Benjamin Franklin Sharpless

In 1860 he was a 19 year old living with his parents and siblings in Bloomsburg, Columbia County, PA. He enlisted there on 13 July 1861 and mustered into United States service for three years as a Private in Company A, 6th Pennsylvania Reserves on 27 July 1861 in Washington, DC.

In action at Antietam on 17 September 1862

he was wounded by a bullet, the force of which, however, was spent by striking his belt and accoutrements, otherwise it would have passed through his body.

He was promoted to Corporal, date not given, and was mustered out on 11 June 1864 at the end of his term of enlistment.

In January 1865 he began to learn the trade of iron moulding and in April 1868 was a founding partner in Sharpless & Harmon, who bought out Joseph Sharpless's foundry in Bloomsburg. He became sole proprietor of the by-then Eagle Iron Works in about 1871 and operated the business to at least 1887. He was also a member of the Bloomsburg Town Council from 1878 through 1880. In 1900 he was listed as a "capitalist" and lived alone in Bloomsburg but by 1910 he was retired and lived with his wife there.

His service from Sypher1 and the Card File.2 Personal details from family genealogists, the US Census of 1860-1920, and his bio sketch in J.H. Battle's History of Columbia and Montour counties, Pennsylvania (1887), source also of the quote above. His gravesite is on Findagrave. His picture from a photograph sold by the Union Drummer Boy in Gettysburg.

He married in Sophia Hartman (1842-1914) in 1866 and they had 6 sons, 4 of whom survived childhood.

05/22/1841; Roaring Creek, PA

10/06/1922; Bloomsburg, PA; burial in Old Rosemont Cemetery, Bloomsburg, PA