The Glathart Family

Aaron J. Glathart in Biographical Record of Hancock County, Ohio

The full biographical sketch as printed, transcribed from the public-domain book. Spelling and wording are the original author’s; a few scanning errors may remain.

AARON J. GLATHART, a former well remembered citizen of Findlay, O., a veteran of the Civil War and a member of a prominent pioneer family, was born in Hancock County, O., February 14, 1844, and died at Findlay, January 8, 1909.

The father of Aaron J. Glathart was born in Switzerland, in 1802, and lived there until 1828, when he came to Hancock County, and settled on a farm in Big Lick Township. He was a stonemason by trade and was one of the men who helped build the old Erie Canal.

Aaron J. Glathart was reared on the home farm and when fifteen years old went to Law- rence, Kans., where his older brother, J. H. Glathart, was operating a bakery and provision store. In 1859, the younger brother was taken into partnership but in the early part of i860 the business was sold and Aaron J. re- turned to Hancock County and in the same year his father died. In the following year Civil War was precipitated and in August, 1861, Mr. Glathart enlisted in a company or- ganized at Findlay, O. He was one of four Glathart brothers and was the only one to es- cape a violent death. Rudolph H., was killed by guerrillas of the Confederate force, on Brazos River, Tex., in May, 1865. Manassa G., who was a scout under General Lyon, was killed at Wilson’s Creek, Mo., August 10, 1861. Leon L., who was a private in Co. C. 49th O. Vol. Inf. died of smallpox at Chattanooga, Tenn., February 29, 1864.

Aaron J. Glathart enlisted in Co. H, 57th O. Vol. Inf., 1st Brigade, 15th Army Corps, Army

of the Tennessee, and perhaps he saw as much hard army service as any other man that went out from Hancock County. He was on many battlefields and participated in the struggles that took place between the contending forces at the following points: Fort Donelson; Shi-

loh; Siege of Corinth; Morning Sun, Tenn. ; Wolf Creek Bridge; Tallahatchie; Holly Springs, Miss. ; Chickasaw Bayou; Yazoo Pass, Miss. ; Arkansas Post, Ark. ; second expedition to Chickasaw Bayou; Steele’s Bayou; Deer Creek, Miss. ; running the batteries at Vicks- burg, on the ram “Queen of the West” on April 16, 1863; Raymond, Miss.; Jackson, Miss.; first and second battles at Champion Hills; Big Black River, Miss., May 17, 1863; Siege of Vicksburg, May 18-July 4; Chattanooga; Missionary Ridge; Knoxville, Tenn.; Snake Creek Gap; Dalton; Resaca; Kingston; New Hope church; Big Shanty; Kenesaw Moun- tain; Pumpkin Vine Creek and Atlanta, Ga. During all this long and dangerous service he was a brave and ready soldier but it was not ordained that he should escape all the most se- rious trials of warfare. On July 19, 1864, the Army of the Tennessee swung around Atlanta and on July 22, just after the tragic death of the brave General McPherson, Mr. Glathart was made a prisoner. He was despatched with others to Andersonville, Ga., the mention of the horrors of which still blanches many a cheek, and there he was held from July 25, 1864, until October 1, 1864, when he was sent to Savannah and was held there for two weeks. From there he was sent on to Milan, Ga., and kept in a stockade there until December 1, 1864, then passed on to Charleston, S. C, where, with other unfortunates, he was placed under the fire of the Federal batteries. About four days he was kept in that position and then

was turned over to the authorities at Florence, S. C., where a new stockade had been built. In the latter part of December, 1864, he was fi- nally paroled and sent to a hospital at Annapo- lis, where he was given a parole and returned home. At this time he seemed completely wrecked in health and for seven months after- ward was unable to speak aloud. A splendid constitution, however, and home care restored him sufficiently to attend the Grand Review at Washington, D.. C., although he went against the protests of friends and physicians, and through excitement was stimulated enough to proudly take his old place as color bearer in his regiment, a position he had held for the last fourteen months of his service.

During the last charge on Vicksburg, July 4, 1863, Mr. Glathart was severely wounded in the abdomen, a ball piercing the twenty-seven thicknesses of his rubber blanket and a heavy brass belt plate. He was placed in a field hos- pital, but, in spite of his injury, managed to escape from his guards the same night and made a desperate march until he rejoined his regiment, being determined to not be left be- hind. The full history of these heroes of the great struggle will never be adequately told. His wound would not heal, however, and later it became so aggravated that he could neither carry his musket nor wear a belt, therefore he was detailed to light duty about camp and was made postmaster and was serving in that ca- pacity as well as color bearer when he was hon- orably discharged and mustered out at Little Rock, Arkansas, August 25, 1865.

Broken in health, Mr. Glathart returned to Findlay, but soon afterward went to Kansas and sought to regain his health by open air treatment, camping out on the prairies for three months. He became well pleased with

Douglas County and entered into the auction- eering business and in the following year bought a farm near Lawrence, on which he re- mained until 1874, when he returned to Han- cock County. He still continued to reside on a farm up to 1897, when he came to Findlay and in this city he passed away January 8, 1909, aged sixty-five years. He was interested in the Grand Army of the Republic and was a member of Stokes Post, No. 54.

Mr. Glathart was married to Miss Amanda J. Strother, who was born in Hancock County, O., and was a daughter of Anthony W. and Mary Strother. Her uncle, Robert Strother, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War from Virginia. To this marriage seven children were born, as follows : Lena, who married Capt. T.

L. Huston, of the U. S Engineer Corps ; Harry A., who is city engineer of Findlay, O. ; Floy

M. , who married Levi K. Harvitt; Edna E., who was the wife of Harvey Warren, died August 25, 1897; Roland L., who was a mem- ber of Co. A, 2nd Ohio Infantry in the Span- ish-American War; Gail G., who married Harry Riemund, and Carl A., who enlisted in the U. S. Navy, June 6, 1900.

Source: Biographical Record of Hancock County, Ohio. See the original pages at the Internet Archive.