William Carns Knox and Mary Eve "Mollie" Boucher
Husband William Carns Knox 1 2 3 4
Born: 12 Aug 1839 - Ligonier Twp, Westmoreland Co, PA 4 5 6 Christened: Died: 20 May 1918 7 8 Buried:
Father: Robert Knox (1808- ) 4 9 10 Mother: Mary Carns (1817-Abt 1854) 4 6 9
Marriage: 12 Jun 1870 8 11
Other Spouse: Hattie C. Perkey ( - ) 5 8 11 - 10 Oct 1895 5 11
Wife Mary Eve "Mollie" Boucher 1 2 4 5 12
Born: 12 Jun 1846 5 Christened: Died: 15 Apr 1892 2 5 8 13 Buried:
Father: Hiram Boucher (1821-1889) 1 14 15 Mother: Abigail Slater (1822-1907) 7 14
Children
1 F Abigail Kate Knox 5 8 16
Born: 4 Aug 1873 5 8 16 Christened: Died: Buried:Spouse: William Brown Graham (1866- ) 5 8 17 18 Marr: 5 Jun 1895 5 8 16
2 M Ralph Emerson Knox 5 8 11
Born: 29 Mar 1882 5 8 11 Christened: Died: Buried:Spouse: Ada N. Perkey ( - ) 8 11
General Notes: Husband - William Carns Knox
At the age of fourteen he was left motherless. From that time until 1861 he worked among the farmers. During the first year of the Civil War he enlisted for three months in the Eleventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, afterward re-enlisting for nine months in Company G, One Hundred and Thirty-fifth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers. He was then transferred to the signal corps, United States Army, served until the close of the war, and was present at Lee's surrender. After his return to the Ligonier valley he purchased the estate known as the "Robert Seaton farm," where he then lived, giving his entire attention to agricultural pursuits. He filled all the township offices, was elected in 1890 justice of the peace and served at least four terms in that office. He belonged to Ligonier Lodge, No. 331, F. and A. M., of Ligonier, of which he was past master and also treasurer, and to Greensburg Lodge, No. 511, B. P. O. E., of Greensburg. In politics he was a Republican.
He was born in Ligonier township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, and passed his childhood on a farm belonging to his father there. Like his father, his educational advantages were very meagre and the more so that at the age of fourteen, his mother died and he thereafter began to work regularly as a farmer. For a time he worked for his uncle, Alexander Carns, on the place belonging to his grandfather, and later for Hiram Boucher, the father of John N. Boucher, a well known figure in the community. With Mr. Boucher he remained in all for nineteen years, this period being broken by his three years service in the Union Army during the Civil War.
At the outbreak of this great struggle, Mr. Knox enlisted, for three months in the Eleventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, and at the end of that period reenlisted for nine months in Company G, One Hundred and Thirty-fifth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers. He was then transferred to the signal corps in the United States Army and served in this capacity until the close of the war, being present at the surrender of General Lee to Grant at Appomattox Court House. His career during the war was a very active one from the time that he was mustered in at Harrisburg to the date of his honorable discharge. From Harrisburg his regiment went to Baltimore and in that city was the first to appear after the mob had assaulted the Sixth Massachusetts troops. The regiment continued its way through Maryland and did guard duty on railroads for a time. It then went to Hagerstown for a few days, and from there to Downingtown, where it crossed the Potomac river. Immediately afterwards, Mr. Knox saw his first active engagement and that quite unexpectedly. The regiment had continued from its crossing at the Potomac, which was made early in the morning, to march through the countryside until nearly noon. At this time they reached Falling Water, where a battle was in progress, and sweeping up a hill came over the brow to find themselves in the battle line. They were almost at once in the thickest of the action, and the regiment met with a number of casualties. Two men were wounded on the left of Mr. Knox, but he escaped without injury. At the end of the engagement it was discovered that eight men had been killed and fifteen wounded in the regiment. On this occasion the Union forces drove the Confederates through Martinsburg, Bunker Hill, almost to Winchester. The army was commanded by General Patterson and the victory won was a brilliant one. Mr. Knox with his fellows then returned to Bunker Hill, and from there went to Harper's Ferry, where they received orders to hold this point at all hazards. The time of enlistment had expired and most of the regiments at that point desired to be mustered out so that Mr. Knox's regiment was the only one to volunteer to stay. Here they remained until they were relieved by other troops and then went across to Sandy Hook, from which they traveled to Harrisburg, where they received a great welcome from the populace. Upon reaching home Mr. Knox found himself decidedly ill, and after being mustered out was disabled for a period of nineteen weeks. However, after recovering, he once more returned to the army and this time enlisted in the One Hundred and Thirty-fifth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, as sergeant of Company G. Once more he was mustered in at Harrisburg and the regiment was sent from there to Washington, where it did guard duty for some three months. When the threat to the capital city was removed, the One Hundred and Thirty-fifth was sent into Virginia, where it joined Grant's army and was present at the battle of Chancellorsville. Mr. Knox then entered the Signal Corps, and remained until the close of the war. The latter part of his service was with the Army of the Potomac at headquarters, and he was finally mustered out at Washington, D. C., where he took part in the Grand Review of the Union troops held there.
Immediately after the close of hostilities Mr. Knox returned to his home in Ligonier township, and there purchased a farm, which was known as Fairview farm for over one hundred years. This place consisted of eighty-seven acres, nearly all of which was cleared land, and there Mr. Knox was active as a general farmer for many years. His specialty was the raising of fancy breeds of Jersey cattle and in this line he met with marked success. He finally retired from active work in 1912, and purchased a home of John Houston, where he then lived in well-earned leisure.
Mr. Knox was always an active figure in the general life of the community, a staunch member of the Republican party, and he held nigh every township office, including that of justice of the peace, in which he served four terms, a period of twenty years. In the year 1908 he was elected to the State Legislature on the Republican ticket and served in that body for one term. Mr. Knox was always an active member of the Grand Army of the Republic, being affiliated with Fort Ligonier Post, No. 224, and served as post commander for ten years, and also as adjutant thereof. He was also prominent in Masonic circles and was a member of Ligonier Lodge, No. 331, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and was past master thereof for ten years. He was also a member of Greensburg Lodge, No. 511, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. In his religious belief he was a Methodist and attended the church of that denomination in Ligonier. He was very active in the work of his congregation and was a trustee thereof for many years.
1 Samuel T. Wiley, Biographical and Historical Cyclopedia of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: John M. Gresham & Co., 1890.), Pg 532.
2 John W. Jordan, History of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Genealogical Memoirs, Vol. II (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1906), Pg 10.
3 Fenwick Y. Hedley, Old and New Westmoreland, Vols. III & IV (New York, NY: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1918), Pg 54, 284.
4 Lewis Clark Walkinshaw, A.M, Annals of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Vol. IV (New York, NY: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1939), Pg 85.
5 John W. Jordan, History of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Genealogical Memoirs, Vol. III (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1906), Pg 322.
6 Fenwick Y. Hedley, Old and New Westmoreland, Vols. III & IV (New York, NY: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1918), Pg 54.
7 Fenwick Y. Hedley, Old and New Westmoreland, Vols. III & IV (New York, NY: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1918), Pg 284.
8 Lewis Clark Walkinshaw, A.M, Annals of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Vol. IV (New York, NY: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1939), Pg 86.
9 John W. Jordan, History of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Genealogical Memoirs, Vol. III (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1906), Pg 321.
10 Fenwick Y. Hedley, Old and New Westmoreland, Vols. III & IV (New York, NY: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1918), Pg 53, 1097.
11 Fenwick Y. Hedley, Old and New Westmoreland, Vols. III & IV (New York, NY: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1918), Pg 55.
12 Fenwick Y. Hedley, Old and New Westmoreland, Vols. III & IV (New York, NY: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1918), Pg 55, 284, 1082.
13 Fenwick Y. Hedley, Old and New Westmoreland, Vols. III & IV (New York, NY: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1918), Pg 55, 284.
14 John W. Jordan, History of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Genealogical Memoirs, Vol. II (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1906), Pg 9, 247.
15 Fenwick Y. Hedley, Old and New Westmoreland, Vols. III & IV (New York, NY: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1918), Pg 283.
16 Fenwick Y. Hedley, Old and New Westmoreland, Vols. III & IV (New York, NY: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1918), Pg 55, 1082.
17 Fenwick Y. Hedley, Old and New Westmoreland, Vols. III & IV (New York, NY: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1918), Pg 55, 1081.
18
Jane Maria Craig, Samuel Craig, Senior, Pioneer to Western Pennsylvania, and His Descendants (Greensburg, PA: Privately printed, 1915), Pg 128.
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