John P. Van Leer

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John P. Van Leer
Birth nameJohn Pugh Van Leer
BornFebruary 27, 1825
Camden, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedMay 5, 1862(1862-05-05) (aged 37)
Williamsburg, Virginia, U.S.
Buried
Mount Vernon Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service/branchUnion Army
Years of service1860-1862
RankUnion Army colonel rank insignia.pngColonel
Union Army LTC rank insignia.png Lieutenant Colonel[1]
Commands held6th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War

John Pugh Van Leer (February 27, 1825 – May 5, 1862) was an American military officer who served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He commanded the 6th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry regiment and was killed during the Battle of Williamsburg. He was a descendant of the Van Leer family, some the earliest settlers of the Pennsylvania Colony.

Early life[]

Van Leer was born in Camden, New Jersey. His great-grandfather Bernardhus Van Leer was a German immigrant to the Pennsylvania Colony and one of William Penn's earliest investors.[2] John's grandfather Isaac Van Leer fought in the American Revolutionary War along with his brother Samuel Van Leer.[3] The Van Leer family was well known in the iron business and active in the anti-slavery cause.[4] Several historical locations in Pennsylvania are associated with the Van Leer family including the Van Leer Cabin[5] and the Van Leer Pleasant Hill Plantation.[6]

Civil War[]

At the outbreak of the Civil War Van Leer joined the Union Army at Newark, New Jersey with his family, and was commissioned as a Captain, promoted to Major and Lieutenant colonel of the 6th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry in 1861.[7] He served under Brigadier General Francis E. Patterson and Joseph Hooker.[8] Van Leer's regiment was the first fully equipped brigade to arrive in Washington, D.C. just before the First Battle of Bull Run.[9] After his regiment built Fort Runyon, Van Leer lead 10 companies during Hooker's Virginia campaigns. He was killed during the Battle of Williamsburg on May 5, 1862[10][11] and interred at Mount Vernon Cemetery in Philadelphia.[12] Before being killed in battle, his commission as a Colonel was on its way to him. His colonelcy would later be officially honored after his death.[13]

Legacy[]

The Van Leer Post, No. 36 of the Grand Army of the Republic in Gloucester County, New Jersey, was named in his honor.[14]

Citations[]

  1. ^ Foster, John Young (1868). New Jersey and the Rebellion: A History of the Service of the Troops and the People of New Jersey in Aid of the Union Cause. Newark, NJ: Martin R. Dennis & Co. p. 17. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  2. ^ "Dr. Bernardhus Van Leer".
  3. ^ "Valley Forge Historical Society". 1962.
  4. ^ Smith Futhey, J. (2007). "History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, Biographies". History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, Biographies. pp. 687–688. ISBN 9780788443879.
  5. ^ Southwell, Priscilla L. Cox. "Dating the Van Leer Cabin". tehistory.org. Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  6. ^ Jordan, John W. (1911). Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc. pp. 1322–1323. ISBN 0-8063-0811-7. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  7. ^ Smith Futhey, J. (2007). "History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with Genealogical and Biographical". History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with Genealogical and Biographical. pp. 752–753. ISBN 9780788443879.
  8. ^ "Camden in the Civil War - Co. K, 6th New Jersey Infantry Regiment". www.history.navy.mil. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  9. ^ "Camden People - George e. Wilson Sr".
  10. ^ Latta, James William (1912). History of the First Regiment Infantry, National Guard of Pennsylvania (Gray Reserves) 1861-1911. Philadelphia & London: J.B. Lippincott & Co. p. 34. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  11. ^ Rickard, J. "Armies of the Battle of Williamsburg, 5 May 1862". www.historyofwar.org. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  12. ^ Scharf, John Thomas (1884). History of Philadelphia, 1609-1884. Philadelphia: L.H. Everts & Co. p. 1882. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  13. ^ Prowell, George Reeser (1886). The History of Camden County, New Jersey. Philadelphia: L.J Richards & Co. p. 115. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  14. ^ Prowell, George Reeser (1886). The History of Camden County, New Jersey. Philadelphia: L.J. Richards & Co. pp. 176–177. Retrieved 2 September 2021.

Sources[]

External links[]

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