BIO: Colonel Alexander Brady SHARPE, Cumberland County, PA
Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Joe Patterson
OCRed by Judy Banja
Copyright 2004. All rights reserved.
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>From Biographical Annals of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania,
Chicago: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905, pages 66-68
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COLONEL ALEXANDER BRADY SHARPE, who passed away at his home in Carlisle,
Cumberland county, Dec. 25, 1891, was throughout his active years one of the
most prominent lawyers of that place.
The Sharpes were among the early settlers of Newton township, Cumberland
county, and are still numerously represented in that section. Our subject was
a great-grandson of Thomas and Margaret (Elder) Sharp (as the name was
originally spelled), Covenanters, the latter the daughter of a Scottish
laird, who, because of their religious faith, were driven from Scotland and
took refuge in the Province of Ulster, in the North of Ireland, living near
Belfast, in County Antrim, until their emigration to the New World. Their
son, Robert, had crossed the Atlantic at a very early age, and soon returned
to Ireland to persuade his father to bring the rest of the family over. This
could not have been later than 1746, as two tracts of land, one of 2,000
acres and one of twenty, are recorded in the list of land warrants as having
been taken up by Thomas Sharp in May, 1746. The family settled in Newton
township, Cumberland county, Pa. Thomas and Margaret (Elder) Sharp had five
sons and four daughters, namely: Robert, Alexander, Andrew (who was killed by
Indians at what is now Sharpsburg, which was named in his honor), John, James,
Mary (Mrs. John McCune), Agnes (Mrs. Moses Hemphill), Martha (Mrs. Huston) and
Mrs. Patton. All of this family but Andrew owned land in Cumberland county,
and lived and died in the neighborhood of Big Spring, and there in the old
graveyard of the United Presbyterian Church, at Newville, rest their remains,
as well as those of their children, and many of their grandchildren. All of
the sons of Thomas Sharp except Alexander were commissioned officers in the
Indian or Revolutionary wars, and he served as a private.
Alexander Sharpe, son of Thomas, became the largest land owner in Newton
township, his holdings extending from near Newville, to the turnpike above
Stoughstown, a tract about four miles long and several miles wide, nearly all
of which, though divided, is still in the possession of his descendants. Its
northern boundary was the headwaters of the Green Spring. Besides his
extensive realty holdings Alexander Sharpe had a tannery, distillery, mills,
etc. One of his apprentices in the tanning business, which he conducted on
quite an extensive scale, was Robert Garrett, whom he sent to Baltimore after
he had finished his apprenticeship, and before he was twenty years of age, to
get a start in life. He had never been to that city, but Mr. Sharpe secured a
warehouse for him, and turned much of the trade of the valley, then carried to
Baltimore in wagons, in his direction, thus laying the foundation for the
fortune he accumulated. He became the father of John W. Garrett, and grand-
CUMBERLAND COUNTY. 67
father of Robert M. Garrett, both presidents of the Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad Company.
Alexander Sharpe married (first) Margaret McDowell, and they had children
as follows: Andrew, Rev. Alexander, William M., John (father of Alexander B.
Sharpe), Col. Thomas, Elder (who died unmarried, aged nineteen), and Eleanor
(wife of Samuel McCune). Of these, Rev. Alexander Sharpe lived at the Green
Spring, and was pastor of the Church at Newville (Big Spring) from 1824 until
his death, which occurred in January, 1857. He married Elizabeth Bryson, and
they had seven sons and two daughters, of whom Dr. Alexander R. married
Nellie Dent, a sister of the wife of Gen. Grant.
Andrew Sharpe, son of Alexander and Margaret (McDowell) Sharpe, was the
father of the late Hon. J. McDowell Sharpe, a native of Newton township,
Cumberland county, who was one of the ablest lawyers of Pennsylvania, and one
of the most prominent members of the Constitutional Convention of 1872-73.
John Sharpe, son of Alexander and Margaret (McDowell) Sharpe, and father of
Col. Alexander B. Sharpe, was known as "John Sharpe of the Barrens." He
married Jane McCune, granddaughter of James and Abigail McCune, of Newton
township, and daughter of Samuel and Hannah (Brady) McCune. The latter was a
daughter of Hugh Brady (2), whose father, Hugh Brady, came from Enniskillen,
Ireland, and was one of the first settlers in what is now Hopewell township,
Cumberland county. Thus it will be seen that Col. Sharpe's ancestors on both
sides were among the first settlers in the upper end of the county.
Alexander Brady Sharpe was born Aug. 12, 1827, in Newton township. In 1839
he began to prepare for college under Joseph Casey, the elder (father of Gen.
Joseph Casey), after his death going to Academia, Juniata county, and
completing his studies under the direction of Vanleer Davis, at Chambersburg.
In 1843 he entered Jefferson College, at Canonsburg, Pa., as a Sophomore, and
graduated from that institution with the highest honors of his class, Sept.
23, 1846. Hon. William H. West, of Ohio, and Hon. John M. Kirkpatrick, of
Pittsburg, were among his classmates. After the completion of his college
course, he commenced the study of law with Robert M. Bard, Esq., of
Chambersburg, completing his legal studies under Hon. Frederick Watts, of
Carlisle. The committee appointed to examine him consisted of Hugh
Caullagher, W. M. Biddle and Hon. J. H. Graham, and on motion of the last
named he was admitted to practice Nov. 21, 1848. He continued with his last
preceptor, Judge Watts, until the 1st of the following April, when he opened
an office and commenced independent practice, in which he continued until his
death, with the exception of the time he served in the army.
On April 21, 1861, Alexander B. Sharpe enlisted for service in the Union
army, becoming a private in Company A, 7th Regiment Pennsylvania Reserve
Volunteer Corps, which was attached to the 2d Brigade, McCall's Division. He
served in the ranks until Sept. 25th, when he was commissioned second
lieutenant of Company E, same regiment, and appointed adjutant. On Dec. 4th
he was relieved from duty with his regiment and ordered to report to Brig.
Gen. Ord, commanding the 3d Brigade, who had appointed him aide-de-camp. He
joined Gen. Ord the same day, and served on his personal staff until the
General was wounded
68 CUMBERLAND COUNTY.
and temporarily disabled for field service, when he resigned. After the
General recovered our subject was at his instance again commissioned captain
and assigned to duty with him, serving until his resignation, on Jan. 28,
1865. Thus, with the exception of the period from Dec. 27, 1862, to Aug. 28,
1863, he was in constant service, being on field duty with the armies of the
Potomac, Rappahannock, Tennessee, West Virginia, the Army of the Gulf and the
Army of the James. He took active part in the battles of Drainesville, Dec.
20, 1861; Iuka, Sept. 18 and 20, 1862; Big Hatchie, Oct. 5, 1862; Burnside's
mine explosion, July 30, 1864; Newmarket Heights (or Chapin's Farm) and
capture of Fort Harrison, Sept. 9 and 10, 1864. He was brevetted and promoted
to the rank of captain and aide-de-camp, United States Army, for gallant and
meritorious conduct at the battle of Drainesville, and on March 13, 1865, on
the recommendation of Gens. Ord, Meade and Grant, received the brevet ranks
of major, lieutenant-colonel and colonel, United States Volunteers, for
gallant conduct at Petersburg, and the various operations before Richmond,
Virginia.
On Dec. 19, 1854, Alexander B. Sharpe, married Katherine Mears Blaney,
daughter of Major George Blaney, of the Engineer Corps, United States Army,
now deceased. Gen. Sharpe was a stanch member of the Republican party, from
the time of its organization, but he never held an office, or was a candidate
for official honors, political, judicial or otherwise. In religion he clung to
the faith of his forefathers, holding membership in the Second Presbyterian
Church of Carlisle. Socially, he was connected with Capt. Colwell Post, No.
201, G.A.R., and with the Loyal Legion. He was missed in many of the
interests of Carlisle outside of professional circles, for he was an
influential advocate of any cause he chose to champion, and a leader in many
local enterprises.