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

Footnotes

  1. Adam Hocker household, 1840 United States Federal Census, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, North Middleton Township, page 129, line 30; image, Internet Archive, “Population schedules of the sixth census of the United States, 1840, Pennsylvania” (http://archive.org/stream/populationsc18400455unit#page/n261/mode/1up : accessed 12 Sep 2013); citing NARA micropublication M704, roll 455. ↩
  2. Adam Hocker household, 1850 United States Federal Census, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, North Middleton Township, page 77 (written), dwelling 114, family 116; digital image, Internet Archive, “Population schedules of the seventh census of the United States, 1850, Pennsylvania” (http://archive.org/stream/populationschedu0772unix#page/n81/mode/1up : accessed 12 Sep 2013); citing NARA micropublication M432, roll 772. ↩
  3. Adam Hocker household, 1860 United States Federal Census, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Middlesex Township, Carlisle post office, page 87 (written)/313 (stamped), dwelling 574, family 589, lines 6-10; digital image, Internet Archive, “Population schedules of the eigth census of the United States, 1860, Pennsylvania” (http://archive.org/stream/populationschedu1101unix#page/n318/mode/1up : accessed 23 Nov 2012); citing NARA micropublication M653, roll 1101. ↩
  4. Peter Hacker household, 1840 United States Federal Census, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Ephrata Township, page 434, jpeg online; Internet Archive, “Population schedules of the sixth census of the United States, 1840, Pennsylvania,” <http://archive.org/stream/populationsc18400467unit#page/n215/mode/1up>, Viewed Mar 2012, citing NARA micropublication M704, roll 467 ↩
  5. Peter Hacker household, 1850 United States Federal Census, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Elizabeth Township, page 263b, dwelling 257, family 278, jpeg online; FamilySearch, “United States Census, 1850,” index and images, <https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M4H5-79H>, viewed 1 April 2012, citing NARA micropublication M432, roll 789. ↩
  6. Peter Hacker household, 1860 United States Federal Census, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Clay Township, page 33, dwelling 229, family 240, jpeg online; Internet Archive, “Population schedules of the eighth census of the United States, 1860, Pennsylvania,” <http://archive.org/stream/populationschedu1120unix#page/n36/mode/1up>, viewed Apr 2012, citing NARA micropublication M653, roll 1120. ↩
  7. Levi Hocker household, 1880 United States Federal Census, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Monroe Township, enumeration district 70, page 136C and D; image, Internet Archive, “Population schedules of the tenth census of the United States, 1880, Pennsylvania” (http://archive.org/stream/10thcensus1122unit#page/n73/mode/1up : accessed 27 Sep 2013); citing, NARA micropublication T9, roll 1122. ↩
  8. Benjamin W. Hocker household, 1880 United States Federal Census, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Middlesex Township, enumeration district 72, page 176D, dwelling 233, family 245; image, Internet Archive, “Population schedules of the tenth census of the United States, 1880, Pennsylvania” (http://archive.org/stream/10thcensus1122unit#page/n154/mode/1up : accessed 27 Sep 2013); citing NARA micropublication T9, roll 1122. ↩
  9. Levi F. Hocker entry, Cumberland County Death Records, Volume B: Page 1273 (1899), Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania; and Levi F. Hocker gravestone, Find a Grave, Inc., Findagrave.com, digital image (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 27 Sep 2013), digital image “Gravestone for Levi F. Hocker (1843-1899), Memorial No. 53426304, Records of Mount Holly Springs Cemetery, Mount Holly Springs, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania;” image © Family Tree Climber. ↩

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, "Not So Wordless Wednesday: Levi F. Hocker, PA Cavalry," A Pennsylvania Dutch Genealogy, the genealogy & family research site of Kris Hocker, modified 22 Jan 2014 (https://www.krishocker.com/wordless-wednesday-levi-f-hocker-cavalry-officer/ : accessed 24 Nov 2024).

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