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E. Overton, Jr.

E. Overton, Jr.

Federal (USV)

Major

Edward Overton, Jr.

(1836 - 1903)

Home State: Pennsylvania

Education: Princeton College, Class of 1856

Command Billet: Commanding Regiment

Branch of Service: Infantry

Unit: 50th Pennsylvania Infantry

Before Antietam

After college, he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1858. He was Solicitor of Bradford County in 1861. He entered the Army mustering on 30 September 1861 as Major of the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry.

On the Campaign

He was in command of the Regiment in Maryland as senior officer. In the advance above the Lower Bridge on the afternoon of 17 September, he was "severely wounded" and relieved by Captain Diehl.

The rest of the War

He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in August 1863 on the death of Lieutenant Colonel Brenholtz, and commanded the regiment until mustered out at the expiration of his service in October 1864.

After the War

He served as register in bankruptcy 1867-1876. He was elected as a Republican to the Forty-fifth and Forty-sixth Congresses (March 4, 1877-March 3, 1881), but was not renominated in 1880. He then resumed the practice of law, and was President of the Citizens" National Bank of Towanda from 1897 until his death.

References & notes

Basic information from his Congressional Biography, with details from Crater's History1, also the source of his picture.

More on the Web

Overton Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania was formed in 1853, and is named for his father, also a lawyer (and later coal man).

Birth

2/4/1836; Towanda, PA

Death

9/18/1903; Towanda, PA; burial in Oak Hill Cemetery, Towanda, PA.

Notes

1   Crater, Lewis, History of the Fiftieth Regiment, Penna. Vet. Vols., 1861-65, Reading, PA: Coleman Printing House, 1884, pg. 9, roster (i)  [AotW citation 15327]