This diary of a Civil War soldier from Bucks County has been donated to the Bucks County Genealogical Society. The diary was written in 1865. It was found recently (2015) in the attic of a building in Wilmington Delaware.
The writer of the diary was somewhat of a mystery since he did not sign it. The BCGS Query Coordinator, Tom Myers, determined the author by reviewing the names and other clues in the diary.
The diary was written by John H. Markley. He was born on 8 Mar 1842 at Line Lexington, between Bucks and Montgomery counties. He was the son of George Markley and Ann Haldeman. He was one of nine children.
The 138th Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry, was organized at Harrisburg August 16, 1862. John enrolled at Harrisburg, on 26 August 1862. He served in Company H as the First Sergeant. Most of the men in Company H were from Bucks County. He was discharged on 23 June 1865 at Washington, DC with the rest of the 138th.
He married Sarah (Sallie) Jane Brand (born 18 Sep 1843) on 30 Aug 1866 at Eureka Reformed Church, in Eureka, between Bucks and Montgomery counties.
In September of 1866, they moved to near Jacksonville, Florida. Their only child, Ella Florida Markley was born there on 4 October 1867. (They only had one child, so there are no descendants named Markley.) They left Florida in January 1868 since they “could not stand the hot climate”, and returned to Colmar, PA.
John claimed a disability after 1881, saying he could not work anymore (he was a farmer) due to his service. He participated in a march from Richmond to Washington in March and April 1865 and by the first of June, he was not able to march and was given a pass to ride in an ambulance. Reading his pension application, it’s a little difficult to determine what his disability was. Apparently, he suffered from the heat, and he may have suffered from sun stroke.
From the time of his Civil War service until 1895, he mostly lived in Hilltown Township. From 1895 until his death in 1916, he mostly lived in Lansdale, Montgomery County, PA. He was living at 36 East 3rd Street in Lansdale at the time of his death on 17 Sep 1916. His wife, Sallie, died on 25 Mar 1922 in Lansdale, PA. They are both buried at Pleasantville United Church of Christ Cemetery, in Chalfont, Bucks County, PA.
John’s obituary was published on September 22, 1916:
JOHN H. MARKLEY of Lansdale, aged 74 years, died last Monday morning after an illness of several weeks. Mr. Markley was a veteran of the Civil War, an active member of Col. Ed. Schall Post, G.A.R., and prominent in church work. The funeral was held yesterday (Thursday) afternoon at the Methodist church. Rev. C.T. Isenberger officiated. Interment private at Pleasantville cemetery. Undertaker Shelly in charge. Besides the widow, one daughter survives, Mrs. William Snyder of Hilltown.
Source: Souderton Independent obituaries 1915-1921
Donated by: Thomas G. Myers.
This diary was written in 1865. Further research into John’s life revealed that he wrote another diary from 1862 - 1863. This diary is available at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (hsp.org). It is part of the Ferdinand Julius Dreer Collection. It is described there as "diary, 1862-1863, of John H. Markley, a sergeant in the Pennsylvania Volunteers".
The BGCS will donate this 1865 diary to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
The pages were photographed by VP-Programs Jeff Sipler. You can view the pages by clicking here or on the photo to the left. Peg Felter, Assistant VP-Membership, volunteered to transcribe the text; her transcription is available here.