William M. Beacher ^{2 3 4 5 6}

   Another name for William was William Bicher.

  Burial Notes:

Tombstone reads: William Beacher, Ptv. Co. C., 194th Regt., Pa. Inf. - C. W., b 1838, d. 1900

  Noted events in his life were:

• Alt. Birth, Aug 1846, , Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, USA. ¹ The 1900 Census lists William's birthdate as Aug 1846, yet reports his age is 63. 1900 minus 63 is 1837. Bruce Beacher's records show the birth year is 1838. For this reason, we show Aug 1838 as William's birthdate. A reading of his tombstone would probably reveal the day as well and confirm the year.

• Census, 1850, Pottsville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, USA. ⁸ In 1850 living in the South Ward of Pottsville is Jacob Bieger. Obviously the census taker was confused by his German pronounciation of his surname! Jacob Bieger, tailer, age 36, is living with wife Angeline, 35; William, 12; Jacob, 11; Hiram, 8; Benjamin, 6; George, 3; and Nathan, 8 months old when the census was recorded on 29 Aug 1850. Everyone was born in Pennsylvania.

• Military Service: during the Civil War and enlisted as a Private in Company A 27th Infantry Mil Regiment Pennsylvania, 19 Jun 1863. ^{9 10 11} He mustered out of Company A, 27th Infantry Mil Regiment Pennsylvania on 01 August 1863. He reenlisted as a Private in Company C, 194th Infantry Regiment Pennsylvania on 18 July 1864. He mustered out of Company C, 194th Infantry Regiment Pennsylvania on November 6, 1864 in Harrisburg, PA.

• Military Discharge, 31 Jul 1863, Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, USA. A copy of William's discharge certificate from the U.S. Army is in possession of Bruce Beacher. This certificate reads:

To all whom it may concern

Know ye, That William Beacher, Private, of Captain David A. Smith, Company A., 27^th Regiment of Penna. Vol. Militia, who was enrolled on the Sixteenth day of June, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three to serve for lasting emergency, is hereby Discharged from the service of the United States this thirty-first day of July, 1863, at Harrisburg, Penna. By reason of the expiration of his term of service. No objection to his being reenlisted is known to exist. Said William Beacher was born in Centre County, in the State of Pennsylvania, is twenty-four years of age, five feet 5 ½ inches high, light complexion, grey eyes, light hair, and by occupation when enrolled, a Labourer. Given at Harrisburg this thirty-first day of July, 1863.

• Military Discharge, 6 Nov 1864, Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, USA. A copy of William's discharge certificate from the U.S. Army in 1864 is in possession of Bruce Beacher. This certificate reads:

To all whom it may concern

Know ye, That William Beacher, Private, of Captain Zacur P. Potts, Company C., 194^th Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, who was enrolled on the 13th day of July, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-four to serve 100 days or during the war, is hereby Discharged from the service of the United States this sixth day of November, 1864, at Harrisburg by reason of expiration of term of service. No objection to his being reenlisted is known to exist. Said William Beacher was born in Centre Co., in the State of Pennsylvania, is 25 years of age, 5 feet 6 inches high, light complexion, grey eyes, light hair, and by occupation when enrolled, a miner. Given at Harrisburg this sixth day of November, 1864.

• Census, 1860, New Castle Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, USA. ¹² In 1860 living in the New Castle Township is Jacob Bucher, day laborer, age 48, living with wife Angeline, 45; William, day laborer, 21; Jacob, day laborer, 19; Hiram, day laborer, 17; B. Franklin, day laborer, 15; George, 12; and Nathan, 9; and Ann M., 7. Everyone was born in Pennsylvania. The post office is Broad Mountain.

• Census, 1870, New Castle Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, USA. ⁶ The 1870 census lists Jacob Beacher, the first census to spell his name this way. He is a laborer, age 57, living with wife, Angeline, 55; 3 sons who are all laborers: William, 31; George, 22; Nathan, 21; and daughter Mary, 18. Everyone was born in Pennsylvania. The post office is Broad Mountain.

• Census, 1870, Shenandoah, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, USA. ¹³ Angelina Becker [sic], 55, is listed as the head of the household. Living with her: William, 31; Heiram [sic], 28; Benjamin, 26; George, 24; Nathan, 20; and Mary, 18. The men are all employed as miners. Everyone was born in Pennsylvania. The post office is Shenandosh.
[Note: the family shows up twice in the 1870 census in both Shenandoah and Broad Mountain in New Castle Township. Some members are in both locations, so the family either had two homes operating, or, moved in 1870 and happened to be counted in each location.]

• Census, 1880, Shenandoah, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, USA. ⁷ Living in the household are the head, Jacob Beacher (age 67); his wife, Angeline (65); sons William (41, occupation miner); and Nathan (28, occupation miner).

• Book: History of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, 1881. WILLIAM BEACHER, of German descent, was born in Center county, Pa., August 1st, 1838, and came with his father's family to Shenandoah in 1869, where he has followed mining. In the war of the Rebellion he served in the 27th and the 194th regiments of Pennsylvania.

• Book: History of Schuylkill County, 1881. ⁴ Washington Camp, No. 112, Patriotic Order Sons of America was organized at Reagan's Hall, in Shenandoah, May 4th (CDL), 1869, with twelve charter members. The first elective officers were as follows: S.D. Hess, past president; J.S. Farringer, president; J.W. Deitrick, vice-president; J.R. Miller, M. of F. & C.; L.F. Raber, R.S.; Sylvester Yost, assistant secretary; James F. Jacoby, F.S.; George R. Shaeffer, treasurer; Jonathan Yost, Cond.; M.S. Shoemaker, I.G.; Lewis Widdenmoyer, O.G.; Charles M. Wasley, chaplain. This order is a beneficiary one, and applicants, to be eligible, must be not less than eighteen years of age and native-born Americans. The camp has nearly a hundred members. The presiding officers of this camp have been J.S. Farringer, John R. Miller, Charles M. Wasley, S.D. Hess, G.R. Shaeffer, J.C. Glover, Sylvester Yost, J.D. Moyer, J.M. Horman, W.M. Beacher, B.J. Yost, A.A. Greenawald, Robert Davenport, George G. Kurtz, H.W. Heiser, John P. Roehm, John G. Thomas, Frank Templin, B.F. Crawshaw, D.O. Thomas, J.W. Blaker, Myer Kolb, William R. Wilde, John W. Bartch and Thomas Tosh.

• Census, 1900, Mahanoy Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, USA. ¹ In the 1900 Census in Mahanoy Township (and indexed incorrectly in the census as William Beesher) is William Beecher, age 63, born Aug 1846, day laborer. He is living with wife Priscilla, 47, born Jan 1853. She was married to him for 17 years, had born 10 children, 8 still alive in 1900 (some by her first marriage). With them are son Nathan, July 1885, 14, day laborer; son John, July 1888, 11; son Alfred, Jan 1892, 8; daughter Laura, Aug 1894, 5. William is renting the home.

• Pension: for the Civil War filed, 21 Oct 1901. ¹⁴ His wife Priscella filed. The service records indication on the form are A 27th Pa Inf and C 194th Pa Inf.

• Book: History of Schuylkill County, 1907. ¹¹ William is recorded in list of his Civil War regiment published in the history book:

ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-FOURTH
Of this regiment, which recruited for one hundred days, Companies A and F were raised in Schuylkill county. The regiment was organized July 22nd, 1864, and moved to Baltimore the same day. During its term of service it was engaged only in guard, provost and escort duty. This regiment included from Schuylkill county Colonel James Nagle, Major O.D. Jenkins, Adjutant John H. Schall and the following:

COMPANY C Officers.-Captain, Zacur C. Pott. First lieutenant, Thomas J. Foster; second, John C. Guss. Sergeants-Hudson C. Kind, Henry Walbridge, Daniel W. Filbert, Robert M. Palmer, Jacob Riegel. Corporals-Milton Williams, Henry Deibert, Byron O. Manville, William Helms, Amos Boyer, James Glover, Thomas Welsh, T.P. Gould. Musicians-Frederick Orrum, John Kohler. Privates.-David Anstock, John Burkhart, Henry Bauseman, John Bauseman, Jacob Bailer, Jacob Botts, Charles Brownmiller, Samuel Brown, Frank Bertram, Henry Beyerle, William Beacher, James Bathurst, Levi Conrate, Raphael Cake, George Collins, Jacob Chrisman, William Daubenspeck, Miles Doughman, Edward Eccard, E.W. Frehafer, Alonzo Fernsler, John J. Fernsler, George Forrer, John E. Fuchs, Joseph Gerz, Henry Gluntz, Daniel Ginter, William Hepler, J.A. Huntzinger, James N. Hodgson, George Hame, Isaac Hardy, Albert Hoffman, Herman Hoffman, Michael Jordan, John Johnson, George Kauffman, William Kalbach, Joshua Keller, William Klinger, George Laury, James Lynch, Patrick McGloan, Thomas Matthews, Andrew Morgan, Henry Nimelton, John Neff, John A. Nash, Thomas H. Phillips, William Queeny, Patrick Rhorig, George Rahn, John Roaney, Charles Shoener, John Schmelzer, Henry Strohmeier, George Skeen, Jonathan Sterner, Oliver Smith, William Shay, Eugene Sands, Andrew Steffee, Victor Setley, William Toohey, Franklin Trexler, Joseph Uble, Felix Weidel, Daniel Wiltrout, Richard Williams, John Walbridge, William Wortz.

• Book: History of the Beacher Family, 1970. ¹⁵ William Beacher, brother of B. F. Beacher Sr., was the oldest in the Beacher family. He had three sons, Albert, John and Nathan. His wife was Aunt Perhit. She married a Derrick first and had one son Wm. Derrick, who later married B. F. Beacher Sr's daughter Mamie. She was only 29 years of age when she died of T.B. She use to belong to the Salvation Army and sant a lot on street corners in all kinds of weather and it is believed she got TB from doing this.

William married Priscilla Brigitta Weary in 1883.¹ (Priscilla Brigitta Weary was born in Jan 1853 in , , Pennsylvania, USA ¹ and died before 16 Nov 1903 ¹⁶.)