Civil War Union Army Officer.

𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 & 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲

John Schoonover was born on August 12, 1839, in Bushkill, Pike County, Pennsylvania. He was the second child of Simeon Schoonover (1806-1888) and Sarah A. Heller (1817-1894). John's paternal grandfather, Benjamin Schoonover (1781-1848), had been born in Walpack Township, Sussex County, New Jersey, which is just across the Delaware River from Bushkill, Pennsylvania. John Schoonover has one older sibling, a brother named Amos Heller Schoonover, who was born two years earlier in 1837. After John was born, his parents would have four more children, two more sons, and two daughters: William Rodol Schoonover in 1846, Anna Mariah Schoonover in 1848, Martha Schoonover in 1855, and Edward Schoonover in 1860.

It seems that sometime between late-1846 and late-1848, John and his family moved a short distance away to Middle Smithfield Township in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. Except for his younger brother William, all of John's younger siblings would be born in Middle Smithfield. John, along with Amos and William, were the only three children who were born in Bushkill, Pennsylvania. The 1850 Federal Census lists John Schoonover, aged 11, and his family as living in Middle Smithfield. The 1850 Census also lists John's father, Simeon, as working as a "foundryman."

During his youth, John Schoonover received his education from the schools in his area. In 1855, at the age of 16, John "began the work of teaching and preparation for college." By 1860, at the age of 21, John Schoonover was residing in Oxford Township, Warren County, New Jersey, where he was employed as a schoolteacher.

𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐖𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, John Schoonover was still living in Oxford Township. Soon after President Abraham Lincoln and New Jersey Governor Charles Olden Lincoln issued a call on April 16, 1861, for 75,000 troops to serve for a total of three months, Schoonover joined the Warren Guards Militia Company, which was raised by Captain Edward L. Campbell of Belvidere, Warren County, New Jersey. Captain Campbell began recruiting on April 17-18, 1861, and in less than a week, Campbell's Warren Guards boasted 50 enlisted men, 3 officers, and 4 sergeants; the first Warren County company formed. John Schoonover joined shortly after the company was formed.

On April 29, 1861, the Warren Guards Militia Company departed from Belvidere's 2nd Street railroad station for Trenton, New Jersey's state capital. Approximately 1,000 people assembled at the station to witness the departure of the company, which was accompanied to Trenton by the Belvidere Band.

However, after the Warren Guards Militia Company had arrived in Trenton, they discovered that the state's quota for troops had already been filled and that they had arrived too late in Trenton for acceptance and could not be mustered into federal service at that time. As the Warren Guards Militia Company was about to return to Belvidere from Trenton, Captain Campbell stepped to the front of the company and asked all who were willing to enlist for three years to step forward. Only seven men, with John Schoonover being one of them, stepped towards Campbell. Due to the number of "three-year patriots" being so small, the company returned to Warren County.

𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐉𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐲 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲

Ultimately, Schoonover's "patriotism was not of the kind that could rest content with the acquisition of such laurels as these." On May 3, 1861, a call for three-year enlistments went out through New Jersey. On May 8, 1861, John Schoonover answered this call and enlisted as a Private in the 1st New Jersey Volunteer Infantry. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Regiments of New Jersey Volunteer Infantry would make up the First New Jersey Brigade, which was trained in camps in and around Trenton. On May 22, 1861, Private Schoonover was mustered into Company D of the 1st New Jersey Infantry. Company D was under the command of Captain Valentine Mutchler and was primarily comprised of men from Warren County, New Jersey. The 1st New Jersey Volunteer Infantry Regiment departed from New Jersey on June 28, 1861, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Robert McAllister.

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐑𝐮𝐧

On July 21, 1861, Private Schoonover and the 1st New Jersey Infantry was involved in the First Battle of Bull Run, the first major battle of the American Civil War which was won by the Confederate Army. During the battle, Lieutenant-Colonel McAllister and the regiment were ordered to move forward from Centerville to secure road intersections for the retreating Union troops and to act as a rearguard as General Joseph E. Johnston's Confederate troops pushed the Federals farther away from Manassas Junction. Officers of New Jersey regiments attempted to rally the retreating forces to bring order and to assist in the rear-guard action.

On July 22, 1861, Private John Schoonover wrote this letter to the Belvidere Intelligencer:

"We were stationed at Vienna when the cannonading commenced at Bull Run, which was distinctly heard, and many of us expressed a wish to be present. To our great pleasure at ten o'clock A.M., we received orders to march to Centerville. Owing to the absence of two companies 'out scouting' we remained until one o'clock then took to our march, leaving them behind. This delay alone prevented us from participating in the battle. About two miles this side of Centerville, we met the retreating army. As their number was but few when they first appeared, with the exception of the provision train, our Colonel supposed them to be fugitives, and many were compelled to retrace their steps. I feel happy to say that Lieutenant Colonel McAllister exhibited unflinching valor and determination upon the occasion. All except the wounded were arrested in their flight. The scene which followed, my pen utterly fails to describe. Men exhausted and spiritless came streaming along anxiously inquiring where we were going and what was our number; others for fear of being arrested in their flight turned in the woods; riderless horses were running in every direction; and I am glad to inform you that many imagining the battle was to be renewed turned and said they would try again. As we passed along, a number of Ellsworth's Fire Zouaves were standing in a body and exclaiming, 'Give it to them, Boys! Only about 200 of us left,' showing the cause of the many exaggerated reports which were given to the public. Many of the teamsters seemed foolishly frightened and came driving down the hills with headlong speed, their wagons frequently turning over and over in one confused mass. Amidst all this tumult, our little band of 600 men march coolly and deliberately forward; and contrary to the reports of the city papers, the Second Regiment turned back against the orders of Colonel [William] Montgomery, then commanding [the NJ Brigade]. We marched to Centerville, where we made a halt, lay down tired and wearied, and awaited further orders. About midnight, it was ascertained that the First NJ Regiment was the only one remaining in the place. We shortly received orders to retreat to Arlington Heights and accordingly took up our march, scarcely stopping on the way, which brought us to camp about seven o'clock, having marched since one o'clock of the previous day at least 40 miles, which many of us were disposed to think was a good tramp for the first one...I forgot to mention that five companies of the 1st Regiment were ordered to Arlington Heights, after the retreat, in order to throw up some sort of defense and guard the road."

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

In September of 1861, Schoonover was promoted to the rank of Corporal. During the winter of 1861-1862, Colonel Alfred Thomas Archimedes Torbert, who was commanding the 1st New Jersey Infantry at the time, ordered each Captain of the 1st New Jersey to select a sergeant to prepare for a competitive examination, that last of whom would receive a promotion to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. Due to no Sergeant in Schoonover's Company D being willing to participate in the examination, Corporal Schoonover was selected to represent the company. Four men in total appeared for the exam, with Commissary Sergeant S. G. Blythe receiving the promotion to 2nd Lieutenant.

However, Schoonover, who came in second in the examination, was selected to fill the vacancy left by Blythe and was promoted to the rank of Regimental Commissary Sergeant on March 24, 1862. Schoonover would fight with the 1st New Jersey Infantry Regiment in the Battle of Gaines's Mill on June 27, 1862.

𝟏𝟏𝐭𝐡 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐉𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐲 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲

John Schoonover would serve as Commissary Sergeant of the 1st New Jersey Infantry until August 2nd, 1862, when he received a promotion to 1st Lieutenant and a commission as the Regimental Adjutant of the 11th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry Regiment, which was being organized back in Trenton, New Jersey.

The 11th New Jersey Infantry was organized at Camp Olden in Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey, under the command of Colonel Robert McAllister, who Schoonover had previously served under with the 1st New Jersey Infantry. The regiment was officially mustered into federal service on August 15, 1862. On August 25, 1862, the 11th New Jersey Infantry left their state for Washington, D.C., where they would be attached to the defenses of the nation's capital. From November 16-27, 1862, the regiment marched to Falmouth, Stafford County, Virginia, where they would be on duty from November 28 to December 11, 1862. At the time, the regiment was attached to the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 3rd Army Corps of the Army of the Potomac.

𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐠

The first major battle that the 11th New Jersey fought in was the Battle of Fredericksburg, which occurred from December 11-15, 1862. The 11th New Jersey would enter the fight a day after it began, on December 12, 1862, and fight until the end of the battle on December 15, 1862. Although the battle was a Confederate victory, "this first engagement proved to the men of the Eleventh that their adjutant [1st Lieutenant John Schoonover] was one on whom they could depend."

𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞

It seems that sometime after the Battle of Fredericksburg, 1st Lieutenant John Schoonover was granted leave and returned to New Jersey and Pennsylvania. On March 19, 1863, John Schoonover, aged 23, married Elizabeth "Eliza" LaBar, aged 24, in Shawnee on Delaware, Monroe County, Pennsylvania. Eliza was the daughter of Judge John Depue Labar. The couple's first child, a daughter, Hallie Schoonover, would be born sometime in late 1864.

𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞

The next major battle that the 11th New Jersey took part in was the Battle of Chancellorsville, which the regiment fought in from May 1-5, 1863. On May 3rd, Union General Joseph Bradford Carr ordered the 11th New Jersey to deploy in line of battle on the right of the Plank Road. When Confederates attacked the fortified position held by the 11th Massachusetts and the 2nd New Jersey Brigade, the 11th New Jersey Infantry could not return direct fire due to the bullets and shells bursting amongst them. By midmorning, the Union's first line had retreated, with Confederate advances exposing their front and right flank to enemy fire. Colonel McAllister received conflicting orders from his corps and brigade commanders, but ultimately followed the latter's order, directing the 11th to unleash their fire into the advancing enemy's flank. This action only drew attention to the regiment, however, and they began receiving heavy fire from the enemy. Bullets severed the 11th New Jersey's state and national flagstaffs, and within minutes nearly two dozen men fell as casualties. The regiment temporarily wavered under the hail of fire but was ultimately rallied by Colonel McAllister, Captain Philip J. Kearny of Company A, who was the nephew of Major General Philip Kearny Jr., Adjutant Schoonover, and Color Sergeant Albert Du Puget, who advanced with his bullet-strewn flag and destroyed staff.

Eventually, the 2nd New Jersey Brigade fell back on the left of Plank Road, and the 11th New Jersey Infantry withdrew from action. As the regiment began to withdraw, Colonel McAllister, Lieutenant-Colonel Stephen Moore, and Adjutant Schoonover "were among the last to leave the field, and at one time, were almost surrounded by the enemy. A letter written at the time says, 'When the regiments of our brigade were forming, away back in the rear, some officer asked for the Eleventh New Jersey; another officer replied, 'Oh, they are fighting on their own hook, and still hard at it with the rebels.' The same letter refers to the fact that by holding its position and fighting desperately against odds, the Eleventh saved the Second New Jersey Brigade from being flanked, and enabled the Fifth Regiment of that brigade to take the colors whose capture gave them so much distinction." It was noted that the "conspicuous gallantry" of McAllister, Moore, and Schoonover "inspired the men [of the 11th New Jersey] to heroic deeds."

On the afternoon of May 4th, the 11th New Jersey was ordered to take a position in advance of the main Union line to support Berdan's Sharpshooters. The situation only grew worse when some of the sharpshooters withdrew, while the unit on the 11th's flank did the same, leaving the 11th exposed and isolated. A sudden volley from the front led the regiment to return fire into the ranks of the sharpshooters mistakenly. Despite Colonel McAllister's best efforts to hold the line steady, the regiment retreated in confusion. This blunder caused a great dispute between the commanders of both regiments.

Following the disaster, Colonel McAllister collected the men of the 11th who had mistakenly landed in the ranks of the 7th New Jersey after breaking the line. Embarrassed, but finally reunited and rallied by their commanders, the regiment held its position until they were relieved on the morning of May 5th. That night, Major General Joseph Hooker led the battered Union Army of the Potomac back across the Rappahannock. Despite the misfortunes of May 4th, the 11th New Jersey performed bravely in the Battle of Chancellorsville and was personally praised by General Hooker himself as "a gallant regiment; it fought splendidly."

After the battle, 1st Lieutenant Schoonover was noted as having been "conspicuous for his bravery and coolness, and received honorable mention therefor." Schoonover and the other officers of the 11th New Jersey were said to have been "of incalculable advantage in leading and urging the men forward… They showed themselves every inch soldier; they all deserve great credit, a promotion for meritorious conduct." Ultimately, the Battle of Chancellorsville was a victory for the Confederacy, with the 11th New Jersey suffering 20 men killed and 113 wounded.

Strangely enough, after the battle had concluded, 1st Lieutenant and Adjutant Schoonover was mistakenly reported as having been killed, with the news of his death even being published in several newspapers. By the time it was reported that Schoonover was indeed alive, preparations to recover his body had already been made.

𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲𝐬𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐠: 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟐, 𝟏𝟖𝟔𝟑

After the Union Army's defeat at Chancellorsville, the 11th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry began its humid, hot, and challenging march north into Pennsylvania, where they would soon fight in the Battle of Gettysburg, which occurred from July 1-3, 1863. The 11th and the 3rd Corps would eventually arrive on the southern outskirts of Gettysburg around 1:00 AM on July 2nd, which would become the second day of fighting at Gettysburg.

At dawn, the regiment deployed along the 3rd Corps line, which extended southward along Cemetery Ridge. Soon after surveying the terrain, Major General Daniel Sickles, the commander of the 3rd Corps, decided that his position resembled far too closely that of his failed line at Chancellorsville, and made an unauthorized decision to advance his corps forward onto higher ground. However, Sickles' re-positioning dangerously isolated and exposed his entire corps to flanking fire and created a sizable gap within the main Union line.

Sickles deployed the 11th New Jersey along the Emmitsburg Pike that afternoon. The division's 3 brigades, which included 5 New Jersey regiments, moved forward in perfect unison but were halted by puffs of smoke in the woods to the west and an ensuing artillery barrage. The 11th New Jersey Infantry continued to advance through the sporadic bursts of cannon shells and eventually took up a position on the northeast side of the Emmitsburg Pike. Shortly after deploying, a cloud of shrapnel exploded over their heads, forcing them to hug the earth and grit their teeth as they awaited the inevitable infantry assaults. Pinned to the ground amidst the hailstorm of exploding iron, 1st Lieutenant Schoonover surely must have had flashbacks to the regiment's prior action at Chancellorsville and contemplated how to extricate his men safely, but proudly, from their desperate situation. The fact that the 11th did not break and flee but remained clam within their ranks was a testament to the regiment's bravery in the thickest of the fray.

The sounds of firing quickly intensified as Confederate regiments slammed into the Federal line in the Peach Orchard to the south. In response, the 11th rose and shifted left to protect the 2nd Brigade's right flank. However, when the artillery fire increased again, Colonel McAllister once more ordered his men to lie down, the deadly case-shot filling the sky over their heads with its lethal iron shrapnel.

As the Confederates began to rout the Federals from the Peach Orchard, Colonel McAllister ordered his men to stand amidst the hailstorm of artillery and small arms fire to return volleys into Barksdale's Mississippians. As the 11th battled the Mississippians in their front, General Cadmus Wilcox's Alabamians arose from the woodlands to the west, trapping the 11th between two waves of attackers and subjecting them to a lethal cross-fire. Sensing the severity of the situation, Philip J. Kearny, who had received a promotion to Major for his service at Chancellorsville, placed his hand on Adjutant Schoonover's shoulder and solemnly remarked, "I tell you we are going to have a fight."

Just moments after saying this, a minie ball lodged in Major Kearny's knee. Around the same time, Colonel McAllister was making his way toward the center of the regiment's line, yelling orders, when a minie ball passed through his left thigh. Both Colonel McAllister and Major Kearny, who was mortally wounded, were dragged off the line back to McAllister's tent, where they would lie for the next five days, side by side. Captain Luther Martin assumed command of the regiment, but he too was wounded. Martin was shot in the foot, and while trying to make his way to the rear, was wounded again in the thigh and chest, the latter being mortal. Soon after, Captains Dorastus Logan, Andrew Hiram Ackerman, William H. Lloyd, and William Dunning were either killed or wounded.

With all the regiments officers either killed or wounded, 1st Lieutenant and Regimental Adjutant John Schoonover, the last remaining officer, assumed control of the 11th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He would command the regiment until late in the afternoon, holding the regiment in place, then leading it in a slow fighting withdrawal. Other regiments broke and ran amidst the heat of battle, but the 11th stood and contested every foot of ground, taking unparalleled casualties compared to fellow regiments along the Pike.

While commanding the 11th, Schoonover was wounded twice, the first being a shell fragment, which struck him in the breast and was not a severe wound, while the second wound was inflicted by a load of buckshot, which proved more serious and forced him to the rear of the regiment. After Schoonover fell back, the 11th New Jersey finally broke for the safety of Cemetery Ridge. By the end of the day's battle, the regiment was left in the hands of Captain Samuel Tucker Sleeper, who was a mere tailor prior to the war's outbreak. Sleeper's rise to regimental command reflected both the shocking scope of officer casualties created by the war's carnage, but also the blunt reality that the intensity and duration of the war would necessitate the rise of ordinary civilians to wholly unanticipated levels of leadership and martial responsibility. Of the 275 officers and men whom the regiment originally brought to the Emmitsburg Pike, 38 were killed and another 109 were wounded, with 12 missing. The gallantry the 11th New Jersey Infantry presented on the field is summarized succinctly by historian Harry W. Pfanz who stated, "they did New Jersey proud that day."

Schoonover's absence from his regiment due to his wounds would be brief, as he returned to the 11th New Jersey by the early evening of July 2nd and, at the request of Captain Sleeper, took command of the regiment once again. That same evening, it was also discovered that Schoonover barely escaped serious injury or death on more than one occasion during the fighting on July 2nd. While he was taking an inventory of his clothing, Lieutenant Schoonover found six bullet holes and "one rent made by a piece of shell" in his uniform.

𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲𝐬𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐠

John Schoonover would later write of the intense fighting that unfolded on the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg in a report written while the 11th New Jersey was encamped near Beverly Ford, Virginia on August 7, 1863:

"A few minutes previous to the command 'Fire!' spoken of in the accompanying report, Maj. Kearny, then standing near me on the left of the line, was struck by a Minie ball in the knee, and immediately carried to the rear. At this moment Battery K, Fourth U. S. Artillery, then stationed a short distance to the left and front of the regiment, limbered their pieces and passed by our left to the rear, closely followed by a line of the enemy's infantry, upon which the regiment opened a rapid fire. I then passed rapidly to the right of the regiment, in order to inform the colonel of the absence of the major, and learned that he, too, had been wounded and taken to the rear. I immediately notified Capt. Martin, the senior officer present, that he was in command of the regiment, and again passed to the left of the line, when an order was received from Brig.-Gen. Carr to slightly change the front by bringing the left to the rear. This being executed, the entire regiment opened an effective fire upon the advancing line of the enemy. At this point, word was conveyed to me that both Capt.'s Martin and [Dorastus] Logan were wounded and being carried to the rear. A moment later, and Capt. [Andrew Hiram] Ackerman fell dead by my side. The two former were killed before they reached a place of safety; and, in justice to the memory of these three officers, permit me to bear witness to their unexceptionable good conduct--ever to the front, distinguished for personal bravery, they leave behind them a spotless record. By this time, Capt. [William H.] Lloyd had also been wounded, and Capt. [William] Dunning being absent in assisting the colonel to the rear, I assumed command of the regiment. The fire of the enemy was at this time perfectly terrific; men were falling on every side. It seemed as if but a few minutes could elapse before the entire line would be shot down, yet the galling fire was returned with equal vigor. Slowly and stubbornly the regiment fell back, keeping up a continual fire upon the line of the enemy, which was still advancing, until more than half of its number had been killed and wounded. Up to this time both officers and men nobly did their duty, but the ranks becoming so decimated and mingled with wounded men and the line in the rear, and having a short time previous been struck with a piece of shell in the breast, I found it impossible, under these circumstances, to longer keep the line together. At this time we neared the caissons, which were in line across the field to the left, when I was struck the second time with a buck-shot, and being nearly exhausted in my efforts to rally the men, and from the wound in my breast, I was counseled to go to the rear. A portion of the regiment was rallied some distance to the rear by Capt. Lloyd, and charged in line with the remainder of the brigade to a point near that occupied during the hottest of the action. Remaining there a short time, it marched some distance to the rear, and bivouacked. To mention some may seem to do gross injustice to others, but I cannot pass by the untiring efforts of Lieutenant [John] Buckley to rally the men. Captain Lloyd and Lieutenant [Ira] Cory also deserve special mention for their coolness and bravery. As an individual act of bravery, I desire to mention Corporal Thomas Johnson, of Company I, who, when two color-bearers had been shot down, I ordered to take the colors and advance twenty yards to the front, as the regiment was wavering, he did so and did not leave his position until ordered to the rear. In the action on the 2nd, the regiment sustained a very heavy loss. Out of the 275 officers and men taken into the fight, 18 were killed, 130 wounded and 6 missing, making a total of 154."

𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲𝐬𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐠: 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟑, 𝟏𝟖𝟔𝟑

The 11th New Jersey Infantry Regiment once more participated in the Battle of Gettysburg on July 3, 1863, the third and last day of the battle. 1st Lieutenant John Schoonover retained command of the 11th New Jersey, which was deployed in support of the Union artillery batteries during Pickett's Charge. Schoonover once more escaped injury when he had his horse shot out from under him during an artillery barrage but remained unscathed.

1st Lieutenant Schoonover wrote the following about the fighting on July 3rd, "Being able to ride, I joined the regiment on the morning of the 3rd, and again took command, by request of Capt. Sleeper, the senior officer present for duty. A number of officers and men also joined the regiment, having been collected near the stream farther to the rear. Moving a short distance to the front, the regiment was halted until 3 p. m., when it was ordered out double-quick with the remainder of the brigade on the road toward Gettysburg. Proceeding nearly a mile, it was halted and formed in line of battle in rear of the batteries occupying the crest of the hill in front, the brigade being in column of regiments. The regiment remained in this position for nearly two hours, under a heavy fire of shot and shell, yet but one man was slightly wounded. During the time my horse was struck with a spherical case shot, from the effects of which he died the next day. About 5 p. m. the regiment returned to its former position, where it remained during the night. In conclusion, permit me to mention the general good conduct of both officers and men both upon the 2nd and 3rd. To mention some might do gross injustice to others, but I cannot pass by the untiring efforts of Lieut. Buckley to rally the men. Capt. Lloyd and Lieut. Corey also deserve special mention for their coolness and bravery. As an individual act of bravery, I desire to mention Corpl. Thomas Johnson, of Company I, whom, when two color-bearers had been shot down, I ordered to take the colors and advance 20 yards to the front, as the regiment was then wavering. He did so, and did not leave his position until ordered to the rear. The services of Lieut. James Baldwin on the 3rd, as acting adjutant, were invaluable…

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN SCHOONOVER, Adjutant Eleventh New Jersey Volunteers."

Overall, the Battle of Gettysburg had resulted in a Union victory, but for the 11th New Jersey, it was a costly and hard-fought battle, at the price of 56% losses (37th highest casualties of the 247 regiments at Gettysburg) including the majority of its officers.

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐢𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭-𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥

After the Battle of Gettysburg, the 11th New Jersey participated in the pursuit of the Confederate Army, fighting in the Battle of Manassas Gap, also known as the Battle of Wapping Heights, on July 23, 1863.

Five days later, on July 28, 1st Lieutenant and Regimental Adjutant John Schoonover was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, a direct result of his brave service during the Battle of Gettysburg and a recommendation for promotion from General Joseph Bradford Carr. On August 21 (or 22), 1863, Schoonover officially received his commission as Lieutenant-Colonel of the 11th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry Regiment, "an honor that he had gallantly earned." Suffering from his wounds received on July 2, Colonel Robert McAllister returned to Warren County, New Jersey, to recover, which left Lieutenant-Colonel Schoonover in command of the regiment until September 17, 1863, when Colonel McAllister returned to the regiment.

From August to October 1863, the 11th New Jersey was on duty near Warrenton, Fauquier County, Virginia. After which the regiment fought in the Battle of Kelly's Ford (November 8, 1863) and the Battle of Locust Grove (November 27, 1863).

𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞

According to one soldier of the 11th New Jersey, during the Battle of Locust Grove, the "skirmishers [of the 11th New Jersey] advanced under the personal command of Colonel Schoonover… Colonel Schoonover, who was something of an expert with the rifle, took delight in acting as a sharpshooter upon the advance line whenever occasion offered. He, therefore, could not resist the temptation presented by the skirmish-line at Locust Grove. It will be remembered that our skirmishers had been posted along a fence at the edge of the wood. The enemy's line was posted along a fence on the opposite side of which intervened. Some of them, however, had crept forward and were hidden in the high grass. A constant fire was kept up between the two lines. Schoonover crept forward to the fence where our skirmishers were posted—to have advanced in an erect position would have been to court death—and borrowing a gun from one of the men, awaited a shot. He made two shots, but without effect. The third shot was at a rebel who had been lying in the grass a short distance from the fence. An occasional puff of smoke revealed the positions of those who had had the audacity to conceal themselves in the grass some distance beyond their picket-line. He directed some of the men near him to fire at the spot where the smoke was seen to rise, while others were to hold their fire and take the game on the wing. He had a fair, open shot at one as he was scaling the fence. The shot must have taken effect, for the man required assistance to reach a place of safety…. The Battle of Locust Grove lasted but a few hours, but it was fiercely fought, and the Eleventh New Jersey proved anew that they were entitled to the name that by common consent had been given them, 'The Fighting Eleventh.' The aggregate loss of the regiment was 31–7 killed, 16 wounded, 7 prisoners and 1 missing. To give a correct idea of the percentage of loss, it will be well to state that at the commencement of the battle of Locust Grove, the regiment numbered less than two hundred men. The exact figures are not available. A. B. Searing, of Company E, who was a close observer and who made it a point to write down everything of importance that came to his notice, says that at the close of the battle we had only 105 men remaining with the regiment."

The 11th New Jersey then went on to fight in the Battle of Mine Run (November 27, 1863 – December 2, 1863).

𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

From May 5 to 7, 1864, the 11th New Jersey Infantry fought in the Battle of the Wilderness, the first battle of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign against the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. According to a soldier of the 11th New Jersey, during the afternoon of May 7, 1864, the last day of the battle, Lieutenant-Colonel Schoonover was "detailed as division officer of the day, and directed to take the Eleventh New Jersey and Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania and establish a picket-line through the battle-ground of the previous day. Schoonover says: "The establishment of this line in the darkness, the men stumbling over the dead bodies of friends and foes, was a duty not altogether pleasant."

Schoonover himself mentions this, as he is known to have written, "None who passed through the battle of the Wilderness will ever forget it. On the night of the 7th, I was picket officer for the division; and this night's duty was one of the most unpleasant I ever performed in the army. To establish a picket line at night, in the almost impenetrable wilderness, would be at any time a difficult task, but in addition to this, it lay through the battleground of the previous day, and in many places the bodies of the dead strewed the ground so thickly that it was difficult to guide my horse among them. At this point, which was on the right of the plank road, the two lines fought with a small stream between them, and on the brow of the hill on one side, the rebel dead lay in perfect line, for at least 200 yards, so closely as to enable a person to step from one to another for the entire distance."

Following the Battle of the Wilderness, Schoonover wrote the following report on the 11th New Jersey's movements before and during the battle; "At 1 a. m. May 4, 1864, the regiment left its winter quarters near Brandy Station, Va., and with the remainder of the brigade made a rapid march to Ely's Ford on the Rapidan, which was crossed at 11 the same forenoon. At his point the regiment was detailed to guard the ammunition train, and continued on this duty until it reached the Chancellorsville battle-ground, where it joined the brigade at 3.45 p.m.; continued the march on the morning of May 5 at 5 a. m., reached the Brock road early in the afternoon, and at once threw up a temporary breast-works. At 4 p. m. the command was passed along the line "By the right of companies to the front," which was repeated, and the regiment moved forward as directed. After proceeding a very short distance through the dense under-bush, I was directed by the brigade commander to form line of battle, which I did so far as circumstances would permit. With the regiments on the right and left crowding, and in the midst of an almost impassable underbrush, it was found impossible to form a line of battle in the space I occupied on the road. There was much confusion in the ranks till the regiment reached the crest of the hill, when, by detailing the three left companies, I succeeded in placing the remainder of the regiment in proper line. As yet we had received no fire from the enemy except an occasional shot from the skirmish line, which was returned. We had been in this position but a short time, when a few volleys of musketry were heard to the extreme left and rear, and immediately the line on the left, as far as I could see, commenced falling back in confusion. This was rapidly carried on to the right, and when the Sixteenth Massachusetts, which was on my immediate left, took up the movement my regiment followed and all efforts to rally the men were fruitless. The troops seemed panic-stricken, and for what reason I was never able to imagine. They acted as if their only safety was the works which they had so hastily erected. I desire to mention one exception, the color company and color guard, under command of Capt. Kennedy, retained its position for some time after the troops on my right and left had disappeared, and until he received a direct order from me to fall back. The officers upon this occasion, so far as I could see, made every effort to keep their men in line. The regiment was reformed on the road and the report showed a list of 12 wounded. At 4.30 on the morning of the 6th we again advanced in line of battle through the woods. We continued to advance slowly until 7 a. m., when a heavy fire was opened by the regiments on my right and left, which was taken up for a short time by my regiment. I soon, however, succeeded in stopping it, as I considered it perfectly useless, as we were at that time receiving no fire from the enemy, neither was he in sight. The regiment continued to advance, with frequent halts, until about 9 a. m., when we received a heavy volley from the enemy. Advancing some distance farther the line was halted, a skirmish line thrown out, and the regiment remained in this position until shots were received from our left and rear, when a change of front was ordered by Col. Swell, then in command of the Fifth, Sixth, and Eleventh Regiments New Jersey Volunteers. This change of front took place about 10.30 a. m. At 11 the enemy we heard advancing on our front with heavy firing and cheering. Soon after the troops composing the front line passed over us in much confusion. I then passed along the whole length of my regiment and directed them to reserve their fire until they received orders. At this time there were but few of the enemy's shots passing over us. The approaching yell and loud firing gave us sufficient warning of the advance and position of the enemy. In a few minutes I directed the regiment to commence firing. The regiment with scarcely an exception acted with perfect coolness; not a man flinched. There seemed to be a determination to retrieve what they had lost the day previous. This fire was continued for some time, when the regiment on my immediate left fell back. The one on my right followed. I turned to ask Col. Sewell for instructions, and I was told by one of my officers that he had gone to the rear with the remainder of the line. At this time an officer from the left of the regiment came to me and said that Col. Sewell had left orders for me to fall back. As no troops were to be seen on either my right or left, I deemed it proper to do so. The regiment retired to the Brock road, were it took position in rear of the second line of works on the left of the Sixteenth Massachusetts. It remained in this position during the afternoon, assisting in the repulse of the enemy at 4, and also took part in the charge upon the first line of works, which had been captured by the enemy and from which they were driven. At 4.30 p. m. May 7 the regiment, after moving to the right of the plank road with the brigade, was detailed for picket, where it remained until 10 a. m. the next day."

𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐬𝐲𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞

Shortly after the Battle of the Wilderness concluded, the 11th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry fought in the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, which unfolded from May 8 to 21, 1864, with the regiment fighting in the infamous assault on the "Bloody Angle" on May 12. During the night of the May 7th, and morning of May 8th, the Union Army moved toward Spotsylvania Court House, with the 11th New Jersey being the last body of infantry to leave the field of the Battle of the Wilderness.

On the night of May 8th, Lieutenant-Colonel Schoonover was ill, having been "quite sick during the afternoon, and suffering with a burning thirst and showing other symptoms of fever… but the symptoms abated, and the colonel was ready for duty in the morning."

On the morning of May 9th, the 11th New Jersey moved to a position on the Catharpin road, where it remained until 3 AM, getting but little rest, however, for twice during the night the regiment was called to arms by heavy picket-firing. The regiment then began its march at 3 AM on the morning of May 10th, the division having been ordered to report to Major General Horatio Wright, commander of the 6th Corps. Around 9 AM, the 11th New Jersey took position to the left of the Sixth Corps, the left of the division resting near the Brown house, where they immediately threw up works and remained in place until 5 PM, when the division was formed and ordered to advance. It went forward through the woods, pressing the enemy's pickets back until near their breastworks when it was met by an enfilading fire from their batteries, which caused it to fall back in some confusion.

The 11th was on the left of the division, and when Colonel Schoonover observed the line breaking away from the right, he ordered the regiment to lie down, and except for a small portion of his command, which was broken from the right and carried back with the rest of the division, it was held in this advanced position. After remaining there quietly for some time, the word was sent to General Gershom Mott that the 11th New Jersey was still at the front and awaiting orders. Instructions were soon received from the commanding officer of the division to establish a picket-line, which was done, the regiment remaining in this position during the night and until dark the next day.

On May 11th, the picket-line was harassed by sharpshooters who fired from the protection of the Landron House, about a quarter of a mile in front. In the afternoon, an order was received from General Mott to take what men of the 11th New Jersey who were on the skirmish-line and charge upon this house. The advance was made under a galling fire from the enemy, which resulted in Lieutenant-Colonel Schoonover being slightly wounded and considerable losses to the regiment before they were ultimately ordered to withdraw.

The movements of the 11th New Jersey on May 12th, during which the assault on "the Bloody Angle" occurred, are described by Sergeant Thomas D. Marbaker of Company E as follows, "We pressed forward to the second line of works, but they had been strongly manned, and the advance was checked. The position captured was of the utmost importance to Lee, and he rapidly threw forward reinforcements. Gordon's troops, who had been held to support both Johnson and Rhodes', and Ramsecure's Brigade from the left of Rhodes', were soon on the ground, and then ensued one of the most desperate struggles of the war. The Union forces were pushed back and the enemy again occupied the interior of the works, but the Union troops clung desperately to their face and could not be dislodged. At the point occupied by the Eleventh Regiment, the reverse side of the salient, offered but little protection from the fire of the enemy's works on the hill, consequently our men moved a little to the left where a sharp descent in the ground running from and forming an acute angle with the salient offered some protection. For some distance to the left of where our line joined the works the enemy occupied one side and we the other. Our line under the brow of the hill opened fire over the top of the works so soon as formed. This was our only safety, for when our fire slackened for a moment the enemy would rise from behind the works and pour a destructive fire into our ranks along the foot of the hill. Our forces at this point was not less than ten ranks in depth. The enemy brought up their reinforcements under cover of the woods in the rear. Many of them, either ignorant of our position or over-anxious to single out an officer, would raise their heads above the works and fall back dead. Our fire was mainly kept up by those in the rear loading their pieces and passing them up to the front ranks. A great portion of the enemy's fire was of a random character, although many of our men were hit by shots fired through the crevices of the logs and holes in the earth works. Frequently their muskets could be seen with the barrels resting on top of the logs and the stock in a forked stick, the gun was then fired without exposing the hand. No doubt many of our men were struck by these shots, and invariably in the head. Lieutenant-Colonel Schoonover was slightly wounded under the ear by one of these shots. Occasionally during the day the enemy would display a regimental flag above the works, but the staff would be almost instantly cut off by our bullets. The fire was kept up until nearly midnight, when it ceased, and the entire line fell into our hands after fourteen hours of constant fighting."

Upon the conclusion of the fighting at the "Bloody Angle," Lieutenant-Colonel John Schoonover was once again falsely reported as having been killed and yet again preparations were being made to return his body home. However, this time, a soldier of the 11th New Jersey went to search for the body of Schoonover and recalls this occurrence as follows, "I went back to the front again, determined to have his body, if possible; went to the extreme front; bullets whistling among the trees; not finding the Colonel's body, came back. I met Captain Starboard, who said the Colonel was alive—he had seen him five minutes before. Oh, how glad I felt! Hastened again to the hospital with the joyful news."

After the fight on the 12th, Lieutenant-Colonel Schoonover surveyed the area on the morning of May 13th. As stated by Schoonover, "I went over the works at daylight the next morning, and the sight was one not easily forgotten. In the ditches between the traverses I counted two hundred and fifty dead, mostly shot in the head, and in some places they lay three and four deep. I only recollect finding one wounded man there. He was sitting erect, his eyes completely closed, and seemed in great agony. A short distance in the rear of the rebel works I noticed two rebel colonels lying side by side, while their horses lay near them. The evidence of the continued fire at this point during the day and part of the night was everywhere apparent. The trees near the works were stripped of their foliage, and looked as though an army of locusts had passed during the night. The brush between the lines was cut and torn into shreds, and the fallen bodies of men and horses lay there with the flesh shot and torn from the bones. The peculiar whirring sound of a flying ramrod was frequently heard during the day. I noticed two of these that had fastened themselves in the oak trees nearby. While the great number of the enemy's dead and the terrible effects of our fire upon the logs composing the breastworks attested the general accuracy of our fire, the absence of the foliage from the top of the tallest trees made it evident that during a battle there is much random firing. There is a large percentage of men in actual battle who load carefully, aim deliberately, and shoot to kill. On the other hand, it is not an uncommon thing for a soldier amidst the excitement of battle, to load his gun, shut his eyes, and fire in the air straight over his head."

On May 15th, one of Schoonover's fellow officers, Lieutenant Joseph C. Baldwin, who replaced Schoonover as the Regimental Adjutant and was one of the best and most promising officers of the regiment, was killed by an artillery shell. Schoonover said of Lieutenant Baldwin and the moment of his death, which occurred right next to him, as follows, "He [Baldwin] had been serving on the staff of General McAllister, and had that morning joined the regiment, bringing with him a presentiment that his death was very near at hand. He was a general favorite, and his presence always brought with it sunshine and cheer, but on that day he was unusually depressed, and it seemed as if the shadow of his coming doom preceded the fatal shot. There was quiet along the lines, and not even a probability of danger that day. But Baldwin could not relieve his mind of the belief that he was to die soon. At this time the regiment, with the brigade, occupied the outer line of works, the corps being massed in rear, preparatory to an onward move. We were sitting side by side, leaning against one of the traverses, which had been placed in the works as a protection against a flank fire. His conversation was of home, of the church he used to attend, and especially of the coming marriage of his sister, cards having been received by him that very day. In the midst of all this quiet, the rebel General Rosser brought up a battery of artillery and commenced an enfilade of our lines. Few shots had been fired when one forced its way through between two of the logs composing the traverse, crushed the head of poor Baldwin, causing instant death. He had given his life for his country, and the blood which flowed from his wound sealed the cards which had brought an invitation to the marriage festivities of an only sister."

In his report on the 11th New Jersey's actions before, during, and after the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Schoonover wrote "On Monday, May 8, at 10 a. m., the regiment was drawn in from the picket-line, and composed a portion of the rear guard from the Wilderness to a point near Todd's Tavern, where it joined the brigade early in the afternoon, and at once commenced putting up breast-works. This work was continued until the afternoon of the 9th, when we moved a short distance and the regiment went into position near Todd's Tavern. Moved forward the next morning at daylight, and about 8 a. m. reached a point near the Brown house, where we remained until 5 p. m., when the regiment took position on the extreme left of the division, preparatory to an advance. At 5.30 the regiment moved forward and was repulsed when it reached the crest commanded by the enemy's canister. I rallied a portion of the regiment and with men from different regiments established a picket-line. On the afternoon of the 11th an attempt was made to take a direct fire of the enemy's batteries. The regiment was relieved about 6 p. m. and joined the brigade about a mile to the right. At 9.30 the same night moved back to a point near the Brown house and went into position. May 12, in line at daylight. Soon after, the regiment having position on the extreme right advanced with the brigade to the front. At the movement of entering the woods, Lieut. Egan was killed by an unexploded shell. The regiment advanced steadily, crossed the first line of the enemy's works, and reached our front line, then engaged with the enemy, who occupied his second line. The fire at this point was maintained but a short time, our whole line falling back to the enemy's first line of works. The fire from these works was kept up for an hour or more when all that portion of the line on the right of the crest, where the heavy fire continued faring the day, fell back and the enemy took possession of the works. A portion of my regiment was carried back with this line. I maintained, with what men I could collect, the left of the line, which had been formed at right angles to the breast-works. I continued in this position all day and part of the night when I moved a short distance to the rear with a few men and remained until the following morning when the regiment moved a short distance to the right and received ammunition. Col. McAllister assumed command of the regiment to-day. During the forenoon moved up with the brigade to the breast-works and took position near the fighting point of the day previous, where we remained during the night. May 15, moved off at daylight and massed in the woods a mile to the left. At 10 a. m. the regiment moved up and took position in the breast-works under a severe fire from the enemy's sharpshooters. The same forenoon, between the hours of 11 and 12, the enemy completely enfiladed our line with one of his batteries, killing Lieut. Baldwin, who was struck on the head with an unexploded shell. The regiment remained in this position until 5 a. m. on the morning of the 17th, when it moved half a mile to the rear and massed in the woods. At 9 p. m. the same day, moved half a mile to the right and bivouacked. May 18, moved to the front at daylight this morning again entered the works under a heavy shell fire; 9 p. m., moved to the left and took position in the works near the place occupied on the 15th. May 19, marched off hurriedly at 2.30 p. m., and reached the Anderson house early in the morning, where we remained until nearly dark, when we marched rapidly to the right about 2 miles and went into line of battle. May 20, 4 a. m., moved a short distance to the right and advanced through the woods in line of battle, and at 7 a. m., reached our camp on the Anderson farm."

𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐫

After the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, the 11th New Jersey Infantry would fight in the Battle of North Anna (May 23-26, 1864), the Battle of Totopotomoy Creek (May 28-31, 1864), and the Battle of Cold Harbor (June 1-12, 1864).

On the afternoon of June 9th, during the Battle of Cold Harbor, Lieutenant-Colonel Schoonover was wounded yet again; "About 5 o'clock on the afternoon of the 9th a number of officers, including General Mott and staff, were sitting near the headquarters of the regiment, when the enemy opened a vigorous fire of shell… which extended along the crest, some twenty or thirty feet above the place occupied by the officers. As they thought their position an entirely safe one, and as an occasional shell fell into the pond among the bathers, who did not seem at all disturbed by the intruders, the affair was very keenly enjoyed. But soon a change came over the scene. A conical 10-pound shell burst over the works, and a piece of the missile, of about 3 pounds weight, shot directly down the hill and struck Colonel Schoonover in the back. His first impression was that he had been hit with a solid shot. In the language of the lamented Baldwin, he was ready to exclaim, "Life is in a nutshell, and I am shelled out." For a moment or two he thought that he was fatally wounded, but it proved to be only a bruise, which kept him from duty a day or two."

After the Battle of Cold Harbor, the 11th New Jersey participated in the beginning of the Siege of Petersburg, which began on June 15, 1864 and concluded on April 2, 1865, with the regiment participating in siege from June 16 to 23, 1864. The 11th New Jersey Infantry would then go on to fight in the Battle of the Crater (July 30, 1864), the Second Battle of Deep Bottom (August 14-20, 1864), the Second Battle of Ream's Station (August 25, 1864), the Battle of Peebles's Farm (September 30 – October 2, 1864), the Battle of Boydton Plank Road (October 27–28, 1864), the Battle of Hatcher's Run (February 5-7, 1865), the Battle of White Oak Road (March 31, 1865), the Third Battle of Petersburg (April 2, 1865), the Battle of Sailor's Creek (April 6, 1865), the Battle of High Bridge (April 6-7, 1865), and finally, the Battle of Appomattox Court House (April 9, 1865).

𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐮𝐭

On March 13, 1865, for his "gallantry in action," Lieutenant-Colonel John Schoonover was awarded the rank of Brevet Colonel and on June 6, 1865, the 11th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry was officially mustered out of federal service. Overall, Lieutenant-Colonel Schoonover fought in every battle with the Union's Army of the Potomac.

𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐫

After the conclusion of the Civil War, John Schoonover travelled "to Mississippi to engage in cotton culture," but returned after a year to his residence in Oxford Township, Warren County, New Jersey. The 1870 U.S. Federal Census shows John, his wife, Elizabeth, and his daughter, Hallie, as living in Oxford Township, with John's occupation being listed as "Farmer," and the value of his estate is $500.

Sometime around 1870, John Schoonover was employed as a manager by the Oxford Iron Company, which controlled Oxford Township's iron ore mining operation and blast furnace. Schoonover would eventually become superintendent of the Oxford Iron Company and would serve in this capacity until 1886 when he resigned from the position.

John and Elizabeth's second child and first son, John Depue LaBarre Schoonover, was born on June 24, 1872, in Oxford Township. On August 19, 1877, the couple's second son, Frank Earl Schoonover, was born in Oxford Township. Their final child, James Madison Schoonover, was born on February 9, 1881.

The 1880 Census lists John Schoonover and his family as still residing in Oxford Township, specifically on Orford Avenue. Schoonover's occupation is listed as "Superintendent, Ore Mines & Blast Furnaces."

After John Schoonover resigned as Superintendent of the Oxford Iron Company, he and his family moved to Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey. After moving to New Jersey's state capital, John Schoonover "held many public offices of trust in Trenton… as a member of Council and the Board of Assessors."

In 1888, former Lieutenant-Colonel John Schoonover attended the 25th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, along with around 2,400 other New Jersey veterans, with the monument to the 11th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry Regiment was dedicated on June 20, 1888. It is known that Schoonover was a member of Aaron Wilkes Post, No. 23 of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.), which was in Trenton, New Jersey.

The 1900 Census shows John, Elizabeth, and two of their sons, John and Frank, as living in Trenton, New Jersey, specifically on West State Street. John's occupation is listed as "Insurance Agent."

The 1905 New Jersey State Census shows John and Elizabeth still residing in Trenton, but they seem to have moved into a residence on Prospect Street. This census lists John Schoonover's occupation as "City Assessor."

𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 & 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡

On September 1, 1920, John's wife, Elizabeth, died at the age of 81 years old. At the time of her death, the two of them were still living in Trenton.

On April 12, 1930, former Lieutenant-Colonel John Schoonover died in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, at the age of 90 years old. His obituary, published in the April 17, 1930 issue of the Pike County Dispatch, read as follows: "'GRAND OLD MAN OF BUSHKILL DEAD: Colonel John Schoonover Passes Away at the age of 90—Splendid Record for Heroic Service in the Civil War. ' Colonel John Schoonover of Bushkill passed away on Saturday at the General Hospital, East Stroudsburg, where he had been a patient for the past two months. He was in his 91st year. Colonel Schoonover made his home at the Peters House, Bushkill, and was the patriarch of the village. He was a veteran of the Civil War and had a splendid record for heroic service. He fought in forty-nine major battles of the great war between the states and was wounded several times. In the decisive battle of at Gettysburg, when he did splendid work in helping to hurl back the tide of invasion from the north, as well be as from his native Pennsylvania, his horse was shot under him. In his old age he was alert and keen at all times, always taking an intelligent interest in everything that went on in the community and in the world. He was a speaker of ability and was often in demand to address gatherings such as military, church and community affairs. He is was also a great lover of fishing and followed trout fishing every year. Colonel Schoonover was the son of of Simeon and Sarah Schoonover, pioneer residents of Bushkill, and he himself was born in that section. He was in the insurance business for many years in Trenton, N.J., and was also, at one time, a schoolteacher. He married a daughter of the late Judge J. Depue LaBar of Shawnee and she died at Trenton a number of years ago. Colonel Schoonover leaves one son, Frank Schoonover, of Wilmington, Del., a well-known illustrator for Country Gentleman and other magazines. The son summers annually at Bushkill. Colonel Schoonover's Civil War record is an interesting one. He enlisted in the Eleventh New Jersey Volunteer Infantry as soon as the war clouds rolled across the nation. Several brothers of his also enlisted at once, mostly in Pennsylvania units of the Northern forces. Colonel Schoonover happened to be teaching school at Oxford Furnace, N. J., when the war broke out and he immediately joined the colors of his country there. He was rapidly promoted through the various ranks to a colonelcy and served the entire four years of the war. He served in the brigade commanded by General McAllister and at the sanguinary battle of Antietam was wounded. He fought at Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg and many other major battles, following the heroic campaigns of the Army of the Potomac to the final beating down of the Confederacy at Appomattox."

After his death, John Schoonover was buried beside his wife in Stroudsburg Cemetery in Stroudsburg, Monroe County, Pennsylvania.