Capt. Edward Lyon Buchwalter (June 1, 1841 – October 4, 1933) was a Union Captain in the American Civil War, corporate figure, banker and farmer. He served in the 114th Ohio Infantry as lieutenant, later Captain of the 53rd Mississippi Colored Volunteers Infantry under General William T. Sherman and General Ulysses S. Grant. He was President of Superior Drill Company, President of American Seeding Machine Company and first President of The Citizens National Bank of Springfield, Ohio.
Early life Capt. Edward Lyon Buchwalter was born and raised on the Buchwalter farmstead in Hallsville, Ohio, Ross County, Ohio, June 1, 1841. The eldest of Levi Buchwalter (March 5, 1814, Schuylkill County, PA - December 1900 in Ross County, Ohio) and Margaret Lyon. Lineage of the Buchwalter family traces back to residents of one of the German-speaking cantons of Switzerland, from which republic the progenitors of the American branch came to this country in 1710, and established residence in Pennsylvania. Edward had two brothers, Morris Lyon Buchwalter and Captain Luther Morris Buchwalter, an officer with the Ohio Volunteers.
Education He was educated at public schools in Hallsville and enrolled in Ohio University, at Athens, Ohio at the inception of the American Civil War, he did not long deny manifestation of his youthful patriotism and volunteered into the Western Army of Civil War.
Civil War service
Overview Edward Lyon Buchwalter, at the age of 21, left college early and voluntarily enlisted into Western Army or the Union Army of American Civil War on August 15, 1862, as a sergeant and he mustered into Co. A, 114th Ohio Infantry on September 8, 1862. He was assigned to the 3rd Mississippi Volunteers on July 12, 1863. On July 25, 1863, transferred out commissioned as 1st Lieutenant of Co. H., 53rd U.S. Colored Infantry. He was promoted to Captain on June 22, 1864. On March 8, 1866, following the end of the war, Buchwalter mustered out with an honorable discharge and became head of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands of eight eastern counties in Mississippi for approximately six months.2.
As rank of sergeant
In August 1862, Edward Lyon Buchwalter, was promoted a sergeant in Company A, 114th Ohio Infantry and led forces in the Vicksburg Campaign. His first engagement, he took part under Union Major General William T. Sherman to forward through the swamps toward the Walnut Hills (Confederate front of the Northern forts of Vicksburg, Mississippi) later known as the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou (Dec.26-29, 1862). The Confederates won the battle and Buchwalter was one among 1,005 men wounded. Thereafter he participated in a spirited engagement at Fort Hindman, Arkansas, Battle of Fort Hindman (Jan.9-11, 1863) aka, Battle of Arkansas Post.
He was actively identified with the continuous military movement of the Union forces commanded by Maj. General Ulysses S. Grant leading up to the subjugation of the so-called "Gibraltar of the West." On July 4, 1863, he assisted in the digging of the historic canal designed to isolate Vicksburg, and in the command of the division of U.S. Army General Peter Joseph Osterhaus, and of the corps of Union General John Alexander McClernand, he aided in the building of pontoon bridges.
His Engagement in the Vicksburg Campaign of U.S Civil War Edward Lyon Buchwalter took part in the engagements between Union and Confederate forces during the Vicksburg Campaign at the Battle of Thompson's Hill, the Battle of Port Gibson (May 1, 1863, near Port Gibson, Miss.), Battle of Raymond (May 12, 1863, near Raymond, Miss.), Battle of Champion Hill (May 15, 1863, on Barker's Creek, Hinds Co., Miss.), Battle of Big Black River Bridge (May 17, 1863, Hinds County, Miss) and the assaults at the Battle of Vicksburg (at Vicksburg, Mississippi), and thus had his full share of intensive warfare. Vicksburg was the site of the Siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863), an important battle in which the Union forces gained control of the entire Mississippi River. The battle consisted of a long siege, which was necessary because the town was on high ground, well fortified, and difficult to attack directly. The capture of Vicksburg and the simultaneous defeat of General Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg marked the turning point in the Civil War.
Buchwalter's executive ability and soldierly qualities led to his being commissioned first lieutenant in the 53rd United States Mississippi Colored Infantry Volunteers on July 25, 1863. Following the Union victory of Vicksburg, Buckwalter's company and regiment located to Goodrich Landing where Battle of Goodrich's Landing (June 29 and June 30, 1863), between Union and Confederate forces. The Confederates attacked several Union Black Regiments that were protecting several captured plantations. Though the Confederates were able to destroy a number of plantations, the attacks did little real damage to the Union war effort in the region. Next, they were ordered to Milliken's Bend, Louisiana Battle of Milliken's Bend (June 7, 1863) and stationed till January 1864 when they were ordered back to Vicksburg.
3rd Mississippi Colored Infantry Volunteers
53rd Mississippi (Colored) Infantry Servicemen Dr. B.S. Chase (died 1878) was surgeon, formerly assistant surgeon of the 14th O.V.I.
Rank of Captain He was promoted to captain on June 22, 1864. From Vicksburg, during the month of October 1864, he led union forces up and along White River, a tributary of the Mississippi River, to St. Charles, Arkansas. While on this journey they were many times under fire. In the spring of 1865 Captain Buchwalter returned to Vicksburg, whence he was sent to Jackson, Mississippi.
He was mustered out of service on March 8, 1866, and received an honorable discharge. Later accounts indicate that he viewed his military service positively and expressed respect for former adversaries on both sides of the American Civil War. His continued interest in his old comrades in arms has been vitalized by his appreciative affiliation with the Grand Army of the Republic and the military order known as the Loyal Legion.2. He was Commander of Ohio Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS).
His Sword Upon achieving the rank of Lieutenant, Mr. Buchwalter was presented a sword that carried throughout the war and inscribed on it:
"Presented to Lieu.' Edward L. Buchwalter/3rd Miss. Colored Vols./by his Mother".3.
These swords were imported by military outfitters like Schuyler, Hartley & Graham of New York, who sold them to officers who were required to furnish their own artillery, uniforms and equipment.
Capt. E.L. Buchwalter's sword was a non-regulation US officer's sword known as the Peterson 75, due to its inclusion as figure 75 in Harold Peterson's seminal work The American Sword 1775–1945. This class of swords is typically an iron-mounted officer's sword and is invariably a sword imported from the Prussian cutlery center at Solingen with a maker's mark "W. Walscheid" (Wilhelm Walscheid) of Solingen, Prussia, who made a limited number of swords exclusively for export to the American market during the American Civil War and went out of business immediately after the war.6
His sword was marked W. WALSHEID/SOLINGEN in two lines on side of the longer than standard ricasso, and had a small brass disk impressed on the other side of the ricasso that read in an arc "PROVED". The blade featured a panoply of arms with a spread-winged eagle, along with a banner reading E PLURIBUS UNUM and embellished with etched floral and patriotic banners and motifs such as a drum on one side of the blade. The other side featured a similar foliate banner, with a large U.S. in the center. The wooden grip was wrapped with sharkskin and secured with seven turns of gilded copper wire that has a twisted center strand and two single flanking strands. The pierced iron guard featured the usual spread winged eagle with E PLURIBUS UNUM above it and "U S" below.3.
His marital life and residence Capt. E.L. Buchwalter married Clementine Cordelia Berry (1843–1912) on Sept 1, 1868. In 1893, he purchased a home at 359 East High Street, Springfield, Ohio from the Charles Clark estate. Built in 1852 and situated just moments from downtown, it is one of the oldest homes in Springfield. Clementine Berry Buchwalter provided hospitality for decades of club parties originated by women from all over the United States. She opened her residence to the local women for gatherings. Out of this grew the foundation of the Ohio Federation of Women's Clubs.
In 1908 the city renumbered East High Street and the Buchwalter home became 805 East High Street. Today the mansion is home of the Woman's Town Club of Springfield, Ohio. Founded in 1922, the Woman's Town Club provides a social center for women in the Springfield community and maintains and preserves this historic home. 4.
Clementine Berry Buchwalter, his first wife. Clementine Cordelia Berry M.L.A. (Master of Liberal Arts), the eldest of the family of seven of Rev. John A. Berry and his wife, Eleanora Evelyn Andrews, was born in Danville, Ohio, February 8, 1843; died in Dansville, N.Y., November 1912. She graduated from the Ohio Wesleyan Female College, at Delaware, Ohio, the summer of 1862, a classmate of Mary Wood, now the celebrated Dr. Mary Wood-Allen. From 1864 to 1865, Berry taught in Public Schools in Columbus, Ohio and Granville Female College, in Granville, Ohio from 1865 to 1866.11 She taught Latin and French in the Illinois Female College, at Quincy, and the Indiana State Female College, at Indianapolis.5. She was vice-president of the Board of Lady Managers of the St. Louis Exposition in 1904 (Louisiana Purchase Exposition), and President Francis telegraphed her husband she was the Mark Hanna of the Board. She was a charter member of the General Federation of Women's Clubs, of which she was made honorary vice-president for life. She was vice-president of the Pioneers of the General Federation. She organized the Ohio Federation of Women's Clubs, of which she was made honorary president for life, and her name is in the Founders' Roll of the General Federation of Women's Clubs.5.
The summer of last year of her life and the 50th anniversary of her class, she attended the commencement at Delaware as guest of honor and delivered the diplomas to the class of 1912. At the time of her death in 1912, the Ohio Federation decided at a memorial service held in Springfield to establish the Clementine Berry Buchwalter Fund, and at the next annual meeting at Chillicothe, Ohio, Capt. Edward L. Buchwalter was present and wrote the president that he would provide an endowment fund of $10,000 in memory of his wife, Clementine Berry Buchwalter, the annual net income to be used in such a way as the directors might desire. If the clubs decided to do this, for every $400 they raised he would give $100, up to the amount of $10,000, not including the $5,000 first given by him. The club women consulted him as to whether he preferred a scholarship or a fund to be used in the club work, but as no one knew better than he how much money was needed to carry on the Federation work, he advised an endowment fund like the one to her dearest friend, Sarah Piatt Decker. In October 1915, the sum had reached $10,000, $6,000 of which had been contributed by Captain Buchwalter.5.
Marilla Andrews, his second wife