John Byerly
| John Byerly, born August 21, 1839, 5' 5" tall, dark hair, dark complexion, gray eyes, from Danville, Montour County, Pa. Enlisted September 25, 1861 and was mustered into service October 3, 1861, for the war years and promoted to Corporal in October 1862. On July 21, 1863, he was detached to Carlisle on recruiting service. September to December, 1863 was at Camp Cadwalader, Phila., Pa and was detailed to receive and conduct drafted men to their regiments. Was on recruiting service at same Camp January and February, but mid-month of February was in General Hospital, Turners Lane, Phila. He returned to duty in May and continued his recruiting service until December when he again entered the hospital in December and was discharged December 17. |
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He became guardian of his 7 month old nephew, whose father was killed at the Battle of Piedmont in June 1864. John became father and grandfather in the Burns family, as he was the only father John Burns ever new.
Suffering from rheumatism of the arms, shoulders and hips plus hemorrhaging piles, he filed for an invalid pension as the pain caused him to lay prostrate for days and, at times, weeks at a time. Because his health rendered him unable to continue his work in the iron mills, John and his family homesteaded out West. First settling in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and then Armour, South Dakota. The family eventually returned to Pennsylvania, settling in Norristown, Pa, where he lived until his death.
It took almost six years for the government to finally grant him a pension. He was upset by the fact that he was "no longer able to do manual labor on the farm or a days work at any kind of labor".
John died of heart failure, Christmas Eve, December 24, 1916, in church, after the benediction, and is buried in Fernwood Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pa.
Before the war John was a wheelwright in the "rolling mills of Danville" and described by his childhood friend, John Crossley, as being a "sober, honest and truthful man". Jos. H. Johnson said he was. . ."a good faithful soldier". Jos. F. Ramsey, ". . . an excellent soldier. . .a very good dutiful soldier in my company".
In Memory of my Great-grand Uncle John Byerly
Peggy Burns Barndt. (a reenactor with 93rd. Pa.)
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