History of Selinsgrove, (Snyder County) Pennsylvania United States of America

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Simon Snyder, soldier, was born in Selinsgrove, Pa., Feb. 9, 1839; son of Henry William and Mary Catharine (Smith) Snyder; grandson of Simon and Catharine (Antes) Snyder and of Judge Frederick (Pennsylvania Supreme Court) and Catharine Spangler (Leaf) Smith. He received a liberal education; enlisted in the Federal army and was appointed 2d lieutenant, 5th infantry, April 26, 1861; promoted 1st lieutenant, June 25, 1861, and captain, July 1, 1863, serving most of the time as a staff-officer, being aide-de-camp to Generals Couch, Torbert and Merritt, successively. He was married, Oct. 9, 1869, to Mary Turner, daughter of Joseph and Martha (Stinson) Wardwell of Clinton, Maine. He was promoted major, 11th infantry, March 10, 1883, 5th infantry, May 17, 1883; lieutenant-colonel, 10th infantry, Jan. 2, 1888; was brevetted major, Feb. 27, 1890, for gallant services against the Indians at Bear Paw mountain, Montana, Sept. 30, 1877; was commissioned colonel, 19th infantry, Sept. 16, 1892; brigadier-general U.S. volunteers, May 4, 1898, being assigned to the first corps, Chickamauga Park, Ga., and was in command of the U.S. troops at New Orleans, La., May 10 to June, 1898, and of the 2d division, 4th army corps, at Tampa, Fla., from June, 1898. He commanded the 1st brigade, 1st division, 1st army corps, en route to the province of Santa Clara, Cuba, November, 1898, to January, 1899; was governor of the province at Sancti Spiritus, Dec. 6, 1898, to Jan. 25, 1899; subsequently on special duty at Ponce, Puerto Rico, and mustered out of the volunteer service, May 12, 1899, being ordered to proceed with his regiment to the Philippines. He was on duty at Manila, P.I., Aug. 21, to Sept. 15, 1899, commanding the United States troops and sub-district of Cebu, September, 1899, to April 2, 1900; served as acting inspector-general, Department of the Lakes, Chicago, Ill., from July 22, 1900, to July 26, 1901; was en route to the Philippines to Oct. 10, 1901; commanding the regiment to Dec. 6, 1901; in command of 5th separate brigade, division of the Philippines, to May 8, 1909; appointed brigadier-general, U.S.A., April 16, 1909, and on May 10, 1902, was retired at his own request after more than 41 years' service.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Selinsgrove, (Snyder County) Pennsylvania

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