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PVT Richard Taylor Camp 53 SONS OF UNION VETERANS OF THE CIVIL WAR DEPARTMENT OF TENNESSEE HUNTSVILLE ALABAMA |
NEWSLETTER FOR July 2001
Editor: Steve Pearce wspjls@aol.com
Camp website: http://pvtrichardtaylor.bizland.com/pvtrichardtaylorcamp53/
In the absence of Brother Edward Milam, Brother Steve Pearce opened the June meeting of the Richard Taylor Camp #53 SUVCW at 7:00 pm on 25 June 2001. Brother Bill Hollis led the Camp in the Pledge to the American flag, Brother Glenn Bracken led the Camp in reciting the American Creed, and the Camp Chaplain, Brother Gordon Cottrell, gave the invocation.
Among
the 12 in attendance, two guests joined the meeting, Mr. Perry Hubbard and Mr.
Edison Conner. Brother
Pearce wore his Civil War Union uniform.
Old business was discussed and concluded with the Treasurer’s report and
Secretary’s report being approved. A
complete list detailing the activities of the Camp treasury, since the
conception of the Camp, was distributed and discussed.
Meeting Discussions:
The Memorial Day activities were reviewed and discussed. Brother Geoffrey Hintze provided
a videotape of the ceremony at Golightly Cemetery that was watched after the
benediction.
Brother Brian Hogan has ordered a headstone from the Veterans
Administration for Captain James H. Bone buried at Maple Hill Cemetery, in
Huntsville Alabama. While the headstone
is provided at no cost, Maple Hill Cemetery in charging $100.80 to set it. Brother Hogan raffled three Civil War books,
raising $39.00, to defray the cost.
Additional raffles will be held to raise the funds to set the headstone.
History Day activities, slated for October 6, 2001, at Big Spring Park,
were discussed by Brother Brian Hogan.
Various ideas about what the Camp should have at its table were
discussed. Brother Joe Johnson has
volunteered to assist Brother Hogan.
Forming a committee was discussed but tabled until the July
meeting. Brother Edward Milam has
volunteered to raffle his sword at History Day to raise money for the Camp at
History Day.
Brother Pearce asked the Camp Brothers to provide write-ups on their
Union Ancestor along with a picture if one is available. Brother Pearce has a scanner if someone has
a picture that needs to be converted into an electronic format.
A Camp, Sons of Union Veterans, Women’s Auxiliary is being pursued. Five women are needed to form an Auxiliary
while ten are needed to form a Daughters Tent.
At present, five women that have expresses interest in joining the
Auxiliary, but none have volunteered to take the leadership role.
The 2002 SUVCW Department of Tennessee meeting will be held in the North
Alabama area. The Department has asked
the Camp to provide assistance in locating a suitable meeting location. Multiple venues were suggested such as the
Hilton, Space Center Marriott, and hotels in Madison. Various Brothers will do some local research to be discussed at
the July meeting.
Seeing no additional discussions at 8:10, the Camp Chaplin, Brother
Gordon Cottrell, closed the meeting with prayer.
Those in sickness and distress:
Brother Nyberg as he has surgery.
Brother Cottrell’s wife is doing much better.
New business since Camp Meeting:
Treasurer’s Report as of June 30, 2001:
The expenses for the
Camp Wreath were met with $6.00 extra being deposited into the Camp treasury
account.
Deposits since June 25 Meeting: $45.00
Disbursements: $0.00
Earmarked Funds: $39.00 for headstone of Captain James H. Bone.
Secretary’s Report: A new member has have
joined our Camp, Brother David Schneider.
This brings our membership to 19 members.
This month, Pvt
Richard Taylor Camp 53 highlights the Union ancestor of Brother Rodger Pearce
Next Meeting July 30,
2001, 7pm, Highlands United Methodist Church.
Respectfully submitted in F, C, and L,
D. Edward Milam Commander
Captain
Henry Wilhelm
Union
Ancestor of Rodger B. Pearce
(Article
written for “Heroes of Baltimore County” between 1897-1911)
(Additions
made in italics)
Captain Henry Wilhelm
was one of the brave defenders of the Union during the trying days of the Civil
War, doing his duty nobly and unflinchingly on the field of battle or in the
camp. Today he is found in the foremost
rank of Baltimore County’s honored citizens, men who are devoted to the best
interests of the county in the days of peace as well as in the times of
strife. For many years he was actively
and successfully engaged in general farming, but has now laid aside business
troubles and is enjoying a well-earned rest.
The Wilhelm family
was founded in America by the great-grandfather of our subject, a native of
Germany, who came to America during the Revolutionary War and aided the
colonies in achieving their independence.
He acquired a large estate in the sixth district. Baltimore County that has been handed down
through four generations of the family.
Its members have ever been noted for their patriotism and loyalty, and
in the War of 1812, Henry Wilhelm, our subject’s grandfather, served as a
soldier. He was born in the sixth
district, where he was later extensively engaged in farming.
The Captain’s
parents Peter B. and Elizabeth (Kone) Wilhelm, spent their entire lives here
and reared their family of nine children, seven of whom are still living:
George W., Jeremiah, Daniel W., Caroline, Julia A., Mary E., and Henry.
Captain Wilhelm was
born May 17, 1836, and was reared and educated in the sixth district, where he
is still owner of part of the estate belonging to his great-grandfather. Several years of his early manhood were
devoted to the service, as he enlisted July 29, 1862, in Company F, Fourth
Maryland Infantry Volunteers as a private. Henry was promoted to corporal, and
subsequently to the ranks of sergeant December 31,
1862, second lieutenant February 21,
1863, first lieutenant April 21, 1864,
and captain September 20, 1864, of his
company, being an officer of the last named rank at the time of his discharge
at Arlington Heights, May 16, 1865.
Captain Wilhelm participated in twenty-one important engagements,
including the following: Antietam, Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor,
Petersburg, Weldon Railroad, Hatcher’s Run, Laurel Hill, Harris Farm, and Five
Forks. His skull was fractured by being
hit with a gun at the battle of Spottsylvania, and at Cold Harbor he was
wounded, by a shell, in the thigh. For
one year after his return home, he was a conductor on the Baltimore City
Railroad, but at the end of that period returned to his father’s farm in the sixth
district, and successfully devoted his time to agricultural pursuits until
1887, when he retired from business life.
In 1868 the captain
married Miss Chloe Dorsey, a native of the sixth district, by whom he had two
children, Carrie and May, both now deceased.
During her girlhood Mrs. Wilhelm obtained an excellent education, and
for a few terms successfully followed teaching. She is next to the youngest in the family of seven children born
to Enoch and Susan (Macabee) Dorsey, prosperous farming people. Her father was a commissioned officer in the
War of 1812.
Captain Wilhelm has
ever taken an active interest in civic societies, and is today a prominent
member of Charity Lodge no. 134, A.F.&A.M of Parkton Maryland: Wilson Post No. 1 G.A.R., of Baltimore
Maryland; Middletown Lodge No 92, I.O.O.F., of Middletown Maryland, with which
he has been connected for the long period of forty years: Eklo Council No. 134,
J.O.A.M., of Eklo; and Summit Grange No. 164, of Middletown. He was an ardent Republican in politics, and
in 1896 acceptably served as assessor of his district.
Henry Wilhelm died July 13,
1911, in Middletown, Baltimore County, Maryland and is buried at Middletown
Cemetery in the same small country town.
Submitted by
Rodger Pearce
June 27, 2001