Camden People - William P. Marsh

WILLIAM P. MARSH was appointed to the Camden Fire Department on April 8, 1876 as an extra man with Engine Company 1, filling the position of John Toy. William P. Marsh was one of the many new firemen brought into the department when Claudius Bradshaw was elected Chief. Bradshaw was Chief for just three years, and most of the men he brought into the department only served a year or two. William P. Marsh served for one year. He was replaced by Charles Sawyer on April 8, 1877. On April 5, 1882 William P. Marsh was reappointed to the Camden Fire Department as an extra man with Engine Company 2, replacing Jacob App. He served for two years and by coincidence was replaced by John Toy.

William P. Marsh was born in Pennsylvania around February of 1839. Little else is known about his early years, save that he was not in Camden when the Census was taken in 1860. In August of 1862 William Marsh enlisted in the United States Navy. He served aboard the the USS Powhatan for four months, and was discharged in December of 1862.

The USS Powhatan was a sidewheel steam frigate, named for Powhatan, a Native American chief of eastern Virginia. She was one of the last, and largest, of the United States Navy's paddle frigates. Powhatan's keel was laid on August 6 1847 at Norfolk, Virginia. Her engines were constructed by Mehaffy & Company of Gosport, Virginia. She cost $785,000. She was launched on February 14, 1850 by the Norfolk Navy Yard and commissioned on September 2, 1852, Captain William Mervine in command. Powhatan, under Comdr. William J. McCluney, was next assigned to the East India Squadron and arrived on station via Cape of Good Hope on June 15, 1853. Her arrival in Chinese waters coincided with an important phase of Commodore Matthew C. Perry's negotiations for commercial relations with the Japanese and the opening of two ports. She was Perry's flagship during his November visit to Whampoa. On February 14, 1854 she entered Yedo (Tokyo) Bay with the rest of the squadron and the Convention of Kanagawa was signed on March 31, 1854.

During August 1855 Powhatan accompanied HMS Rattler in a successful battle against Chinese pirates off Kowloon, and reached the U.S. on February 14, 1856 with the new treaty.

The US-Japan Treaty of Amity and Commerce was signed on her deck on July 19, 1858. On February 13, 1860, the Powhatan accompanied by a Japanese capital ship, Kanrin Maru that departed on February 9, left Yokohama, Japan, en route to San Francisco as part of the first official embassy of the Empire of Japan to the United States of America.

Powhatan remained active throughout the Civil War. She served as Flag Officer Garrett J. Pendergrast's flagship at Vera Cruz during October 1860. In April 1861, while under the command of Lt. David Dixon Porter, she assisted in the relief of Fort Pickens, Florida, and in the establishment of the blockade of Mobile, Alabama on May 26, capturing schooner Mary Clinton on May 29. During July and August Powhatan joined the blockade of the Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River, retaking schooner Abby Bradford on August 15. From late August to October she pursued CSS Sumter throughout much of the West Indies.

William P. Marsh was served aboard Powhatan when she operated off Charleston, South Carolina from October 1862 to December of 1862. While serving aboard the USS Powhatan, one of his shipmates was Landsman Barton Lane. Both men would later serve as members of the Camden Fire Department. Shortly after leaving the Navy William P. Marsh got married. When the 1870 Census was taken, William P. Marsh lived in Camden's South Ward with his wife Sarah, daughter Phoebe and son George W. Marsh. The Marshes had nine children altogether, sadly, by 1900 only Phoebe and George were still alive. William P. Marsh began working as a railroad car inspector for the West Jersey Railroad, a profession he would follow for quite some time. He did the same work in later years for the Pennsylvania Railroad.

As stated above, William P. Marsh was appointed to the Camden Fire Department on April 8, 1876 as an extra man with Engine Company 1. The Marsh family was living at 827 South 5th Street, a short walk from the Engine Company 1 firehouse at 409 Pine Street. They stayed at 827 South 5th Street into 1878, then moved across the street to 840 South 5th Street. By the spring of 1880 they had moved once again, to 831 South 5th Street. Here they stayed through 1885.

As stated above, on April 5, 1882 William P. Marsh was reappointed to the Camden Fire Department as an extra man with Engine Company 2. He served in this capacity for two years.

The 1887-1888 and 1888-1889 City Directories show William Marsh and family at at 653 South 3rd Street. By April of 1889 they had moved to 408 Bridge Avenue. By mid-1894 William Marsh had moved to 217 Benson Street, where he would live until 1896. The 1897 City Directory places him at 223 Benson Street. Both the 1898 and 1899 City Directories state that he was living with his daughter Phoebe at the corner of Fillmore Street and Ferry Avenue.

Daughter Phoebe Marsh is listed in the City Directories in the late 1890s as a artist and as a photographer. In 1896 and 1897 she was living at 223 Benson Street, and had a photography studio at the corner of Newton and Haddon Avenues in 1896 and at South 8th and Spruce Streets in 1897. In 1898 her studio was at the corner of South 6th and Mickle Streets, and in 1899 she was in business at the 272 Kaighn Avenue.

When the Census was taken on June 2, 1900 William Marsh, his wife Sarah, and daughter Phoebe were living once again at 217 Benson Street. According to the Census, William Marsh was not working, nor was Phoebe.

William P. Marsh died from a stroke on August 19, 1903. His widow and daughter were still living at 217 Benson Street in 1906, Phoebe Marsh by the having set up another studio, this time at 1434 Broadway.

The following is derived from
George Reeser Prowell's
History of Camden County, N.J.
published in 1886

WILLIAM B. HATCH POST No. 37, of Camden, was instituted and chartered November 25, 1879, with eighty-one members and the following named Post officers:

Post Commander, John E. Grubb ; Senior Vice-Commander, Richard J. Robertson; Junior Vice-Commander, Daniel J. Fullen ; Surgeon, Thomas G. Rowand, M.D.; Chaplain, John Quick ; Officer of the Day, John A. Dall; Officer of the Guard, Edmund G. Jackson, Jr.; Quartermaster, Christopher J. Mines, Jr.; Adjutant, Benjamin J. Pierce; Sergeant-Major, William A.Tattern; Quartermaster-Sergeant, William B. E. Miller.

At the first meeting of the Post it was decided by a unanimous vote to name it in honor of the late Colonel William B. Hatch, of the Fourth Regiment. When Mrs. C. Hatch, the mother of the colonel was informed that the post had honored the memory of her son by naming it after him, she sent to the Post the following response :

Camden N. J.,
November 26th, 1879

John E. Grubb, Post Commander

Dear Sir,
It will afford me much pleasure to be identified with Post 37, G. A. E., named in honor of my son, William B. Hatch, by allowing me to present to the same its colors. The memory of my son is ever dear to me, and, while at the same moment I may have thought the sacrifice too great an affliction, yet I was consoled by the fact that I gave him up that this Union might be preserved. It was duty and patriotism that called him, and while I mourn him as a mother for a well-beloved son, yet I would not have stayed him, for the love of country and the upholding of this glorious Republic is what every mother should instill into her sons, as the purest and holiest spirit.

Yours truly,

C. Hatch

The following is a complete roster of this post for 1886 :

Post Commander, Benjamin H. Connelly; Senior Vice-Commander, Adam C. Smith ; Junior Vice-Commander, William Haegele; Surgeon, George Pfau ; Chaplain, Samuel Gaul; Officer of the Day, Robert Crawford ; Officer of the Guard, John D. Cooper; Quartermaster, Samuel J. Fenner; Adjutant, William B. Summers; Sergeant-Major, Stacy H. Bassett; Quartermaster-Sergeant, Otto K. Lockhart.

Comrades: Philip Achenbach, George L. Allchin, Isaac Albertson, Joseph Applegate, John W. Barclay, Martin M. Barney, Joseph Baxter, William W. Bennett, Charles L. Bennett, Henry Bickering, Abel Biddle, George K. Biddle, John Bieri, Robert M. Bingham, Socrates T. Bittle, George W. Bittle, Benjamin F. Blizzard, Joseph Borton, Frederick Bowers, Benjamin M. Braker, John Breyer, William H. Brians, Wm. J. Broadwater, William Broadwater, John Brown, Harris Brooks, William H. Brooks, Joseph F. Bryan, Joseph Buddew, J. Q. Burniston, George Burton, Frederick Buser, Thomas L. Bush, William Butcher, Isaac B. Buzby, Edward C. Cattell, Joseph Cameron, James H. Carey, William Carey, James Chadwick, James Chafey, George M. Chester, James D. Chester, Lewis L. Chew, Henry S. Chew, John W. Churn, Andrew B. Cline, Charles Clarke, Samuel J. Cook, Levi E. Cole, John J. Collins, John C. Cooper, John W. Cotner, Thomas L. Conly, Harvey M. Cox, Jason S. Cox, Harris Crane, Charles Cress, Joel G. Cross, O. C. Cunningham, John A. Dall, John Dalby, John H. Damon, Westley Dare, John E. Dawson, Adam T. Dawson, James L. Davis, William Davis, Amos R. Dease, Henry Deford, Lewis F. Derousse, Michael Devinney, Glendora Devo, John Digney, Joseph Dilks, William A. Dobbins, George W. Dunlap, Aaron B. Eacritt, John J. Early, Christopher Ebele, Godfrey Eisenhart, John Elberson, Charles Elwell, Charles Eminecker, John Esler, John H. Evans, Charles S. Fackler, James Fanington, James A. Farraday, John H. Farry, John Faughey, Wm. H. Fenlin, George G. Felton, George W. Ferguson, Charles W. Fish, Israel L. Fish, James Finnan, Samuel B. Fisher, Edward L. Fisher, Ephraim B. Fithian, Jacob T. Fisher, Edward Fitzer, Samuel Flock, Leonard Flor, John Fox, John S. Fox, H. H. Franks, Chas. B. Frazer, Thomas J. Francis, Samuel W. Gahan, Chas. H. Gale, James Galbraith, Thomas Garman, Harry Garren, John W. Garwood, Josiah Garrison, John B. Gaskill, Richard Gaunt, Wm. German, Christopher Getsinger, Christopher Gifney, Jacob Giffens, Albert Gilbert, James Gillen, Wm. Giffins, C. C. Greany, Charles Green, W. H. Griffin, Louis Grosskops, William Grindrod, John B. Grubb, Mark H. Guest, John Guice, Alfred Haines, Charles G. Haines, Japhet Haines, George F. Hammond, Charles Hall, Solon B. Hankinson, Samuel P. Hankinson, James Hanson, Charles Hannans, H. A. Hartranft, Mahlon E. Harden, William F. Harper, George W. Hayter, Samuel B. Harbeson, J. T. Hazleton, H. Heinman, James Henderson, William H. Heward, Franklin Hewitt, James T. Hemmingway, Charles Hewitt, Edward K. Hess, Samuel B. Hickman, George Higgens, Ephraim Hillman, C. M. Hoagland, Guadaloupe Holl, William A. Holland, Isaac K. Horner, Count D. G. Hogan, William H. Howard, Baxter Howe, Alien Hubbs, Charles G. Hunsinger, Presmel D. Hughes, I. N. Hugg, Sebastian Hummell, Edward Hutchinson, C. Innes, Alfred Ivins, Benjamin Ivins, E. G. Jackson Sr., E. G. Jackson Jr., Thomas Jameson, George Jauss, William P. Jenkins, James L. Johnson, Alfred Jones, B. F. Jones, William Joline, Charles Joseph, Charles Justice, C. H. Kain, E. E. Kates, Benjamin Kebler, Frank Kebler, Peter Keen, Henry N. Killian, J. W. Kinsey, C. H. Knowlton, Thomas W. Krips, Joseph H. Large, John E. Leake, John Lecroy, Charles Leonhart, George W. Locke, E. J. Long, Charles L. Lukens, J. H. Lupton, Valentine Machemer, Edward Macloskey, Edward A. Martin, William P. Marsh, John Mapes, William Mead, William Metcalf, E. A. Meyer, C. Meyers, George Meilor, C. A. Michener, William B. E. Miller, Jacob Miller, W. D. Miller, Samuel Mills, William W. Mines, Christopher J. Mines, George Molesbury, William. Moran, Edward More, Richard Morgan, John F. Moore, S. H. Moyer, Jacob L. Morton, John Muir, John J. Murphy, Isaac Murray, Charles Myers, W. H. McAllister, James McCracken, Edward C. McDowell, Hugh McGrogan, H. M. Mcllvaine, W. F. McKillip, W.J.McNeir, Lewis McPherson, E. McPherson, Jacob Naglee, William Naphas, Antonio Nosardi, Robert O'Keefe, John S. Owens, Robert Owens, Edward H. Pancoast, James Pancoast, Robert B. Patterson, William Patterson, E. W. Pease, John B. Pepper, Joel Perrine, John Peterson, D. E. Peugh, Frederick Phile, Samuel B. Pine, William M. Pine, Adon Powell, John Powell, John Portz, J. B. Prucelle, John Quick, S. E. Radcliffe, Isaac C. Randolph, James A. Regens, Philip Reilly, Charles P. Reynolds, Alexander Rhodes, Benjamin F. Richard, Andrew Ridgway, Benjamin Robbins, Edward C. Roberts, James Roberts, Richard J. Robertson, William B. Robertson, Isaac Rogers, John Rogers, William H. Rogers, Thomas G. Rowand, Sebastian Schaub, Maurice Schmidt, Christian K. Schallers, James Schofield, George W. Scott, John E. Scott, John M. Shemelia, Edward M. Siemers, John Simmons, Benjamin F. Shinn, Thomas Sheeran, James Shield, Charles Smith, George H. Smith, William W. Smith, Charles S. Small, Adolph Snow, W. Souder, Francis Senders, Robert Sparks, David C. Sprowl, Alfred L. Sparks, Abraham Springer, George W. Stewart, William L. Stevenson, Thomas G. Stephenson, Samuel R. Stockton, Thomas Stockton, Thomas H. Stone, Henry Strick, E. J. Strickland, Charles String, George F. Stull, George W. Swaney, Crosby Sweeten, William F. Tarr, William A. Tatem, Thomas S. Tanier, George Rudolph Tenner, Charles L. Test, Leonard Thomas, Benjamin Thomas, Henry C. Thomas, George F. Thorne, Wesley Thorn, Thomas W. Thornley, Alexander W. Titus, Joseph Tompkins, J. E. Troth, Isaac C. Toone, Samuel Tyier, Jacob M. Van Nest, Albert Vansciver, Joseph Wakeman, Theodore F. Walker, Charles Walton, George Walton, Joseph Welsh, David Watson, George W. Wentling, Edward West, Elmer M. West, George Weyman, Wilmer Whillden, James Whittaker, Samuel Wickward, Calvin T. Williams, George W. Williams, William H. Williams, John Williams, Samuel Winner, Amos P. Wilson, D.H. Wilson, G.A. Wilson, Richard Wilson, George Wispert, John W. Wood, Joseph Woodfield, Walter Wolfkill, E. W. Wolverton, Elijah Worthington, C. M. Wright, George B. Wright, Henry S. Wright, Wesley T. Wright, William Zane.

As of 1886, the Hatch Post met every Thursday evening in their own G. A. R. Hall, on Stevens Street, below Fifth Street. This same building had been used in the late 1870s as the original home of the congregation that formed the Tabernacle Baptist Church. The Hatch Post was affiliated with Hatch League No. 2, of the Loyal Ladies League, their auxiliary, which met at the Post Hall.