Sobescus Cromleigh

As far as I know, SOBESCUS CROMLEIGH is not a relative of mine.  He has often been confused with my great great grandfather FREDERICK CROMLICH / FREDERICK CRUMLICH (1820-1864), in spite of a significant age difference.  They did serve together as privates in th Co. H, 7th Pennsylvania reserves.  They both were captured during the Battle of the Wilderness, May 4, 1864.  They were both taken to Andersonville Prison Camp in Georgia. 

It was there that Great Great Grandfather CROMLICH died on Oct. 4, 1864.  He is buried there in the cemetery in grave number 10283.   The two men were mixed up in the records, so the gravestone reads :  F.S. CROMLEIGH, PA.   That will never  be changed, as the park ranger tells us "it is an historical artifact." 

Enough evidence has been provided for there to be a change in the official record at Andersonville, however.  The change will be made, when the park service has enough money to hire more emplyees to do that sort of thing !    A hero like FREDERICK CROMLICH, should be honored by telling his true story. 

In researching these two men, I have discovered that Sobescus CROMLEIGH survived horrible Andersonville Prison Camp, was hospitalized, and then returned to duty.  He lived until 1929 and is buried in Pennsylvania.

During the Civil War, Sobescus enlisted in Harrisburg May 8, 1861, with Co. H, 7th Pa Reserves (36th Pa Inf), at the rank of private. He re-enlisted as a Veteran Volunteer in early 1864. He was captured May 5, 1864, at the Battle of the Wilderness and taken to Andersonville Prison. On May 31, 1864, while at Andersonville, he was transferred to Co. H, 190th Pa Infantry to complete his enlistment. (The Pennsylvania Reserve Corps no longer existed.)  Paroled at Northeast Ferry on February 26, 1865, he was hospitalized. He returned to active duty by June 6, 1865.