He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1829/30. [sources: date: 2 (33 in 1863). place: 14]
On 5 March 1849, he married Mary Ann Barger. She was born in Pennsylvania, in 1831/32. They were married by Reverend John Street. They had three children:
[sources: 3, 19, 22, 23, 26]
About 1851, he was probably a chairmaker, living at Orchard above Rawle Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [source: 21]
About 1854-1855, he was probably a chairmaker, living at 82 Culvert Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [source: 21]
About 1857, he was probably a chairmaker, living at Culvert Street below 5th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [source: 21]
When he enlisted, he was a chairmaker. He was probably living at 6 American Place, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [sources: 2, 21]
When he enlisted, he was 5 feet 11-1/2 inches tall, and had a dark complexion, grey eyes, and dark hair. [sources: 2, 14]
He reenlisted within the month after discharge from three-months service. An Ambrose Baker served in company G of the 19th Pennsylvania Infantry. The company mustered in on 18 May 1861, at Philadelphia, and mustered out on 29 August 1861, at Philadelphia. [sources: 2, 10]
He enlisted and was mustered into service in company C, on 2 September 1861, as 4th Corporal. He was enlisted for three years, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by Captain Starr. According to the 31 October 1861 company muster roll, he was a private. [sources: 1, 2 (company muster-in roll, 25 Sept 1861), 14, 27 (4" corpl)]
He was probably the sentry who shot Jesse B Wharton at the Old Capitol Prison, on 1 April 1862. He was arrested on 13 May 1862, and imprisoned in the Central Guard House, cell 20, by order of General Wadsworth, probably for that shooting. [source: 4]
He was promoted to 8th Corporal on 15 August 1862. [sources: 2, 12, 13]
Starting 10 February 1863, he was absent on furlough for ten days. He took with him a letter from Andrew Brown (C) to Brown's father and sister, which mentioned that they could send a penknife and small carpenter's axe to him with Baker, if they hadn't already sent them. He was reported absent without leave on 22 February 1863. He had returned on 26 February 1863. [sources: 5, 6, 7, 28]
In a letter dated 3 March 1863, Andrew Brown (C) told his father and sister that he had received what they sent with Baker. [source: 29]
On 16 May 1863, he was an Acting Sergeant, and was assigned as a guard at Division Headquarters. [source: 8]
He fought at the Battle of Gettysburg. He was then a corporal. [source: 16]
On 28 July 1863, he was reported as having been dropped because he was missing in the campaign (probably after 11 June 1863). He had returned by 28 July 1863. [source: 9]
He reenlisted, for three years, as a veteran volunteer on 24 December 1863 at Bealton, Virginia. He was mustered in on 26 December 1863. His enlistment was credited to the fourth District, Philadelphia Pennsylvania. He was due a bounty of $60, had received $13 advance pay, and a $2 premium. [source: 2 (supplementary muster and descriptive roll of vet volunteers, 26 Dec 1863)]
On the January/February 1864 muster roll, he is listed as absent sick in Philadelphia; it also says he received a bounty of $60 and was due $50. He was still absent without leave in March/Apr 1864. He was present on the May/June and July/Aug 1864 rolls, and was due $100 of his bounty. [source: 2]
He was killed in action on 30 September 1864, near Squirrel Level Road. He was a corporal, in company C. He left no effects. On the company muster-out roll, he is listed as having received a bounty of $160, and due a bounty of $240; $25.78 advanced for clothing in kind or money. [sources: 2, 3, 11, 13, 14, 27]
He was originally buried on the Snyder Farm. He was later reburied at the Poplar Grove Cemetery, grave 3086. [sources: 11, 18 (Peeble's Farm)]
On 3 December 1864, Mary Ann Baker, his widow,applied successfully for a widow's pension. Her address then was No. 6, America Place, 4th St, below Vine Street, Philadelphia Pennsylvania. [sources: 3, 17, 20]
In 1866, Mary A Baker was still living in American Place. [source: 21]
In 1870, his widow was living in the 14th ward, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was living with John G Deal, and is named 'Mary A Deal'. She was also living with her children Rachel, Ambrose, Henry and Sarah. [source: 19]
However, ME Jenks, a special agent, who lived near her, investigated her apparent remarriage, taking several statements near the end of October 1878. [source: 3]
Mary Ann Baker 44 years old, residence No. 9 Diligent [?] Ave, Philadelphia. In a statement given on 20 Oct 1878 she swore she had never remarried, but admitted she had "continuously cohabited" with John Deal for ten years, since about 1868, and had one child by him, 10 [?] years old. When other people addressed her as Mrs Deal, she responded, but she never openly acknowledged him as her husband, and never took his name. She probably would have been married to him long ago if she hadn't wanted to lose her pension. [source: 3]
Another statement was given by her daughter-in-law Isabella Baker, 25 years old, residence rear 923 Hamilton St Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Isabella married Ambrose Baker Jr on 19 August 1874. She believed Mary Ann Baker and John Deal were not married. She and her husband lived with them part of 1876, all of 1877, and part of 1878. Their relations with each other were the same as if they were married. They have one daughter, Sarah Deal, about 11 years old. Mary Ann Baker was addressed solely as Mrs Deal. [source: 3]
A third statement was given by Mary Johnson, 38 years old, residence 600 Loraine St Philadelphia. She swore that the statements in Isabella Baker's statement were true. [source: 3]
A few days later, on 24 October 1878, Anna Maria Meyers gave a statement. She was 57 years old, and lived at rear 918 Hamilton St Philadelphia. Mary Ann was known solely as Mrs Mary Deal, and she took for granted that they were married (but had never discussed it). All their acquaintances recognize them as husband and wife. She is not entitled to a pension. [source: 3]
John Deal also appeared on 24 October. He was 59 years old, and lived at No 9 Diligent Ave., Philadelphia Pennsylvania. He began living with Mary A Baker in 1865, has lived with her continuously since, and has one child who will be 12 next January. He never married her by any legal ceremony. Mary Ann is addressed as Mrs Deal but he has no knowledge she ever gave anyone permission to so address her. He had told friends that he wasn't married, but didn't talk much about it. He wanted to marry her, but she refused. [source: 3]
On 5 November 1878, the Commissioner of Pensions ordered her pension ended, and she was dropped from the pension rolls on 30 November 1878. (My understanding is that at common law, a marriage required stating, in present-tense words, a present intention to be married. The evidence clearly does not establish that. I do not know under what criterion Mary Ann Baker had married John Deal.) [source: 3]
In 1880, his widow seems to have been living at 9 Diligent Avenue (or rear 916 Buttonwood Street?). If so, she was living with her second husband [?] John Seederling [!], and children Harry B and Sally. [source: 24]
On 5 August 1881, Mary Ann Deal died, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, of dropsy. She was living in Diligent Place, ward 13, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was buried in Fernwood Cemetery, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. [source: 26]
On 30 August 1884, John C Deal, Mary's second husband (if they were married), died, of a dilated heart. He was a stone cutter. On 2 September 1884, he was buried, in Odd Fellows Cemetery. [source: 24]
Joy Firtell is studying Ambrose Baker; contact her at [email protected].
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 compiled military service record (Ambrose Baker)
3 widow's pension certificate file, National Archives and Records Administration, record group 15, WC 46808 (Ambrose Baker)
4 Register of prisoners at the Central Guard House, National Archives, Record Group 393, part IV, entry 2086, volume 313, page 294
5 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 10 February 1863
6 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 22 February 1683
7 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 26 February 1683
8 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 16 May 1863 (Acting Sergt Baker)
9 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 28 July 1863 (Corpl Baker)
10 Bates (see #1), p.182 (19th PA) (Ambrose Baker)
11 Poplar Grove Cemetery records (thanks to Elizabeth Dinger-Glisan for the information!) (Ambrose Baker)
12 company C, List of non-commissioned officers, page 1, corporals (Ambrose Baker)
13 company C, List of non-commissioned officers, page 2, corporals (Ambrose Baker)
14 company C, descriptive roll, number 9 (Ambrose Baker)
15 company C, untitled list, probably of status at muster out, entry 80 (Ambrose Baker)
16 Pennsylvania Memorial, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (Ambrose Baker)
17 pension index, by name (Ambrose Baker)
18 'Our illustrious dead', Philadelphia Inquirer 20 July 1865 page 2 (A Baker)
19 1870 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 14th ward, microfilm series M593, film 1398, page 74 = 148 handwritten (Mary A Deal)
20 pension index, by regiment (Ambrose Baker)
21 various Philadelphia city directories, transcribed 22 January 2012, from Fold3
22 death notice, Philadelphia Inquirer 11 November 1917, page 15 (Ambrose Baker [Jr])
23 death notice, Philadelphia Inquirer 10 February 1913, page 6 (Henry Baker)
24 1880 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, ward 13, supervisor's district 1, enumeration district 218, microfilm series T9, film 1173, page 269 = 21 A handwritten (Mary Ann Seederling)
25 death certificate, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, 30 August 1884 (John C Deal)
26 death certificate, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 5 August 1881 (Mary Ann Deal)
27 index to compiled service records of volunteer Union soldiers who served in organizations from the state of Pennsylvania (Ambrose Baker)
28 letter, Andrew Brown to his father and sister, 9 February 1862 [sic; sc. 1863], in his father's pension certificate file, WC 134,972 (Ambrose Baker)
29 letter, Andrew Brown to his father and sister, 3 March 1863, in his father's pension certificate file, WC 134,972 (Baker)
| 1860 census | 1861 Biddle's Philadelphia directory | |||||||
| page | dwelling | family | name | occupation | page | name | occupation | address |
| 423r=63=845 | 425 | 544 | Saml Shull | cordwainer | [can't find] | |||
| " | " | 545 | Eliza Gilmore | [blank] | 154 | ? Gilmore Elizabeth | [none] | 3 Charles |
| " | " | " | John Gilmore | morocco dresser | [can't find] | |||
| " | 426 | 546 | Jacob Frantz | carpenter | 142 | Frantz Jacob | carp | Orchard |
| " | 427 | 547 | Archibald Bassett | carter | [can't find] | |||
| " | " | " | Geo Bassett | carpenter | [can't find] | |||
| " | " | " | Daniel Bassett | wheelwright | [can't find] | |||
| 424v=64=846 | 427 | 547 | Wm Bassett | brass founder | [can't find] | |||
| " | 428 | 548 | Joseph Lamb | cordwainer | 235 | Lamb Jos | cordw | Orchard |
| " | 429 | 549 | Peter Fox | Plane maker | [can't find] | |||
| " | " | 550 | Henry Ely | bookbinder | [can't find] | |||
| " | 430 | 551 | Mary Heidrick [?] | [can't find] | ||||
| " | " | 552 | Ths Parker | brick layer | 328 | Parker Thos . W. | bricklr. | Orchard |
| " | 431 | 553 | Joseph Haines | brick maker | [can't find] | |||
| " | 432 | 554 | Henry Hambrick | brick layer | [can't find] | |||
| " | 433 | 555 | Peter Hillman | blk smith | [can't find] | |||
| " | 434 | 556 | Geo Junior | laborer | 217 | Junior Geo | lab | Orchard ab Rawle |
| 424r=65=847 | 434 | 556 | John Johnson | laborer | [no John Johnson on Orchard or Rawle] | |||
| " | 435 | 557 | John G Manleff | Do [sc. laborer] | 282 | ?? Manluff John | oysterman | Orchard ab Rawle |
| " | " | 558 | Uriah Megara | laborer | [can't find] | |||
| " | 436 | 559 | Minas Ross | laborer | 365 | Ross Mylus | lab. | Rawle |
| " | " | 560 | Rachel Reatch [?] | [none] | [can't find] | |||
| " | 437 | 561 | Scippio Cornish | drayman | 82 | Cornish S | drayman | Rawle |
| line | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| Dwelling-house number | 953 | |||||
| Family number | 1172 | |||||
| Name | Deal, John G | - Mary A | - Rachel | - Ambrose | - Henry | - Sarah |
| Age | 50 | 38 | 20 | 17 | 8 | 3 |
| Sex | M | F | F | M | M | F |
| Color | W | W | W | W | W | W |
| Occupation | Stone Cutter | Keeping House | without occupation | works at Paper Hanging | ||
| Real estate value | ||||||
| Personal estate value | 100 | |||||
| Birthplace | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| Father foreign born | ||||||
| Mother foreign born | ||||||
| Birth month if born within year | ||||||
| Marriage month if married within year | ||||||
| Attended school past year | 1 | |||||
| Can't write | ||||||
| Deaf, dumb, blind, etc. | ||||||
| Male US citizen at least 21 years old | 1 | |||||
| Male US citizen at least 21 years old who can't vote ... |
| line | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| street name | Buttonwood St | |||
| house number | [916] | |||
| dwelling visit # | [1] | |||
| family visit # | 9 | |||
| name | Seederling [?] John | - Mary Ann | - Harry B- | - Sally |
| ['Seed-' and '-ling' are clear; the letter or letters between the 'd' and the 'l' aren't clear] | ||||
| color | W | W | W | W |
| sex | M | F | M | F |
| age | 60 | 48 | 18 | 13 |
| month born if born in year | ||||
| relationship | Wife | Son | Daughter | |
| single | 1 | 1 | ||
| married | 1 | 1 | ||
| widowed/divorced | ||||
| married during year | ||||
| occupation | Stone Cutter | Keeping House | Stone Cutter | At School |
| months unemployed | ||||
| currently ill? | ||||
| blind | ||||
| deaf/dumb | ||||
| idiotic | ||||
| insane | ||||
| disabled | ||||
| school this year | 1 | |||
| can't read | ||||
| can't write | ||||
| birthplace | Penna | Penna | Penna | Penna |
| father's birthplace | N.J. | Penna | Penna | Penna |
| mother's birthplace | N.J. | Penna | Penna | Penna |
BAKER.--Nov. 7, AMBROSE, husband of Isabella Baker (nee Shields) and son of late Ambrose Baker and Mary Deal. Relatives and friends invited to funeral services, Mon., 2 P.M., 607 Winton st. (6th and Jackson sts.). Int. Fernwood Cem. Remains may be viewed Sun. ave.
BAKER.--Suddenly, 8th inst., HARRY, husband of Henrietta Baker (nee Lewis), and son of late Ambrose Baker and Mary Deal. Relatives and friends, also New Philadelphia Lodge, No 1008, IOOF; West Philadelphia Division, No 162, ORC [?], and P and R Relief Association, invited to services, Wed. 2 PM, residence 506 N Perth st. Interment Fernwood. Remains may be viewed Tues eve.
[identification is speculative:]
[(a) John is pretty clearly in the 1881 Gopsill's directory as 'Deal John C., stonecutter, h 9 Diligent av'
[(b) consider the following correspondence on this census page, with the address 916 Buttonwood St (#1 is on the previous page):]
[(d) searching for 'John Seederling' in FamilySearch (25 Feb 12) found only this entry; RootsWeb WorldConnect had no entries; HeritageQuest's census index had only this entry for 'Seederling']
[(e) the first names and ages match the entries in the 1870 census]