William Leas Emery ¹

  General Notes:

JOHN B. EMERY was born, December 28, 1843, son of Josiah and Julia Ann (Beecher) Emery. He was educated in the common schools and the Wellsboro Academy. He enlisted in Company I, Forty-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers, and saw service through the entire war, participating in the battles of Hilton Head, South Carolina, and with the Army of the Potomac at the second battle of Bull Run, South Mountain, and Antietam. He was promoted corporal for meritorious conduct at Antietam, and was with the Ninth Corps in their operations in Kentucky and Mississippi, and with the Army of the Potomac from Cold Harbor to Petersburg. December 14, 1863, he was captured at Flat Gap, Tennessee, and confined in Belle Isle and Richmond prisons until April 2, 1864, when he was released. He was tendered the position of first lieutenant of Company G, Twenty-fifth Regiment, in December, 1864, but declined the responsible opposition. Returning from the war he became a clerk in the freight office of the Northern Central railroad at Williamsport. In March, 1866, he went to Kansas, and in company with thirteen others crossed the plains with a wagon train destined for Salt Lake City. They were attacked by Sioux Indians, September 4th, on Lodge Pole creek, and all their stock was driven off by the savages, who surrounded them until the 11th of September, when troops from Fort John Buford, on Laramie plains, came to their relief. Mr. Emery acted as night herder for a Mormon mule train from September 16th to October 16th, when they reached Salt Lake City. He returned to Williamsport in the spring of 1867 and became clerk for the Northern Central railroad. In 1870 he went to Wisconsin in the employ of a large lumber firm. In the spring of 1871 he was appointed agent for the Catawissa railroad at Tamaqua, and in 1872 he became general agent for the West Branch Lumber Company, and freight solicitor for the Pennsylvania railroad. In 1881 he established the lumber firm of J. B. Emery & Company, which was merged into the Emery Lumber Company, December 7, 1891. Mr. Emery is one of the founders of the Daily Republican, was one of the organizers of the Ross Club, is a stockholder in the Athletic Park Association, and is a charter member of Reno Post, G. A. R., and of the Union Veteran Legion. He is a stalwart Republican, has been chairman of that party's county committee, and has served as auditor, school director, and select councilman for the city of Williamsport. April 1, 1890, he was appointed postmaster of this city, and has greatly improved the service, having added two mounted carriers and established a sub-postoffice and two stamp offices. He married Helen A. Otto, and to this union have been born two children: Frank O. and Julia. His brother, William V. Emery, is a member of the Emery Lumber Company, and was married to Emily S., daughter of W. B. Leas, and to them have been born three children: William L.; Mary S., and Eugene M.