My Genealogy Hound

COL. MILTON A. EMBICK is one of the prominent citizens of Boiling Springs, Cumberland county, and has been a resident of this county since 1880. He is a native of Franklin county, having been born at “Rose Hill,” Antrim township, Franklin Co., Pa., March 18, 1843, a son of John and Sarah (Fohl) Embick.

The Embick family dates back to Christopher Embick, who landed in the colonies from the Palatinate in 1753. From this ancestor springs the large family of this name, scattered all over the United States. Christopher Embick had seven sons.

John Embick, father of Col. Milton A., lost his father while he was an infant. His first work was hauling between Pittsburg and Baltimore, and later he learned the trade of blacksmithing, and shortly thereafter purchased the “Rose Hill” homestead that formerly belonged to his wife’s father. Upon this property he spent most of his life, dying at the age of seventy-two, and his wife also passed away upon the farm. Ten children were born to them: Joanna E. married Simon Bear, a resident of Fulton, Ill.; Susan F. died, the wife of John Phillipy, who is now deceased; Sarah C. died the wife of Capt. C. S. Derland, of Boiling Springs; Martha J. died in infancy; Keziah M. married E. W. Byers, of Williamsport, Md.; Lisle F. died the wife of James H. Speer, of Abilene, Kan.; Mary J. died the wife of Dr. A. R. Long, of Mt. Morris, Ill., Also deceased; Col. M. A. is our subject; Laura C. married Antoine Tegethoff, of Washington, D. C., who is now deceased; Emma C. married E. W. Humphrey, of El Reno, Oklahoma Territory.

Col. Milton A. Embick was reared on the farm, and received a common school education, attending during the winter months, and later he spent some time in an academy at Lebanon, Pa. In 1862 he began teaching. During this time he was serving as a private in an independent home guard of Cavalry, but in 1864 he enlisted in the Union service, becoming a private in Company D, 209th P. V. I., and was assigned to the Hartranft division, serving until the close of the war. Returning home, he again taught school, and thus continued until the summer of 1874, when he was nominated by the Democratic party of Franklin county for the Legislature. He secured the nomination upon the first ballot, so popular was he with the people of his party, although there were seventeen candidates against him. He carried the county by a majority of 365, and this was in a county which had a normal Republican majority of 500. During the session of 1875-76, the first Legislature elected under the constitution adopted in 1873, and served upon the committee on Ways and Means, being its secretary. He was also upon and was secretary of the committee on Agricultural Matters. Col. Embick was also secretary of the Democratic Legislative Caucus; a member of the Centennial committee from Franklin county, and was appointed a member of the special committee to investigate the State treasury under Robert Mackey. After a most brilliant career as a legislator Col. Embick retired to private life, refusing to accept a re-nomination, resuming his teaching and also engaging in farming. In the spring of 1880 he removed to Boiling Springs.

In 1889 Col. Embick organized the 209th Regiment, and acted as its secretary for four years. Having been appointed by Gen. Hartranft secretary of the 3d Division, he proceeded to organize that Division, and at its first re-union, March 25, 1890, he was presented with a fine gold watch by his comrades. He was instrumental in securing the passage of the bill appropriating $18,000 for the purpose of erecting an equestrian statue to the memory of Gen. Hartranft at Harrisburg, and served upon the monument commission until the unveiling of the completed statue, May 21, 1899, by his daughter, Miss Mary Lenore Embick. In church matters Col. Embick is a Lutheran, as are all his family and has represented the church in synod, local and general; and has been very active in all things pertaining to the church. He takes a great interest in G. A. R. matters, being a member of Capt. Colwell Post, No. 201, Carlisle, and has gained considerable fame as an orator on Decoration Day and other national holidays.

In 1902 Gov. Stone appointed Col. Embick a member of the State board of health and vital statistics of Pennsylvania, and he was reappointed by Gov. Pennypacker for the term of six years. He has always been one of the most energetic members of the board. He is also a member of the American Public Health Association, comprising the territory of the United States of America, the Dominion of Canada, the Republic of Mexico, and the Republic of Cuba, and with Dr. Benjamin Lee represented Pennsylvania as members of that Association at their convention held in Washington, D. C., in October. 1903. Col. Embick is adjutant of the Southern District Association, G. A. R., comprising the counties of Adams, Cumberland, Franklin, Fulton, Juniata and Perry. He Aalso served as aide-de-camp on the staff of National Commanders Gen. Alger and Gen. Torrance. He is also a member of the Hamilton Historical Society of Carlisle.

On Dec. 24, 1874, Col. Embick was married to Mary E. Dunbar, daughter of John and Agnes W. Dunbar. Four children have been born of this marriage: (1) J. Milton died in infancy. (2) Stanley Dunbar is a graduate of West Point, class of February, 1899, then entered the artillery, and saw service at Havana. In September of the same year he was stricken down with yellow fever, but recovered. On May 8, 1901, he was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant, and ordered to the Presidio, California. In 1902 he was ordered to Fortress Monroe to take a post-graduate course preparatory to his promotion to the rank of captain, and was graduated therefrom Aug. 1, 1903, at the head of his class, by the Secretary of War, and made assistant instructor at Fortress Monroe for the next year. He is now an instructor in that school. He is the author of a text-book on coast defense in war at that school. During the summer of 1903 he was sent with his class to Maine to witness the naval and military demonstrations and was one of the two umpires to report on the same. On Dec. 29, 1902, he was married to Miss Ethel Wall, of “Walldene,” Md., and they have one child, Mary Elizabeth. (3) James Bayard, the third child, is holding a clerical position in the office of the general purchasing agent of the Standard Oil Co., at Baltimore, Md. (4) Mary Lenore is a graduate of Irving College, class of 1904.