Eugene Jacob Boblits

He was born about 28 miles from Sharpsburg. At age 15, then living in Huntington County, PA, he mustered as Private, Company H, 125th Pennsylvania Infantry on 14 August 1862. He was "one of the youngest soldiers in the Army".

He was wounded in the leg in action on 17 September 1862 at Antietam.

In the retreat from the said west woods, the regimental colors of the 125th were saved through bravery worthy of special mention. The color-sergeant, George A. Simpson, was shot and instantly killed and five of the color guard went down; then Eugene Boblitz [sic], of Company "H," rescued and carried them for a distance, when he was badly wounded and handed them to Sergeant Walter W. Greenland, of Company "C," afterwards Adjutant-General of Pennsylvania, from whom Captain Wallace received them, and carried them to the rear of the battery which we were ordered to support ...

He was discharged for disability on a Surgeon's Certificate of 9 December 1862.

He attended the Millwood Academy, Shad Gap, PA 1863-66 to finish his education. He then learned the tanning business with his father and operated a tannery at New Creek, WV for 4 years. He married a young widow there in 1874, and took up cattle raising in Custer County, NE in the Fall of that year. He was in that occupation for at least 44 years. He was granted a Federal Invalid Pension in 1904, and was in Kearny, NE in the 1920 US Census. He died at 77 of a cerebral hemorrhage.

Basic information from Wallace,1 source of the quotes above, who also has him as Eugene Boblitz. Details from W.L. Gaston's History of Custer County, Nebraska (1919) and family genealogists. His wife Harriet Eliza Duling McNeil Boblits (b. 1852) died about a month before he did. His gravesite is on Findagrave, source also of an excellent post-War photograph. Thanks to the pointer from Donald E. Coho.

12/21/1846; Graceham, Frederick County, MD

05/26/1924; Kearney, NE; burial in Kearney Cemetery, Kearney, NE