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(1) John C. Casner :" Was born in Blair County, Pa., Nov. 8, 1838, and was a son of Solomon and Susan (Dilling) Casner, deceased. He was married, first to Mary J. Wise, who passed to her reward April 3, 1879, leaving the following children: George W. dec.,Susan J., Ida M.,John W. and Charles C.
He was married again April 14, 1881, in this county to Delila Maurer who was born here March 13, 1847. Her parents, no longer living, were Jacob and Barbara (Manley) Maurer. One child was the issue of this marriage, Adan R.

Comrade Casner was a member of Co. H, 12th Pa. V. Cav., and has an honorable record. He was engaged in farming when he enrolled from Philadelphia, PA. (1862) as a private and before the close of the war he had attained the rank of 1st Sergt. He was twice slightly wounded at Harpers Ferry but did not enter hospital. He was granted a leave of absence of ten days and in February, 1864, was furloughed for thirty days, having re-enlisted as a veteran in old command. He was detailed a short time to guard railroad and also took part in the great and famous battles of 2nd Bull Run, South Mt., Antietam, Winchester, Gettysburg, Fishers Hill, Harpers Ferry, Front Royal and several skirmishes, receiving an honorable discharge July 1865, at Winchester, Va.

Sept. 15, 1863, at Smithfield, Va., our subject was with a detail of one hundred men, fifty of the 12th Pa. Cav. and 50 of the 1st N.Y. Lieut. Jones of the 1st N.Y. was in command, when they had a skirmesh with Guerrillas, Lieut. Jones being shot through the hand and captured. As they were charging after the rebels our subject noticed three rebels capturing Lieut. Jones, when he said to two comrades we "will recapture him". Each one signaled out his man, our subject taking after the one with the lieutenant's horse following him for about one and a half miles on the Charleston Pike and recapturing the horse and taking the rebel prisoner.

March 18, 1865, he left Charleston, Va., with a scouting party; the second day they ran into a squad of rebels at Louden Valley, where our subject was commanded to surrender; he fired his revolver killing his enemy and afterward wounded a rebel Capt.; after the rebels dispersed he went back and took arms of his killed and wounded men and returned to his Co. His first wife's brother Jacob served in 83rd Pa. V. I. and was wounded in action; his second wife's brothers, Nathaniel, Issac, Abram and Joseph, all served in Pa. regiments; the latter was wounded and died in service; Nathaniel lost his left arm while in service; her father served in the war of 1812. Comrade Casner is a member of Gibbon Post, No. 465, he is a farmer by occupation and his address is Duncansville, Pa."

(2) "EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
I have never heard from any of the 12th Pa. Cav. through your columns, probably because they were stationed on guard over the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, to keep off marauding bands of guerrillas; but nevertheless they had some exciting skirmishes.

On Sept. 15, 1863, we started on a scout up the Shenandoah Valley, with a detail of 100 men of our regiment and the 1st N.Y. Cav., (which was always with us) under the command of Lieut. Jones, 1st N.Y. In the evening, after supper, we remounted and rode till morning. Coming onto a squad of rebels at Smithfield, we drove them out of town after a severe skirmish, and started in pursuit. Happening to be in the rear with two other men, I noticed three rebels taking our commander, Lieut. Jones across a field. Motioning to the two others, we started after them. As soon as the rebels saw us they left the Lieutenant, who was walking, and started to gallop away. Each taking a man, I began a race for two miles on a level road with the one who had the Lieutenant's horse. I gained on him and fired, wounding the horse in the hip. He jumped and was going into a cornfield when I called "Surrender". We got back to Smithfield in due time, where Lieut. Jones was glad to see me, and to whom I turned over the horse and prisoner.I would be very glad to correspond with him, or anyone who knows him and sees this.

I well remember the day of March 18, 1865. We had been in Winter quarters at Charlestown, when Col. Bell, with a detachment of about 500 men and some infantry, went across the Shenandoah River and Blue Ridge Mountains into Loudoun Valley. On the second day of a three days scout we rode into a small village, Hamilton, when a few rebels who were there dispersed. We followed them into a woods at the south of the town. I was with the advance when we were surprised by a large band of ambushing guerrillas, whom we had left camp to capture. In the confusion we were merged into a hand to hand fight. I was riding along when a rebel suddenly wheeled, aimed, and ordered me to surrender. I raised my revolver and fired instead. His horse reeled and threw him off. I passed Capt. Black of Co. E, lying wounded by the roadside. I saw a rebel Captain firing into our men and doing deadly work. I fired and wounded him. Our main body now coming up, we soon routed the rebs and in the chase I found both my men. The first I shot was dead and the second wounded in the leg. He begged me to pull him to the side of the road so as not to be tramped on. He told me he was Capt. Chew, former commander of Chew's Battery.

John Casner, Sergeant, Co. H, 12th Pa. Cav., Duncansville, Pa.

The following info. comes from:
(1) the book Presidents,Soldiers,Statesmen published by H.H. Hardesty in 1898 - pgs. 1198-1199.

(2) from an editorial page of the newspaper National Tribune, date unknown.

Information provided by:Jim Ristine"
Thank You Jim Ristine for this information...