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Q ~ During the Civil War years, who was known
as the “Colonel from Tyrone?” |
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A ~ Among the colorful military units of the Civil War — and units of later wars whose commissioned and enlisted personnel were drawn largely from the greater Tyrone area — was the noted Company D, 110th Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers. (The 110th Regiment was a most unusual band of undisciplined, riotous, and rowdy soldiers.) Company D was commanded by Tyrone’s third burgess, Colonel James E. Crowther. He lost his life in the Battle of Chancellorsville (Va.), and his remains are interred in the national cemetery at Fredericksburg, Va. Before assuming command of Company D, the then Captain Crowther owned and operated a horse-drawn stagecoach line over the original Janesville Pike. The commander, then 42 years of age, stood six feet, two inches, and weighed 200 pounds. He was a man of stern features. His wife, Sarah, however, was affectionately known among Company D soldiers as “the darling of the company.” The unit was organized in Tyrone in early April of 1861. It was mustered into federal service by a call of President Lincoln on April 24, 1861, The unit marched the 123 miles from Tyrone to Harrisburg by foot. It was the forerunner to the famous 110th that saw service in the Spanish-American War and two world wars. Col. Crowther was an intimate friend of Major C. S. W. Jones, founder of the famed Sheridan Cavalry Troop. In 1855, Crowther purchased “a lot of land situate on Logan Street, in Tyrone, adjoining the Little Juniata River.” His wife, Sarah, and daughter, Emily, joined the congregation of the First Presbyterian Church as charter members in 1857. Crowther was elected as councilman in the Tyrone election held in February 1858. He was returned to that office in 1859. In 1860, he was elected to the office of burgess — the third person to be elected to that position in Tyrone. Col. Crowther’s story is more than just dedication and heroic leadership on the battlefield. As a community leader, successful businessman, husband, and father, he demonstrated the characteristics that made him a respected military officer. |
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