2rd Great Grand Uncle of Gregory W. Snyder
William W. Perry was born 1 July 1851, at Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. He was the 1st child and 1st son of Robert Thomas Perry and his wife Harriet Harbarger Perry in a family that would eventually include 7 boys and 3 girls. The family relocated to Ringgold, Pennsylvania while he was a very tender age, and there William spent his formative years. Robert was a tailor, postmaster and blacksmith .
On 2 January 1864, William and his friend Abraham Thomas traveled to Brookville, PA, intending to enlist in the Union Army. At that time, William was only 13 ½ years of age. Two mornings later they were sworn in and left immediately for Waterford in Erie County; they were accompanied by about 30 other recruits. They bunked with other units at Waterford the evening of the 4th. On the 6th, they went through fitness examinations and on the 8th they were sworn into, and mustered with, Co I of the 82nd PA Infantry Regiment.
Joining with several other enlistees, they began training, first at Waterford, and then next at Braddock Fields Camp near Pittsburgh. Later the small element of the 82nd entrained for Harrisburg and then on to Baltimore and finally to Washington, D.C. There, under the auspices of 6th Corps Headquarters, the group trained and conducted guard service. Training was conducted on the property of John Minor Bots.
In a diary that was likely written well after the war, William recounted their military training which was pre-eminent for the months of March and April, 1864. He noted that the 82nd was attached to Gen Schaler’s Brigade, some of which was detached to Ohio for guard duty at a Prisoners of War camp. At the end of April, when those Regiments had not yet returned to Washington, the small band of soldiers belonging to the 82nd PA Volunteers was attached to the 65th NY Infantry Regiment. The 65th was sent to Brandy Station, VA where they performed more guard duty.
On May 2nd the men of the 65th drew 100 rounds of ammunition and 8 days of rations and prepared to move out. Two days later the move toward Richmond began and later that day they crossed the Rapidan (sic) River. William noted that they were marching on part of the old Chancellorsville battlefield and that they were guarding wagon trains.
Late on the 5th , the 65th was relived of guard duty and ordered to move up to the rest of the 6th Corps, then located on the right of the Union line. Seymour’s Brigade was to the left of Shaler’s Brigade. During the 6th, skirmishers noted enemy movements across their front to their right, but senior officers chose to ignore the reports. Late on that day, Gordon’s Flank attack overran Shaler’s Brigade and sent them toward the rear. William was shot in the upper chest during that action, and finally found medical care in the rear. While retreating, he observed both Gens Seymour and Shaler captured. 6th Corps Commander Gen Sedgwick arrived on the scene and restored order among the remaining 6th Corps troops.
William returned to Jefferson County, PA after the war, lived with his parents and sister Mary until their deaths, and worked as a carpenter and joiner. For a brief period before his death, he served with the Harrisburg, PA Police Dept. He died 28 Oct 1913 of apoplexy and arterial sclerosis, and was buried at the Ringgold United Methodist Church Cemetery, in Ringgold, Jefferson Co, PA.
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