Blair County PA Archives Biographies.....Jones, Capt. Charles S. W. October 29, 1842 - ????
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Judy Banja http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00004.html#0000757 January 10, 2025, 3:22 pm

Source: Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Blair Co, PA: Philadelphia, 1892.
Author: Samuel T. Wiley

CAPT. CHARLES S. W. JONES, 
a veteran of the civil war, who has been editor of the Tyrone Herald for a
quarter of a century, is a son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Mattern) Jones, and
was born October 29, 1842, the place of his nativity being Graysville,
Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania.  the Jones family is of Welsh extraction,
but has been planted in this State for several generations.  Samuel Jones
(father) was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, January 29, 1808, an was
educated in the country schools of his neighborhood, which, though lacking
the technical finish of later times, yet imparted a good, practical
education.  In early life he learned the trade of potter, and worked at
fashioning various kinds of earthen ware for many years.  While yet a young
man he left his native county and located in Huntingdon county, from whence
he came to Tyrone in 1851, and has resided at that place ever since.  In
early years he was a democrat, but after the Republican party was formed he
became affiliated wit that organization, and has served as justice of the
peace in Tyrone for a quarter of a century.  For thirty-five years he has
been a member of the First Presbyterian church of Tyrone, and has served as
trustee of the church for a number of years.  He married Elizabeth Mattern,
who is of German descent, and to them was born a family of eleven children. 
The eldest of these was a daughter named Catherine, who married Abraham Van
Scoyoc, of Tyrone, and died in 1861, at the age of thirty-one years.  The
second was a son named Benjamin, who married Rachel Fletcher, of the city of
Philadelphia, a printer by trade, and in 1862 enlisted in Company A, 2d
Pennsylvania cavalry, serving until the close of the war.  He held rank
successively as corporal of his company, quartermaster sergeant, and
regimental quartermaster.  He has served two terms in the Pennsylvania
legislature, representing the Twenty-third Philadelphia district.  The next
in order of birth was Christia Ann, who died in infancy.  The fourth was
Sarah Jane, who married J. H. Patterson, of Tyrone, and died at the age of
thirty-one years.  The fifth child was David M., who, after attaining
manhood, married Amanda J. Palmer, of Tyrone, and at the breaking out of the
civil war enlisted in Company D, 3d Pennsylvania infantry, as a corporal.
After serving in that company three months, he became first lieutenant of
Company A, 110th Pennsylvania infantry, and was afterward successively
promoted to the ranks of captain, major and lieutenant-colonel.  He was made
a prisoner of war at Chancellorsville May 3, 1863, and was confined in Libby
prison for a short time.  Being exchanged, however, he rejoined his company
in time to take part in the decisive battle of Gettysburg, where, while
engaged in action on July 3d, he had his left leg shot off.  That ended his
military career, and he was soon afterward discharged form the army.  After
returning home from the army he was elected register and recorder of Blair
county, in October, 1865, and twice re-elected, serving in that capacity for
a period of nine years.  Later he was elected to the State legislature, and
was a member of that body at the time of his death in 1877.  Their next child
was a daughter, Ellen, who died in early life, and the eighth was Charles S.
W., the subject of this sketch.  The next younger was Emma, who married John
A. Hiltner, assistant foreman in the car shops at Tyrone.  The tenth child
died in infancy, and the youngest was Aaron, who married Helen Beightel, of
the city of Philadelphia, but is now deceased.  He was a printer by trade. 
      Capt. Charles S. W. Jones was reared in Tyrone, and received his
education in the common schools of that city.  After leaving school he
learned the printer's trade, and, followed that occupation until the spring
of 1862, when he enlisted in Company F 2d Pennsylvania cavalry, as a private,
and served until the spring of 1865.  In rapid succession he held all the
non-commissioned offices of his company, and soon rose to be first
lieutenant.  He subsequently became captain of Company B, of the same
regiment, and later served as commandant of Company B, first provisional
Pennsylvania cavalry, an organization which grew out of the consolidation of
the 2d and 20th Pennsylvania cavalry.  He served in the army of the Potomac,
and was wounded in the foot at Charles City, Virginia.  When the war was
over, and he had been discharged from service, Captain Jones returned to
Pennsylvania, and for a time worked at his trade, but in 1868 became
interested in the Tyrone Herald newspaper, and has maintained his connection
with that journal ever since.  Some five years ago he began the publication
of the daily Herald, which is a six-column folio, and has been quite 
successful. 
      On July 1, 1869, Captain Jones was united in marriage to Anna N.
Harper, a daughter of J. M. Harper, of Tyrone.  To this union were born two
children:  Amber (deceased) and Ange.  Mrs. Jones died April, 1883, in the
thirty-third year of her age. 
      Captain Jones is a republican politically, and an able local leader in
his party.  He served as burgess of Tyrone for five years in succession, and
in 1888 was elected a member of the Pennsylvania legislature from Blair
county.  He took an active part in the sessions of 1889 and 1890, serving as
chairman of the military committee.  On March 3, 1890, he was appointed by
President Harrison to the position of postmaster at Tyrone, which office he
is still holding.  He is also serving as captain of the military organization
known as the Sheridan troop, having been its commander since its organization
in 1871.  He is a member of D. M. Jones Post, No. 173, Grand Army of the
Republic, and of the Union Veteran Legion of Tyrone, besides some other local
organizations. 

Additional Comments:
Originally submitted 2001. Transcribed by Daneen Smedile.

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