It’s a cold, windy day; December 22, 1826, in Pittsburgh. James S. Negley is born to Jacob Negley and Mary Ann Scott. Not known yet, their son would go on to become an important figure in American History. Let’s fast forward to 1846 for when the story of Pittsburgh’s James S. Negley begins.
The year is 1846, the Mexican-American war has just begun. Negley, after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh at age 20, decides to volunteer for the Company K of the Duquesne Greys United States Army, 1stPennsylvania Volunteers. On December 16th, his regiment was called up and now it was his time to see what war really is like. For the next two years, Negley fights in the war at the battles of Cerro Gordo, La Porta, Las Vergas, and Puebla. Once Negley gets a taste of war, it changes him forever. After two years of war, Negley gets promoted to Sergeant and gets released from the military on July 25, 1848. It is now time for Negley to go back to the real world and start his life. Farming seemed like a good choice as much of the surrounding Pittsburgh area is farmland. However, as the was plowing the fields, Negley feels as though a part of him is missing, one that only the military can fill. He stays in contact with his local militia over the years and is able to become brigadier general just in time for the Civil War.
Once the Civil War begins, he plays a pivotal role in the war. Pennsylvania’s governor during the civil war, Andrew G. Curtin jumps the gun and appoints Negley to being in charge of raising, equipping, and organizing the troops from this district. Finally, it is Negley’s time once immerse himself in war and fill that hole that has been with him for so long. After a few battles, Negley is sent to Chickamauga in Georgia for a battle that will not be forgotten. He and his troops are unable to stop the Confederate Army and they lose the battle. Because of this, Negley was punished and discharged from the army. Negley is so upset by this outcome, he brings it to the Court of Inquiry to explain his actions, and he is exonerated from all accusations.
After all of the chaos of getting his reputation back, in 1864, Negley runs for congress and wins for the republican party. He is placed on the Committee on Enrolled Bills, where he plays an important role in helping the citizens of Pennsylvania. One of the bills that Negley brought to the floor of congress was a bill to place a protective tariff on iron products. Negley also cares a lot about Pittsburgh, his hometown. On the Committee of Mines and Mining, He creates 31 bills to improve the Steel City by improving the rivers as well as creating a marine hospital at Pittsburgh, right on the Ohio river across from Brunot island. After serving in the military for almost 10 years and being a senator for 2 terms, Negley retires and decides to move to Plainfield, New Jersey where he dies peacefully on August 7, 1901. He is brought back to Pittsburgh for his funeral and burial in Allegheny Cemetery.
Now, when visiting his gravesite in the present, his tombstone is extravagant with a carving of himself, coming out of the stone, sitting looking over the other tombs of his family members. Underneath the carving of Negley are the list of battles that he was in for the Civil war as well as the Spanish-American war. The tombstone is moving and emotional, as it is one of a kind in the Cemetery, and Negley is portrayed as looking over his family just as he did for them and many others during his time in the military.
Allegheny Cemetery had a significant meaning to Negley, as it is a very extravagant park and Cemetery in the outskirts of Pittsburgh, where he spent some of his time to create a monument for soldier’s during his time in Congress. This monument is now located in the soldier’s lot in Allegheny Cemetery.
Negley has spent many years in Pittsburgh, serving for his country in the military as well as in Congress. He is someone who should not be forgotten for how much on an impact he has had on Pittsburgh, so it is important to learn about him and visit his grave when roaming through Allegheny Cemetery.
Allegheny Cemetery not only is the burial site for General James Negley, but also for many other important figures in Pittsburgh history. Like other cemeteries designed and constructed during the Cemetery movement of the nineteenth century, Allegheny Cemetery aims to be open to anyone and everyone from Pittsburgh who wants to be buried at the cemetery; there is no exclusion base on race, gender, or income. Allegheny Cemetery is also considered a park, as the city wanted people to enjoy the fresh air and rolling hills that surround Pittsburgh. The Cemetery is around 300 acres of winding paths and trees towering over you as you walk along them. Since it is a state park, the city has workers who take care of the grounds and change the plants and landscape seasonally.
With such a chaotic city, the Cemetery was a place for steel workers to get away from their everyday life engulfed by smog and dirt and enjoy the weekend going on a brisk walk with their family throughout the Cemetery. There would also be different events that were held in Allegheny Cemetery for different holidays, bringing people from all over Pittsburgh together in this one park, allowing everyone to enjoy the holiday together in a familiar place that was a staple for the Pittsburgh community.
Even now, without all of the smog in the city, it is still picturesque place to get away from the city and enjoy a walk through the rolling hills of Pittsburgh and get a different view of the city; one just as awing as walking through the city. There are park benches where you can have a picnic with your loved one’s while being immersed in nature, which is not present in a lot of cities.
Allegheny Cemetery is a must see when visiting Pittsburgh. Although, at first it might seem like it is just a Cemetery, it is so much more. It is a place to see all that the city has to offer, visit the resting place of many famous Pittsburghers, including General James S. Negley, while also getting a glimpse of what life was like many years ago.
Works Cited
James, Alfred P. “General James Scott Negley.” Western Pennsylvania Historical Magazine, Apr. 1931, pp. 69–91, https://journals.psu.edu/wph/article/view/1545/1393. Accessed 29 Nov. 2021.