He was born in Lancashire, England, in 1816/17. [sources: date: 6 (44 in 1861), 7 (46 in 1863), 10 (47 in 1860). place: 6, 7, 10]
He (apparently) married Ann Kelly. She was born in 1814/15, in Ireland. They had three known children:
[sources: 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18]
In 1860, he seems to have been living in Marple Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. He was a hand loom weaver. He was living with a farmer and his family, nine other hand loom weavers, a cook, and three bobbin winders, including Anne Amer. [source: 10]
When he enlisted, he was a dyer. [sources: 6, 7]
When he enlisted, he was 5 feet 5-1/2 inches tall, and had a dark complexion, brown eyes, and grey hair. [sources: 6, 7]
He enlisted and was mustered into service on 24 October 1861. He was enlisted for three years, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by Captain Sinex. He was mustered into service by Lieutenant Diehl. He was a private, in company H. [sources: 1, 3, 6, 9, 23, 24]
He was transferred to company D on 4 December 1861. [sources: 1, 9, 23, 24]
On 1 April 1863, he returned to the regiment from duty with the Ambulance Corps. [source: 4]
He fought at the Battle of Gettysburg. [source: 12]
He reenlisted as a veteran volunteer on 26 December 1863. He was enlisted for three years, at Bealton, Virginia, by Lieutenant Swan. [sources: 1, 7]
On 15 April 1864, Lieutenant Colonel Sinex recommended him for a detail, in compliance with general order 18 (8 April 1864) from the Army Headquarters. He does not say what the detail was for. [source: 2]
On 26 April 1864, he was detailed by Colonel Sinex for duty in the ambulance corps. He was still a stretcher bearer in September (?) 1864. [sources: 3, 5 (27 Apr), 8]
He was mustered in by Lieutenant Swan on 26 December 1864, but the descriptive roll does not say why. (Perhaps this is a mistake for 26 December 1863.) [source: 7]
On 28 December 1864, he seems to have been reported missing in action. On 17 February 1865, he was reported returned from missing in action, at Annapolis. [sources: 11, 13]
He mustered out with his company on 10 July 1865. He was a private, in company D. [sources: 1, 23, 24]
He was buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [source: 22]
In 1880, his apparent wife, Ann Amer, was living at 819 [South] 13th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was living with her son Joseph, her daughter Maria Peterson, Maria's husband Emanuel Peterson and Emanuel's son William Brown. [source: 14]
On 25 May 1886, his apparent wife, Ann Amer, died. She was buried on 28 May 1886, at Mount Moriah Cemetery. [source: 15]
On 29 May 1910, his apparent daughter, Maria Peterson, died. She died at 2212 Reed Street, ward 36, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was born on 19 December 1838, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Joseph Amer (born England) and Ann Kelly (born Ireland). She was married to Emanuel Peterson. She was buried on 1 June 1910, in Mt Morial Cemetery. The undertakers was DH Bowen and son. [sources: 17, 21]
On 29 December 1913, his apparent son, Joseph Amer, died. He died in the Water Bureau, at 12th and Wharton Street, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was born in 1846, in Pennsylvania, to Joseph Amer (born England) and Ann Kelly (born Ireland). He was a blacksmith. He was widowed. On 1 January 1914, he was buried, in Mt Moriah Cemetery. The undertaker was W R Schofield. [sources: 16, 19]
On 31 March 1915, his apparent daughter, Ann Jane Waters, died, of apoplexy. She died at 2216 Reed Street, ward 36, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was born on 15 October 1840, to Joseph Amer (born England) and Ann Kelly (born Ireland). She was the widow of Henry A Waters. She was buried on 5 April 1915, in Mount Moriah Cemetery. The undertaker was M R Schofield. [sources: 18, 20]
1 Bates, Samuel Penniman. History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5. Harrisburg: B. Singerly, state printer, 1869-71. 5 volumes. 'Ninety-first regiment', volume 3, pages 186-233. (In the roster)
2 letter, Sinex to Marvin, 15 April 1864
3 special order 38, HQ 91st PA, 26 April 1864
4 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 1 April 1863 (Jos. Amer [?])
5 [list of detailed men, probably from Sept 1864] (Joseph Amer)
6 company D, descriptive roll, privates, entry 1 (Joseph Amer)
7 company D, second descriptive roll, entry 11 (Joseph Amer)
8 consolidated morning report, 91st Pennsylvania, 28 April 1864 (Priv Amer)
9 company H, register of men transferred (Joseph Amer)
10 1860 US census, Pennsylvania, Delaware County, Marple Township, microfilm series M653, film 1105, page 414 = 105 handwritten (Joseph Amer)
11 consolidated morning report, 91st Pennsylvania, 28 December 1864 (Joseph Amer)
12 Pennsylvania Memorial, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (Joseph Amer)
13 consolidated morning report, 91st Pennsylvania, 17 February 1865 (Jos Amer)
14 1880 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, supervisor's district 1, enumeration district 69, microfilm series T9, film 1168, page 517 = 17 A handwritten (Ann Amer)
15 death notice, Philadelphia Inquirer, 28 May 1886, page 5 (Ann Amer)
16 death certificate (not transcribed), Joseph Amer (son of Joseph Amer b. England and Ann Kelly b. Ireland), Philadelphia Pennsylvania, 29 December 1913 (available on FamilySearch (accessed 6 Jun 12))
17 death certificate (not transcribed), Maria Peterson (daughter of Joseph Amer b. England and Ann Kelly b. Ireland), Philadelphia Pennsylvania, 29 May 1910 (available on FamilySearch (accessed 6 June 12))
18 death certificate (not transcribed), Ann Jane Waters (daughter of Joseph Amer b. England and Ann Kelly b. Ireland), Philadelphia Pennsylvania, 31 March 1915 (available on FamilySearch (accessed 6 June 12))
19 death notice, Philadelphia Inquirer, 31 December 1913, page 6 (Joseph Amer)
20 death notice, Philadelphia Inquirer, 4 April 1915, page 13 (Ann Jane Waters)
21 death notice, Philadelphia Inquirer, 30 May 1910, page 7 (Maria Peterson)
22 Card records of headstones provided for deceased Union Civil War veterans, ca. 1879-ca. 1903. National Archives and Records Administration, record group 92 (Joseph Amer)
23 index to compiled service records of volunteer Union soldiers who served in organizations from the state of Pennsylvania (Joseph Ammer)
24 index to compiled service records of volunteer Union soldiers who served in organizations from the state of Pennsylvania (Joseph Amer)
I have not been able to find Joseph and Ann's children in the 1860 census (though there is a Joseph Amer, 13, in Springfield Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, on page 641 = 2 handwritten), which makes me worry that there are really two Joseph and Ann Amer's living in Philadelphia then. But in the absence of other evidence, I have assumed the records are all for the same family, and that this Joseph Amer is the Joseph who served in the 91st. (The fact that the Joseph Amer who served in the 91st was buried in Mount Moriah (see entry 22 below) is at least consistent with this theory.)
Note also that a Joseph Amer, 4, is living in the Blockley Alms House in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1850 (microfilm series M432, film 824, page 60 recto = 119 [?] handwritten). Perhaps the family was split by poverty.
| line | 25 | 31 | |
| Dwelling number | [713] | ||
| Family number | [748] | ||
| Name | Joseph Amer | Anne Amer | |
| Age | 47 | 45 | |
| Sex | m | f | |
| Color | |||
| Occupation | Do. " [sc. Hand Loom Weaver] | Do. " [sc. Bobbin Winder] | |
| Value of real estate owned | |||
| Value of personal estate | |||
| Place of birth | England | Do [sc. Ireland] | |
| Married within year | |||
| Attended school within year | |||
| Cannot read & write | 1 | ||
| Deaf, dumb, blind, etc. | |||
| line | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| street name | 13th St. | ||||
| house number | 819 | ||||
| dwelling visit # | 135 | ||||
| family visit # | 177 | ||||
| name | Peterson Emanuel Jr | " Maria | Brown Wm | Amer Joseph Jr | " Ann |
| color | W | W | W | W | W |
| sex | M | F | M | M | F |
| age | 34 | 41 | 20 | 34 | 66 |
| month born if born in year | |||||
| relationship | Wife | Son | Brother in law | Mother in law | |
| single | 1 | 1 | |||
| married | 1 | 1 | 1 [sic] | ||
| widowed/divorced | |||||
| married during year | |||||
| occupation | Clerk | Keeping House | in a Cotton factory | Brickmaker | At Home |
| months unemployed | |||||
| currently ill? | |||||
| blind | |||||
| deaf/dumb | |||||
| idiotic | |||||
| insane | |||||
| disabled | |||||
| school this year | |||||
| can't read | |||||
| can't write | |||||
| birthplace | Penna | Penna | Penna | Penna | Ireland |
| father's birthplace | Penna | England | Penna | England | Ireland |
| mother's birthplace | Penna | Ireland | Penna | Ireland | Ireland |
AMER--On the 25th inst, ANN, wife of the late Joseph Amer, Sr, aged seventy-three years.
The relatives and friends of the family are respectfully invited to attend the funeral, this afternoon at 2 o'clock, from her late residence, No 819 S Thirteenth street. Interment at Mount Moriah Cemetery.
AMER.--Suddenly, 29th inst., JOSEPH AMER, aged 67. Relatives and friends, also Young Men's Republican Club of the 36th Ward, the Point Breeze Funeral Fund and employes of District No 1, Bureau of Water, invited to funeral, Thurs. 2 P M, residence nephew, William J Hunter, 1247 S 24th St. Interment Mt Moriah.
WATERS.--March 31, 1915, ANN JANE, widow of Henry A. Waters. Relatives and friends are invited to attend funeral, Monday, 2 PM, from residence of her son in law, Samuel Hunter, 2216 Reed st. Interment at Mount Moriah Cemetery.
PETERSON--On May 29, MARIA, wife of Emanuel Peterson and daughter of the late Joseph and Ann Amer. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral services, on Wednesday, at 2 PM at the residence of her husband, 2212 Reed st. Interment at Mount Moriah Cemetery.