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"But, nevertheless, the generation that carried on the war has been set apart by its experience. Through our great good fortune, in our youth our hearts were touched with fire." - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., Memorial Day speech 1884.Photo at left: Alice Stark Burlingame and Herman Leroy Burlingame at their home in Kasson, Pennsylvania. This photo was taken c. 1929. Note the right shoe of HL Burlingame -- according to Gertrude Burlingame (source: recorded interview), HL Burlingame was never able to comfortably lace his right shoe due to the fact that his Gettysburg battle leg wound never properly healed. (See the link below for the eyewitness account of his capture at Gettysburg by Confederate troops).
Herman Leroy Burlingame's Obituary:
The "irresistible onslaught of relentless time"
H. L. Burlingame Answers Taps
McKean County Democrat
08/20/1931
Comrade, H. LeRoy Burlingame, aged 89 of nearby Kasson, one of Smethport’s valiant survivors of the Civil War succumbed to the irresistible onslaught of relentless time at the Safstrom Nursing Home, East Smethport, Friday morning at 10:30 o’clock.
The venerable beloved citizen had been ailing for some time and was taken to the nursing home for treatment a few days previous to his death.
The deceased was born in Hamlin township, a few miles from Smethport, June 10, 1842, a son of Hiram W. and Sally Rifle Burlingame, pioneer settlers, being the oldest of a family of eight. In the days of Mr. Burlingame’s youth the entire area from Smethport through Kasson was solid wilderness, broken only by a few farms. Here he attended district school and grew to robust young manhood.
On August 18, 1862, he enlisted in his country’s service and on that day married Miss Alice Stark of this place before joining Company G. 150th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry under Capt. Horatio Buil, with which he saw strenuous service on the battle-front, being seriously wounded at Gettysburg. On Oct.1, 1863, he was transferred to the Veterans’ Reserve Corps and was mustered out of service by general orders July 7th, 1865.
Five children were born to H. LeRoy and Alice Stark Burlingame, one of who, Miss Lydia Burlingame, who has been the faithful aide of her parents, survives. Mrs. Burlingame passed away three years ago. The deceased is survived is survived by two sisters, Mrs. Belle Wilson, of Smethport, and Mrs. Millie Olmstead, of Portville, N.Y.; one brother, Earnest Burlingame, of Indianapolis, Ind.; five grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren.
During his splendid and unusual Civil War service Comrade Burlingame participated in the following engagements: Fithugh’s Crossing, Va; Chancellorsville, Va; Gettysburg, pa; Battle of Wilderness Va; Spottsylvania, Va; North Anna, Va; Totopotomay, Va; Bethesda Church, Va; Weldon’s R.R,, Va; Hatche’s Run, Va, and Dubney’s Mills, Va. After his return from the war Mr. Burlingame drove the stage and carried mail from Smethport to Wilcox for some time.
He lived in the borough for several years, during which time he served as constable, but most of his life was spent on his fine farm at Kasson, which he operated successfully up to the time failing health necessitated a rest from labor. For a great many years Mr. Burlingame served as tipstave of the McKean County court, Smethport, and was one of the oldest court officers in point of continuous service in the entire state.
He was active in McKean County Post, G.A.R. during all the years of its existence and his interest in veterans’ affairs continued alert to the end. His kindliness and hospitality endeared him to all.
The funeral was held at the family home in Kasson Monday afternoon at 3:30 o’clock, the Rev. W. E. VanDyke, rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church officiating. Burial was in Rose Hill Cemetery, Smethport, full military honors being paid the aged hero by Bucktail Post, American Legion, which escorted the cortege.
A firing squad discharged volleys and Post Dugler Alford Bush sounded “Taps” as the body was consigned to the grave. The casket bearers, World War veterans-were: Merle Dickinson, Dr. W. A. Ostrander, E. G. Potter, W. A. Ross, Edwin Lindholm and Charles McKean.
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Photo top left is HL Burlingame, Cpl, 150th PA Vol Regt, Co G, during the Civil War.
Photo above left: HL Burlingame, seated, holding his great grandson, Frederick Clifford Burlingame, Jr. Standing (right) is his grandson Frederick Clifford Burlingame, Sr. and (left) his son, Clifford Herman Burlingame.
HL Burlingame Sang "Tenting Tonight"In a 1982 interview with her grandson, Gertrude (Cooper) Burlingame recalled how Herman Leroy Burlingame would sing old Civil War songs as she played the piano ...
"And they used to come down, when I was first married, to the farm [at Kasson, PA] up there and play, and well you know they entertained themselves in that day and age you didn’t have TV and all that stuff, and people used to get together, and they used to have awful good times just with the families. So they had the piano at the farm, and Grandpa used to..., I used to play for him, and he’d sing all of the old army songs --“Tenting Tonight”, and he’d go through all those songs, and he had a beautiful tenor voice. After he was so old that he had forgotten an awful lot of things, and that he wasn’t very good you know to talk to in lots of ways, yet he’d sing those songs clear through, and remember every word." - Gertrude Burlingame, as recorded in 1982
Photo above right: HL Burlingame, seated on the right, preparing to leave by train for the 50th reunion of the Union and Confederate veterans of the Battle of Gettsyburg.At the reunion, Confederate veterans recreated the famed Pickett's charge. As they watched the other old veterans coming across that terrible field of death, the Union veterans were overcome with emotion. Said one veteran: "....the Yankees, unable to restrain themselves longer, burst from behind the stone wall, and flung themselves upon their former enemies. Not in mortal combat, but embracing them, in brotherly love and affection." See this excerpt about the reunion from the Ken Burns series.Photo at left: Portrait photograph of Alice Stark Burlingame, wife of HL BurlingamePhoto at right: HL Burlingame's farmhouse in Kasson, PA
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Ninth Generation: Herman Leroy Burlingame (Hiram, Isaac, Josiah, Silas, Moses, Moses, Thomas, Roger):
Herman Leroy Burlingame was the son of Hiram Wolcott and Sarah "Sally" (Rifle) Burlingame born Kasson, PA June 10, 1842 died Smethport, PA August 14, 1931 married August 18, 1862 Alice Stark born March 29, 1843 died Smethport, PA June 16, 1928 daughter of Warren and Fanny (Bunce) Stark. Herman Leroy enlisted in the Union Army on his wedding day. He earned the rank of Corporal and was assigned to Company G of the 150th Pennsylvania Regiment (known as one of the three Bucktail Regiments). On July 1, 1863 he was wounded in the heel at Gettysburg. An account recorded by a young Gettysburg resident named Henry Jacobs ("Eyewitness" at GNMP archives) notes that H.L. was helped into the town of Gettysburg after being wounded. He was hidden in the Jacobs basement at Middle and Washington streets in Gettysburg with two other unwounded Union solders. Confederates conducted search and first took the two unwounded men into custody, and then returned for H.L. He was taken to Libby Prison in Virginia where his wound was cauterized. After the war, he was a farmer, resided in Kasson, PA. The children were: Florence I., Wilbur W., Clifford Herman, Lydia Frances and Marion. It was alleged (by the late Gertrude Burlingame) that he died in 1931 after his war wound (which never properly healed) resulted in a septic infection causing his death -- likely making him the last Union veteran to die from a battle wound.
A few additional notes about HL Burlingame from the History of the Counties of McKean, Elk, Cameron and Potter, PA:
- In the elections of 1873, HL Burlingame was elected as coroner (p 125)
- In 1890, H.L. was elected constable. (p. 260)
H.L. and his wife, Alice F. Stark, lost on infant daughter they named Marian - she is buried at Kasson Cemetery:
Marian Burlingame age infant - dau of H.L. & A.F. BURLINGAME (stone underground ) Source: http://www.paintedhills.org/MCKEAN/KassonCem.html
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