Philip Acker

Philip was severely wounded on March 14, 1862 at the battle of Newbern in North Carolina (New Bern, NC on modern maps). He was shot through the right shoulder and lung, which resulted in his transfer to the Army hospital in Trenton, NJ. A document in Philip’s file contains a statement from Captain C.W. Casner, Company B, attesting to Philip Acker’s bravery in battle. He was discharged on September 6, 1862.

Based on the medical and pension file that is in the National Archives, we know that Philip lived with the debilitating effects of his war wounds for the remainder of his life. Philip received a disability pension as the result of his military service, and he testified on numerous occassions throughout his life that he could not carry out manual labor. Many of the documents that he filed in conjunction with his disability claims list him as living in Iselin, NJ, which is where he died on July 14, 1904.

Philip was married to Jane Evans on July 4, 1847 in North Brunswick, NJ. Based on a declaration that he filed with the Bureau of Pensions in Washington, DC, on Mary 4, 1898, as well as information from the 1869 Census, it would appear that they had seven children:

Louisa Acker

John Acker

Catherine Acker

Sarah Ann Acker

Margaret Acker

Mary Acker

Maria Acker