Researching Capt. Harley Wayne-- Part 5: Harley's Letters and Stepping Stone

"Some of the letters were quite colorful as they related to Harley's pre-marriage days in McHenry County.  There was correspondence with a friend of his named Sam Kelly, who used some pretty rough language (about men and women)."

Copies were made of those letters and most remain in the possession of the Parentis.  Another set of copies was presented to the county historical society museum in Union.  The originals, according to Mrs. Parenti, are now in the archives of the Illinois State Historical Society.

"Mr. Britton was about 76 years old when he came to visit us," said Mrs. Parenti.  His wife, Esther, had died around 1948 or so.  He lived another ten years and we kept somewhat in touch."

Britton's will left a carriage stepping stone, four of Captain Harley Wayne's tunic buttons from the Civil War and other mementos in the possession of the Parentis.

"He thought the stepping stone (which has Wayne inscribed on the side of it) went with the house and when and if we sell the house it will stay here," said Mrs. Parenti.  "As well as the other memorabilia we have concerning the Waynes.

--Old Secesh

Bazel Lemley, Union Antietam Survivor-- Part 2: Obituary

From the Friday, February 19, 1943, Democrat Messenger, Waynesburg, Pennsylvania

COUNTY'S LAST CIVIL WAR VETERAN IS DEAD

BAZEL LEMLEY, 101 YEARS OLD DIED AT MT. MORRIS HOME
EIGHT DAYS AFTER OBSERVING ANNIVERSARY

Basel Lemley, 101 years old and the last of Greene County's Civil War veterans, died at 8 o'clock yesterday morning, February 18, 1943, just eight days after  the observance of his 101st anniversary, at his home in Mt. Morris.

Mr. Lemley was remarkably active until after his 100th anniversary a year ago, but since that time has not enjoyed  good health.  He was born  Feb. 10, 1842, at Marietta, Ohio, a son of Isreal  and Mable White Lemley, and had spent practically all his life in Greene County, the family having moved  from Ohio to Greene County five weeks after his birth.

--Old Secesh

Bazel Lemley, Antietam Veteran Who Met FDR on the 75th Anniversary

From Find A Grave.

I have been writing about him and Robert E. Miles, a Confederate, who both fought at Antietam and then  met FDR at the 75th anniversary of that battle in 1937.

Corporal, Co. H, 191st Pennsylvania Infantry.

BAZEL LEMLEY

Birth:  10 February 1842 in Marietta, Ohio

Death:  18 February 1943  (Age 101)

Buried:  Cedar Grove Cemetery in Mount Morris, Pennsylvania

--Old Secesh

Two Old Soldiers Greet FDR at Antietam's 75th Anniversary in 1937-- Part 4: Bazel Lemley

Bazel Lemley, 95, was the Union veteran who was at the Battle of Antietam who met President Roosevelt at the 75th anniversary of the battle.  He was 19 when he enlisted in the 37th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment as a private on May 15, 1861.  He survived Antietam, but was slightly wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness on May 5, 1864.

According to a descendant, Mr. Lemley was "quite a celebrity around his home" and was quite active up until his death.

Like Robert E. Miles, Lemley lived to reach his 100th birthday and even at that age often walked two miles a day.  "He was consistently Greene County's best-dressed senior," another Pennsylvania newspaper noted.

On February 18, 1943, eight days after he celebrated his 101st birthday, Mr. Lemley died in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania.  World War I veterans served as his pallbearers at his funeral.

"Mr. Lemley was a staunch Republican and among his fondest memories was shaking hands with President Lincoln at a military review and with President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the dedication of the 'Eternal Light' memorial at Gettysburg, according to his obituary in the Waynesburg  (Pa.) Democrat Messenger.

--Old Secesh

Road Tripping Through History: Two Old Soldiers Who Fought at Antietam Greet FDR on the 75th Anniversary-- Part 1

I was ready to go on to another subject in this blog until I came across this, and I felt obliged to include it here since it is very appropriate to what I have been writing about.  This Road Trip Through History all started back in May when I wrote about President McKinley's speech he gave at Antietam at the dedication of the Maryland Monument there in my Civil War II blog.  It went from there to U.S. presidents who have visited Antietam in this blog as well as specifically FDR's visit.

From the January 21, 2016, John Banks' Civil War Blog  "Antietam:  Two old soldiers meet FDR at 75th commemoration."

John Banks sure finds interesting stuff to write about.  Check out his blog.

He wrote about President Franklin D. Roosevelt speaking at the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1937.  (This even more interesting in the fact that we now are observing the 75th anniversary of World War II with our own batch of 90+-year old warriors from that war.)

The next day, the Hagerstown (Md) Morning reported that there were approximately fifty Civil War veterans in attendance and even more impressive to me, anyway, at least two who had actually fought at the battle.

They were Bazel Lemley, 94, and Robert Miles, 95.  Mr. Banks' article has a photograph of these two men with FDR.  Lemley, a Union veteran, is shaking hands with the president and Miles seems to be  laughing.

--Old Secesh