Richard Eckelberry, First West Virginia Infantry, Civil War

RICHARD ECKELBERRY

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BIOGRAPHY

H. H. Hardesty's History of Wetzel County, West Virginia

Richard Eckelberry is the owner of 289 acres of farming land on South fork of Big Fishing creek, in Grant district, Wetzel county, West Virginia. He has served in his district as justice of the peace fourteen years, 1866-71 and 1876-83, and in the war of the States he served his country three years. He enlisted in Company H, 1st West Virginia Infantry, October 19, 1861, and received discharge November 26, 1864, having been a participant in the battles of Currenstown, second Bull Run, Port Republic, Cross Keys, Hunter's raid, Snicker's Ford, Opequon and Cedar Creek. He was born in Greene county, Pennsylvania, October 8, 1838, a son of George B. Eckelberry, who was born in 1804, and Sarah (Wise) Eckelberry, born in 1808. His parents made their home in Wetzel county in the year of his birth, and in this county he was married, Mary L. Joliff becoming his wife April 10, 1859. She was born in Wetzel county, August 19, 1838, a daughter of Hezekiah and Nancy (Buchanan) Joliff, her father one of the pioneers of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Eckelberry's eleven children were born: Rosa V., January 27, 1860 lives in this district; Samantha B., August 9, 1861, died November 13, 1878; and nine younger, living at home, namely: Nancy S., born September 9, 1865; George G. M., November 30, 1866; Theresa A., February 16, 1869; Eliza L., January 23, 1871; James L. E., February 13, 1873; William F. H., March 15, 1875; John C. P., February 9, 1877; Richard H. L. December 2, 1879; Emma Oella, March 11, 1883. The postoffice address of Richard Eckelberry is Pine Grove, Wetzel county, West Virginia.

Research by Linda Fluharty.

1850 Census, 64th District, Wetzel County, West Virginia
#37/37
George B. Eclebery, 39?, Farmer, b PA
Sarah, 41, b PA
Valentine, 15, Farmer, b PA
Margaret, 14, b PA
Richard, 12, b PA
Elizabeth, 10, b VA
Levi, 8, b VA
Delilah, 7, VA
Abram, 5, b VA

1860 Census, New Martinsville, Wetzel County, West Virginia
#955/956
Richard Icleberry, 21, Farmer, $175 Personal, b VA
Mary, 21, b VA
Rose, V., 4? mos., b VA
1870 Census, Grant Township, Wetzel County, West Virginia
#10/10
Richard Eckleberry, 32, Farmer, $1000 Real Estate, $250 Personal, b VA
Mary L., 32, Keeping House, b VA
Rosy V., 10, b VA Samantha, 9, b VA
Nancy S., 5, b WV
George M., 3, b WV
Tharissa, 1, b WV
[NOTE: George B. and Sarah, parents of Richard, lived next door at the time of this census. Their children were Delilah, 26; Abraham, 25; Aranetta, 14. They also had a domestic servant, Leroy.]
1880 Census, Grant District, Wetzel County, West Virginia
#25/26
Richard Ecklebery, 41, Farmer, PA[error?] PA PA
Mary L., 41, Wife, Keeping House, WV WV WV
Rosa, 20, Dau, WV PA WV
Sissildah?, Dau, [This must be Nancy S.], 14, WV PA WV
Geo. M., 13, Son, Works on farm, WV PA WV
Alice, 11, Dau, WV PA WV
Eliza, 9, Dau, WV PA WV
James L., 7, Son, WV PA WV William F., 5, Son, WV WV WV
John C., 3, Son, WV WV WV
Richard H., 6 months born Dec, Son, WV WV WV
John W., 2, Grandson, WV WV WV
Geo. B., 72, FATHER, PA PA PA
OBITUARY OF GEORGE B. ECKELBERRY - died at the residence of his son, Richard...near Sheldon post office Jan. 31st, 1893. George B. Eckelberry was born on Sept. 25, 1804 in Green County, Penn. and was married to Miss Sarah Wise of the same place. Soon after their marriage they moved to West Virginia where they resided several years and from there they moved to Minnesota and from there to this valley to live with his son Richard. Mr. Eckelberry has been a member of the christian church for 45 years. His wife died twelve years ago in West Virginia. Mr. Eckelberry was the father of eight children: three girls and five boys. Two girls and two boys are now living. He had three sons in the late war. He was only sick four days and said just before his death that he was ready and wanted to die. He has always been a healthy, strong, and vigorous man, in body and mind. Funeral services were held at the residence of Richard Eckelberry on Friday February 3rd, by Rev. J. M. Eastland. The remains were entered in the Shaw cemetery on the east side [Inter Lake; 10 Feb 1893; p. 3, c3; submitted by L. Harrington who notes that George was likely not born in 1804 since his father is listed as a single man in 1810 tax lists. Also, George's headstone is in Fairview Cemetery, not Shaw Cemetery; most graves were moved in the 1890's.] [Credit to: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~jodiem/Obits.7.htm#Eckelberry,Geo.B.]
1900 Census, Jacko Township, Flathead, Montana
#13/13
Richard Eckleberry, 68, b Oct 1831, Married 41 yrs, Farmer, PA Switzerland? PA
Mary L., 61, b Aug 1838, Married 41 yrs, 11 children/10 living, VA VA VA
Richard L., Son, 19, b Dec 1880, [occupation illegible] WV PA VA
Emma, Dau, 17, b Mar? 1883, Teacher, WV PA VA

[NOTE: In 1900, also in Flathead Montana, is found Abraham Eckelberry, Boarder, 4, b Jan? 1846, Single, Farm Laborer, WV PA WV. He died in Flathead, Montana in April 1907. A newspaper obit (Columbian, 27 Apr 1907, p3, c3) said he died at the home of his brother, Richard.]
RICHARD ECKELBERRY (spelled 'Echelberry' on Pension Index Card) received government pension certificate #993573. He died July 6, 1916 in Columbia Falls, Montana.
OBITUARY OF RICHARD WISE ECKELBERRY - "Another Pioneer Crosses Divide"
This community lost one of its oldest and most highly respected citizens when Richard W. Eckelberry passed away at his home on the East side on Thursday, July 6, at 5 p.m. after an illness of several months. The funeral was held Friday afternoon at the Fairview chapel, Rev. Totten of Kalispell delivering a very inspiring sermon. The pallbearers were all grandsons of the deceased, as follows: Samuel, Cecil and Ulysses Loveall, Ralph and James Harbin and George Eckleberry. The casket was covered with beautiful flowers and a choir sang appropriate selections. The church was crowded with many old friends and neighbors who came to pay silent tribute to the deceased.
Richard Wise Eckleberry was born October 8, 1838, in Green County, Pennsylvania. He was married to Miss Mary Jolliffe on April 10, 1859, at Pine Grove, W. Va., to which union 11 children were born, all of whom survive except a daughter, Samantha, who died at the age of 17 years. He came to the Flathead in 1887, and the following year he brought his family here and had made this his home ever since, the home place being what is now the P. T. Barnum ranch. His wife died December 23, 1914, and the surviving children are five daughters and five sons, as follows: Mrs. Wm. Loveall, Mrs. Serilda Harbin, Mrs. Chet Sheldon and Miss Lou Eckleberry of this vicinity, and Mrs. Burton Adams of Sidney, Mont., and Meade, James and John of the East side, William of Los Angeles, Calif., and Lee of Billings, Mont.
His war record shows that he enlisted on October 19, 1861 at New Martinsville, Va. as a private in company H, West Virginia infantry, and served until the end of the war, being discharged November 26, 1864 at Wheeling, W.Va. At the outbreak of the war he was offered the position of colonel in the confederate army by his uncle, Governor Wise of Virginia, but he refused it to be a private in the northern army. He was a member of the Baptist church and leaves a record of having lived an honest, clean and energetic life. For 22 years before leaving his Virginia home he served as justice of the peace, and was serving in that capacity here when he died. He was also one of the original group that organized the Fairview Cemetery Association, and his remains are now at rest there beside those of his wife. [Source: Columbian, 13 Jul 1916; p. 1; c5; submitted by: L. Harrington] [Credit to: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~jodiem/Obits.8.htm#Eckelberry.Richard]