Category: Military

Not So Wordless Wednesday: Levi F. Hocker, PA Cavalry

Kris Hocker on 25 Sep 2013

Levi F. Hocker on horseback photo
Private Levi F. Hocker (1842-1899)

Private Levi F. Hocker of Co. F, 17th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment, in uniform with pistol and sword, on horseback (source: Library of Congress)

Levi F. Hocker, son of Johan Adam and Mary (Hoover) Hocker III, was born 2 October 1843 and died 28 March 1899 in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. He served in Company F, 17th Pennsylvania Cavalry during the Civil War. He married Frances R. Steigelman on 18 Jan 1866 in New Kingston, Cumberland County.

There were two Levi Hockers from Pennsylvania who enlisted in 1862: Levi F. Hocker who enlisted on 23 Sep 1862, and Levi Hocker who enlisted on 15 Sep 1862. Levi F. Hocker reportedly served in the 17th Cavalry, Company F, which was recruited from Cumberland County, Pennsylvania in 1862. The company fought at Trevillian Station in Virginia between the 11th and 13th of June 1864. Levi F. Hocker reported in his application for invalid pension on 11 January 1878 that he had been wounded on or about the 11th of June 1864 at Trevillian Station. His reply of 10 February 1892 to the government’s denial of the pension was supported by Benjamin W. Hocker of Cumberland County. Benjamin states that he knew Levi intimately and had seen the injury on Levi’s return home in 1864.

Wingeard, I believe, inappropriately attributed him as the son of Peter and Hannah (Reinhold) Hocker of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Given the location of recruitment (Cumberland County) and Benjamin Hocker’s statement supporting Levi’s application, I feel it is more likely that Levi F. was the son of Adam and Mary (Hoover) Hocker, who lived in Cumberland County, than it is that he was the son of Peter and Hannah (Reinhold) Hacker of Lancaster County.

Adam and Mary (Hoover) Hocker were in Cumberland County by 1840 when Adam Hocker appeared as a head of household in North Middleton Township.1 They were still farming in North Middleton in 1850 where their household included:2

  • Adam, aged 47
  • Mary, aged 41
  • Jeremiah, aged [14?]
  • Mary, aged 20
  • Elizabeth, aged 16
  • Fanny, aged 13
  • Isemia, aged 9
  • Levi, aged 6
  • Benjamin, aged 4

The family can be also found in Cumberland County during the 1860 enumeration of Middlesex Township.3

Meanwhile, Peter and Hannah Hocker can be found consistently in Lancaster County in Ephrata, Elizabeth and Clay townships, respectively in 1840,4 1850,5 and 1860.6 In 1850, their household included:

  • Peter, aged 37
  • Hannah, aged 35
  • Susanna, aged 13
  • Jacob, aged 12
  • Mary Ann, aged 10
  • Levi, aged 7
  • Rebecca, aged 4
  • Elizabeth, aged 2

Both Levi and Benjamin Hocker were living in Cumberland County in 1880—Levi in Monroe Township7 and Benjamin in Middlesex Township.8 Levi died there in 1899 and was buried in Mount Holly Springs Cemetery.9

Persistence Pays Off? Maybe. Maybe Not.

Kris Hocker on 13 Sep 2013

I wrote previously about finding information that Adam P. Hocker, son of George and Margaret (Prevost) Hocker of Buckingham County, Virginia, had served in the Company E of the 20th Virginia Infantry (Lee’s Guards) during the Civil War and died at the Battle of Rich Mountain. However, information I’ve recently located calls that into doubt.

The 1860 census indicates that Adam P. Hocker was a miller.1 This is fitting as I found an account, dated 8 May 1863, for the purchase of 180½ bushels of wheat by the Confederate Army in which “Mr. A.P. Hocker” was dissatisfied with the price of $487.35.2 A further note from 24 July 1863, signed by A.P. Hocker indicates that he received $812.25 for his wheat. On 19 January 1864, Adam appointed William Hocker as his attorney to receive any money due him from the Commissionary department of the Confederate States. So, during the war Adam was working as a miller and supplying wheat to the Confederate army.

Additionally, in looking up the members of Company E, 20th Virginia Infantry, the only name that looks close to “Hocker” was that of “E.T. Hocher.” E.T. signed up for 12 months service in Buckingham County on 20 May 1861 and appears on the muster roll for 30 June to 10 September 1861.3 The Battle of Rich Mountain occurred 11 July through 13 July 1861 in Randolph County, [West] Virginia.4 So, he likely would have been a participant at the battle.

I believe that “E.T. Hocher” may have been Edmund T. Hocker, son of George and Margaret (Prevost) Hocker and youngest brother of Adam P. Hocker. Ed reenlisted in the war on 9 February 1862 with Company H, 22nd Battalion of Virginia volunteers to serve the whole war.5  Subsequent records show him as Edmund T., Edward T. and E.T. Hocker. The muster rolls show him as serving through 1865 though he was injured 1 July 1863. Ed also survived the war, appearing in the 1880 census with the Nathan Payne family in the Slate River district in Buckingham County, Virginia.6 He died 23 December 1891.7

Adam’s brother, Amos H. Hocker, also served in Civil War. He enlisted on 7 February 1862 for one year as a private in Company K, 2nd Regiment Virginia Artillery.8 This regiment disbanded in May 1862. Amos then enlisted on 28 July 1862 for 6 months in Company C, 25th Battalion VA Infantry.9 He actually served through 1865. He was hospitalized for rheumatism from July to September in 1863. He also requested a 25-day furlough on 30 August 1864, but was present with his unit in November and December. He was apparently captured by the Union on 6 April 1865 in Nottoway County, Virginia—possibly at Sailor’s Creek when General Sheridan cut off nearly a quarter of the retreating Confederate Army—and sent to Point Lookout, Maryland. He was released on 13 June 1865.

So, it doesn’t look like Adam served in Company E of the 20th Virginia Infantry and didn’t die in the Battle of Rich Mountain. So, what happened to him?

The answer may lie in his brother Amos’ letter requesting a furlough in August 1864. Here’s what he wrote:

Camp 25 Va Batt

Chaffin’s Farm/30 Aug 1864

Col.

I respectfully ask a Furlough for Twenty-five Days under the following circumstances, to go to Buckingham County [?] my Father died during last year & willed me an amount in money, one third of which [I know not] between $5000 & $6000 I have already lost by reason of the act of Congress reducing the currency & my not being able to obtain a Furlough at the time to make an investment, one of my brothers has since died & left important business requiring my attention; the remnant of money left me was invested in Court Bonds, which the Shff informed me will now be paid & has avised [sic] to come & received the same I desire to make a permant [sic] investment of these funds which is the object of this application. I saw Genl. Ewell on yesterday & stated these facts to him who voluntary consented to approve Furlough for the time asked.

Very Respectfully

Yr Obs. Svt.

A.H. Hocker

Co. C 25 VA Batt

Did you see that? He wrote: “one of my brothers has since died…” Both of his younger brothers George W. and Edmund T. survived the war. Thus, Adam P. Hocker—his only other brother—died sometime shortly before 30 August 1864.

Persistence does pay off; but often it’s in unexpected ways.

Confederate History Month at Fold3

Kris Hocker on 13 Apr 2013

Fold3.com is providing free access to their Confederate records this month. My confederate ancestry is verrrry limited, but I thought I’d check it out.

Here are the enlistment papers for my ancestor James Benjamin Houdeshell, using the common alternative spelling of Howdyshell.

Benjamin Howdyshell enlistment papers

Benjamin enlisted in Company A, 14th Regiment of the Virginia Militia as private. He was 20 years old. He mustered in on 17 September at Wardensville, Hardy County, Virginia for 6 months. He traveled 36 miles to enlist.

The record just previous to Benjamin’s was for Adam Howdyshell. Adam enlisted in Company A, 14th Regiment, Virginia Militia on 17 September 1861 in Wardensville, Hardy County, Virginia with Captain Dinges for six months. He, too, had come 36 miles to enlist.

Adam Howdyshell Civil War enlistment papers

The record just after Benjamin’s was for Westfall Howdyshell. Notice how, once again, all the details match.

George Westfall Howdyshell Civil War enlistment papers

These men were likely Benjamin’s older brothers Adam and George W. Houdeshell. The three appeared at Winchester on the muster rolls  for September 10th through December 12th, 1861.

To the best of my knowledge, all three survived the war. Benjamin and George went on to marry sisters from up north—Phebe and Mariah Mayes from Snow Shoe Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania. Benjamin settled near his wife’s family in Pennsylvania while the rest of his family moved west to Ohio and Missouri.

I also found a record of a John Howdershell who was allegedly a member of the Imboden Rangers and took part in the attack on the the B&O railroad. But I do not know if this was a relative or even possibly their brother John W. Houdeshell. This John was captured on 28 Oct 1862 and sent to Cairo, Illinois on 13 Nov 1862.1