The son of Jacob S. & Ann (Hughes) Duchman, he married Ann Shearer and fathered Jacob Sherer (b. @1829), Harriet R. (b. @1835), Elizabeth Christiana (b. 11/11/40), Benjamin M. (b. @1844), and Anna C. (b. 04/10/49 - married John S. Givler). In 1860, he was a clerk living with his family in Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and formerly had worked as a hatter.
Reportedly a veteran of the War of 1812, he served with the antebellum Lancaster Fencibles Militia and formed a new unit with that name prior to the Civil War. At the outbreak of the Civil War, the Fencibles formed the basis of Co. F, 1st Pennsylvania Infantry, but Duchman was too infirm to join them. Nonetheless, he enlisted in Lancaster September 5, 1861, and mustered into federal service that day as captain of Co. B, 79th Pennsylvania Infantry, the company he had organized. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel September 11, 1861, but did not muster at the rank until October 18 following. According to a contemporaneous letter, he left the regiment on October 5, 1862, and submitted his resignation two days later, offering as reasons that he was "sixty-seven years of age, has heart disease, [and] an affliction of the kidneys and loss of hearing."
Oddly for a veteran of such a high-ranking commission, no obituary was found in any online newspaper archive.
Reportedly a veteran of the War of 1812, he served with the antebellum Lancaster Fencibles Militia and formed a new unit with that name prior to the Civil War. At the outbreak of the Civil War, the Fencibles formed the basis of Co. F, 1st Pennsylvania Infantry, but Duchman was too infirm to join them. Nonetheless, he enlisted in Lancaster September 5, 1861, and mustered into federal service that day as captain of Co. B, 79th Pennsylvania Infantry, the company he had organized. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel September 11, 1861, but did not muster at the rank until October 18 following. According to a contemporaneous letter, he left the regiment on October 5, 1862, and submitted his resignation two days later, offering as reasons that he was "sixty-seven years of age, has heart disease, [and] an affliction of the kidneys and loss of hearing."
Oddly for a veteran of such a high-ranking commission, no obituary was found in any online newspaper archive.
The son of Jacob S. & Ann (Hughes) Duchman, he married Ann Shearer and fathered Jacob Sherer (b. @1829), Harriet R. (b. @1835), Elizabeth Christiana (b. 11/11/40), Benjamin M. (b. @1844), and Anna C. (b. 04/10/49 - married John S. Givler). In 1860, he was a clerk living with his family in Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and formerly had worked as a hatter.
Reportedly a veteran of the War of 1812, he served with the antebellum Lancaster Fencibles Militia and formed a new unit with that name prior to the Civil War. At the outbreak of the Civil War, the Fencibles formed the basis of Co. F, 1st Pennsylvania Infantry, but Duchman was too infirm to join them. Nonetheless, he enlisted in Lancaster September 5, 1861, and mustered into federal service that day as captain of Co. B, 79th Pennsylvania Infantry, the company he had organized. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel September 11, 1861, but did not muster at the rank until October 18 following. According to a contemporaneous letter, he left the regiment on October 5, 1862, and submitted his resignation two days later, offering as reasons that he was "sixty-seven years of age, has heart disease, [and] an affliction of the kidneys and loss of hearing."
Oddly for a veteran of such a high-ranking commission, no obituary was found in any online newspaper archive.
Reportedly a veteran of the War of 1812, he served with the antebellum Lancaster Fencibles Militia and formed a new unit with that name prior to the Civil War. At the outbreak of the Civil War, the Fencibles formed the basis of Co. F, 1st Pennsylvania Infantry, but Duchman was too infirm to join them. Nonetheless, he enlisted in Lancaster September 5, 1861, and mustered into federal service that day as captain of Co. B, 79th Pennsylvania Infantry, the company he had organized. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel September 11, 1861, but did not muster at the rank until October 18 following. According to a contemporaneous letter, he left the regiment on October 5, 1862, and submitted his resignation two days later, offering as reasons that he was "sixty-seven years of age, has heart disease, [and] an affliction of the kidneys and loss of hearing."
Oddly for a veteran of such a high-ranking commission, no obituary was found in any online newspaper archive.
Inscription
79th Reg Pa. Vol
