(Information made available for submission to F. A Grave by The Cameron County Genealogy Project. Tombstone inscriptions of the St. Marks Cemetery, Emporium, PA were submitted by Mary Ellen Smith.)


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The son of William & Mary (Mauch) Bair.

In 1860 he was a mason living in Drumore Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He stood 5' 4" tall and had dark brown hair and gray eyes.

A Civil War veteran, he first enlisted in Lancaster September 14, 1862, as a private with Co. C, 12th Pennsylvania Militia, and discharged with his company September 27, 1862. He next enlisted at Chestnut Level, Lancaster County, July 1, 1863, mustered into state service at Harrisburg July 8 as a private with Co. G, 1st Pennsylvania (Ramsey's) Battalion, and honorably discharged with his company January 9, 1864. He last enlisted and mustered into federal service at Lancaster February 29 as a private with Battery L, 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery (112th Pa). Captured at the battle of Cold Harbor June 2, 1864, he was incarcerated in the stockade at Andersonville, Georgia, arriving there on June 8. Paroled at Charleston, South Carolina, December 11, 1864, he reported to Camp Parole, Annapolis, Maryland, on December 17, and received a thirty-day furlough to begin December 24. He returned to Camp Parole February 2, 1865, a week late, then left on a forged thirty-day furlough on February 17. Arrested and confined on March 10 for desertion, he was soon hospitalized until April 1. He returned to the regiment on May 31 and discharged the service July 14, 1865, by general order but with a open desertion charge on his record. That became a problem when he later applied for a pension, so he petitioned the War Department to remove the desertion charge, which they did on April 15, 1886, commuting it to the less serious charge of absent without leave. His surname is spelled "Bear" on several rosters but "Bair" on the 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Arttillery roster.

He married Mary Eve Schmond January 7, 1868, in St. Mary's, Elk County (Fayette County also reported) and fathered Edmund Anthony (b. 10/26/68), Albert Martin (b. 03/12/70), Mary Louisa (b. 01/03/72 - married Patrick Bernard Egan), Catherine Elizabeth (b. 09/05/73 - married Patrick Burke), Harry Seldon (b. 06/08/74), Minnie A. (b. 04/05/75 - married John Wiesman), William George (b. 04/24/77), Joseph O. (b. @1878), Rosa Frances (b. 06/28/79), Bertha (b. 08/07/81 - married James Louie Fobert), Frank (b. 07/27/83), Joshua M. (b. 08/03/85), Lena H. (b. 08/06/87 - married Albert B. Miller), Leo A. (b. 09/18/89), and Julia M. (b. 12/13/92 - married Leon Rex Felt).

Cause of death is listed as "angina pectoris."

(Information made available for submission to F.A.Grave by Dennis Brandt, 12-05-2014.)