David B. Wentzel

   Another name for David was David Wentzel.

  General Notes:

From the Westmoreland County biographies:

David B. Wentzel, son of John and Susanna (Miller) Wentzel, and the last survivor of the fourth generation, died in the fall of 1907. He enlisted, February 15, 1864, in Company I, Eleventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, his brother, Isaac W., enlisting in the same company, February 20, following. Both were sworn into the service at Greensburg for a term of three years, or during the war. Company I was commanded by Captain Andrew Hooper, the Eleventh Regiment by Colonel Richard Coulter, or as known to every son of Westmoreland, Colonel "Dick" Coulter. The Eleventh was a famous fighting regiment assigned to the Second Brigade, Third Division, Fifth Corps of the Army of the Potomac, and with their regiment the Wentzel boys fought at the battle of the Wilderness, May 5 to May 7, 1864; Spottsylvania, May 8 to 18; North Anna, May 23, 1864; Cold Harbor, June 1 and 2; Bethesda, June 3; Petersburg, June 15 to 30; Weldon Railroad, June 22 and August 18 to 22; Hickford Raid, December, 1864, all the foregoing battles fought in that year; Hatchers Run, February 5 6o 7, 1865; Quaker Road, March 28; White Oak Ridge, March 30, 1865; Five forks, April 1, 1865. David B. Wentzel was promoted corporal, June 14, 1865, honorably discharged and mustered out of the service, July 1, 1865 at Ball's Cross Roads, Virginia.

David B. Wentzel married Catherine Henry, a descendant of Frederick Henry, born in Switzerland, who married a daughter of the Wentzel emigrant, and sister of Philip (1) Wentzel, the Westmoreland pioneer of the family. Frederick Henry and all his family were murdered by the Indians except Peter and Martha, who were carried away prisoners by the murderous band and were later rescued by the Westmoreland troops under Captain Marchand, their uncle, Philip Wentzel, being one of the rescuers. Peter Henry married Margaret Howe and had issue: John Adam, Peter, Joseph, William, Frederick, Mary and Betsey.

He bought part of the original grant of 253 acres in Adamsburg, PA and erected a house and other out buildings. The remainder of his life was spent on the farm now owned by his son Grant.


David B. and Catherine (Henry ) Wentzel were the parents of two daughters and ten sons: Elizabeth, John, Samuel, David, Jennie, U.S. Grant, Peter I., Isaac E., who at the age of twenty-three years enlisted for service in the Spanish War of 1889, together with three of his brothers, Jacob H., Cyrus D. and Joseph G., nineteen known as the Wentzel triplets. They enlisted in Company M, Sixteenth Regiment, commanded by Captain James W. Laird, and saw service in Porto Rico. Isaac E., however, contracted typhoid fever and died at Camp Meade near Harrisburg, and was brought home for burial. He sleeps in the family plot in Harrolds Cemetery, a handsome monument marking his grave, a testimonial from the fraternity to which he belonged and from the company in which he served. Once other son of David B. and Catherine (Henry) Wentzel is James, who died in infancy.

David married Catherine Henry, daughter of Frederick Henry and Maria Catherine Wentzel, on 11 Dec 1865. (Catherine Henry was born on 27 Oct 1837 and died on 9 Jan 1921.)