215th Pennsylvania Infantry

Mustered in: April 4, 1865. Mustered out with Company, July 31, 1865

Fogie Fogy

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My Great-Grandfather, Patrick Francis Smith, was born in the village of Stradone in County Cavan, Ireland on December 13, 1846, the son of Mathew and Maria Smith. Patrick came to Philadelphia in 1862 and worked as a shoemaker, the trade he learned from his father. Patrick had one sister, Olevia, ten years younger than he, who worked as a dressmaker. At the age of 18, Patrick enlisted at Philadelphia with the 215th Regiment of Infantry, Pennsylvania Volunteers on April 13, 1865 and served with the Company 'E' of the 215th at Fort Delaware. The 215th was the last infantry regiment formed in Pennsylvania near the end of the Civil War. Patrick later married Mary Elizabeth Fitzpatrick, literally the girl next door, who was born in England in 1841. They lived at 155 Master Street in the Northern Liberties neighborhood of Philadelphia, in the parish of St. Michael. Patrick and Mary had one son, Thomas Matthew Aloysius Smith, who was born in 1876, who would become my paternal grandfather. Patrick and Mary's two daughters died in childhood, Katie at age four in 1878 from croup and Mary Elizabeth at age eight years five months in 1879 from peritonitis. Patrick's first wife, my great-grandmother Mary, died April 27, 1882 at the age of 42 from peritonitis. Patrick married a second time in 1885 to Anna M. Lettish, who was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1858 and came to the USA an an infant. Patrick and Anna moved to Beverly, NJ, where he worked as a hotel keeper. Patrick and Anna had one son, Francis James Smith, born in Palmyra, NJ in 1887. Patrick died on April 23, 1904 at the age of 57 in Beverly, NJ from gangrene of the bowel. He was buried at New Cathedral Cemetery in the Hunting Park neighborhood of Philadelphia (Section P, Range 2, Lot 7). Today his direct descendants number over 160, most of them still living in the Philadelphia and Burlington County, NJ areas. Two of his descendants bear his name.

Mustered in 130th Pennsylvania Infantry, August 6,1862 at age 18. Mustered out with company May 21, 1863. Later served in 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry and 22nd Pennsylvania Cavalry. Wounded in 1864, mustered out in 1865. Died of natural causes, 1894 in Hagerstown Md.

Sylvester Rannels (Reynolds) served in the 215th Pa. Inf. Co.H. The unit was organized at Philadelphia April, 1865. Sylvester enlisted April 15, 1865 and was mustered out July 31, 1865 after a short stay at Fort Delaware where he was hospitalized due to injuries stuffered while 'lifting a shell to a truck' (according to his invalid pension application in 1890). His injury is described as a 'left ventral hernia'. At this time, in 1890, he is living at 37 North Plum, Lancaster, Pa. and has 'never fully recoverd, and his disablity is growing worse'. After his death on January 9, 1900, his wife, Emma Becker Rannels, applied for a widow's pension on January 20, 1900. She was living at 665 North 31st Street in Philadelphia.