Barton, Milton, and William Airey

At the time of the Civil War, brothers Barton, Milton, and William Airey resided in Union County. All three brothers enlisted in the USCT; Both Barton and Milton died during their service. The Veteran’s Administration mistook Milton for his brother William, leaving Milton without a Civil War headstone until 2018. Once William died and was interred in the Lewisburg Cemetery in 1871, all three brothers were buried next to each other, with only two headstones atop their burial sites. Efforts were led by local historian and then Lewisburg Cemetery Association president Nancy Neuman, who worked with the Union County Veteran’s Administration to provide proof of Milton’s service in order to apply for the appropriate Civil War headstone.Following these efforts, a dedication was led on October 13, 2018. The service was led by Pastor John Lee, who portrayed a Civil War Chaplain and followed the guidelines of a military burial found in the Civil War era Soldier’s Prayer Book. Milton’s headstone, a historically accurate marble marker, was placed between the headstones of his brothers, William and Barton.¹ 

The brothers were born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, before moving to Lewisburg as young men. They had two sisters, Elizabeth and Barbara, and a fourth brother, John.² William was born in 1836, and at the time of the Civil War was working as a barber in a shop located in the basement of the Lewisburg Hotel, still located on Market Street.³ William enlisted on February 25, 1865 at the age of 29, roughly a year after both of his brothers.⁴ When Barton and Milton enlisted the year prior, William purchased a lot in the Lewisburg Cemetery. Tragically, William would see both of his brothers buried in their newly obtained family plot. 

William married Sarah Harriet Cummings Airey, from Danville, Pennsylvania, and the couple welcomed six children: Samuel Herbert (1860-1870), Carrie “Catherine” Elizabeth (1863-1880), Bertha Ellen (1865-1891), Jennie Cummings (1867-1898), Rachel Rosanna (1869-1871), and Annie (1869).⁵ William passed away in 1871 at the age of 35, several years after the end of his service.⁶ Following William’s death, Sarah became a school teacher to support her family. The family relocated multiple times before finally settling in Camden, New Jersey around 1888.⁷ Sarah passed away in 1903 at the age of 68.⁸

As suggested by the previous discussion of his posthumous misidentification, records of Milton’s life and service are somewhat confusing and at times include conflicting information. Exact dates regarding his service and death remain uncertain due to his being mistaken for his brother.

Milton was born in 1840 and enlisted in the military on February 20, 1864 .⁹ He was promoted to corporal within two months, and served at the Battle of the Crater on July 30th, 1864 in Petersburg, Virginia. The Battle was a particularly brutal one. A Union orchestrated mine explosion resulted in the death of 278 Confederate soldiers, and USCT troops were disproportionately lost, with nearly 200 Black soldiers being summarily executed by Confederate forces. In total, roughly 3,800 Union and about 1,500 Confederate casualties were accounted for. 

Milton’s Certificate of Disability for Discharge states that a gunshot resulted in the amputation of his right thumb, obtained during this battle. He was treated at L’Ouverture U.S. General Hospital, a military hospital in Alexandria, Virginia, built to care for Black troops. Milton spent four months in the hospital for this injury before being approved for military discharge.¹⁰ He died two years later on October 17, 1867, at the age of 27. His obituary lists cause of death as pulmonary disease, “the seeds of which were sown while fighting for the disenthrallment of his brethren”.¹¹ 

Barton Airey was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1842. Prior to his service, he lived with the Chamberlin family where he worked as a farmhand.¹² According to 1863 schedules, Barton was a teamster, a now antiquated term for those who operated teams of mules and oxen, typically on a farm¹³. His certificate of discharge from service lists him simply as “farmer”. Barton enlisted on February 20, 1864. He was injured during service at Petersburg, Virginia, and was admitted to the David’s Island, New York, Military Hospital on July 8, 1864 for disease.¹⁴

The September 1864 muster roll records Barton’s death as a result of chronic diarrhea. Dysentery was rampant on the battlefield as a result of crowded conditions, unsanitary cooking and restroom conditions, and poor diet. More men died as a result of digestive disease than injury during battle. There are approximately 57k recorded deaths by “quickstep” and related diseases, compared to 44k recorded battle related deaths in the Union army. Treatments varied, but most were totally ineffective. Some relied on home remedies, while others were treated with opium, silver nitrate, or whiskey. Barton passed away at only 24 years old, and was then initially buried at Cypress Hill National Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.¹⁵ His sisters later petitioned for guardianship of his body, which was bestowed upon his brother, William. The family was eventually able to have him transferred to the Lewisburg Cemetery¹⁶.

1. Strubb, Chelsea; “Civil War Veteran Receives Proper Burial- 151 Years Later”, WNEP News, October 13, 2018. https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/union-county/civil-war-veteran-receives-proper-burial-151-years-later/523-8414134a-2d46-4bd0-b1d7-eaff3c23b32b.
2. 1860 United States Federal Census. MyHeritage.com [online database], MyHeritage Ltd. https://records.myheritagelibraryedition.com/research/ collection-10127/1860-united-states-federal-census.
3. U.S. Census Bureau, William Airey, 31 July 1860, via Ancestry.com. Accessed 1 April 2026.
4. William Airey, Volunteer Enlistment, 25 February 1865, via Ancestry.com. Accessed 1 April 2026.
5. U.S. Census Bureau, William Airey in the 1870 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, accessed 1 April 2026.
6. Record of Burial Place of Veteran for William R. Airey. Department of Military Affairs. Accessed via Union County Pennsylvania Veterans’ Affairs Office.
7. U.S. Census Bureau, Sarah Harriet Cummings Airey, 27 June 1900, Via Ancestry.com. Accessed 7 April 2026.
8. U.S. Census Bureau, Sarah Harriet Cummings Airey, 14 June 1880, Via Ancestry.com. Accessed 7 April 2026.
9. Discharge documents provided by Nancy Neumann.
10. U.S., Colored Troops Military Service Records, 1863-1865, Milton Airey. Ancestry. https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/58237862?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a2254614b454e735935476266562b4750492f7272315a524e6a632f2f69685672716e7044532b4c435a307a6b3d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d.
11. Obituary of Milton Airey. Lewisburg Chronicle, October 25, 1867. Newspapers.com. http://www.newspapers.com/image/302614940
12. U.S. Census Bureau, Barton Airey in the 1860 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, accessed 1 April 2026.
13. Compiled military service record, [Barton Airey, Private, 43rd US Colored Infantry, American Civil War]. National Archives, Washington, D.C. (Fold3 on Ancestry.com).
14. Compiled military service record, [Barton Airey, Private, 43rd US Colored Infantry, American Civil War]. National Archives, Washington, D.C. (Fold3 on Ancestry.com).
15. Compiled military service record, [Barton Airey, Private, 43rd US Colored Infantry, American Civil War]. National Archives, Washington, D.C. (Fold3 on Ancestry.com).
16. Veteran’s Burial Card for Barton Airey, 29 August 1940, via Ancestry.com. Accessed 1 April 2026.