Peter Grace – Captain, United States Army

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From a contemporary press report:

CAPTAIN PETER GRACE

Captain Peter Grace died at his home in Robinson at 8:20 o'clock a.m. on March 27th, 1914. The Captain was born March 1845, in Ireland and at the age of three, he came to this country. He enlisted in Company E of the 83rd Pennsylvania Volunteers in 1861, as a Private and received his honorable discharge in July 1865 as the Captain of his Company.

He participated in all the battles which his regiment was engaged in during the four years of enlistment, and graduallly was advanced from  Private to Sergeant and on up to the Captiancy of his Company for valor and bravery shown in the many battles fought by his regiment.

In 1894 Congress by special act, awarded him a Medal of Honor for his valor and bravery in the battle of the Wilderness, which occurred May 5th, 1864.

After the close of the war he went to Pitthole, Vanango County, Pennsylvania, where he was engaged in the oil business, and has since followed this line of work. He was the most wonderful man in the oil business that ever existed.  He had the reputation of discovering more new oil fields, and expending more money for the operation of the same, than any other oil man in the United States.  His associates, at one time in the oil business were such men as Rockerfellow Archibald, Jennings Brothers and the last John McKune and Joseph Seep. He also was president and organized the Kenewa Oil Company of West Virginia. Of late years he has been engaged in the oil business himself, and was successsful to the time of his death.

A funeral service, conducted by Rev. J. D. Shaddrick pastor of the M.E. Church was held at the late residence Saturday afternoon and was largely attended.  Captain Grace had often expressed the desire that when the end came for him that his remains should find sepulture at the Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, D.C. Arrangements were immediately made following his death to comply with the request, and Sunday noon the remains were shipped there for interment, being escorted to the  train by G.A.R. and comrades of this city, and a large concourse of citizens, forming probably the largest funeral cortege ever witnessed in Robinson.

Now the remains of the brave soldier, the good citizen, the man who loved his fellow man, with morning, noon and night, with the blooming flowers, the breeze of spring, the showers of rain, the heat of summer, and winter's chilling blast rest where lay numbers of his brave comrades who in the time of the Nation's trial went forth at their country's call.  It is fitting that the dust of such good and brave, patriotic men should commingle until the call of the “sounding of the last trumpet.”

Born at Berkshire, Massachusetts, March 18, 1845, he was awarded the Medal of Honoron December 12, 1894 for services during the Civil War at the Battle of the Wilderness, May 5, 1864 where he was serving as Sergeant, Company C, 83rd Pennsylvania Volunter Infantry.

He died on March 27, 1914 and was buried in Section 3 of Arlington National Cemetery.

GRACE, PETER

Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company G, 83d Pennsylvania Infantry. Place and date: At Wilderness, Virginia, 5 May 1864. Entered service at: Berkshire, Massachusetts. Birth: Berkshire, Massachusetts. Date of issue: 27 December 1894.

Citation:

Singlehanded, rescued a comrade from 2 Confederate guards, knocking down one and compelling surrender of the other.

From a 1914 Press Report:

CAPTAIN PETER GRACE

Captain Peter Grace died at his home in Robinson at 8:20 o'clock a.m. on March 27th, 1914.  The Captain was born March 1845, in Ireland and at the age of three, he came to this country.

He enlisted in Company E of the 83rd Pennsylvania Volunteers in 1861, as a Private and received his honorable discharge in July 1865 as the Captain of his Company.   He participated in all the battles which his regiment was engaged in during the four years of enlistment, and graduallly was advanced from  Private to Sergeant and on up to the Captiancy of his Company for valor and bravery shown in the many battles fought by his regiment.

In 1894 Congress by special act, awarded him a Medal of Honor for his valor and bravery in the battle of the Wilderness, which occurred May 5th, 1864.

After the close of the war he went to Pitthole Vanango Co. Penn., where he was engaged in the oil business, and has since followed this line of work. He was the most wonderful man in the oil business that ever existed.  He had the reputation of discovering more new oil fields, and expending more money for the operation of the same, than any other oil man in the United States.  His associates, at one time in the oil business were such men as Rockerfellow Archibald, Jennings Brothers and the last John McKune and Joseph Seep. He also was president and organized the Kenewa Oil Company of West Virginia. Of late years he has been engaged in the oil business himself, and was successsful to the time of his death.

A funeral service, conducted by Rev. J. D. Shaddrick pastor of the M.E. Church was held at the late residence Saturday afternoon and was largely attended.  Captain Grace had often expressed the desire that when the end came for him that his remains should find sepulture at the Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, D.C.  Arrangements were immediately made following his death to comply with the request, and Sunday noon the remains were shipped there for interment, being escorted to the  train by G.A.R. and comrades of this city, and a large concourse of citizens, forming probably the largest funeral cortege ever witnessed in Robinson.  Now the remains of the brave soldier, the good citizen, the man who loved his fellow man, with morning, noon and night, with the blooming flowers, the breeze of spring, the showers of rain, the heat of summer, and winter's chilling blast rest where lay numbers of his brave comrades who in the time of the Nation's trial went forth at their country's call.  It is fitting that the dust of such good and brave, patriotic men should commingle until the call of the “sounding of the last trumpet”.

pgrace

GRACE, PETER
CAPT COS GE 83 PA VO INF CW

  • DATE OF DEATH: 03/27/1914
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 3 SITE LOT 2556
    ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

peter-grace-042304

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