compiled by Barbara Gill

Hugh Boon as a young officer, Deeds of Valor, Volume 1, page 531

… from Washington Co., PA newspapers….

WAS BRAVE SOLDIER AND AN EXCELLENT CITIZEN

After Weeks of Illness, Captain Hugh P. Boone Answers the Last Summons Captain Hugh P. Boone, a well known citizen and veteran of the Civil War died yesterday afternoon about 3:30 o’clock at his home, 217 Jefferson avenue. Mr. Boone was aged 73 years. He had been ill for some time and his death was not  unexpected. He was a member of the W.F. Templeton post, No. 120 G.A.R., and was to be installed as an officer of the post at the open meeting held last Friday evening. It was then known that his death was but a matter of days.

Hugh P. Boone in later Years, Deeds of Valor, Vol.1

The funeral services will be held Friday afternoon at 2 o’clock at the late residence and will be conducted by the Rev. Matthew Rutherford, of the Third Presbyterian Church.

Captain Hugh P. Boone was the son of James and Margaret Miller Boone, former residents of Chartiers and Canton townships. His father was of Scotch-Irish descent. He was born on the farm now owned by Mrs. J. B. Miller on what was formerly known as the Steubenville road, but know known as the Burgettstown road. He was one of a large family of children, of which on two now survive, John Boone of Washington, for several years baggage master at the Chestnut street station, and Mrs. Nancy Lane of Centerville, ILL. A brother, Richard, died in the west. A sister, Margaret, was the wife of the late Rev. D. G. Bradford, of Illinois, her death occurring while Rev. Mr. Bradford was preaching in Allegheny. James, a brother, was formerly a farmer residing at Finney, and his widow, Johanna Boone, now resides on Jefferson avenue. William and Samuel Boone, brothers, died when they were young men. A sister, Mary, was the wife of Dr. Hudson Weirich, of Wellsburg, W. Va., her death occurring about a year ago. Thomas, a brother, was a member of Co. A, 100th Pennsylvania regiment. He died of lung trouble shortly after the war.

Captain Boone received his early education in the schools of the neighborhood of his boyhood days. The family moved from the farm on the Burgettstown road to what was known as the old Louis Hewitt farm, on a portion of which Wolftown now stands. Before the war Mr. Boone was in the grocery business on North Main Street, where the Oliver dry goods store now stands. This business was continued after the war, but he later gave up the store and returned to the farm. He was married Oct. 25, 1866, to Miss Hannah J. Cook, a daughter of the late Henry Cook, a former well known resident of this section. Mrs. Cundall, deceased, wife of the present street commissioner, E.G. Cundall, was a sister of Mrs. Boone, who survives her husband. To this union was born one child, Mattie, who became the wife of J. Wilbert Wallace, of the Dunbar & Wallace Lumbar company. She died a few years ago, leaving to survive one son, who resides at the Wallace home at Oak Grove.

For several years Captain Boone had been employed as a clerk. He was formerly in the store of M. Sharp and also worked for E.G. Cundall when he was in business. Of later years he had been employed in the men’s furnishing department of The A.B. Caldwell co. store, where he made many friends and was a trusted and faithful employee. He insisted on being at work until within the last few weeks, when his condition became so serious that he was not able to come up town. He was missed behind the counter, for he was a friend of every person employed in the store.

As a soldier captain Boone had a distinguished record. A bullet wound received in the neck during a bloody fight at Withville, Va. was partly the cause of his last sickness. the bullet went through the back part of his neck, just missing the spinal column. When the Civil War first broke out Mr. Boone went out as a private in the three-months’ service. Returning to Washington he enlisted in CO. B, First West Virginia cavalry. He went out as a Second lieutenant and a few months afterwards became captain of the company and served with honor during the entire war. that company participated in many hard-fought battles and many brave men, who went out with it never came back. The following surviving members of Capt. Boone’s company reside in this general region. David Howell, West Alexander; J.P. Allum, Waynesburg; Hamilton Bell, Nelson Booth, A.T. Anderson, Lewis Hamilton, James. L. Henderson, Joseph Moore, and Marshall Cox, Washington. For personal bravery in capturing a Rebel Flag captain Boone was awarded a medal of honor by congress, there being only one other man in the county who has such a medal, a Mr. Anderson, of Scenery Hill. Comrades of the deceased speak very highly of the captain and of his war record. The medal of honor came to him deservedly and not through any influence. He took his own life in his hand when he mounted his horse and rode into the rebel ranks, returning with the flag.

Captain Boone built the house where he died, on Jefferson avenue, a number of years ago, about the time Chartiers railroad entered Washington, and has resided there ever since. He was a consistent member of the Third Presbyterian church. His father, who died several years ago, was born near Philadelphia, coming to this section early in life.

   

Arrangements For Funeral Of Captain Boone  

The remains of Captain H.P. Boone will be laid to rest tomorrow at noon. Arrangements were made for the services by the W.F. Templeton Post, No.129, G.A.R. to be assisted by the Memorial Squad of Company H, Tenth Regiment, N.G.P. The post held a meeting last evening to complete its plans.

The services will be conducted at the house by the Rev. Matthew Rutherford. The active pall bearers will be members of the Memorial Squad that will march to the cemetery. The honorary pall bearers will be _______Jones, A.T. Anderson, _________, J.L. Allum, Nelson Booth, Hamilton Bell and D.A.  Templeton. the members of the W.F. Templeton ______ and old soldiers will meet at the public meeting room of the ____ house tomorrow afternoon at 1:30 where they will form and march to the Boone residence on Prospect______.  The firing squad will be composed of members of the Memorial squad.

Courtesy of Carol Boone Beckenhauer of  San Jose, CA (Cbecknhr@aol.com)

Congressional Medal of Honor Medal of honor (Army) as approved by Congress back in 1862 for those men to be recognized for their heroic acts during the Civil War.  Originally to be awarded only to an enlisted man, the decision was made to include officers in March, 1863.

Captain Hugh Patterson Boon, U. S. Army, again won accolades upon his name for receiving this country’s highest military award, the Medal of Honor.  The rest of the story …

Boon fought in the Civil War with Company B, First West Virginia Cavalry.  He received the medal for capturing the Confederate Flag at Deatonsville (Sailor’s Creek) in Virginia on April 6, 1865.  He died many years later at the age 73 on January 14, 1908.

Descendants of Hugh Patterson Boon had been sought by organizers of a monument project to honor medal winners born in Washington County, Pennsylvania.  Part of the problem in tracking down relatives was the change in the spelling of “Boon”.  The mystery was unraveled when relatives, doing genealogical research, learned the “e” had been added to the family name about 1900.

Thomas Seybert knew from the stories told by his mother that a member of his family had received the Medal of Honor.  “My grandfather was E. T. Boone, and his father was James Milhollan Boone Jr.,” he said.  “Hugh Boon was my great-grandfather’s brother.”

The small town of Sharon, Iowa, no may have more of the answers.  Tom Seybert is trying to locate Loftus and Carolyn Fox there … has mother had lost contact with them over the years.  They are supposed to have Hugh Boon’s flag and uniform.  “If they have that, I am thinking they might be direct descendants.”

Seybert said his research determined that Carolyn Fox died in 1994.  He has no information on Loftus Fox.  Hugh Boon did have a daughter, Mattie, who married J. Wilbert Wallace of the Dunbar and Wallace Lumber Company in Washington, PA.  Seybert said she had at least one child.

Captain Hugh Boon, because of his deeds, was awarded the Medal of Honor 

Now the question is “Did Carolyn and Loftus have children?”, Seybert said.  They may want to know about their famous ancestor.

Last, but not least, Boone is the seventh of the Washington County medal winners to be recognized.  His monument was unveiled on May 12, 2001 at the North Franklin Township cemetery entrance, Washington County, PA, in which his grave can be located.

The material for this story:  Observer Publishing Co., Washington, PA , and our thanks to Kathy Warco, of the Washington Observer-Reporter for her story!

She certainly prompted our following up on Hugh Patterson Boon.