My Genealogy Hound

PATRICK FRANCIS HODGE, conductor, Brushton, East End, was born at Sarah Furnace, Blair county, Pa., Nov. 1, 1839, a son of Patrick and Mary (Keegan) Hodge, of Drogheda, County Meath, Ireland. The father died when Patrick was two years old, and the latter was early driven to support himself as best he could by farm labor. At the outbreak of the civil war he enlisted in the three-months service, and then again enlisted Sept. 20, 1861, in Co. A, 55th P. V. I. He was very soon promoted to second sergeant, and was commissioned as second lieutenant in April and first lieutenant in August, 1863, and captain Feb. 15, 1865. Previous to 1864 he was in the department of the South, and was twice wounded at the battle of Pocotaligo, S. C. From the battle of Cold Harbor on, he was with the Army of the Potomac; was wounded in the lower jaw and made prisoner at Drury’s Bluff. He was kept at Petersburg and Libby till able to move, and was one of the six hundred officers exposed to the Union fire at Charleston. At one time, while on the move, he jumped out of a freight car, but was compelled to give himself up at Edisto island. While confined at Columbia, S. C., he again made his escape, after being eight months a prisoner, and reached the Federal pickets, near Pocotaligo, after lying all night in water between there and the Confederates. He returned at once to his regiment, and served as provost-marshal of Buckingham county, Va., until after the close of hostilities, being mustered out Aug. 30, 1865. In 1866, he found employment as passenger-brakeman on the P. R. R.; two and one-half years later he became conductor and is now taking through trains from Pittsburgh to Altoona. He built his present residence at Brushton in 1872, and has been several years a school director of Sterrett township. He is a republican. Capt. Hodge is now commander of Wilkinsburg Post, G. A. R., and is also a member of the Veteran Legion. Sept. 16, 1869, Capt. Hodge married Susan, daughter of Edward and Mary (Cassidy) McGraw, the parents being of Irish birth; the daughter was born in Freedom, Blair county, Pa., and is now the mother of two sons, George Edward and Gerald Francis. The family attend St. James’ R. C. Church at Wilkinsburg.