Obituary:
Capt. Brice X. Blair died at Huntingdon, Friday, March 21, 1890, of heart disease. He was born at Shade Gap, Sept. 20, 1820, and was 69 1/2 years on the day before his death. His parents were John Blair and Jean Cree. He was the youngest of four brothers, Alexandria, David, John and Brice X. John Blair of Blair's Mills, is the only one yet living. The grandfather of the brothers was Alexander Blair, Sr., who came from Cumberland Valley to the upper end of Shade Valley in 1756. He and his family were several times driven from their home by the Indians, but they retained their homestead as originally settled upon. Capt. Brice X. Blair was married Oct. 14, 1841, to Amanda Weistling. He engaged for many years in the mercantile business in Shade Gap, Mount Union and Huntingdon, removing to the latter place soon after the war. He was elected to the Pennsylvania Legislature from this county in 1860 and was postmaster at Huntingdon during the administration of President Grant. In July, 1862 Major Roy Stone of the famous "Bucktail" regiment came home to raise a "Bucktail" brigade and Geo. W. Speer, of Mount Union, began to raise a company for it. Two regiments were raised, the 149th and the 150th Penna. Vols., Roy Stone being made colonel of the 149th. Co. I, 149th P.V. was raised at Mount Union and Shade Gap its members being nearly all from these two boroughs and Shirley, Springfield, Dublin and Tell townships. In this company Brice X. Blair enlisted Aug. 8, 1862 and was mustered in as a private Aug. 19, 1862 at Camp Curtin. Aug. 26, 1862 he was elected 1st lieutenant, Geo. W. Speer being elected captain. Three days later Speer was appointed major of the regiment and Blair succeeded him as captain receiving his commission Oct. 6, 1862. Upon invasion of Maryland by Lee the regiment was sent to Washington where it was kept for the defence of the capital until February 1863 when it joined Gen. Burnside's army on the Rappahannock. It was attached to Reynolds' (First) Corps and during the Chancellorsville campaign supported Sedgwick's Corps on its gallant assault on Marye's Height's afterwards being sent to the right to take the place of the scattered Eleventh Corps. In this battle the regiment suffered only slight loss but it made up all deficiencies at Gettysburg. They have got now to estimating the work that regiments, divisions, corps and armies did by the losses they sustained. It is a ghastly way of making a record but it is one of the best ways of getting at a regiment's bravery and fighting spirit. Of the many brave regiments that went from the north to stem the tide of rebellion that was sweeping upon us in the full force of an aggressive and destructive war few received such a baptism of fire and blood as did the brave 149th, Penna. at Gettysburg. It was a part of Roy Stone's brigade of the 3rd Division of the 1st Corps, and was engaged with greatly superior numbers at and about the railroad cut and McPherson's barn on the first day of the battle. Of 450 officers and men who went in 68 were killed, 149 wounded and 109 taken prisoners or missing, 336 out of 450. This regiment of 450 present for duty lost more than Washington's army lost at White Plains or Monmouth, than Gen. Scott lost at Chippewa or than the American armies did in most of the battles of the Revolution, War of 1812 or Mexican War. In most of the battles of those wars the loss of killed, wounded and missing did not run more than from 5 to 10 per cent. At Bunker Hill the Americans lost 30 per cent, the British 35 per cent. At Buena Vista Taylor lost 16 per cent, Santa Anna 12 per cent. These had been among the fiercest battles in American history up to the time of the rebellion. The 149th Penna. at Gettysburg lost 74.6 per cent, its killed alone being 15.1 per cent. At the battle of Waterloo the killed on each side were 5 per cent of the numbers engaged, less than one-third the relative loss of the 149th at Gettysburg. It was one of the wonders of the late war that young men and boys taken from our villages and farms and schools, knowing nothing of war or strife, should stand up and fight against superior forces until, as in this case, three fourths of their numbers had fallen before they would retreat, doggedly fighting over every inch of ground as they retired. Yet this was what these men and boys from Shade Valley and Black Log and Aughwick with Capt. Blair at their head did at Gettysburg. Co. I went in with 52 men. It came out with seven. Capt. Blair had his left arm shattered by a musket ball near the shoulder. The two lieutenants, Alfred A. Thompson and Samuel Diffenderfer were wounded. First Sergt. Warren Raymond, Corp. T. J. McClure and Privates James C. Blair, John M. Cowden, Wm. M. Clarkson, Isaac Z. Drake, Wm. H. Harmony, Matthew J. Laughlin and John McDonald were killed or mortally wounded. Thirty-three more were wounded or captured. All honor to the brave men who died and dared and suffered so much for our country and our homes. The nation can never do enough to repay them. Capt. Blair after being wounded refused to leave the field until the loss of blood compelled him to go. Then Sergt. Levi D. Graham took him to the seminary where both were immediately afterwards made prisoners by the Rebels. His wounded arm was amputated at the shoulder but not until the Rebel army had retreated several days later. Few men would have survived the operation under such circumstances, but Capt. Blair recovered and went back to the regiment. Finding he could not stand the service on account of his wound he was discharged by reason of physical disability Feb. 5, 1864. Capt. Blair was buried in the cemetery at Huntingdon on Saturday with the honors of war by Post 44, G.A.R. of which he was a member. Co. A., 5th Regt. Penna. N.G., under Capt. Jno. S. Bare acted as an escort and firing squad. The pall bearers were Sergt. Levi G. Graham, William H. Wright, Jacob Shoop, Wm. Shaver, Robt. D. Colegate and Henry T. Quarry of Huntingdon, and D.C. Appleby and T.A. Appleby of Mount Union. All but the last named were members of Blair's company, Wright, Shoop, Shaver, Graham and D.C. Appleby were with him at Gettysburg. The first three were wounded, Graham was taken prisoner, Appleby being the only one who escaped. Capt. Blair's wife died Oct. 6, 1875, leaving two children, Cora B. Jaekel of Hollidaysburg, who has since died, and J.C. Blair of Huntingdon, the proprietor of Blair's Keystone Stationery Manufactory.
Mount Union Times
27 March 1890
Capt. Brice X. Blair died at Huntingdon, Friday, March 21, 1890, of heart disease. He was born at Shade Gap, Sept. 20, 1820, and was 69 1/2 years on the day before his death. His parents were John Blair and Jean Cree. He was the youngest of four brothers, Alexandria, David, John and Brice X. John Blair of Blair's Mills, is the only one yet living. The grandfather of the brothers was Alexander Blair, Sr., who came from Cumberland Valley to the upper end of Shade Valley in 1756. He and his family were several times driven from their home by the Indians, but they retained their homestead as originally settled upon. Capt. Brice X. Blair was married Oct. 14, 1841, to Amanda Weistling. He engaged for many years in the mercantile business in Shade Gap, Mount Union and Huntingdon, removing to the latter place soon after the war. He was elected to the Pennsylvania Legislature from this county in 1860 and was postmaster at Huntingdon during the administration of President Grant. In July, 1862 Major Roy Stone of the famous "Bucktail" regiment came home to raise a "Bucktail" brigade and Geo. W. Speer, of Mount Union, began to raise a company for it. Two regiments were raised, the 149th and the 150th Penna. Vols., Roy Stone being made colonel of the 149th. Co. I, 149th P.V. was raised at Mount Union and Shade Gap its members being nearly all from these two boroughs and Shirley, Springfield, Dublin and Tell townships. In this company Brice X. Blair enlisted Aug. 8, 1862 and was mustered in as a private Aug. 19, 1862 at Camp Curtin. Aug. 26, 1862 he was elected 1st lieutenant, Geo. W. Speer being elected captain. Three days later Speer was appointed major of the regiment and Blair succeeded him as captain receiving his commission Oct. 6, 1862. Upon invasion of Maryland by Lee the regiment was sent to Washington where it was kept for the defence of the capital until February 1863 when it joined Gen. Burnside's army on the Rappahannock. It was attached to Reynolds' (First) Corps and during the Chancellorsville campaign supported Sedgwick's Corps on its gallant assault on Marye's Height's afterwards being sent to the right to take the place of the scattered Eleventh Corps. In this battle the regiment suffered only slight loss but it made up all deficiencies at Gettysburg. They have got now to estimating the work that regiments, divisions, corps and armies did by the losses they sustained. It is a ghastly way of making a record but it is one of the best ways of getting at a regiment's bravery and fighting spirit. Of the many brave regiments that went from the north to stem the tide of rebellion that was sweeping upon us in the full force of an aggressive and destructive war few received such a baptism of fire and blood as did the brave 149th, Penna. at Gettysburg. It was a part of Roy Stone's brigade of the 3rd Division of the 1st Corps, and was engaged with greatly superior numbers at and about the railroad cut and McPherson's barn on the first day of the battle. Of 450 officers and men who went in 68 were killed, 149 wounded and 109 taken prisoners or missing, 336 out of 450. This regiment of 450 present for duty lost more than Washington's army lost at White Plains or Monmouth, than Gen. Scott lost at Chippewa or than the American armies did in most of the battles of the Revolution, War of 1812 or Mexican War. In most of the battles of those wars the loss of killed, wounded and missing did not run more than from 5 to 10 per cent. At Bunker Hill the Americans lost 30 per cent, the British 35 per cent. At Buena Vista Taylor lost 16 per cent, Santa Anna 12 per cent. These had been among the fiercest battles in American history up to the time of the rebellion. The 149th Penna. at Gettysburg lost 74.6 per cent, its killed alone being 15.1 per cent. At the battle of Waterloo the killed on each side were 5 per cent of the numbers engaged, less than one-third the relative loss of the 149th at Gettysburg. It was one of the wonders of the late war that young men and boys taken from our villages and farms and schools, knowing nothing of war or strife, should stand up and fight against superior forces until, as in this case, three fourths of their numbers had fallen before they would retreat, doggedly fighting over every inch of ground as they retired. Yet this was what these men and boys from Shade Valley and Black Log and Aughwick with Capt. Blair at their head did at Gettysburg. Co. I went in with 52 men. It came out with seven. Capt. Blair had his left arm shattered by a musket ball near the shoulder. The two lieutenants, Alfred A. Thompson and Samuel Diffenderfer were wounded. First Sergt. Warren Raymond, Corp. T. J. McClure and Privates James C. Blair, John M. Cowden, Wm. M. Clarkson, Isaac Z. Drake, Wm. H. Harmony, Matthew J. Laughlin and John McDonald were killed or mortally wounded. Thirty-three more were wounded or captured. All honor to the brave men who died and dared and suffered so much for our country and our homes. The nation can never do enough to repay them. Capt. Blair after being wounded refused to leave the field until the loss of blood compelled him to go. Then Sergt. Levi D. Graham took him to the seminary where both were immediately afterwards made prisoners by the Rebels. His wounded arm was amputated at the shoulder but not until the Rebel army had retreated several days later. Few men would have survived the operation under such circumstances, but Capt. Blair recovered and went back to the regiment. Finding he could not stand the service on account of his wound he was discharged by reason of physical disability Feb. 5, 1864. Capt. Blair was buried in the cemetery at Huntingdon on Saturday with the honors of war by Post 44, G.A.R. of which he was a member. Co. A., 5th Regt. Penna. N.G., under Capt. Jno. S. Bare acted as an escort and firing squad. The pall bearers were Sergt. Levi G. Graham, William H. Wright, Jacob Shoop, Wm. Shaver, Robt. D. Colegate and Henry T. Quarry of Huntingdon, and D.C. Appleby and T.A. Appleby of Mount Union. All but the last named were members of Blair's company, Wright, Shoop, Shaver, Graham and D.C. Appleby were with him at Gettysburg. The first three were wounded, Graham was taken prisoner, Appleby being the only one who escaped. Capt. Blair's wife died Oct. 6, 1875, leaving two children, Cora B. Jaekel of Hollidaysburg, who has since died, and J.C. Blair of Huntingdon, the proprietor of Blair's Keystone Stationery Manufactory.
Mount Union Times
27 March 1890
Obituary:
Capt. Brice X. Blair died at Huntingdon, Friday, March 21, 1890, of heart disease. He was born at Shade Gap, Sept. 20, 1820, and was 69 1/2 years on the day before his death. His parents were John Blair and Jean Cree. He was the youngest of four brothers, Alexandria, David, John and Brice X. John Blair of Blair's Mills, is the only one yet living. The grandfather of the brothers was Alexander Blair, Sr., who came from Cumberland Valley to the upper end of Shade Valley in 1756. He and his family were several times driven from their home by the Indians, but they retained their homestead as originally settled upon. Capt. Brice X. Blair was married Oct. 14, 1841, to Amanda Weistling. He engaged for many years in the mercantile business in Shade Gap, Mount Union and Huntingdon, removing to the latter place soon after the war. He was elected to the Pennsylvania Legislature from this county in 1860 and was postmaster at Huntingdon during the administration of President Grant. In July, 1862 Major Roy Stone of the famous "Bucktail" regiment came home to raise a "Bucktail" brigade and Geo. W. Speer, of Mount Union, began to raise a company for it. Two regiments were raised, the 149th and the 150th Penna. Vols., Roy Stone being made colonel of the 149th. Co. I, 149th P.V. was raised at Mount Union and Shade Gap its members being nearly all from these two boroughs and Shirley, Springfield, Dublin and Tell townships. In this company Brice X. Blair enlisted Aug. 8, 1862 and was mustered in as a private Aug. 19, 1862 at Camp Curtin. Aug. 26, 1862 he was elected 1st lieutenant, Geo. W. Speer being elected captain. Three days later Speer was appointed major of the regiment and Blair succeeded him as captain receiving his commission Oct. 6, 1862. Upon invasion of Maryland by Lee the regiment was sent to Washington where it was kept for the defence of the capital until February 1863 when it joined Gen. Burnside's army on the Rappahannock. It was attached to Reynolds' (First) Corps and during the Chancellorsville campaign supported Sedgwick's Corps on its gallant assault on Marye's Height's afterwards being sent to the right to take the place of the scattered Eleventh Corps. In this battle the regiment suffered only slight loss but it made up all deficiencies at Gettysburg. They have got now to estimating the work that regiments, divisions, corps and armies did by the losses they sustained. It is a ghastly way of making a record but it is one of the best ways of getting at a regiment's bravery and fighting spirit. Of the many brave regiments that went from the north to stem the tide of rebellion that was sweeping upon us in the full force of an aggressive and destructive war few received such a baptism of fire and blood as did the brave 149th, Penna. at Gettysburg. It was a part of Roy Stone's brigade of the 3rd Division of the 1st Corps, and was engaged with greatly superior numbers at and about the railroad cut and McPherson's barn on the first day of the battle. Of 450 officers and men who went in 68 were killed, 149 wounded and 109 taken prisoners or missing, 336 out of 450. This regiment of 450 present for duty lost more than Washington's army lost at White Plains or Monmouth, than Gen. Scott lost at Chippewa or than the American armies did in most of the battles of the Revolution, War of 1812 or Mexican War. In most of the battles of those wars the loss of killed, wounded and missing did not run more than from 5 to 10 per cent. At Bunker Hill the Americans lost 30 per cent, the British 35 per cent. At Buena Vista Taylor lost 16 per cent, Santa Anna 12 per cent. These had been among the fiercest battles in American history up to the time of the rebellion. The 149th Penna. at Gettysburg lost 74.6 per cent, its killed alone being 15.1 per cent. At the battle of Waterloo the killed on each side were 5 per cent of the numbers engaged, less than one-third the relative loss of the 149th at Gettysburg. It was one of the wonders of the late war that young men and boys taken from our villages and farms and schools, knowing nothing of war or strife, should stand up and fight against superior forces until, as in this case, three fourths of their numbers had fallen before they would retreat, doggedly fighting over every inch of ground as they retired. Yet this was what these men and boys from Shade Valley and Black Log and Aughwick with Capt. Blair at their head did at Gettysburg. Co. I went in with 52 men. It came out with seven. Capt. Blair had his left arm shattered by a musket ball near the shoulder. The two lieutenants, Alfred A. Thompson and Samuel Diffenderfer were wounded. First Sergt. Warren Raymond, Corp. T. J. McClure and Privates James C. Blair, John M. Cowden, Wm. M. Clarkson, Isaac Z. Drake, Wm. H. Harmony, Matthew J. Laughlin and John McDonald were killed or mortally wounded. Thirty-three more were wounded or captured. All honor to the brave men who died and dared and suffered so much for our country and our homes. The nation can never do enough to repay them. Capt. Blair after being wounded refused to leave the field until the loss of blood compelled him to go. Then Sergt. Levi D. Graham took him to the seminary where both were immediately afterwards made prisoners by the Rebels. His wounded arm was amputated at the shoulder but not until the Rebel army had retreated several days later. Few men would have survived the operation under such circumstances, but Capt. Blair recovered and went back to the regiment. Finding he could not stand the service on account of his wound he was discharged by reason of physical disability Feb. 5, 1864. Capt. Blair was buried in the cemetery at Huntingdon on Saturday with the honors of war by Post 44, G.A.R. of which he was a member. Co. A., 5th Regt. Penna. N.G., under Capt. Jno. S. Bare acted as an escort and firing squad. The pall bearers were Sergt. Levi G. Graham, William H. Wright, Jacob Shoop, Wm. Shaver, Robt. D. Colegate and Henry T. Quarry of Huntingdon, and D.C. Appleby and T.A. Appleby of Mount Union. All but the last named were members of Blair's company, Wright, Shoop, Shaver, Graham and D.C. Appleby were with him at Gettysburg. The first three were wounded, Graham was taken prisoner, Appleby being the only one who escaped. Capt. Blair's wife died Oct. 6, 1875, leaving two children, Cora B. Jaekel of Hollidaysburg, who has since died, and J.C. Blair of Huntingdon, the proprietor of Blair's Keystone Stationery Manufactory.
Mount Union Times
27 March 1890
Capt. Brice X. Blair died at Huntingdon, Friday, March 21, 1890, of heart disease. He was born at Shade Gap, Sept. 20, 1820, and was 69 1/2 years on the day before his death. His parents were John Blair and Jean Cree. He was the youngest of four brothers, Alexandria, David, John and Brice X. John Blair of Blair's Mills, is the only one yet living. The grandfather of the brothers was Alexander Blair, Sr., who came from Cumberland Valley to the upper end of Shade Valley in 1756. He and his family were several times driven from their home by the Indians, but they retained their homestead as originally settled upon. Capt. Brice X. Blair was married Oct. 14, 1841, to Amanda Weistling. He engaged for many years in the mercantile business in Shade Gap, Mount Union and Huntingdon, removing to the latter place soon after the war. He was elected to the Pennsylvania Legislature from this county in 1860 and was postmaster at Huntingdon during the administration of President Grant. In July, 1862 Major Roy Stone of the famous "Bucktail" regiment came home to raise a "Bucktail" brigade and Geo. W. Speer, of Mount Union, began to raise a company for it. Two regiments were raised, the 149th and the 150th Penna. Vols., Roy Stone being made colonel of the 149th. Co. I, 149th P.V. was raised at Mount Union and Shade Gap its members being nearly all from these two boroughs and Shirley, Springfield, Dublin and Tell townships. In this company Brice X. Blair enlisted Aug. 8, 1862 and was mustered in as a private Aug. 19, 1862 at Camp Curtin. Aug. 26, 1862 he was elected 1st lieutenant, Geo. W. Speer being elected captain. Three days later Speer was appointed major of the regiment and Blair succeeded him as captain receiving his commission Oct. 6, 1862. Upon invasion of Maryland by Lee the regiment was sent to Washington where it was kept for the defence of the capital until February 1863 when it joined Gen. Burnside's army on the Rappahannock. It was attached to Reynolds' (First) Corps and during the Chancellorsville campaign supported Sedgwick's Corps on its gallant assault on Marye's Height's afterwards being sent to the right to take the place of the scattered Eleventh Corps. In this battle the regiment suffered only slight loss but it made up all deficiencies at Gettysburg. They have got now to estimating the work that regiments, divisions, corps and armies did by the losses they sustained. It is a ghastly way of making a record but it is one of the best ways of getting at a regiment's bravery and fighting spirit. Of the many brave regiments that went from the north to stem the tide of rebellion that was sweeping upon us in the full force of an aggressive and destructive war few received such a baptism of fire and blood as did the brave 149th, Penna. at Gettysburg. It was a part of Roy Stone's brigade of the 3rd Division of the 1st Corps, and was engaged with greatly superior numbers at and about the railroad cut and McPherson's barn on the first day of the battle. Of 450 officers and men who went in 68 were killed, 149 wounded and 109 taken prisoners or missing, 336 out of 450. This regiment of 450 present for duty lost more than Washington's army lost at White Plains or Monmouth, than Gen. Scott lost at Chippewa or than the American armies did in most of the battles of the Revolution, War of 1812 or Mexican War. In most of the battles of those wars the loss of killed, wounded and missing did not run more than from 5 to 10 per cent. At Bunker Hill the Americans lost 30 per cent, the British 35 per cent. At Buena Vista Taylor lost 16 per cent, Santa Anna 12 per cent. These had been among the fiercest battles in American history up to the time of the rebellion. The 149th Penna. at Gettysburg lost 74.6 per cent, its killed alone being 15.1 per cent. At the battle of Waterloo the killed on each side were 5 per cent of the numbers engaged, less than one-third the relative loss of the 149th at Gettysburg. It was one of the wonders of the late war that young men and boys taken from our villages and farms and schools, knowing nothing of war or strife, should stand up and fight against superior forces until, as in this case, three fourths of their numbers had fallen before they would retreat, doggedly fighting over every inch of ground as they retired. Yet this was what these men and boys from Shade Valley and Black Log and Aughwick with Capt. Blair at their head did at Gettysburg. Co. I went in with 52 men. It came out with seven. Capt. Blair had his left arm shattered by a musket ball near the shoulder. The two lieutenants, Alfred A. Thompson and Samuel Diffenderfer were wounded. First Sergt. Warren Raymond, Corp. T. J. McClure and Privates James C. Blair, John M. Cowden, Wm. M. Clarkson, Isaac Z. Drake, Wm. H. Harmony, Matthew J. Laughlin and John McDonald were killed or mortally wounded. Thirty-three more were wounded or captured. All honor to the brave men who died and dared and suffered so much for our country and our homes. The nation can never do enough to repay them. Capt. Blair after being wounded refused to leave the field until the loss of blood compelled him to go. Then Sergt. Levi D. Graham took him to the seminary where both were immediately afterwards made prisoners by the Rebels. His wounded arm was amputated at the shoulder but not until the Rebel army had retreated several days later. Few men would have survived the operation under such circumstances, but Capt. Blair recovered and went back to the regiment. Finding he could not stand the service on account of his wound he was discharged by reason of physical disability Feb. 5, 1864. Capt. Blair was buried in the cemetery at Huntingdon on Saturday with the honors of war by Post 44, G.A.R. of which he was a member. Co. A., 5th Regt. Penna. N.G., under Capt. Jno. S. Bare acted as an escort and firing squad. The pall bearers were Sergt. Levi G. Graham, William H. Wright, Jacob Shoop, Wm. Shaver, Robt. D. Colegate and Henry T. Quarry of Huntingdon, and D.C. Appleby and T.A. Appleby of Mount Union. All but the last named were members of Blair's company, Wright, Shoop, Shaver, Graham and D.C. Appleby were with him at Gettysburg. The first three were wounded, Graham was taken prisoner, Appleby being the only one who escaped. Capt. Blair's wife died Oct. 6, 1875, leaving two children, Cora B. Jaekel of Hollidaysburg, who has since died, and J.C. Blair of Huntingdon, the proprietor of Blair's Keystone Stationery Manufactory.
Mount Union Times
27 March 1890
Family Members
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