https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9575051/theodore-weber-bean

PA House 1889-1890

Theodore Weber Bean's contribution to Montgomery County History is witnessed by his having co-edited the celebrated History of Montgomery County, in which he proceeds forward from the early settlement of eastern Pennsylvania. He even considers the Native Americans . This work may be found online.

Bean's involvement in the Civil War seems to have spring-boarded his fascination in his local history. Like so many soldiers deeply involved with the fighting, he had had a frightening time at the front. The full impact on his spirit wasn't revealed in his voluminous writing. It may have even contributed to his eventual suicide at the age of 57.

One of his duties as an officer had been to serve a Provost Marshal during a late stage conflict. It was (then) Capt. Bean who was ordered to hang two captured soldiers in contravention of widely accepted military protocol. A direct order from a superior officer is a direct order (!). (see his time-line = September 1864)

An excellent account of this execution is in: The Nature of Sacrifice: A Biography of Charles Russell Lowell, Jr., 1835-64 (2005) by Carol Bundy page 437-438

• http://www.legis.state.pa.us/wu01/vc/visitor_info/pa_history/II.htm)
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17th_Pennsylvania_Cavalry

general military service

from webpage "17th PA Volunteer Cavalry") In July, 1862 President Abraham Lincoln called for 3 Regiments of Cavalry from Pennsylvania the 17th Pa was one of them. By Nov,1862 the Unit was mustered, commanded by Col Josiah Kellogg ( a Mexican War Veteran ) and drilling near Washington City. The majority of the members of the 17th Pennsylvania Cavalry hailed from central Pa ( Co E from Lebanon). (Bean's) Co L was from Montgomery & Chester Counties and there were boys in Co I from Philadelphia Pa. pvt Jeremiah Royer Co. L. 17th Pennsylvania Cavalry was involved in skirmishes too numerous to list in this piece. The boys did however participate in many of our American Civil War's major campaigns, ie; Chancellorsville, Brandy Station, Gettysburg, Mine Run, Kilpatrick's Raid, Wilderness, Sheridan's Raid/Yellow Tavern, Sheridan's Trevillian Raid/Trevillian Station, Shenandoah Valley Appomattox Campaigns. The Unit lost 6 Officers 98 enlisted men to battle wounds 128 more to disease for a total of 232 men. The 17th served long, hard participated in the Grand Review in Washington City on May 23, 1865. They were ( those who had not finished out their terms of service) eventually combined with the 2nd 6th Pa formed the 2nd Pennsylvania Provisional Cavalry and finally mustered out on Aug. 7, 1865.

http://petruzzi.wordpress.com/2007/06/15/the-17th-pennsylvania-cava...

T.W.Bean spearheaded various historic commemorations for the 17th PA Cavalry. I will try to remember to post some documents this is from elswhere: http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/1234801/story/5df17934-c63d-47e8-ad9...

see also on ancestry.com

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/1234801/person/-1423112281

• (from an obituary) "His belief in female suffrage and the belief be entertained that woman should be as free as man, was seriously and constantly maintained" ((ed. note) TW Bean's wife, Hannah Heebner, was a graduate of the Pennsylvania Female College and duly must have shared this belief. )

http://books.google.com/books/reader?id=CxoVAAAAYAAJ&printsec=front... Theo. W. Bean served as 1st president of the Montgomery County Historical Society for the initial 8 years. He wrote a letter of resignation on 2/19/1889

•Remember: TWB bought his employer’s business in 1859. But all of this was before the Civil War. After the war TWB read the law.

1850 = 3 year apprenticed to Richards 1854 (+/-) Trooper Business 1859 = purchase of his former bosses’ business in Jeffersonville

on ancestry dot com

The roll of honor of the Seventeenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, or, One Hundred and Sixty-second of the Line, Pennsylvania Volunteers = https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/28728/

• for PA Regt. details of the Civil War: see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Pennsylvania_Civil_War_units
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17th_Pennsylvania_Cavalry
    • " It was the second regiment formed in response to President Abraham Lincoln's call July 2, 1862 requesting Pennsylvania furnish three cavalry regiments."