BIOGRAPHY: Thomas Benton REED, Mifflin Co., PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Patty Frank Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. http://files.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/mifflin/ http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/mifflin/1picts/runk1897/runk-bios.htm __________________________________________________________________________ The Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley, Comprising the Counties of Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata, and Perry, Pennsylvania. Chambersburg, Pa.: J. M. Runk & Co., 1897, Volume I, pages 445-451. __________________________________________________________________________ THOMAS BENTON REED, Lewistown, Mifflin county, Pa., was born in West township, Huntingdon county, Pa., August 31, 1837, son of Joseph and Harriet (Anderson) Reed. His great-grandfathers on the paternal side were Robert Reed and William McAlevy. The former was born in Ireland, and about 1740, emigrated to America, accompanied by several brothers, of whom but little is known. One of the, John Reed, settled in Kishacoquillas valley, Mifflin county, and reared eleven children; he afterwards removed to Kentucky. Robert Reed settled in Cumberland county, near Carlisle, Pa. He purchased land in the Kishacoquillas valley, but it does not appear that he ever lived there. It is thought that he died in Cumberland county, about the close of the Revolutionary war. An old book which belonged to Robert Reed, and which is now in the possession of his granddaughter, Mrs. Elizabeth (Reed) Elder, is the only relic of him preserved in the family. It is entitled First, Middle and Last Things; its author was Rev. Isaac Ambrose, of the Church of England, who wrote during the protectorate of Oliver Cromwell; the volume was printed in London in 1665. Its antique binding type, spelling, grammar, etc., make it a literary curiosity. The book passed from Robert Reed to his daughter, Elizabeth McGlathery, and was given by her to Mrs. Elder. Robert Reed's wife was Elizabeth Gardiner, whose mother, then Mrs. Walker, came to America from England about 1710 or 1715. Mr. Walker, her husband, died on the vessel, while crossing the ocean. Mrs. Walker was married again in America, to Mr. Gardiner, and Mrs. Reed was their only daughter. A son of Mrs. Walker by her first husband was the father of Hon. Jonathan Walker, Judge of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, whose son, Robert J. Walker, emigrated to Mississippi, represented that State in the United States Senate, was Secretary of the Treasury under President Polk, and more recently territorial Governor of Kansas during the political troubles in that territory. In the general defection of Southern statesmen, it is pleasing to see Robert J. Walker loyal to the Government. Robert Reed had seven children, five daughters and two sons, John and James. James Reed, the youngest of the family, was born in Cumberland county, June 5, 1752. While a young man, and unmarried, he settled in Kishacoquillas valley, on land that had belonged to his father. He was a man of large, stout figure, slightly stooping. His life does not seem to have been an eventful one. He served six months in the militia during the Revolution, while the American army was in winter quarters at Valley Forge. James Reed was married, May 10, 1785, to Jane (or Janet), daughter of William and Margaret (Harris) McAlevy, who was born February 14, 1763. Their son Joseph, born June 17, 1797, was the father of Thomas B. Reed; a daughter, Elizabeth (Mrs. Elder), alluded to above, is the mother of David Elder. Mrs. James Reed died November 26, 1826; Mr. Reed survived his wife about eight years, dying December 13, 1834, at the age of eighty-two years, six months and eight days. From the year 1797, the home of the family was near Shavers Creek, now in Huntingdon county. William McAlevy, father of Mrs. James Reed, was born in Ireland about 1738. He was only three months old when his parents came to America. It is not known where they settled; probably in one of the eastern counties of Pennsylvania. A flash of lightning killed them both, and William was left an orphan, not long after their arrival in this strange land. He was brought up by a maternal uncle, who taught him his own trade, that of weaving. Becoming dissatisfied with the treatment he received from his uncle, William left him, and enlisted. He was in General Forbes' expedition to Fort Duquesne, now Pittsburg, and was one of a detachment sent, two years before, to bury the remains of those who fell at Braddock's field. He was then only nineteen years of age. He finally settled in Stone valley, fourteen miles, from Petersburg, Pa., at "McAlevys Fort," now called the "Old Fort," where he owned a large farm, and erected a grist-mill and a distillery. He was a man of portly and robust frame, with a florid complexion. William McAlevy was three times married. His first wife was Margaret, daughter of Robert and Mary Ann (Rodgers) Harris. To this marriage there were four children, one of whom was Janet (Mrs. James Reed). William McAlevy died in August, 1823, at the venerable age of eighty-five. Joseph Reed, son of James and Janet (McAlevy) Reed, was married March 4, 1834, to Harriet Anderson. Their family included six children: Hannah Anderson (Mrs. James A. Brown), deceased, had one child; Thomas Benton; Sarah Jane, died aged about twelve years; James Anderson, deceased; Martha Eveline (Mrs. W. P. Rudolph), has two children living, Eva and Joseph R; Alfred M., died in early childhood. Joseph Reed died May 20, 1855; his wife survived him until 1878. Until he reached the age of seventeen, Thomas B. Reed was a pupil in the common schools of West township, Huntingdon county; he then entered Milnwood Academy, Shade Gap, Pa., where he studied for three years. For several years after completing this course, he remained at home, but not idle; by instructing others, he at once provided for his own maintenance and added precision and arrangement to the stock of information he had acquired. He taught successively, one term each, at a place in Lycoming county, and at two school-houses in Huntingdon county, McAteers, and Neffs, near Neffs Mills, on the "Little Juniata." When the call to arms was heard, Mr. Reed enlisted, and was enrolled in May, 1861, as a private in Company D., Fifth Pennsylvania Reserves. First appointed corporal, then promoted to sergeant of his company, June 5, 1861, and to first sergeant, January 20, 1862, he held the latter rank until March 5, 1863, when he was commissioned as first lieutenant in the same regiment. He was mustered out after a service of three years, June 11, 1864. Immediately following his return to Huntingdon county, Mr. Reed recruited a company, to serve a hundred days. Having gone with his recruits to Harrisburg, a warrant was offered to him to recruit a company for a year, upon which he declined a commission in the hundred-day company, and by September 3, had recruited and brought to Harrisburg Company D, Two Hundred and Fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers, of which he became captain. His regiment was assigned to the Army of the Potomac, and was one of six Pennsylvania regiments which constituted the Third division (General Hartranft, commander) of the Ninth Corps. Captain Reed was appointed brigade inspector on the staff of Colonel Matthews, commanding the Second brigade. He held this position until June 2, 1865; he was then appointed to convey the records of his regiment from Alexandria, Va., to Harrisburg. His "gallant conduct in the battle of Gettysburg," while first lieutenant of Company D, Fifth Pennsylvania Reserves, was rewarded, March 13, 1865, by the brevet rank of captain of volunteers; and his "faithful and meritorious services during the war" received recognition, June 1, 1865, in his promotion to the brevet rank of lieutenant colonel of volunteers. On the next day he was mustered out of service. Two years later, having passed the requisite examination, he was appointed second lieutenant of the Twenty- ninth United States Infantry, regular service. His regiment having been consolidated with Twenty-fourth, Lieutenant Reed was assigned, July 14, 1869, to the Ninth Cavalry, and in December of that year he was made post commissary at Fort Davis. On February 3, 1870, he was transferred to the Twenty-fourth Infantry. He was retired, November 14, 1871, as being "incapacitated for active service" by "sickness contracted from exposure in the line of duty." "During the war Captain Reed took part in the following engagements: Mechanicsville, Gaines Hill, Malvern Hill, Groveton, Second Bull Run, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Bristoe Station, Rappahannock Station, Mine Run, Fort Steadman, the final assault on Petersburg, April 2, 1865, and various smaller engagements. He was connected with the Third division, First corps; the Third division, Fifth corps; and in the last year of the war with the Second brigade, Third division, Ninth Army Corps. The captain's term of service continued from the beginning to the close of the war, he serving twenty-one months in he ranks, and remainder of the time as a commissioned officer, going in as a private and coming out as brevet lieutenant colonel. His term of service in the regular army was nearly four years and four months." His honorable military career ended, Thomas E. Reed became engaged in the United States internal revenue service, and traveled through the Southern States, partly or business connected with that service. In 1882 he took up his residence in Granville township, near Lewistown, where he still lives. His beautiful country seat is an ornament to the environs of the borough. In 1889, Mr. Reed because interested in the Gas and Electric Light Company, of Lewistown, was elected to its first board of directors, and has served in that capacity up to the present time. He is also treasurer of the Gas Company. He is a member of Post No. 176, G. A. R., at Lewistown; also of Pennsylvania Commandery, Loyal Legion of the United States. He adheres to the Republican party. Thomas Benton Reed was married, October 23, 1865, to Mary Louisa, daughter of W. K. Huffnagle, born October 3, 1835. She died January 27, 1896, regretted not only by her family and nearest friends, but by many whom she had most generously and delicately befriended. Her benevolence and true Christian spirit prompted her not only to liberality towards those in need, but to such modesty and secrecy that her charitable deeds were often unknown to her most intimate associates. She was a devout member of the Episcopal church. Mr. Reed attends the Presbyterian church. Robert Harris, father of Mrs. William McAlevy, and great-great-great- grandfather of Capt. T. B. Reed, was born in County Donegal, Province of Ulster, Ireland, August 26, 1702. In the twenty-fifth year of his age, he married Mary Ann Rodgers, who lived in the same county, near the town of Lifford. Their children were three daughters: Janet; Margaret; and Margery. His wife dying, Mr. Harris remained a widower for some years, and then married another resident of County Donegal, from the vicinity of Letterkenny, named Margaret McElmon; this was probably about 1744. Of their five children, two, the third and fourth, died young; the three who attained to maturity were: Robert; Mary; and William. Robert Harris, Sr., emigrated with his family to America about 1745, and settled on the Swatara creek, in Cumberland county, Pa. He never became a landholder in Pennsylvania, from which we may infer that he was in straitened circumstances. In 1766, he went to North Caroline, and settled in the woods, in Cabarrus county. It is probable that the descendants of his children my be found in that region at the present day, as all the surviving offspring of his second marriage married and settled in North Carolina. The father died December 26, 1788, aged eighty-six years and four months; his wife died only seven months later, at the age of seventy-seven years. The following information concerning his children is chiefly derived form letters written from North Carolina by the sons of the elder Robert Harris to their niece, Mrs. Jennie (McAlevy) Reed. Then of these letters are now in the possession of her daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth (Reed) Elder, her son, David Elder, having copies of them. The originals are a curiosity. They were written at intervals between 1813 and 1823; the absence of envelopes and stamps and the rate of postage - twenty-five cents - marked on the letters, give evidence of their antiquity. They are written on foolscap sheets of nearly the texture of wrapping paper. The chirography is a plain round hand; the spelling and grammar are generally correct, though some Irish-isms occasionally appear. They treat exclusively of family affairs, births, deaths and marriages among the connection being reported with great particularity. The eldest of the family, Robert Harris, Jr., was born in 1745. He went with his father to North Carolina in 1766; was married, probably in North Carolina, but nothing was known of his wife except that her Christian name was Eleanor. Mr. Harris died of dropsy June 27, 1817, in the seventy-second year of his age. His wife survived him, but nothing further is known of her. It does not appear that they had any children. Mary Harris was born about 1747. She married Alexander Ferguson, a widower with five children. By his second wife, Mary Harris, he had five more, four sons and one daughter. Mr. Ferguson died of dropsy about the year 1800; his wife died about three years later, of consumption. Nothing is more known of the family. The youngest child of Robert Harris, Sr., William Harris, was born on Swatara Creek, in Pennsylvania, January 1, 1755. He emigrated to North Carolina in 1766, and succeeded his father on the plantation. In his twenty-third year he married a lady in her seventeenth year. She died a year after her marriage, leaving an infant son. Six years afterward, Mr. Harris married again, June 9, 1783. His second wife was twenty years of age at the time of their marriage. When last heard from William Harris was still living on his plantation in Cabarrus county, N. C., and was sixty-eight years of age; at that time, June 4, 1823, his wife also was still living, and stated that they had lived together as husband wife for forty years. Following is a brief account of Mr. Harris' family. William, born in 1777, son of the first wife, married and removed to Georgia, where he died, January 8, 1844, leaving a widow and six children. Her eldest two children were married before her death; the remaining four were invited by their grandfather, William Harris, to come and live with him, but it is not known whether they accepted the invitation. The children by William Harris' second marriage were: Ann, died when seventeen days old; Robert; died at the age of fourteen years; Joshua, settled on a part of his father's plantation, was married September 12, 1811, to Mrs. Ann Allen, who died December 3, 1820, leaving two sons and two daughters, one child being an infant two weeks old, after which he married again, and had one child; Alexander, born in 1791, was married February 15, 1816, to Penelope Morrison, aged eighteen, and settled on a part of his father's plantation; Isaac, born in 1793, died August 13, 1815; Margaret, born in 1795, was married February 1, 1816, to John Cochran, a blacksmith, then in his twenty- third year, settled on a plantation six miles from that of Mr. Harris; Isabel, last mentioned May 13, 1821, was then unmarried and living at her father's house; Mary, born in 1800; Ann, born in 1802, was married March 13, 1821, to Elias Small, a blacksmith, reputed to be steady and well-behaved, was then in his twenty-fourth year; Solomon and Josiah, twins, born in 1803, at home with their father in 1823. Mary Harris, at the age of twenty, went to live for a short time with her sister, Mrs. Cochran, and there became acquainted with John Morrison, whom she married, April 10, 1821, against the wish of her father and most of her connections. Morrison was a wagon-maker, of Scotch descent, and was only in his twentieth year at the time of their marriage. He appears to have lived for some time after in the neighborhood of his brother-in-law, Mr. Cochran.