OBITUARY OF JOHN S. ALBRIGHT

Another veteran has pitched his tent where the last grand reunion must be held.

John Albright was born in Milton, Northumberland Co., PA., Nov. 10th, 1838, where he grew to manhood learning the trade of a brick mason, which he became an expert at. During the rebellion when the flag was assailed by traitor's hands he enlisted in Company D. Rhode Island Heavy Artilery, but owing to disability was sent home in the fall of 1865. In 1867 he came west settling in Mt. Carroll, Ill., where he attended the Seminary.

On December 2, 1869 (actually 1868) he was united in marriage to Sophia Jane Ackerman and to say he found in the lady of his choice, one who has been a true, constant and patient helpmate would scarcely express her devotion. Their union was blessed by four children: Mrs. M. G. Kempter, Mrs. Ida B Esmay; Johnny who died young on 9 Nov 1875; and Mrs. F.M. Briggs. In 1872, he with his family moved to Sabula, where he has since lived until his death, which occurred Sept. 1st, 1904.

The funeral services were conducted by the Odd Fellows of which he had been a member over 33 years and was always a faithful untiring member, one who was loved by all as was shown by the order, over 100 being in line.

And there passes away another veteran and early settler, in our daily walks another familiar form will be missed. Time is rapidly thinning the ranks of those who bravely marched to the front to fight the battles of their country.

Mr. Albright was a man of strong convictions and positive nature, outspoken upon every subject. Honorable and upright in all his dealings, he commanded the respect and esteem of all with whom he came in contact. His word was never doubted, kind hearted and charitable he was always ready and glad to extend the hand of friendship. His family was his whole thought and with them the entire community mourn.
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John's parents were:
JOHN ALBRIGHT SR. (1808-1885) & HANNAH (SMITH) ALBRIGHT (1814-1890).
It's unclear whether his middle initial "S" signifies SAMUEL or SMITH, since the author for 20 years has unsuccessfully confirmed it's meaning.

JOHN S. ALBRIGHT was born in Milton, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, and married on 2 Dec 1868 (not 1869), in Mt. Carroll, Illinois, to SOPHIA JANE ACKERMANN, born in Harrisburg, PA.

John S. Albright served in the Civil War with The Third Pennsylvania Reserve Corps Volunteers, Company H, as well as the Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, Company D (see below, Civil War Pension Petition by his wife, Sophia Jane Albright).

John moved to Mt Carroll, Illinois, after the war to attend the Mt. Carroll Seminary there (Shimer College post 1896). He met his future wife in Mt. Carroll, as her family lived there.

John married Sophia Jane Ackerman and were the parents of 4 children, 3 girls and one boy: Annie, Ida, Effie (standing behind in the attached picture) and Johnnie. Effie married Fred Briggs and they had 2 sons, Archie and Claude Monroe Briggs. Archie died as a small child.

CIVIL WAR PENSION PETITION FOR SOPHIA JANE (ACKERMAN) ALBRIGHT

United States of America, House of Representatives Bill (H. R. 003) in the year 1922: Sophia Albright, aged 76 years, whose post office address is Sabula, Jackson County, Iowa, is the widow of John Albright, alias John Brown, who died September 1, 1904. An excerpt of a report from the records of the War Department shows the military history of the soldier as follows:

It is shown by the records that John Albright was enrolled June 15, 1861 and was mustered into service on the same date as a sergeant in Company H, Third Pennsylvania Reserve Corps Volunteers, to serve three years. He was reduced to the grade of private, cause not stated, and he appears to have served faith-fully in this organization until November 22, 1862, when he was discharged - from the volunteer service by reason of his enlistment in Battery C, Fifth United States Artillery, to serve the unexpired balance of his volunteer enlistment. He deserted from the Fifth United States Artillery August 6, 1863, and never rejoined it.

It is also shown by the records, the one who signed his enlistment paper as John Brown, was this said John S. Albright, who enlisted as a substitute for a drafted man, and was accepted into service August 7, 1863, to serve three years. This enlistment was in violation of the twenty-second (now fiftieth) article of war. He was assigned to Company D, Fifth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery Volunteers, and appears to have served faithfully with that organization until he was honorably discharged from the service, as a corporal, June 26, 1865, by reason of the muster out of the company.

He was not a pensioner. He was married to this claimant December 2, 1868. The evidence presented indicates the claimant is the soldier's legal widow. She has no title to pension as such for the reason the soldier deserted from one contract of service, as shown in the report from the War Department quoted. The same report shows that he was honorably discharged from a prior and subsequent service, that his services were faithful, and that they were for a period of more than three years. In view of that fact it is believed the legal object on to claimant's title should be waived and that she be given a pensionable status.

The claimant has $900 in the bank, but no other means or property nor income from any source. No one is legally bound to her as evidence presented indicates the claimant is in very poor health and is unable to contribute to her own support by reason of affliction from arteriosclerosis, disease of liver, and rheumatism.

It is recommended her name be placed on the pension roll at the rate of $30 a month.

***Notes on John Albright's Civil War Service: According to documents filed by John (prior to his death) through his attorney, to clear the air for his wife's civil war pension to be received after his death, the reason John "deserted the Pennsylvania regiment" he first mustered into, follows.

John describes his time with his Pennsylvania regiment while said regiment was sent to New York City to quell the draft riots in the Summer of 1863. He stated in a document (under oath) that he was witness to another fellow soldier he was serving beside, being "whipped while tied to a cason by one of his superiors", and that he was going to be "next in line" to be punished for what the superior officer had perceived as them both disobeying orders. In modern day terms, one from our generation after watching the movie, "The Gangs of New York", could more fully understand this series of events. Therefore, John felt his fellow comrade and he were being singled out as an example to his peers within the Pennsylvania unit they were serving under at the time.

John then fled the Pennsylvania unit and re-enlisted 2 weeks later with a Rhode Island unit being mustered at the time out of New York City, under the name of "John Brown". John Albright was paid $50 by said "John Brown" so Mr. Brown would not have to serve via the draft. Apparently, this was not an uncommon practice for the times.

Biography compilation by 2X great grandson, Mark Hayden.
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The 11 Siblings of John S. Albright were:

1) LUCINDA (ALBRIGHT) RITTER (30 Jun 1834 - 9 Jan 1881)
Married JOHN J. RITTER (1 Feb 1833 - 11 Nov 1906)
He was the son of George and Sophia (Christ) Ritter.
The known children of Lucinda and John Ritter were:
William C. (3 Feb 1856 - 5 Apr 1865)
Emma C. (10 Oct 1857 - 23 Mar 1865)
John F. (5 Oct 1859 - 3 Feb 1885)
Margaret A. (abt 1865 - ____)
George O. (abt 1868/9 - ____)
Hannah S. (1 Oct 1870 - Jan 1873)
Henry Calvin (21 Jun 1873 - 8 Apr 1893)
After the death of Lucinda in 1881, John J. Ritter married
Mary M. __?__(3 Jun 1839 - 10 May 1908)

2) MARIA LOUISA (ALBRIGHT) WOMER (15 Feb 1836 - 16 Aug 1912)
Married JOHN A. WOMER (abt 1839 - ____)
The known children of Maria and John Womer were::
Lizzie Ida (Womer) Hutt (27 Jun 1862 - 22 Sep 1940)
Anna L. (Womer) Reinbold (Sep 1863 - 14 Dec 1945)
Emma L. (Womer) Stevenson/Quier (26 Jul 1866 - 23 Jan 1958)
Nora E. (abt Apr 1870 - ____)
Lewis W. (Aug 11 1871 - Apr 21 1944)
Minnie H. (abt 1874 - ____)

3) SUSANNAH (ALBRIGHT) WELLIVER (20 Sep 1837 - 25 Jul 1919)
Married GEORGE WASHINGTON WELLIVER (1836 - 1898)
The known children of Susannah and George Welliver were:
Ida L. Welliver (1867 – 1938)
Charles R. Welliver (1869 – 1938)
Bertha Welch (Welliver) Campbell (1871 – 1927)

4) MARY ELIZABETH (ALBRIGHT) CUMMINGS (23 Feb 1842 - 11 Apr 1908)
Married ROBERT MURDOCH CUMMINGS, 14 Nov 1865.
The children of Mary and Robert Cummings were:
Clara Elizabeth (Cummings) Irvin
John W. Cummings (Jul 1871 - ____)
Herbert Wesley Cummings (13 Jul 1873 – 4 Mar 1956)
Lewis Dewart Cummings
Mary A. Cummings (Feb 1878 - aft 1910)
Harriet Jamella (Cummings) Reitz (16 Mar 1881 - 16 Oct 1918)
2 others died in infancy.

5) JOSEPH FRANKLIN ALBRIGHT (12 Jun 1843 - 17 Jan 1880). Christened 24 Feb 1850 at the Follmers Evangelical Church in Turbot Twp., Northumberland Co., Pennsylvania. Enlisted in Company H, Pennsylvania 53rd Infantry Regiment on 23 Oct 1861. Promoted to Full Corporal. Promoted to Full Sergeant on 24 Jun 1865. Mustered out on 30 Jun 1865 at Washington, DC. No known wife or children.

6) SAMUEL LEWES ALBRIGHT (20 Aug 1846 - 22 Jan 1892). Christened 24 Feb 1850 at the Follmers Evangelical Church in Turbot Twp., Northumberland Co., Pennsylvania. No known wife or children.

7) WILLIAM HENRY ALBRIGHT (2 Feb 1849 - 1 Jan 1916).
Christened on 24 Feb 1850 at the Follmers Evangelical Church in Turbot Twp., Northumberland Co., Pennsylvania. William married 27 May 1886, in Hot Springs County, Arkansas to Lizzie (Hoback) Albright, born about 1863. The marriage record for William's son "Harry" states his mother's name as Minerva Hoback, born in Indiana. She died between 1890 and 1900 in Arkansas or Oklahoma.
The child of William and Lizzie/Minerva Albright was:
***William H. Albright, Jr., aka "Harry" (10 Jul 1890 - 27 Oct 1918)

8) THOMAS S. ALBRIGHT (15 Jun 1851 - 23 May 1889) He died in a coal mining accident and left a wife and 2 children. Thomas married SARAH MEIRS/MYERS (Jan 1856 -7 Dec 1924) and sadly, Sarah outlives her husband and 2 children. Middle name, likely Samuel or Smith.
The children of Thomas and Sarah Albright were:
John A. Albright (15 Aug 1878 - 23 Nov 1906)
Emma Albright (18 Nov 1882 - 10 Mar 1911)

9) CHARLES P. ALBRIGHT (8 Jun 1853 - 29 Jun 1906) In 1880 census, he is living in Limestone Twp., Lycoming Co., PA., with his wife, JOANNA CATHERINE FRANK (12 Feb 1856 - 4 Dec 1893) Joanna is the only one listed in the attached bible records, that is not a blood relative of Charles' parents.
The children of Charles and Joanna Albright were:
William Burton Albright (28 Apr 1876 - 25 Jan 1955)
John Henry Albright (9 Nov 1877 - 28 Jul 1955)
Howard G. Albright (14 Feb 1880 - 1 Feb 1881)
Harry F. Albright (23 Jan 1889 - 3 Jul 1956)
1900 census for Elmira, Chemung Co., New York, shows Charles, widowed, living in a household separate from his sons Burton, John and Harry, whom are all living together in a another household, with Burton's wife, Agnes. 1905 census for Horseheads, Chemung Co., New York shows Charles P. Albright, watchman (age 52, b. 1853) living with his second wife, Delina (age 39, b. 1866) and son, Harry (age 16, b. 1889).

10) HANNAH SARAH ALBRIGHT 17 Jan 17 1855 - 18 Jan 1855)

11) EMMA CATHERINE ALBRIGHT (23 May 1857 - 3 Feb 1858)