Letter from Ben McComsey to his parents from camp near Cloud's Mill, Virginia. He reports that he is in good health and he requests letters from the family and pears. The letter originally enclosed two tintypes of Ben--one for his mother and one for Ellen Spence. With envelope and a note.
Admin/Biographical History
Benjamin was the son of William and Mary Ann (Dorwart) McComsey. In 1860 he was a farmer living with his family in Providence Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Ben's service during the Civil War was brief. He enlisted in Lancaster on 7 August 1862 and was mustered into the U.S. Army on August 11 as a private with Company D, 122nd Pennsylvania Infantry. He died from typhoid fever in a military hospital at Berlin, Worcester County, Maryland on 7 November 1862.
Letter from Benjamin McComsey (MG0018_SerA_F077_It02)
Letter from Benjamin McComsey (MG0018_SerA_F077_It03)
Letter from Benjamin McComsey (MG0018_SerA_F077_It04)
Biographical information (MG0018_SerA_F077_It05)
Letter from Benjamin McComsey (MG0018_SerA_F077_It06)
Letter from Henry Benner (MG0018_SerA_F077_It07)
Letter from Henry Benner (MG0018_SerA_F077_It08)
Letter from Benjamin McComsey (MG0018_SerA_F077_It09)
Tintype of Benjamin McComsey (2009.014)
McComsey Family Album (A-15-01-01 to A-15-01-40)
Carte de visite of Chester Hubley (1-02-01-79)
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Civil War Collection (MG0018), Series #, Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use digital images and transcriptions when available. Original documents may be used by appointment--contact Research@LancasterHistory.org prior to visit.
Copyright
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Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Located on road leading from Strasburg in this county to Elkton, in Maryland.
Formerly occupied by Capt. William McComsey.
Petition granted.
April term.
Signers of Petition: Samson Davis, James McGinness, [H. Deffinkauf Jr.], [unknown signature], Alexander Morrison, Robert Pennington, William Mackey, Samuel Baughman, Boltzer Droucker.
1 Item, 1 Piece
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Request at Reference Desk; photocopy made by staff member.
This record group contains canceled orders that were issued by the county commissioners for payment to be made by the county treasurer. The orders show date, order number, amount, name of payee, purpose, and signatures of the county commissioners. In the case of "poor children," teachers were reimbursed by the county for tuition and/or the supplies purchased for students whose parents were unable to pay. Orders include: Poor Children, Almshouse, Bridges, Coroners' Inquests, Prisons, Roads, Court House, and Tax Exonerations.
System of Arrangement
The record group is organized chronologically, then arranged by order number within each year.
Bonds posted by constables, showing names of constable and surety; date and amount of bond; conditions of obligation; signatures of constable, surety, and witnesses; and date filed. Arr. chron. by date filed. No index. Hdw. and typed on ptd. fm.
Admin/Biographical History
The County of Lancaster has given LancasterHistory.org custodial responsibility of this collection.
System of Arrangement
Arranged by year; alphabetical by surname with in year.
Bonds posted by constables, showing names of constable and surety; date and amount of bond; conditions of obligation; signatures of constable, surety, and witnesses; and date filed. Arr. chron. by date filed. No index. Hdw. and typed on ptd. fm.
Admin/Biographical History
The County of Lancaster has given LancasterHistory.org custodial responsibility of this collection.
System of Arrangement
Arranged by year; alphabetical by surname with in year.
Signers of Petition: [Samuel] B. Moore, Samuel Smith, Jacob Stoner, Hugh Anderson, John Anderson, James Calwell, [Thomas] Harris, William Miller, William Moore, Isaac Moore Jr., Jacob Thomas.
1 Item, 1 Piece
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Request at Reference Desk; photocopy made by staff member.
Studio tintype photo of Civil War soldier, full length, holding his rifle.
Sticker on back reads: "Zaloudek 10-28-72" (original date of donation). Handwriting on back in faint pencil is: "Benjamin McComsey 61 to 65."
Benjamin McComsey volunteered to serve in the Civil War. He was killed Nov. 7, 1862 in Berlin, MD. This item transferred to Objects collection from Archives. See Notes for typed biographical info.
This item transferred to Objects collection from Archives. Accompanying this tintype is a perforated paper bookmark with cross-stitched "A Present for Bennie." Typed biographical info is:
"This is the chief treasure of the McComsey family. Young son Benjamin volunteered to serve in the Civil War, and these letters (In Archives) tell the story of the remainder of his life.
Benjamin was the son of William McComsey, who was City Treasurer of Lanc. in the late 1880's. A descendant of Mathias McComsey, who was born in Manor Township in 1787. Benjamin's mother was Mary Dorwart, daughter of Henry, a tailor in Lancaster.
Benjamin died Nov. 7, 1862 in Berlin, Md. in the 18th year of his life. He is buried in the McComsey plot at Lancaster Cemetery."
Additional items given by this donor are 1972.026.1-.5. This includes a wedding hat, pair of lady's snow glasses and three shawls.
