He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 9 June 1837 (4). His mother was Jane Holmes Harris; she was born 8 August 1814, probably in Philadelphia Pennsylvania to William Harris (6 January 1781-30 January 1841) and Maria Loder (19 June 1792-1 May 1847) (32). She died on 27 August 1909 (32). His father was Samuel P. Carpenter, born around 1814 (32).
He was taken by his family to Centre County, Pennsylvania, when he was 8 years old (4).
When he was 14 years old, he was apprenticed to his Uncle John Harris, to learn the tanner's trade (4).
He returned to Philadelphia after three years, and attended school (4). He was a student when the war broke out (4).
He enlisted on 18 April 1861, for three months, as a private in company D of the 17th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry (one of the initial three-month regiments) (4, 34, 43, 44). The company mustered in on 25 April 1861 (34, 43). He mustered out with the company on 2 August 1861, at Philadelphia Pennsylvania (4, 43 [Jul 1861]).
He was mustered into service on 12 September 1861 [or 7 Oct 1861] (1, 4 [12 Sep], 43 [11 Sep]). He initially served in company D (1).
He was promoted to fourth sergeant on 8 October 1861 (4, 41).
Starting 10 February 1863, he was absent on furlough for ten days (26). On 21 February 1863, he had returned (27).
He fought at the Battle of Gettysburg (47). He was then a sergeant (47).
He was promoted to first lieutenant of company K effective 26 March 1863, replacing Lewis Matlack (4, 22, 29 [which incorrectly reports him as promoted; this is corrected on the 30th's report], 30 [crossed out]). Sinex requested on 18 June 1863 that he be discharged to become a commissioned officer, having received his commission on 26 March 1863, and having been acting as a commissioned officer since then (3). On 5 July 1863, the regiment received an order from the Fifth Corps Headquarters (Major General Sykes), dated 28 June 1863, discharging him, at camp in the field (31, 42).
He accompanied a detail of men assigned to provost duty on 12 August 1863 (7).
On 18 August 1863, he was on picket duty (35). On 20 August 1863, he was transferred from company I to company K (36).
On 27 August 1863, he ordered William Dougherty (E) or William Dougherty (E) placed under arrest (37).
He commanded a picket on 28 August 1863 (8). On the 28th, he was also detailed to bring recruits from the railroad station to the camp (9).
On 7 September 1863, he led a picket detail (10).
He was relieved from command of company I on 28 September 1863, and ordered to report to Captain Casner for duty (6). He may have accompanied a picket detail on the same day (12).
A detail under his command collected 225 muskets, some time before 3 October 1863 (5).
First Lieutenant W H Carpenter, company K was assigned to company D on 15 December 1863 (13, 38).
On 23 December 1863, Sinex appointed him recruiting officer (6, 14). He enlisted soldiers who re-enlisted as veteran volunteers on 24 December 1863.
He was transferred on 17 February 1864 (39). (Where he was transferred to is not clear.)
On 13 March 1864, he was commanding company D (15), and on 15 March 1864 (16). But on 15 March 1864, he was relieved from command of company D, and assigned to command of company A (17).
He was wounded on 12 May 1864 at Spottsylvania Court House, Virginia (1, 4, 48). On 18 May 1864, his leave of absence was extended for 20 days, by surgeon's certificate (33). He forwarded that letter to the Assistant Adjutant General on 11 June 1864, from his residence at 1028 Brown Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (33).
He was promoted on 11 August 1864 to captain of company D (1, 2, 4, 40, 45).
On 13 August 1864, he reported for duty, and assumed command of his company (21).
He was wounded while on picket, as reported on 6 September 1864 (46).
On 6 September 1864, he was the only commissioned officer in company D (19).
On 19 September 1864 he was at Officers' hospital, Bedloe's Island, New York, and requested a transfer to Officers' Hospital, Philadelphia, near his family (4, 33). On 27 September 1864 he was ordered transfered to Officers' Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (4, 33).
On 15 October 1864, he requested a 20-day leave of absence, on surgeon's certificate (33).
On 5 December 1864 he was detailed as a member of a general court martial, convened at Philadelphia Pennsylvania, by special order 293 from the headquarters of the Department of the Susquehanna at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania (20).
He was still officially in command of company D on 14 February 1865, but George Coster was actually in command later in the month (18). On 17 February 1865, Sellers asked that he be returned to the 91st for duty, because company D had no commissioned officers present (20).
On 23 March 1865, he was assigned to command of company D and ordered to receipt to George Coster for all property (23). On 28 March 1865, Captain John Partenheimer was ordered to turn over his surplus ordnance and ordnance stores to Carpenter, who was to give him receipts for it (24).
On 13 June 1865, he requested a 15-day leave of absence, because of serious illness in his family (33). On 16 June 1865, he went on a leave, which expired on 1 July 1865 (28, citing SO 133 HQ 5th Corps).
On 26 June 1865, he was detailed as acting regimental quartermaster, because Archibald Nimmo had been appointed acting assistant quartermaster for the 5th corps (25).
He mustered out with his company on 10 July 1865 (1, 4, 43).
After the troops were disbanded, he held a position in the quartermaster's department (4).
He was married to Esther Melvin, in St Louis, Missouri, on 2 February 1869, by Reverend R.R. Pierce (32). She was born on 2 June 1850, in Ohio (32).
They had 9 children, who were all born in Clinton, Missouri (32):
On 22 June [?] 1886, he applied successfully for a pension (44).
In 1890, he was living in Bethlehem Township, Henry County, Missouri (post office Clinton) (43). He had been wounded by gun shots in the hip and right arm (43).
In 1899, he was quoted in an ad for Doctor Branaman (49). According to the ad, he developed severe bronchitis during the Civil War, which was cured by Dr Branaman in 1896 (49). Dr Branaman also cured his son Eugene's scarlet fever (with whooping cough and tonsilitis), and his wife's catarrh of the throat (49).
He died on 24 September 1925 in San Bernardino, California (4). He was buried at the Mt View Cemetery, on 26 September 1925 (4).
On 15 October 1925, his widow, Esther Carpenter, applied successfully from California for a pension (44).
His wife died on 7 November 1939 in San Bernardio, California (32).
Marvin Noll, marvinmn@angelfire.com.
| 1 | Bates, Samuel Penniman. History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5. Harrisburg: B. Singerly, state printer, 1869-71. 5 volumes. 'Ninety-first regiment', volume 3, pages 186-233. (In the roster) |
| 2 | Official Army Register |
| 3 | letter, Sinex to Marvin, 18 June 1863 |
| 4 | e-mail, from Marvin Noll <marvinmn@angelfire.com>, 2 Dec 2000 (reporting information from the National Archives and from family) |
| 5 | letter, Gregory to Marvin, 3 October 1863 |
| 6 | letter, Sinex to Marvin, December 1863 |
| 7 | special order 57, HQ 91st PA, 12 August 1863 |
| 8 | special order 62, HQ 91st PA, 28 August 1863 |
| 9 | special order 63, HQ 91st PA, 28 August 1863 |
| 10 | special order 74, HQ 91st PA, 7 September 1863 |
| 11 | special order 95, HQ 91st PA, 28 September 1863 |
| 12 | special order 98, HQ 91st PA, 28 September 1863 |
| 13 | special order 114, HQ 91st PA, 15 December 1863 |
| 14 | special order 121, HQ 91st PA, 23 December 1863 |
| 15 | letter, Sinex to Breck, 14 March 1864 |
| 16 | letter, Sinex to Breck, 15 March 1864 |
| 17 | special order 20, HQ 91st PA, 15 March 1864 |
| 18 | furlough document for George Rodearmel, 14 February 1865, provided by Dave Rodearmel, transcription and image |
| 19 | letter, Sellers to Bennett, 6 September 1864 |
| 20 | letter, Sellers to Morgan, 17 February 1865 |
| 21 | special order 71, HQ 91st PA, 13 August 1864 |
| 22 | regimental descriptive book |
| 23 | special order 21, HQ 91st PA, 23 March 1865 |
| 24 | special order 24, HQ 91st PA, 28 March 1865 |
| 25 | special order 37, HQ 91st PA, 26 June 1865 |
| 26 | consolidated morning report, 10 February 1863 |
| 27 | consolidated morning report, 21 February 1863 (Sergt Carpenter) |
| 28 | undated officers' furlough list, in regimental letter, order, guard, and furlough book (Wm H Carpenter) |
| 29 | consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 27 March 1863 (Sergt Carpenter) |
| 30 | consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 28 March 1863 (Sergt Carpenter) [crossed out, presumably because it repeats the 27th entry] |
| 31 | special orders received, #4 (Sergt Carpenter) |
| 32 | e-mail, Marvin Noll, 8 Dec 02 |
| 33 | letters about extending his leave of absence (thanks to Marvin Noll for them!) |
| 34 | Bates (see #1) p.164 (17th PA) (William H Carpenter) |
| 35 | consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 18 August 1863 (Lieut Carpenter) |
| 36 | consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 20 Aug 1863 (Lieut Carpenter) |
| 37 | consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 27 August 1863 (Lieut Carpenter) |
| 38 | consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 18 December 1863 (1st Lieut Carpenter) |
| 39 | consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 17 February 1864 (#2) (L[t] Carpenter) |
| 40 | company D, list of commissioned officers (William H Carpenter) |
| 41 | company D, list of non-commissioned officers (William H Carpenter) |
| 42 | company D, register of men discharged (William H Carpenter) |
| 43 | 1890 US census, veterans' schedule, Missouri, Henry County, Bethlehem Township, supervisor's district 6, enumeration district 78, page 1 (William Carpenter) |
| 44 | pension index, by name (William H Carpenter) |
| 45 | consolidated morning report, 91st Pennsylvania, 13 October 1864 (William H Carpenter) |
| 46 | consolidated morning report, 91st Pennsylvania, 6 September 1864 (Capt Carpenter) |
| 47 | Pennsylvania Memorial, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (Wm H Carpenter) |
| 48 | 'The Ninety-first Pennsylvania volunteers', Philadelphia Inquirer 8 June 1864 page 3 (Wm H Carpenter) |
| 49 | 'Positive cure of disease' [advertisement], The Denver Evening Post (Denver, Colorado), 18 Jun 1899, page 8, column 3 (W H Carpenter) |
Here is a story that reads like a romance. It tells of a whole family brought into the comfort of health and happiness through the marvelous, scientific skill of Dr. Branaman. The man who writes it is a prominent citizen of Kansas City and a veteran of the civil war. Read what he says today:
"I contracted bronchitis during the civil war," remarked Mr. W. H. Carpenter, who was a member of Ninety-first Pa. Vol. "It developed into bronchial catarrh and eventually into asthma. I suffered tortures for twenty years from all the chronic symptoms of the disease; had pains all over my chest and stitches in the side, was all the time gasping for breath, and when I had one of those dreadful paroxysms of coughing I felt as though I would choke to death. I tried all manner of remedies, but without any benefit. I consulted many doctors, but secured no relief. Finally I began treatment under Dr. Branaman. This was three years ago, in 1896. Inside of six weeks I had regained my health, and the symptoms of the dreadful disease have never returned. When a person remembers that this was three years ago it proves conclusively that the Branaman treatment cures permanently.
"My little son Eugene had scarlet fever, which brough on whooping cough and tonsilitis, and the little fellow was almost dead from strangulation. We had several doctors treat him and three of them gave him up for death, but none benefited him until he began Dr. Branaman's treatment, which was about the time I was cured. He has never had a recurrence of the disease and he is today as strong and healthy as any boy in Kansas City.
"My wife had suffered quite a good deal with catarrh of the throat, but under Dr. Branaman's treatment she is once more enjoying the sunshine of health and strength.
"The Branaman treatment is a sure specific for disease.
"W. H. CARPENTER."