John Pugh Van Leer (February 27, 1825 – May 5, 1862) was an American military officer who served in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. He commanded the

6th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry The 6th New Jersey Infantry Regiment (also called the "6th New Jersey Volunteers") was regiment of infantry from New Jersey that served in the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. Service The 6th New Jersey Infantry Regiment was re ...

regiment and was killed during the

Battle of Williamsburg The Battle of Williamsburg, also known as the Battle of Fort Magruder, took place on May 5, 1862, in York County, James City County, and Williamsburg, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the first pitc ...

. He was a member of the influential

Van Leer family The Van Leer family, originally spelled Von Lohr, is an influential German-American family that emigrated to the Province of Pennsylvania in the 17th century from the Electorate of Hesse near Isenberg, Germany. The family made their fortune in the U ...

and his ancestors were some the earliest settlers of the

Pennsylvania Colony The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as the Pennsylvania Colony, was a British North American colony founded by William Penn after receiving a land grant from Charles II of England in 1681. The name Pennsylvania ("Penn's Woods") refers to Wi ...

Civil War

At the outbreak of the Civil War Van Leer joined the Union Army at

Gloucester City, New Jersey Gloucester City is a city in Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the city's population was 11,456,Lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

of the

in 1861. He served under Brigadier General Francis E. Patterson and

Joseph Hooker Joseph Hooker (November 13, 1814 – October 31, 1879) was an American Civil War general for the Union, chiefly remembered for his decisive defeat by Confederate General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863. Hooker had serv ...

. Van Leer's regiment was the first fully equipped brigade to arrive in Washington, D.C. just before the

First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also known as the Battle of First Manassas

. After his regiment built

Fort Runyon Fort Runyon was a timber and earthwork fort constructed by the Union Army following the occupation of northern Virginia in the American Civil War in order to defend the southern approaches to the Long Bridge as part of the defenses of Washington ...

, Van Leer lead 10 companies during Hooker's Virginia campaigns. He was killed during the

on May 5, 1862 and interred at Mount Vernon Cemetery in Philadelphia. Before being killed in battle, his commission as a Colonel was on its way to him. His colonelcy would later be officially honored after his death.

Family

His great-grandfather

Bernardhus Van Leer Bernardhus Van Leer (1687–January 26, 1790) was a German-American early settler of the Province of Pennsylvania. He worked as a physician and was father of American Revolutionary War Captain Samuel Van Leer. He built the Barnardus Van Leer Hous ...

was an early settler of the Pennsylvania Colony. John's grandfather Isaac Van Leer fought in the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

along with his brother

Samuel Van Leer Captain Samuel Van Leer (January 7, 1747 – October 15, 1825) was a military officer from Pennsylvania who served as a captain in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and as lieutenant in the Chester County Light Horse Volu ...

. The Van Leer family were known for their success in the iron business and several historical locations in Pennsylvania are associated with the family including the

Van Leer Cabin Van Leer Cabin, is a historic cabin and one of the last historical dwellings in Tredyffrin Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. It still stands on the grounds of Conestoga High School. History The original structure belonged to several home ...

and the

Van Leer Pleasant Hill Plantation Pleasant Hill Plantation, also known as Van Leer Place, is a historic stone farmhouse located near Glen Moore in West Nantmeal Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Home The original structure of two stories and three bays was built by Matt ...

Legacy

The Van Leer Post, No. 36 of the

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...

in Gloucester City, New Jersey, was named in his honor. Van Leer built and leased houses for free black tradesmen and to people who were supportive of the free black community in

Lima, Pennsylvania Lima is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,735 at the 2010 census, down from 3,225 at the 2000 census. It is pronounced "LYE-m ...

at a location now known as Van Leer Avenue.

Citations

Sources

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External links

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Isaac Van Leer, Generation 8.7 - Seventh Child of Bernhardhus Van Leer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Leer, John P. 1825 births 1862 deaths Burials at Mount Vernon Cemetery (Philadelphia) People from Camden, New Jersey People of New Jersey in the American Civil War Union Army colonels Union military personnel killed in the American Civil War Van Leer family