The son of Andrew Shirer, he allegedly arrived in the United States ca. 1848, first living with an uncle in New York City, then settling in Milton, Sussex County, Delaware, although he is not found there in the 1860 census.
A Civil War veteran, he enlisted and mustered into federal service at Philadelphia February 29, 1864, as an unassigned private with the 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery (112th Pa). Due to overrecruiting, on April 20, 1864, he was among nearly two thousand men who transferred to the 2nd Pennsylvania Provisional Heavy Artillery, he settling in Battery F although the regiment fought as infantry. On September 5, 1864, the various sections of the regiment were re-consolidated under the original name, and he was then assigned to Battery K where he appears in the company register. He honorably discharged with his battery January 29, 1866, at City Point, Virginia. His obituary in the Harrisburg Telegraph erroneously claims, "At the start of the Civil War he enlisted in the 112th Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery," a typical error found in Civil War obituaries.
His family data is as yet not well documented as reports display contradictions. (He has a pension file that possibly would clarify matters, but that must await the post-covid-19 reopening of the National Archives.) Per the aforementioned obituary, he married Mary Adeline Tilden (listed by her middle name in the 1880 census) and fathered Anna (b. @1862 - appears to be a stepdaughter), Carrie (b. @1873), Charles b. @1875), Arthur Enos (b. 09/15/82), and Mrs. R. P. Thiele (b. ? - but may be Carrie). The obituary also mentions three female stepchildren. On the other hand, online family trees list Mary Ellen Shunk as his wife and their marriage as occurring ca. 1897. The aforementioned obituary makes no mention of her and identifies Mary Adeline as his widow but lists Milton as her home, suggesting there had been a separation.
After the war, he moved to Snow Shoe, Centre County, and worked variously as a blacksmith, merchant, and brickyard superintendent. By 1900, was living in Steelton, Dauphin County, but died in Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County, from "angina pectoris" with "senility" a contributing factor, there having been a member of Zinn Post No. 415, G.A.R.
Bio courtesy of Find A Grave Contributor: Dennis Brandt (47232334) • [email protected] 23 November 2020.
A Civil War veteran, he enlisted and mustered into federal service at Philadelphia February 29, 1864, as an unassigned private with the 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery (112th Pa). Due to overrecruiting, on April 20, 1864, he was among nearly two thousand men who transferred to the 2nd Pennsylvania Provisional Heavy Artillery, he settling in Battery F although the regiment fought as infantry. On September 5, 1864, the various sections of the regiment were re-consolidated under the original name, and he was then assigned to Battery K where he appears in the company register. He honorably discharged with his battery January 29, 1866, at City Point, Virginia. His obituary in the Harrisburg Telegraph erroneously claims, "At the start of the Civil War he enlisted in the 112th Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery," a typical error found in Civil War obituaries.
His family data is as yet not well documented as reports display contradictions. (He has a pension file that possibly would clarify matters, but that must await the post-covid-19 reopening of the National Archives.) Per the aforementioned obituary, he married Mary Adeline Tilden (listed by her middle name in the 1880 census) and fathered Anna (b. @1862 - appears to be a stepdaughter), Carrie (b. @1873), Charles b. @1875), Arthur Enos (b. 09/15/82), and Mrs. R. P. Thiele (b. ? - but may be Carrie). The obituary also mentions three female stepchildren. On the other hand, online family trees list Mary Ellen Shunk as his wife and their marriage as occurring ca. 1897. The aforementioned obituary makes no mention of her and identifies Mary Adeline as his widow but lists Milton as her home, suggesting there had been a separation.
After the war, he moved to Snow Shoe, Centre County, and worked variously as a blacksmith, merchant, and brickyard superintendent. By 1900, was living in Steelton, Dauphin County, but died in Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County, from "angina pectoris" with "senility" a contributing factor, there having been a member of Zinn Post No. 415, G.A.R.
Bio courtesy of Find A Grave Contributor: Dennis Brandt (47232334) • [email protected] 23 November 2020.
The son of Andrew Shirer, he allegedly arrived in the United States ca. 1848, first living with an uncle in New York City, then settling in Milton, Sussex County, Delaware, although he is not found there in the 1860 census.
A Civil War veteran, he enlisted and mustered into federal service at Philadelphia February 29, 1864, as an unassigned private with the 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery (112th Pa). Due to overrecruiting, on April 20, 1864, he was among nearly two thousand men who transferred to the 2nd Pennsylvania Provisional Heavy Artillery, he settling in Battery F although the regiment fought as infantry. On September 5, 1864, the various sections of the regiment were re-consolidated under the original name, and he was then assigned to Battery K where he appears in the company register. He honorably discharged with his battery January 29, 1866, at City Point, Virginia. His obituary in the Harrisburg Telegraph erroneously claims, "At the start of the Civil War he enlisted in the 112th Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery," a typical error found in Civil War obituaries.
His family data is as yet not well documented as reports display contradictions. (He has a pension file that possibly would clarify matters, but that must await the post-covid-19 reopening of the National Archives.) Per the aforementioned obituary, he married Mary Adeline Tilden (listed by her middle name in the 1880 census) and fathered Anna (b. @1862 - appears to be a stepdaughter), Carrie (b. @1873), Charles b. @1875), Arthur Enos (b. 09/15/82), and Mrs. R. P. Thiele (b. ? - but may be Carrie). The obituary also mentions three female stepchildren. On the other hand, online family trees list Mary Ellen Shunk as his wife and their marriage as occurring ca. 1897. The aforementioned obituary makes no mention of her and identifies Mary Adeline as his widow but lists Milton as her home, suggesting there had been a separation.
After the war, he moved to Snow Shoe, Centre County, and worked variously as a blacksmith, merchant, and brickyard superintendent. By 1900, was living in Steelton, Dauphin County, but died in Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County, from "angina pectoris" with "senility" a contributing factor, there having been a member of Zinn Post No. 415, G.A.R.
Bio courtesy of Find A Grave Contributor: Dennis Brandt (47232334) • [email protected] 23 November 2020.
A Civil War veteran, he enlisted and mustered into federal service at Philadelphia February 29, 1864, as an unassigned private with the 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery (112th Pa). Due to overrecruiting, on April 20, 1864, he was among nearly two thousand men who transferred to the 2nd Pennsylvania Provisional Heavy Artillery, he settling in Battery F although the regiment fought as infantry. On September 5, 1864, the various sections of the regiment were re-consolidated under the original name, and he was then assigned to Battery K where he appears in the company register. He honorably discharged with his battery January 29, 1866, at City Point, Virginia. His obituary in the Harrisburg Telegraph erroneously claims, "At the start of the Civil War he enlisted in the 112th Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery," a typical error found in Civil War obituaries.
His family data is as yet not well documented as reports display contradictions. (He has a pension file that possibly would clarify matters, but that must await the post-covid-19 reopening of the National Archives.) Per the aforementioned obituary, he married Mary Adeline Tilden (listed by her middle name in the 1880 census) and fathered Anna (b. @1862 - appears to be a stepdaughter), Carrie (b. @1873), Charles b. @1875), Arthur Enos (b. 09/15/82), and Mrs. R. P. Thiele (b. ? - but may be Carrie). The obituary also mentions three female stepchildren. On the other hand, online family trees list Mary Ellen Shunk as his wife and their marriage as occurring ca. 1897. The aforementioned obituary makes no mention of her and identifies Mary Adeline as his widow but lists Milton as her home, suggesting there had been a separation.
After the war, he moved to Snow Shoe, Centre County, and worked variously as a blacksmith, merchant, and brickyard superintendent. By 1900, was living in Steelton, Dauphin County, but died in Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County, from "angina pectoris" with "senility" a contributing factor, there having been a member of Zinn Post No. 415, G.A.R.
Bio courtesy of Find A Grave Contributor: Dennis Brandt (47232334) • [email protected] 23 November 2020.
Inscription
P. Co. K 2 Reg. Pa. Heavy Art.
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