John McKeage

(1827 - 1874)
Home State: Pennsylvania
Command Billet: Company Commander
Branch of Service: Infantry
Unit: 125th Pennsylvania Infantry

Before the Antietam Campaign:
He had been a soldier in the Mexican War, and was wounded there. He arrived in Pennsylvania in 1852 and was in business in Holidaysburg. He was in the militia before the War, and at its outset was Lieutenant of the "Hollidaysburg Fencibles", which mustered in April 1861 as Company A of the Third Pennsylvania Infantry. He mustered out at the expiration of their three month term on 29 July.

He helped raise and was commissioned Captain, Company G, of the 125th Pennsylvania Infantry on 16 August 1862.

The remainder of the War:
He was Lieutenant Colonel commanding an independent Battalion of Militia of 1863 during the Gettysburg Campaign. He again entered active service on 13 May 1864 as Captain, Company E, of the 184th Pennsylvania Infantry. He was captured in action at Petersburg on 22 June, but escaped "suffering almost intolerable hardship, for a period of eleven days and nights" before he was recaptured and taken to Libby Prison, Richmond, for the duration.

After the War:
He was elected County Sheriff and was in business again at Holidaysburg, manufacturing "segars and confectionary", his company named Eberman & McKeage.

References, Sources, and other notes:
Basic information from Bates 1, with details from Wallace 2 and his obituary in the Holidaysburg Register of 18 February 1874, online from Judy Banja at RootsWeb.

Place of Birth: Baltimore, MD
Death Date: 02/12/1874 Death Place: Holidaysburg, PA Burial Place: Presbyterian Cemetery, Holidaysburg, PA

Notes

1 Bates, Samuel Penniman, History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-65, Harrisburg: State of Pennsylvania, 1868-1871, Vol. IV, pp. 121 - 122 [AotW citation 1346]

2 Wallace, William W. (Chairman), and the Regimental Committee, History of the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Philadelphia: J.B,. Lippincott Co., 1906, pg. 200 [AotW citation 1379]

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