He was 24 years old when he was enrolled (6, 8, 11 [21 in 1860]). He was born to Samuel Elder and Margaret Anne Bell (7, 8). He was born in Pennsylvania (11).
In 1860, he was living in Wilkins Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, with his parents and siblings (7, 11). He was a farmer (11).
He enlisted and was mustered into service on 23 December 1861, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1, 6 [as 1st sgt], 8 [also has enrolled 1 Nov 1861]). He was appointed first ("orderly") sergeant of company B on 31 December 1861 (1, 3).
On 26 July 1862, Lieutenant Kayser intercepted him as he was about to take the morning report book to Captain Bowman for his signature, and signed it (2). When Elder told Bowman, Bowman confronted Kayser and struck him, leading to his court-martial, at which Elder testified (2).
He was in the regimental hospital in Alexandria, Virginia, beginning 14 August 1862, apparently because of a fracture [?] (8).
He was severely wounded in his wrist and leg on 13 December 1862 at Fredericksburg, Virginia (1, 3 [killed], 8). His right leg was amputated at Armory [?] Square Hospital, Washington DC (8). He died of those wounds in hospital at Washington DC, on 8 January 1863 (1, 3 [killed], 4 [13 Dec], 5 [25 Jan], 6, 7 [8 Jan], 8 [8 Jan], 10 [8 Jan], 12). He died of "vulnus sclopeticum" (that is, a gunshot wound) (8). He was then first sergeant (1).
The funeral was held on 10 January 1863 at 2 PM (7). He was buried at the Allegheny Cemetery (7).
His father, Samuel Elder, died on 31 January 1900, in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania (7).
On 25 [?] March 1903, his mother, Margaret Bell Elder, unsuccessfully applied from Pennsylvania for a pension (8, 9, 10). She was then 86 years old, and lived in Ligonier, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania (8).
Nancy Elder Petersen is researching Elder; contact her at nancyelderpetersen@yahoo.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) (William G [sic] Elder)
2 court-martial record, Alpheus Bowman (Sergeant W. B. Elder)
3 list of non-commissioned officers, co.B (William B. Elder)
4 company B Register of deaths (Wm B Elder)
5 company B [first] descriptive roll, entry 1 (William B Elder)
6 Civil War Veterans' Card File, available at the Pennsylvania State Archives, searched 30 May 2004 (William C [or perhaps G?] Elder)
7 e-mail, Nancy Elder Petersen, citing (a) Elder Family Newsletter volume 2 number 3, July-September 1994, page 9, reprint of 10 January 1863 Pittsburgh Post Gazette death notice, (b) 1860 US census, Pennsylvania, Alleghany County, Wilkins Township (Turtle Creek Post Office), page 837, and (c) obituary of Samuel Elder.
8 pension application file (Nancy Elder Petersen has placed four pages online) (William B Elder)
9 pension index, by name (William B Elder)
10 pension index, by regiment (William B Elder)
11 1860 US census, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County, Wilkins Township, microfilm series M653, film 1064, page 837 = 73 [?] handwritten (William B Elder)
12 'Deaths of Pennsylvania soldiers', Philadelphia Inquirer 13 January 1863 page [1] (W B Elder)
[I did not find an entry for him in the index on <www.ancestry.com> to the 1890 veterans' census (searched November 2005)]
| line | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 |
| Dwelling number | 478 | ||||||||||||
| Family number | 486 | ||||||||||||
| Name | Samuel Elder | Margeret - | William B " | Anna V " | Josephine " | Margeret " | Jessie " | George W [?] " | Samuel G " Jr | Fannie C " | John Henry " | Elfin Brant | Susan Lowe |
| Age | 55 | 43 | 21 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 17 | 18 |
| Sex | m | f | m | f | f | f | f | m | m | m | m | f | f |
| Color | |||||||||||||
| Occupation | Boarding Inn | wife | Farmer | Student | " | Domestic | " | ||||||
| Value of real estate owned | 8000$ | ||||||||||||
| Value of personal estate | $500 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | " [sc. Penna] | " | " | " | " | " | " | " | " | " | " | " | " |
| Married within year | |||||||||||||
| Attended school within year | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| Cannot read & write | |||||||||||||
| Deaf, dumb, blind, etc. |
