Joseph Schrock
by Aimee Lewis
Joseph Schrock was born on April 6, 1835 in Blendon Township
Franklin County, Ohio. His father, William Schrock, and mother, Rachel
Gulick, were both born in Romney County, West Virginia. The couple
traveled to Ohio in 1832 with other Schrock family members. Joseph
was born fourth in a total of fourteen children. While there is no
direct evidence linking Joseph to Otterbein College as a student, many of
his immediate family members as well as cousins attended the school.
Joseph was also not the lone family member to fight in the Civil War.
His brothers William H. Schrock and Henry T. Schrock were both early volunteers
in the 95th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. A few years later, Joseph, his
brother Homer and his cousin Vause enlisted in the 133rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry.
Therefore at this given time, four out of the five surviving males had participated
in the war, and the last male born was too young to volunteer (only 13 at
the end of the war). This war affected the Schrock many in a massive
way.
As stated before, Joseph was part of the 133rd Ohio Volunteer
Infantry in Company C. He entered service on May 6, 1864 at the age
of 28. During this period, the 133rd started in Parkersburg, West Virginia
where they did drills to be fit for service until the 7th of June.
Their next destination was Bermuda Hundred, Virginia. Their orders
were to destroy the Richardson and Petersburg Railroad to stop the Confederates
from sending re-enforcements. The 133rd was assigned to open cannon
on the enemy while also tearing up four miles of railroad track. The
men held the Confederates back for a total of five hours. On July 17th
they moved once again to Fort Powhatan, which is on the James River.
Their duty was to work on fortifications as well as repair telegraph lines
from the fort to Swan’s Point. The fortifications they built included
a magazine and a signal tower 80 feet tall. Unfortunately, a number
of the men became ill. This is where they lost their largest number,
totaling 29 men by disease. The other fatality in the unit was an enlisted
man who was killed. The troops stayed at Fort Powhatan until their
100 days service was complete on August 20, 1864.
Joseph must have come home after the war only to move
later to Wayne, Henry, Iowa. Here he had a wife and was a farmer.
Joseph died in the year of 1897.
Bibliography
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Catalogue of Otterbein University: 1852-1870. Courtright Memorial Library,
History Archives Room.
Children of Geo W. and Rachel Schrock. Typescript in Schrock Vertical
Files, #S17011, Local History Center, Westerville Public Library, Westerville,
Ohio.
Dagnall, Marie. "The Demise of a Farm." Schrock Vertical Files, #S17004,
Local History Center, Westerville Public Library, Westerville, Ohio.
Hancock, Harold. Our Ancestors of the Westerville Area: A Genealogical
History. Westerville, Ohio: Otterbein College Print Shop, Westerville
Historical Society, 1981.
Harper, Robert S. Ohio Handbook of the Civil War. Columbus, Ohio:
The Ohio Historical Society, 1961.
History of Franklin and Pickaway Counties. Williams Brothers, 1880.
History of William Schrock and Jane Means. Typescript in Schrock Vertical
File, #S17011, Local History Center, Westerville Public Library, Ohio
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frameset_searc.hasp?PAGE=census/searchcensus.asp, March 4, 2003.
Ionne, Joe. “Farming in the Big City.” The Columbus Dispatch Magazine,
13 August 1978, 6-9.
Map of Blendon Township in 1872. Local History Center, Westerville
Public Library, Westerville, Ohio.
Martin, William T. History of Franklin County. Columbus,
Ohio: Follett, Foster and Company, 1858.
Miller, Oscar R, comp.. Descendants of Henry Shrock and Barbara
Miller from the Years 1807 to 1971. Berlin, Ohio, 1971.
Foraker, Joseph B. & Robinson, James S. Official Roster of the
Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1866.
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and Soldiers. Vol. 2. Moore, Wilstach and Baldwin, 1868.
Westerville Public Opinion, 14 October 1897, 5.
William Schrock Genealogy. Typescript in Schrock vertical files, #S17017,
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Yantis, Jane and Richard, comps. Blendon Township, Ohio 1880 census
and Genealogical data: including Westerville and Central College.
Columbus, Ohio, Franklin Country Genealogical Society, 1987.