IN MEMORY OF JAMES H. CAMBELL AND H. ELIZABETH HOAGLAND

James H. Campbell Click here for another photo.

by Harry Earle Campbell Clairton, Pennsylvania 1 August 1949

Hannah Elizabeth Hoagland Campbell

James Hann Campbell was born 9 April 1831 at Campbelltown, Mahoning township, Columbia County (now Valley township, Montour County), Pennsylvania, son of John Campbell and Mary (Wintersteen) Campbell. On 17 November 1864 at Millview, Sullivan County, Pennsylvania, he was united in marriage with Hannah Elizabeth Hoagland by Justice of the Peace John G. Wright. He died 18 January 1911 at Shunk, Sullivan County, Pennsylvania, and is buried in the West Hill cemetery there.

Hannah Elizabeth Hoagland was born 21 March 1847 near Le Roy, Bradford County, Pennsylvania, daughter of Samuel and Sallie (Wilcox) Hoagland. Her great-grandfather Joseph Hoagland was the first permanent settler in the territory since known as Fox township, Sullivan County, Pennsylvania. He built and operated the first grist mill at the place now called Shunk, Sullivan County. The creek, a tributary of the Loyalsock Creek, on which the mill was located received its name, Hoagland Branch, from him. Hannah Elizabeth died 17 May 1937 at the home of her grand daughter Mrs. Ethel Richley, Powell, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. She is buried beside her husband at Shunk.

When he was two years old, the family of James H. moved to Monroe township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania, thence to Albany township, same county, in 1835, and thence to Forks township, Sullivan County, in 1851. He learned the trade of carpentry and followed it in the Bradford and Sullivan areas until the outbreak of the Great War of the Rebellion.

The war had been underway only four months when he answered the call of President Lincoln for volunteers. Learning that a company was being recruited at Monroe (Monroeton), Bradford County, he and some of his Forks township friends went there and enlisted for a term of three years. The members of the company rendezvoused at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. On 9 September 1861 they were mustered into the service. The company was assigned to the 50^th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, as Company K.

The regiment had a record for long and active service. [After being stationed at Beaufort, SC, in December 1861,] James Campbell participated in battles at Pocataligo, South Carolina [May 29, 1862]; Second Bull Run [August 28-30, 1862], Wilderness [May 5-7, 1864], and Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia [May 4-21, 1864]. He was present at the siege and fall of Vicksburg, Mississippi [May 26 - July 4, 1863; 50th present from June 17]. From 17 November to 4 December 1863, he was at Knoxville, Tennessee, where an army under command of General Burnside was besieged by the army of General Longstreet.

James in Uniform (Click picture for larger image.)

After the siege of Knoxville, the Fiftieth Regiment went into camp at Blaines Cross Roads, Tennessee. Here the veterans of the regiment were offered the veteran's bonus and a furlough of thirty days if they re-enlisted for a three-year re-enlistment. [Click here for a large or even larger scan of James' discharge and re-enlistment papers.] When he returned to the regiment from his veteran's furlough, his brother William accompanied him and was enrolled in the same company.

During the battle of Spotslyvania Court House, Virginia, on 12 May 1864 ["a day remembered by soldiers from both sides as one of the darkest of the entire war. 'I never expect to be fully believed when I tell of the horrors of Spotsylvania,' wrote a Federal of his ghastly experience. 'The battle of Thursday was one of the bloodiest that ever dyed God's footstool with human gore,' echoed a North Carolinian." --quoted from the Spotsylvania history link above. The description of that day is worth reading in full.], the Fiftieth Pennsylvania charged into a dense woods. The enemy attacked the flank and rear of the regiment when a severe hand to hand conflict took place. The Fiftieth lost 181 men killed, wounded and captured. In the engagement James received two pistol-shot wounds between knee and ankle of the right leg. He avoided capture only by concealing himself behind the trunk of a large tree. His brother William was taken prisoner in the action, and he never saw him again.

The wounds received at Spotsylvania hospitalized James H. from 12 May to 3 November 1864. One of the pistol slugs passed through shattering the shin bone; the other lodged in the tendons of the lower leg in such position that surgeons of the army considered operation to remove it inadvisable. Because the latter wound never healed completely, it was a source of trouble during the remainder of his life. He was sufficiently recovered by 3 November 1864 to obtain a twenty-day furlough. While on this furlough, he married Miss Hoagland.

When he rejoined his regiment, it was in winter quarters near Petersburg, Virginia. In the spring (1865) there was picket duty and some heavy skirmishes, but for the officers and soldiers of the Fiftieth Pennsylvania the severe fighting was over. On 9 April, Lee surrendered his armies. Soon after, the war came to a close.

Entering the service as a private, James H. was promoted to Corporal and then to Duty Sergeant. On 18 May 1865, he was promoted to First Sergeant. At Tenleytown near Washington, District of Columbia, on 30 July, he was mustered out of the service, having served three years, ten months, and twenty-one days.

After enduring the hardships of war for an epoch, the Sergeant looked forward to the comforts of home and activities of civil life. In 1866 he purchased from his father thirty-four acres of woodland at Shunk, in the valley of the Hoagland Branch, and set about clearing it for farm use. Two years later, 1868, in partnership with his brother-in-law, William Hoagland, he built a store on his property and launched into a general store business. The partnership was of short duration, however; it was dissolved, and James H. continued as the sole proprietor. In the year 1874 he purchased half interest in the Shunk grist mill, thereby becoming his father's partner in the milling business. He continued to add to his real estate holdings until 1884 when he owned sixty-eight acres of land and all shares of the grist mill. He sold the mill in 1884.

During the latter 'eighties James observed the natural aptitude for business management of his eldest son, Ambrose Earl. Having other interests, he transferred as time passed many of the business responsibilities to the direction of his son.

Recognizing his integrity and good judgement, his fellow associates called James H. to postions of trust and responsibility. He served for a time as township clerk and a term, 1889 to 1891, as county commissioner. For twenty-one years he was postmaster at Shunk.

There were none to deny that James Campbell acquired the art of enjoying the leisure of his latter years. When friends, whom he met, asked the usual question, "How are you today?", his invariable response was a friendly smile and the reply, "Sociable." Many of his friends were comrades-in-arms of the Great Rebellion. The activities of the Grand Army of the Republic were a part of his life, the annual State Encampments being especially alluring. He was a member of James B. Ingham Post Number 91 located at Canton, Pennsylvania. He was also a member of Lodge Number 3221 (Canton) Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

James Campbell was not so fully occupied with affairs of the world that his spiritual being was neglected. He believed in future life and God's plan of salvation. He read his Bible regularly, attended religious services whenever possible, and always embraced the chance to testify for his Savior. Although life was sweet, he did not fear death. When the call came one winter day as he sat in his favorite rocking chair by the fire side, he was ready.

James H. and Hannah Elizabeth had six children as follows:

• Ambrose Earl was born 16 August 1867. He died 27 February 1932 at Utica, New York, and is buried in the West Hill cemetery at Shunk, Pennsylvania. On 23 October 1889 he married Clara May Ferguson at Canton, Pennsylvania.
• Cora Belle was born 8 August 1869. She married James L. Brenchley. As of this writing, she is living at the old family homestead, Shunk, Pennsylvania.
• Sabra Jane was born 19 November 1871. She died from diptheria 7 March 1876.
• Lucien Carpenter was born 16 June 1875 and died from diptheria 16 March 1876.
[In his papers, Uncle Harry describes and sketches a "twin white marble grave marker" -- appears almost heart-shaped -- that memorializes these two children at West Hill Cemetery in Shunk.]
• Leon Isa was born 11 May 1877. He married Lulu D. Wright. As of this writing, he resides at 1722 North Monroe Street, Baltimore, Maryland.
• George Thomas was born 19 September 1880. He married Julia Brown. He died 7 January 1918 when a bicycle on which he was riding to work was struck by an automobile. He is buried in Brown cemetery, Shunk, Pennsylvania.