- We've asked you to send in your photos and former Peekskillian & 1966 PMA graduate Robert Barger is the first to do so -
Robert begins his talk about the weapons used during his years at the Peekskill Military Academy............
"About the M1’s: we had some 200 of them, 90 1903A3 Springfields, 1 BAR, and 20 M1 Carbines in the PMA Armory. The BAR was used for punishment details,as it weighed in around 20 pounds, to carry while marching around the Old Oak. I saw it fired once at Camp Smith by a Tac officer, but we cadets never were allowed to shoot it. Years later I shot one at a commercial range, just to see. Anyone who dropped their M1 got to run around the parade field at high port as a reminder. I wish I had taken the time to record serial numbers and configurations on those M1’s, as I have been an M1 collector now for some years, and the information would have been useful.
Late 1965 or early ’66, in response to the race riots which had occurred around that time, the Army Corps command for our area sent word that any weapons not actually fired in training would have to be deactivated. I witnessed the 90 1903A3’s sent to a local welder to have the bolts welded to the receivers and muzzles plugged. A collector’s nightmare!
I’ve got a picture of my dad in his younger years, in a Cortland Hook & Ladder marching uniform; a picture of the Eagle Garage with and old car out front (likely new, at the time the shot was taken). It was located near the Soldiers and Sailors monument, at Division & Cortlandt Sts. Granddad was interested in photography, and had made some shots of the Croton Dam under construction. I’ll have to dig around to find them, and see what else I’ve got.
The 1916 Obit was for Allen Barger, my great grandfather who was a Civil war vet. He was the one who was wounded at Antietam going over Burnsides Bridge with the 51st NY. The photo didn’t come out very well and I was not able to flatten out the newsprint any more, as it was very brittle. I have two obits for him from two different local papers, which I have transcribed elsewhere. Each has details which supplement the other. The obits for Allen Barger were interesting to me, as there was little that was mentioned of him in family conversations; so they filled in details of some interesting family history.
I have visited Antietam battlefield. It is still pretty much as it was. The locals and veterans’ organizations had, quite early on, recognized the historic significance of the site, and devoted funds and efforts to its preservation. There are plaques and monuments all over the place, purchased by subscription among surviving veterans of the various units engaged at those points. The original Burnside’s Bridge is still there. I walked across it, looking up at the heights on the other side, from which the 2nd Georgia had poured fire down on advancing Union units. It was like a shooting gallery. Luckily, they began to run low on ammunition, and had to give ground.
Allen recovered from wounds received there (or I would not be here, writing this.) He went on to re-enlist in December of 1863, after receiving honorable discharge at the end of his first enlistment. Searching the military records yields mostly just muster sheets; but the pension records tell more, because pensions were partly based on wounds and disabilities.
I have his first discharge papers, which show a stamp registering his receipt of the $300 re-enlistment bonus, a tidy sum in those days. The stamp was to prevent multiple collection of bonuses. Apparently it was not uncommon for soldiers to collect such a bonus, desert, then re-enlist in another unit to collect again. The presence of an official stamp would indicate this to have been a significant problem. The manpower problem was becoming acute at that time for the North. Heavy losses early in the war, put a damper on recruitment; there were draft riots in New York which had to be put down with Federal troops.
The WLNA picture was of my mom around 1950. She was the first woman broadcaster on that station. Her show, “Pointers for Petticoats” featured women’s topics primarily, but also ventured into the interview format. She interviewed book authors, local personalities, even one interview with the then Princess of Burma.
The guy in the orchestra picture, rear row far left with the clarinet is my dad, Clarence Barger; the gal in the fur coat front center, I think was my aunt Ruth, dad’s sister,(married name Ruth Gale) but I’m not sure. She does bear a resemblance to my sister, though. The Ration book and stamps were WW II, issued to my grandfather Elmer Barger circa 1942. The stamps with the word “mileage” must have been for gas, tires etc. The Dutch Reformed (I believe, based on grandparents faith) Church picture, may have been the interior of the church formerly on the northeast corner of Main & N. James St.; but I have no first hand knowledge that this is so, as the church was demolished when I was younger and had been abandoned for some time before that. I remember walking by the abandoned building, but never ventured inside. I think Allen Barger had associations to this church, prior to moving to Yonkers."
The Eagle Garage Chowder party appears to have been held in the garage basement? Cannot identify people in the photos, but The Eagle Garage was a joint venture of Elmer Barger and Charles Yellott just after the turn of the century, so assume they're in there somewhere. I note that Mr. Yellott was also one of the pallbearers at the AllenBarger funeral. After some years, Elmer left the business, leaving Mr.Yellott the sole owner. I think the Eagle Garage was located on the northeast corner of Division and Cortlandt Sts. The car in the photo was probably new when it was taken.
There are three blue stamp imprints on the discharge, left to right they are: CREDIT NYC QUOTA - CONGRESSIONAL DISt. 6; (undecipherable) COUNTY - PAID $300 BOUNTY. The last stamp refers to the re-enlistment bounty for veteran troops mentioned earlier.
Dutch Reformed Church
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Last modified: August, 2009