miles from Quincy, Franklin county. The old man, over 87 years of age had lived the life of a recluse for many years. He was fond of hunting, and had cut himself off from family and friends. He had been dead four or five days. McFerren was a veteran of the Civil War and leaves a wife and four (sic-6) children."
PLACE OF BIRTH: Before the Civil War (1860s), Quincy, Franklin was formerly part of Antrim, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. "Antrim" is a region in Northern Ireland, and there is evidence to support that many McFerrens came from there; however, there are many spellings of the McFerren name--which complicates research.
1880 U.S. CENSUS: Peter Mcphern [Peter McFERREN]
Age: 68
Birth Year: abt 1812
Birthplace: Pennsylvania Home in 1880: Quincy, Franklin, Pennsylvania
Race: White
Gender: Male
Marital Status: (sic) Widower
(Not true: Nancy Keiffer McFerren died two years later in 1900)
Father's Birthplace: Ireland Mother's Birthplace: Ireland Occupation: Farm Laborer
MILITARY SERVICE:
MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR (ERRONEOUS INFORMATION) was mis-posted (clerical error) on Peter's Civil War Pension Index paper. Information researched by Dorothy Vigano at the National Archives in December 2015 declares the following military service to be erroneous: 1846-1848: Mexican-American War; from Civil War Pension Index 1880 & 1899
1862-1863: CIVIL WAR-1ST TOUR OF DUTY: Company E, 158th
NAME SPELLING: McPherron/McPheron, Peter
Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Private.
Served in place of Frederick C. Trittle.
M'Pherron, Peter, Private , November 1, 1862, Mustered out with Company, August 12, 1863
PLACES OF SERVICE: Suffolk, VA; Newbern, NC; Fredericksburg, VA; Washington, NC; Swift Creek, NC; Ft. Monroe, VA; Harper's Ferry, WV; Boonsboro, MD; Fredrick, MD; South Mountain, MD/PA; Chambersburg, PA
WEBSOURCE:
http://www.pa-roots.com/pacw/infantry/158th/158thcoe.html
1864-1866: CIVIL WAR-2ND TOUR OF DUTY:
NAME SPELLING: M'Farren or M'Farre, Peter
Company (Battery) A, 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery, 112th Regiment, Private.
M'Farren, Peter Private. January 18, 1864
3 Yrs; Mustered out with Battery, January 29, 1866; Vet
WEBSOURCES:
http://www.pa-roots.com/pacw/artillery/2ndartillery/2dartcoa.html
https://archive.org/stream/historyofsecondp00wardg#page/n7/mode/2up
https://archive.org/stream/historyofsecondp00wardg#page/234/mode/2up
BATTLE ASSIGNMENTS (Dates/Service 18 Jan 1864-29 Jan 1866)
Garrison duty in the Defense of Washington north of the Potomac till May 27, 1864.
(Two Independent Cos. Heavy Artillery assigned as Cos. "L" and "M" November 24, 1862.)
Moved to Port Royal, Va., May 27-28, 1864, thence marched to Cold Harbor May 28-June 4.
Battles about Cold Harbor June 4-12.
Before Petersburg June 15-19.
Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865.
In trenches before Petersburg till August 23, 1864.
Mine Explosion, Petersburg, July 30.
Duty on the Bermuda Hundred front till September.
Weldon Railroad August 18-21.
WOUNDED AT BATTLE OF CHAFFIN'S (CHAPIN'S) FARM
Information obtained in December 2015 from the National Archives from his military medical record indicated he had been wounded in the leg.
New Market Heights (Dates: September 28-30).
Wounded 29 Sep 1864 (2nd day of battle)
http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battles-detail.htm?battleCode=VA075
(Attached, Photos Tab)
Fair Oaks October 27-28 (Co. "G").
Ordered to Bermuda front December 2, and duty there till April, 1865.
Fall of Petersburg April 2.
Duty at Petersburg till May, and in counties of lower Virginia, Sub-District of the Blackwater, District of the Nottaway, till January, 1866.
Mustered out at City Point, Va., January 29. 1866,
and discharged at Philadelphia, Pa., February 16, 1866.
POSSIBLE RELATIVE: Samuel McFerren, Find A Grave Memorial# 48305431, 14 Nov 1814-25 Jul 1901 Buried: Cedar Grove Cemetery, Chambersburg PA. Both served in Civil War in same unit at the same time: CO E, 158TH PA INFANTRY.
POSSIBLE UNMARKED BURIAL SITES OF McFERRENS AT SNOW HILL NUNNERY CEMETERY (WITHOUT MEMORIALS): See photo of 4 Aug 2012. The bare spot to the right of Peter McFerren's GAR gravestone may be the burial spot for his 7 children who do not have memorials in FindAGrave (unmarked graves).
NEW GAR GRAVESTONE: The McFerren-Blanton family of Peter McFerren applied for a new gravestone due to the deteriorated condition of Peter's GAR memorial. The VETERANS ADMINISTRATION AT QUANTICO, VA approved and shipped a NEW GRANITE TOMBSTONE for Peter which was received on 29 Apr 2016. The new memorial was installed at Snow Hill Cemetery in June 2016. We are grateful for the assistance of Grove Bowersox Funeral Home, Inc., 50 S. Broad Street, Waynesboro, PA 17268 (717) 762-2811. The old gravestone was buried horizontally on top of Peter's gravesite.
=================================
ANCESTRY.COM RECORD:
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/16992995/person/451336833
===============================
YEAR OF BIRTH CONFLICT:
Find A Grave contributor, Dennis Brandt contributed the following , 14 Jun 18:
"Peter McFerren's birth date as posted here is suspect.
1. The 1850 census lists him as a thirty-four-year-old, 1860 appears to say forty, 1870 claims fifty-five, and 1880 has him sixty-eight years old. Three of the four are inconsistent with a ca. 1812 birth year.
2. The company register for the 158th Pennsylvania (as of October 16, 1862) lists his age as sixty, and the regiment's muster roll claims sixty-one, consistent with a ca. 1801 or 1802 birth year.
3. Both the company register and muster roll for the 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery (enlistment date January 18, 1864) list his age as fifty, consistent with a ca. 1814 birth, but the Pennsylvania Archives' ARIAS file entry says forty-seven, consistent with a ca. 1817 birth year.
Out of nine sources, only one corresponds to a ca. 1812 birth year, and only two of those eight agree with each other. The stated ages McFerren gave to the 158th Pennsylvania are astonishing and enough on their own to give question to every age he claimed because that would make him the solitary man in a database of 20,000 south-central Pennsylvania Civil War veterans who padded his age and not understated it as did most.
It should be noted that using the ages he did offer should have led to rejection at both enlistments because he was in excess of the legal maximum enlistment age of forty-five. (No, recruiters didn't always reject overage men.)
Contributor:
Dennis Brandt"
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Inscription
PETER McFERREN
DIED Dec. 11, 1898
AGED 86 Yrs. 6 Mos.
and 29 Days.
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Co. A . 2nd Reg . (112th) Pa. Vol.
Heavy Artillery
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