Monday, May 12, 2025

Anthony Striley - Civil War Veteran

 Anthony Striley is also an ancestor of my son in law.  He himself is the father in law of another Civil War veteran, Albert Hosea Flanders, whom I wrote about previously. Anthony served for less than a year, as he enlisted late in the war. 

The Biography of

 Anthony Striley

 Civil War Veteran

 By

 Ann M Sinton

Copyright, 2016, Ann M Sinton

                                  

 Biography of Anthony Striley  (1826 - 1909)

Civil War Veteran

             Anthony Striley was born on Nov 12, 1826 in the Baden-Wuerttemberg region of Germany.  He was the son of Meinrad “Henry”  Streile and Margaret Jaeger(Schaffer).  Anthony’s name has also been spelled "Streily" and "Straley”. Apparently, Anthony’s parents were immigrants as well.  His father died in Pittsburgh in 1869. 

                                     The 1850 census is the first time we see the family enumerated in any US Census.  They are living in the 8th Ward of Pittsburgh, PA. Henry, the father is shown as a laborer born in Germany, age 55 with his wife Margaret and 8 children.  Anthony is the oldest, 22, and the only one born in Germany.  This would place the family in America by 1832 as the next child would have been born here that year.  The 1840 census for the family was not found.

                   Anthony married Jane Taylor on Nov 14, 1850 at St Paul’s Cathedral in Pittsburgh.  Jane was born on Jan 9, 1834 in the Birmingham section of Pittsburgh.  Their first child was born on June 7, 1854 in Birmingham. 

                   By the 1860 census, Anthony is married to Jane Taylor with one child, Mary age 6.  Mary would eventually marry Albert Flanders, our other Civil War Veteran.  Anthony’s occupation at this time is glass blower and his estate is worth $100. 

                   In 1863, Anthony registered for the Draft and was listed as a glass presser.  His son, Joseph was born on July 10, 1863 in Pittsburgh.  A year later Anthony would be in the Army.

                   Anthony was also late to join the war effort, enlisting as a Private on Aug 31, 1864 in Co L of the  5th Regiment, Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery (204th Volunteers), a one year enlistment term.   He apparently enlisted in response to a Government Bounty of $100 given to individuals for enlisting.  According to Anthony’s Military Service Record File, he contracted a fever and spent the beginning of his enlistment in the hospital at Alexandria, VA., only returning to his Regiment in Nov 1864. He was paid $32 for his two months upon release from the hospital.   Confusingly, he is also said to have been admitted to the First Division General Hospital on Oct 28, 1864 for intermittent fever. And then returned to duty on Dec 7, 1864.  His pension file states that he was first treated at the Methodist Church Hospital in Alexandria, then transferred to St. Paul’s Church Hospital also in Alexandria.  He was treated for a Neuralgia, which was eventually the approved disability which awarded him his pension. 

 His Regiment’s most notable activity may have been Burial duty on the Bull Run battlefield in the spring of 1865, where they buried 2000 dead.  They also had frequent skirmishes with Col John Mosby’s Raiders.  The regiment was ordered back to Pittsburgh and there he mustered out on June 30, 1865.   See the pages at the end of document for details on his Regiment’s service.


 

Above, a lone burial at Bull Run and below a burial party at Cold Harbor

 


  

 

Union Heavy Artillery

https://www.geni.com/projects/Union-Heavy-Artillery-US-Civil-War/40402



Union 13 inch Mortars – above  mounted on railway car




According to Anthony’s Pension file, after the war he lived in Venango county from 1865 - 1876.  However, the 1870 census shows him living in Tionesta Township in Forest Co with his growing family of three children, Mary Jane age 16, Joseph age 6 and Ann B age3.  Anthony is listed as a laborer age 40 and his wife Jane age 36.  It is also noted that he is a US Citizen.  Ann or “Lizzie” was born in Sept 1965.  Jane was likely expecting their fourth child at the time of the 1870 census, Isabel arrived on July 18, 1870.  Followed by two more children, Agnes born Oct 26, 1873 and Frances born about 1878.

 

From 1876-1881, the family was located in Oil City, Pa., which the 1880 census confirms.  Anthony is enumerated twice however.  On the 4th of June 1880, his mother, Margaret age 78 is shown as head of household and living in Pittsburgh with Anthony listed as well.   Anthony’s occupation in shown as a glass blower.  On June 10th, 1880, he is shown living in Oil City, Venango Co, PA with his wife and family of now 6 children.  Occupation is also glass blower.  His children at this time are: Mary Jane age 26, Joseph age 17, Lizzie age 14, Isabella age 10, Agnes age 7, and Frances age 2. His wife Jane is age 46.  He may have been visiting his mother and just happened to be there when the census taker came. 

Various City Directories for Pittsburgh show Anthony’s place of residence and occupation.  He was listed as a laborer or a glass blower/presser in most cases.  For most of the 1880’s, Anthony lived in Pittsburgh.  He is listed in the 1889 City Directory for Pittsburgh as a glass presser living at 114 Climax St. His pension file shows a residence in Pittsburgh from 1881-1901.

Mechanical Glass  Press

Thompson Glass Works in Uniontown, Pa


                  By 1890, Anthony has moved south to Uniontown, PA and is shown in the Veteran’s Schedule with a disability of heart palpitations and rheumatism.  No other census information is available for 1890.  In July of 1890, Anthony quickly applied for an Invalid Pension under the recently approved Dependent and Disability Pension Act of 1890.  The Dependent and Disability Pension Act was passed by the United States Congress  and signed into law by President Benjamin Harrison on June 27, 1890. The act provided pensions for all veterans who had served at least ninety days in the Union military or naval forces, were honorably discharged from service and were unable to perform manual labor, regardless of their financial situation or when the disability was suffered.  Unlike his son in law, Albert Flanders, Anthony was approved for a pension on his first application and was awarded an $8 a month pension.  Over the years, Anthony reapplied for increases in his pension and by the time he died he was collecting $20 a month.  His disabilities included a hernia, disease of the mouth and stomach, neuralgia, rheumatism and the loss of most of his teeth.  Each application required a medical exam and affidavits from doctors and acquaintances who could vouch for Anthony’s disabilities and military service. 

                   In 1900, Anthony age 73 and his wife Jane age 66 are living with their daughter Agnes age 25 in Uniontown, PA.  His occupation is day laborer.  It would appear that there are only 5 of Anthony & Jane’s  6 children living in 1900.  Anthony reports that he immigrated to the US in 1829 and has lived there for 71 years. 

                  Anthony states in his pension file that he lived in Duquesne from 1901 to the present which was 1907.  But in 1905, Anthony is listed in the City Directory as living with his daughter, Agnes, in McKeesport, PA near Pittsburgh. 

                  Anthony would pass away on Feb 5, 1909 from Pneumonia and senile degeneration at age 82.  He is buried in the St Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery in Duquesne Twp, Allegheny, Pennsylvania. 

                  Anthony’s wife Jane, would apply for a widow’s pension soon after his death.  She was awarded $12 a month.  She was required to prove her marriage.   Jane would pass away just 2 ½ years later, on Aug 23, 1911.   Her daughter, Agnes, with whom she lived, would try to get reimbursement for various expenses related to Jane’s death, but was refused as Jane left enough of an estate to cover these expenses. 

                  Anthony & Jane (Taylor) Striley are my son in law’s great great great grandparents.  


 Please give credit and post a link to my blog if you intend to use any of the information written here. My blog posts are © Ann M Sinton 2025. All rights reserved

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