William F. Margraff

He came to America with his parents and 8 siblings in 1854, and his mother died in New York very soon after arriving. His father established a brickyard at Wellsboro in Tioga County, PA. William enlisted there at age 18 on 22 April 1861 giving his occupation as shoemaker, and mustered as a Private in Company H, 6th Pennsylvania Reserves in Washington, DC on 27 July.

He was killed in action at Antietam on 17 September 1862.

His service from Bates1 and the Card File,2 also as William McGraff and George Megraff. Personal details from family genealogists and his father's obituary in the Wellsboro Agitator of 1 May 1888. His birthdate calculated from his age at death of 19 years, 6 months, and 7 days. His gravesite is on Findagrave. His picture from the dust jacket of compiler Paul Janeski's A Civil War Soldier's Last Letters: Pvt. William Margraff (1975); thanks to John Banks for the pointer to that.

He may have been baptized Friedrich Wilhelm Theodor Marggraf.

03/10/1843; Achelstädt, Thuringia, GERMANY

09/17/1862; Sharpsburg, MD; burial in Wellsboro Cemetery, Wellsboro, PA