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WHO WAS WHO in PLUM TOWNSHIP
~ Titusville Herald ~
October 11, 1963
By H. W. Strawbridge

Lewis McFadden

Lewis McFadden was born in Jackson Township, Venango County, sometime during the decade of the 1830s. He was one of nine children of John and Mary McFadden, old-time settlers of Jackson Township.

The father, who was also born near Cooperstown, Jackson Township, was a soldier in the War of 1812 and he endured all the privations of the original settlers. He died in 1839, leaving a wife with nine children. A few years after his death her family moved to Sunville where she reared her children by the products of her loom. Her house in Sunville was one of the first to be erected in the then young community. Sometime later she was married to Alexander Hopkins. She died Jan. 20, 1883 at the age of 78. At least two of her sons died young – William H. McFadden, 18, in October, 1843, and John C. McFadden, also 18, in August 1848. They are buried at Sunville.

Detailed information concerning the early McFaddens of Sunville is meager. There was one Nancy A. McFadden, a Presbyterian, who was the second wife of Morgan Jennings of Plum Township. She was born in 1822 and married to Jennings in 1861. She was probably a daughter of John and Mary McFadden. It is said there was one of the McFadden brothers who ran a butchering shop a short distance west of Sunville.

Lewis McFadden was first assessed in 1857, according to records. In 1858 he was assessed for two lots in Sunville. These two lots, Nos. 22 and 23, later were owned by Mrs. Mary Foster, and no house sits there anymore. The site is between the present houses of Wayne Wagner and Thomas Ward.

Lewis’ occupation was that of carpenter. His brother, Levi, also did carpentering at that time, but later was a wagon-maker. The 1859 book states that Lewis had a cow. On July 31, 1858, Lewis was married to Miss Rebecca S. Holder in Plum Township by Rev. Cyrus Shreve, pastor of the Plum and Troy Baptist Church. The families were in attendance. Rebecca was the second of five children of Eli and Martha Jennings Holder and was born Dec. 5, 1839. She and Lewis lived their short married life in Sunville. They had two children, Mary Evelina McFadden, born June 20, 1859, and John Elias McFadden, born March 27, 1861.

Mary was reared in Plum Township and was married to one Mr. Reynolds. Around 1913 she was living in East McKeesport. The writer has no knowledge of the present whereabouts of any of her descendants, if there are any. John died as a youth, but the cause and date of his death cannot be found. He is buried in the Diamond Cemetery. Since his mother and her second husband moved into Diamond in 1873, John’s death could not have taken place prior to that year.

Lewis McFadden enlisted in the Civil War at Franklin on Oct. 7, 1861, in Company I of the Fourth Pennsylvania Cavalry. He was mustered in on Oct. 18 at Harrisburg. He also had three brothers in the war, Levi E. McFadden, G. W. McFadden and James W. McFadden. Levi remained a lifelong Sunville resident, G. W. lilved a while in Alaskan Territory and James went to Washington Territory.

A military record states that Lewis was 5 feet, 6 ¾ inches tall, with light complexion, hazel eyes and brown hair.

A muster roll dated Feb. 28 to June 30, 1862, states that Lewis served awhile as a bodyguard for General McCall. He also participated in the battles of Mechanicsville on June 26, Gaines Mill on June 27 and White Oak Swamp on June 30. When Lewis enlisted he was a private. In September, 1862 he was promoted to 7th corporal. On April 12, 1863 he was promoted to 2nd corporal from 5th corporal, and record further states that he was supposed to be “special master of April 10, 1863,” whatever that may have meant. For some time in March or April, 1863, he was absent on detached service to Dumfries, Va.

The following is a copy of an interesting letter which he wrote to his sister-in-law, Miss Juliette Holder. The spelling and wording is reproduced here exactly as it is in the letter, except that the writer changed one word.

    Feb. the 7th 1863
    Well Miss Juliett
    As I have not written to you for a long time or heard of you I thought I would write a few line to you My health is just midling nothing to Brag of But still able to chaw hard tack I suppose you know what that is I am alone today in my tent the rest have gone on picket it is something new for me to stay in Camp it is quite pleasant today last night the mud froze hard I have nothing to do but water and feed my horse and Act the fool you no. We have some very good times here and some times a littler harder then I bargained for But it is all for the Union you no But how is it I am told that you are a going to get married some day that is all rite and I will wish you all the happiness and joy and so on I never had any acquaintance with Mr. ____ what shal I call him. I Declaire I have forgotten his name so you must write to me and tell me his name But he came to see me this morning But he won’t talk to me I don’t know if you intend for him to come here he is goud looking and I think would make a very agreeable partner But for Gods Sake don’t be in a Splutter I would like to be at the wedding he is a stranger to me I hope you no him Better than I doo never marry a man until you are acquainted with him and can put all Confidence in him. It would Be best to think three times before you execute your plans don’t get affended at what I say for I don’t say half as much as I mean be sure to suit your self first in this case is my doctrine I hope to see the day that I may be with the young gentleman and have a social Chat. But he won’t talk here But enough of this ownly I want you to give me his name Excuse me for not writing sooner. I can’t write at all times you no I am soldering now But one thing is certain it is not always to be so. Well the Ninth Army Corps is Shiping for South Carolina I can’t tell where we will be sent. I rec a letter and a pare of socks from Beck this morning and a letter from Mr. Boal so you no I had to read them over several times and Brag over my gift and my men? I won’t say that now But I will take good care of him while he stays with me this thing of soldiering is a Big thing. But it is pretty well played out with me I enlisted to fight for my country and not for the negroes it is a Big speculation But not for the soldier. I send twenty five dollars home with Charles Smith and twenty in a letter that I wrote the 5th. Tell Roda Collens that her old Beau is with us again he was a prisoner a long time in Richman tell her he is well and as hearty as a Buck his name is George Baney he is a pretty fine Dutch man. He came pretty near being your cousin once Well I think I written enough of this nonsence I don’t think you can read it when you get it so I will close hoping it will find you all well write soon give my respects to all and especially to that young gentleman that comes down to see me and won’t talk excuse me for talking so and I shall ever be your friend.
    Lewis McFadden
    To Miss Juliett Holder

    On Oct. 2, 1863, quite a sharp battle took place at Warrenton, or Sulpher Springs, Va. A superior force of the Confederates made an attack and captured many men of the 13th and 4th Regiments. The loss in the 4th in killed, wounded and prisoners was nearly 200. Among the prisoners taken was Lewis McFadden. He was taken to Belle Island Prison where he eventually took sick with diarrhea which was caused by starvation. On March 3, 1863, Lewis was admitted to the Military Prison Hospital in Richmond where he died on March 22. His young widow was married in September 1866 to Joshua Foster, also a Civil War veteran.

    On Nov. 27, 1866, the Orphans Court of Venango County, upon the presentation of a petition, appointed Rebecca as guardian of the two McFadden children, Mary and John. By her second marriage she also reared five children to adulthood. Mr. Foster died in 1911 and she died in Meadville at the home of a daughter on Dec. 12, 1913, of bronchial pneumonia.

    Transcribed by Penny Kulbacki Minnick
    minnick862@verizon.net

    Disclaimer:there may be errors due to transcription ofinformation from both early and late (current contributors) work.