The son of Benjamin & Fannie (Miller) Bretz, in 1860 he was a laborer presumably living in or near Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, likely in the Middletown area, although he is not found in that census. He stood 5' 7" tall and had dark hair and brown eyes.
A Civil War veteran, he served three terms of service:
1. Enlisted in Middletown, Dauphin County, August 6, 1862, mustered into federal service at Harrisburg August 13 as a private with Co. H, 127th Pennsylvania Infantry, and honorably discharged with his company May 29, 1863.
2. Enlisted and mustered into state service June 17, 1863, during the Gettysburg crisis as a private with Murray's Independent Cavalry Militia and honorably discharged with his company August 11, 1863.
3. Enlisted and mustered into federal service at Harrisburg August 14, 1863, as a private with Co. C, 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry (117th Pa), and then went on a rank roller coaster ride. He was immediately promoted to corporal, reduced to ranks April 30, 1864, re-promoted to corporal March 1, 1865, and finally to sergeant major May 1, 1865. He honorably discharged with the regiment July 14, 1865.
He married Rebecca S. Rife December 29, 1866, and fathered Mary Frances (b. 08/04/67 - married Henry Scott Clark), Eugene Edward (b. 03/28/69), Margaret Estella "Maggie" (b. 01/19/71, d. 10/29/89), Benjamin Franklin (b. 05/22/73), Abraham Thomas (b. 07/23/75), Clarence Harlan (b. 07/25/77 - WWI), and Edward Erdman (b. 01/21/80, d. 02/02/80). For a time following his marriage, he lived with his family in Warrington Township, York County, and after that, in the state of Delaware. Rebecca died in 1880, presumably in childbirth, and he married the much younger Susan Ann Ritter May 1, 1881, fathering Lula Bell (b. 08/05/82), Howard William (b. 12/11/84 or 85), John Newton (b. 01/24/86), Goldie (b. @1888), Harriet (b. 02/09/89), Grace Jane (b. @1893), Martin Ervin (b. 02/06/93), Minnie E. (b. @1898), and Elmer E. (b. @1901). After his second marriage, he was once again living in Warrington Township, then moved on to Carroll Township, Perry County, but he died in Penbrook, Dauphin County, from "interstitial nephritis" where he had been a member of Harrisburg's Hartranft Post No. 58, G.A.R.
A Civil War veteran, he served three terms of service:
1. Enlisted in Middletown, Dauphin County, August 6, 1862, mustered into federal service at Harrisburg August 13 as a private with Co. H, 127th Pennsylvania Infantry, and honorably discharged with his company May 29, 1863.
2. Enlisted and mustered into state service June 17, 1863, during the Gettysburg crisis as a private with Murray's Independent Cavalry Militia and honorably discharged with his company August 11, 1863.
3. Enlisted and mustered into federal service at Harrisburg August 14, 1863, as a private with Co. C, 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry (117th Pa), and then went on a rank roller coaster ride. He was immediately promoted to corporal, reduced to ranks April 30, 1864, re-promoted to corporal March 1, 1865, and finally to sergeant major May 1, 1865. He honorably discharged with the regiment July 14, 1865.
He married Rebecca S. Rife December 29, 1866, and fathered Mary Frances (b. 08/04/67 - married Henry Scott Clark), Eugene Edward (b. 03/28/69), Margaret Estella "Maggie" (b. 01/19/71, d. 10/29/89), Benjamin Franklin (b. 05/22/73), Abraham Thomas (b. 07/23/75), Clarence Harlan (b. 07/25/77 - WWI), and Edward Erdman (b. 01/21/80, d. 02/02/80). For a time following his marriage, he lived with his family in Warrington Township, York County, and after that, in the state of Delaware. Rebecca died in 1880, presumably in childbirth, and he married the much younger Susan Ann Ritter May 1, 1881, fathering Lula Bell (b. 08/05/82), Howard William (b. 12/11/84 or 85), John Newton (b. 01/24/86), Goldie (b. @1888), Harriet (b. 02/09/89), Grace Jane (b. @1893), Martin Ervin (b. 02/06/93), Minnie E. (b. @1898), and Elmer E. (b. @1901). After his second marriage, he was once again living in Warrington Township, then moved on to Carroll Township, Perry County, but he died in Penbrook, Dauphin County, from "interstitial nephritis" where he had been a member of Harrisburg's Hartranft Post No. 58, G.A.R.
The son of Benjamin & Fannie (Miller) Bretz, in 1860 he was a laborer presumably living in or near Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, likely in the Middletown area, although he is not found in that census. He stood 5' 7" tall and had dark hair and brown eyes.
A Civil War veteran, he served three terms of service:
1. Enlisted in Middletown, Dauphin County, August 6, 1862, mustered into federal service at Harrisburg August 13 as a private with Co. H, 127th Pennsylvania Infantry, and honorably discharged with his company May 29, 1863.
2. Enlisted and mustered into state service June 17, 1863, during the Gettysburg crisis as a private with Murray's Independent Cavalry Militia and honorably discharged with his company August 11, 1863.
3. Enlisted and mustered into federal service at Harrisburg August 14, 1863, as a private with Co. C, 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry (117th Pa), and then went on a rank roller coaster ride. He was immediately promoted to corporal, reduced to ranks April 30, 1864, re-promoted to corporal March 1, 1865, and finally to sergeant major May 1, 1865. He honorably discharged with the regiment July 14, 1865.
He married Rebecca S. Rife December 29, 1866, and fathered Mary Frances (b. 08/04/67 - married Henry Scott Clark), Eugene Edward (b. 03/28/69), Margaret Estella "Maggie" (b. 01/19/71, d. 10/29/89), Benjamin Franklin (b. 05/22/73), Abraham Thomas (b. 07/23/75), Clarence Harlan (b. 07/25/77 - WWI), and Edward Erdman (b. 01/21/80, d. 02/02/80). For a time following his marriage, he lived with his family in Warrington Township, York County, and after that, in the state of Delaware. Rebecca died in 1880, presumably in childbirth, and he married the much younger Susan Ann Ritter May 1, 1881, fathering Lula Bell (b. 08/05/82), Howard William (b. 12/11/84 or 85), John Newton (b. 01/24/86), Goldie (b. @1888), Harriet (b. 02/09/89), Grace Jane (b. @1893), Martin Ervin (b. 02/06/93), Minnie E. (b. @1898), and Elmer E. (b. @1901). After his second marriage, he was once again living in Warrington Township, then moved on to Carroll Township, Perry County, but he died in Penbrook, Dauphin County, from "interstitial nephritis" where he had been a member of Harrisburg's Hartranft Post No. 58, G.A.R.
A Civil War veteran, he served three terms of service:
1. Enlisted in Middletown, Dauphin County, August 6, 1862, mustered into federal service at Harrisburg August 13 as a private with Co. H, 127th Pennsylvania Infantry, and honorably discharged with his company May 29, 1863.
2. Enlisted and mustered into state service June 17, 1863, during the Gettysburg crisis as a private with Murray's Independent Cavalry Militia and honorably discharged with his company August 11, 1863.
3. Enlisted and mustered into federal service at Harrisburg August 14, 1863, as a private with Co. C, 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry (117th Pa), and then went on a rank roller coaster ride. He was immediately promoted to corporal, reduced to ranks April 30, 1864, re-promoted to corporal March 1, 1865, and finally to sergeant major May 1, 1865. He honorably discharged with the regiment July 14, 1865.
He married Rebecca S. Rife December 29, 1866, and fathered Mary Frances (b. 08/04/67 - married Henry Scott Clark), Eugene Edward (b. 03/28/69), Margaret Estella "Maggie" (b. 01/19/71, d. 10/29/89), Benjamin Franklin (b. 05/22/73), Abraham Thomas (b. 07/23/75), Clarence Harlan (b. 07/25/77 - WWI), and Edward Erdman (b. 01/21/80, d. 02/02/80). For a time following his marriage, he lived with his family in Warrington Township, York County, and after that, in the state of Delaware. Rebecca died in 1880, presumably in childbirth, and he married the much younger Susan Ann Ritter May 1, 1881, fathering Lula Bell (b. 08/05/82), Howard William (b. 12/11/84 or 85), John Newton (b. 01/24/86), Goldie (b. @1888), Harriet (b. 02/09/89), Grace Jane (b. @1893), Martin Ervin (b. 02/06/93), Minnie E. (b. @1898), and Elmer E. (b. @1901). After his second marriage, he was once again living in Warrington Township, then moved on to Carroll Township, Perry County, but he died in Penbrook, Dauphin County, from "interstitial nephritis" where he had been a member of Harrisburg's Hartranft Post No. 58, G.A.R.
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possible civil war veteran
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