William C. Beecher ^{1 2}

   Another name for William was William H. Beecher.⁴

   FamilySearch ID: LDMX-LK7.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Census in 1850 in Wilkins Twp., Allegheny, PA. ³ John Beecher, 35, carpenter, was living with wife Margaret, 25, and son William, 8. Everyone was born in Pennsylvania. His real estate was worth $1,2000.

2. Census in 1860 in Wilkins Twp., Allegheny, PA. ¹ John Beecher, carpenter, 46, was living with wife Margaret, 37; William, apprentice, 19; James, 9; and Mary, 6. Everyone was born in Pennsylvania. John's real estate was worth $2,400 and possessions $300. The post office was Wilkins.

3. Letter: Private William Beecher wrote to his father, John Beecher, following the Battle of Gettysburg. The letter was reprinted in the Pittsburgh Press on 5 Jul 1855., 1863, Gettysburg, Adams, PA. ² One Mile From Gettysburg
By George Swetnam, Press Staff Writer

Ever since the first Independence Day, July 4 has been a big event for Pittsburgh. But for sheer excitement there has never been another to match the one of 92 years ago.

The weekend ushered in with Friday, July 3, 1863, was one of the most hectic Pittsburgh had known since Pontiac's Indians were besieging Fort Pitt just a century earlier.

As Gen. Robert E. Lee reached the climax of his northward drive that culminated at Gettysburg, Gen. John Morgan was beginning his great swing north and east through Indiana and Ohio. It looked as if Pittsburgh might be the objective of an enormous pincers movement to cut off the Union's greatest war production center.

For days a large force had worked frantically to throw up a ring of defensive forts around Pittsburgh, and there was no let-up for the weekend or the holiday.

Word had come of a great battle at Gettysburg, and by the Saturday noon there was some ground for hope that the Union forces had won it. But it wasn't until the morning of Sunday, July 5, that most people - even the soldiers involved - were sure who had won, or how decisively.

Frank J. Power of 7865 Thon Dr., Penn Twp., treasure as a historic memento of that weekend a letter written by his great-uncle, William C. Beecher, a private in Company A of the "Bully Old 63^rd," the Sixty-Third Pennsylvania Volunteers, organized in Pittsburgh, Aug. 1, 1861, and let by Pittsburgh's heroic Gen. Alexander Hays.

It was Gen. Hays who, when the firing became heavy just before Pickett's famous charge, received word that another regiment of his Third Division was wavering under the intense attack.

"I'll stiffen 'em up," he replied. And with staff members at his back and division colors flying, he rode the entire length of the line, nearer the enemy than his own foremost pickets.

Pvt. Beecher was still only a youth, having been not over 16 when he enlisted as one of the first of Company A, the "Kelly Guards."

His last previous letter had been written a week earlier from Point of Rocks, Md., on the Potomac. That was just before the regiment, which had been moving northward after Lee, began its forced march which brought it to Gettysburg the day the fighting began.

The letter is dated July 4 "On the field one mile from Gettysburg." Addressed to "Mr. John Beecher, Wilkins P. O., Allegheny Co., Penna." and begins "Dear Father and mother."

VISTED RELATIVES

It open quietly, telling of the march, and of getting to see friends and relatives at Taneytown, of how the regiment was paid at Emmittsburg, July 1, and halted just outside the town. He goes on:

"But we were no more than down when we were ordered to advance double quick up the Gettysburg Road.

We got up about sundown & found that they had been fighting hear all day. At 8 Oclock we were run out on picket & early on Thursday morning the Rebs sharp shooters commenced fireing on us. This started our fireing & we kept it up untill about 2 Oclock when the ball opened up for certain.

From that untill dark the fight raged at a most terrific rate. Grape & canister latterly rained over the field. I have been in some pretty hot places but the like of this I never seen or heard. The Rebs gained on us some but not much.

On Friday the ball opened at daylight with musketry & at 1 Oclock the cannonading commenced, our forces drove their right & left. The Rebs made an advance on our centre but were handsomely repulsed leaving the field strewed with dead, & nearly a whole brigade captured & run into our lines. We supported A battery from 2 Oclock until dark & had a pretty hot time of it after dark our Brigade were run to the front & thear we lay all night.

This morning we sent out skirmishers & found out that the rebs had fell back & we established our lines just at the same place they were at the commencement of the battle I do not know how it is on the flankes but I know they are up to their first place if not farther.

So we have helt our own so far but it is yet uncertain how it will end. We must wait & see, time along can tell. One privilege we have gained this time, that is worth looking at, that is, we have held the field & will get all our killed.

The weather during the past week has been cloudy with heavy gusts of rain I have been soaked completely 4 or 5 times this week.

Our Regt. Came off pretty safe in this fight. We lost in all 36 men. We had 25 wounded, 1 killed & 5 missing. 5 Officers wounded only 1 man in our company was hit & he mearly got his leg skinned. Out of our Brigade we lost Killed wounded and Missing 833 men leaving us A force in the Brigade of 650 men so you see we lost about 175 more than half of what we took in but it is getting dark and I must close sending you all my love and best respects.

Give yourselves know uneasiness on my account, for if it is God's will that I fall, why fall I must. I feel thankful to God that I have escaped for I can never see how our entire company escaped through such A shower of missels. Pray for me for the soldier & for success to our arms & look hopefully forward to the future. "

The threat to Pittsburgh was relieved, but the war must go on. William Beecher and Gen. Hays and the Bully Old 63^rd fought through a score of encouters during the next 10 months.

DATE WITH DESTINY

And then, on May 23, 1864, came the fateful day for William Beecher, just as he had foreseen it might. That was just 18 days after Gen. Hays had been killed at the head of his favorite regiment at the battle of the Wilderness.

On May 23 at Taylors Bridge over the North Anna River the 63^rd was once more fighting at the side of Birney's Division as it had at Gettysburg. Once more the casualties were heavy, in a perfect rain of bullets, but young Beecher had come through unscathed.

Night had fallen as they ran out of ammunition, and the regiment had fallen back to entrench against a counter-attack. Pvt. Beecher was sitting by a campfire when a sniper's bullet struck him in the neck, killing him instantly.

He had been right when he wrote:

"If it is God's will that I fall, why fall I must."

4. Military in 1863 in Gettysburg, Adams, PA: Civil War: Company A "The Kelly Guards", 63rd Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry. His name is listed on PA Monument at Gettysburg.

5. Occupation: soldier in 1864 in East Liberty, Allegheny, PA. ⁵ 1864-65 Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities:
Beecher Wm., soldier, 65th P. V., h Frankstown Rd. East Liberty
Beecher John, carpenter, h Frankstown Rd. East Liberty
Beecher wm., carpenter, Snyder's Hollow, McClure township.

6. Pension For her son's service, William H. Beecher's mother Margaret filed Civil War pension application 307155 and was issued certificate 238001. On 28 Jul 1883 in Pittsburgh, Allegheny, PA. ⁴