Robert Bruce Petriken

Major Robert Bruce (R. Bruce) Petrikin (D21) Blair, Centre, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry 1871-1872 (D22) Centre, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin Counties 1873-1874

Early Life: 

Major Robert Bruce (R. Bruce) Petrikin, born, September 12, 1826, Muncie, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania; son of William A. and Margaret Montgomery Petrikin; educated, Reverend Doctor Shedden Academy, McEwensville, Pennsylvania; Lafayette College, Easton, 1846; studied law under Andrew Porter Wilson (i), Huntingdon, 1847; Huntingdon bar, 1849; enlisted, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Major, Civil War, 1861: attorney; elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1870-1873; married Mary Pohl, children, Robert Bruce, two years; Donald, nineteen; Harry William (his law partner; Margaret M., wife of Joseph H. Rhodes, Burlington, New Jersey; Mary E.; and Malcolm; (ii) Died, throat cancer, Medico-Chirurgical College and Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 15, 1895.  Interment unknown. (iii)

Early Career:

Enlisted, Fifth Infantry, elected Major, April 20, 1861, for three-month service. The 5th was deployed to guard Washington, encamped at Alexandria, Virginia. He served until the outset of 1st Manassas; returned to Harrisburg; and mustered out with the regiment on July 25, 1861. (iv)(v)

Professional titles; business ownership; board memberships; local government; club memberships:

Member, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or simply as the Loyal Legion

Pennsylvania Politics:

Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1864, 17^th district (vi)

Elected, Democrat Pennsylvania State Senate, 21^st district Blair, Centre, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry Counties 1871-1872, Compare Bills, Estates and Escheats, Judiciary General, Military Affairs and Public Printing Committees.  

Elected, Democrat Pennsylvania State Senate, 22^nd district Centre, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin Counties, 1873-1874; member, Compare Bills, Estates and Escheats, Judiciary Local and Vice and Immorality, Committees.  

Cited:

Smull’s Legislative Hand Book, (1871) Smull, J.A., Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, page 428, 430, and 436-438.

Smull’s Legislative Hand Book, (1873) Smull, J.A., Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, page 515, 517, and 522-524.

1. https://ledger.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org/ledger/students/2824
2. Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley: Comprising the Counties of Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata and Perry, Pennsylvania, Containing Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens and Many of the Early Settlers.  Chambersburg, Pa.: J. M. Runk & Co., 1897, pages 47-48. http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/huntingdon/bios/runk/petrikin-harry-w.txt
3. Source: History of Huntingdon and Blair Counties, Pennsylvania, by J. Simpson Africa, 1883, Louis H. Everts, pub., Philadelphia, Pa., p. 97. http://www.pa-roots.org/data/read.php?130,1003674
4. https://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/pennsylvania/5th-pennsylvania-infantry/
5. Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing Company, 1908 - Volume 1 https://civilwarindex.com/armypa/5th%20pa%20infantry.html
6. https://politicalgraveyard.com/parties/D/1864/PA.html