He was 25 years old when he was enlisted (2). He was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (2). His grandfather was Melchoir Fordney, a gunsmith in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who is mentioned in James Michener's Centennial (3).
He was a saw gri[nder?] (2) His pension application lists his occupation at enlistment as "sawyer" (3).
He was married, and had five children before he enlisted (3).
He was 5 feet 6 inches tall, and had a fair complexion, blue eyes, and sandy hair (2).
He was enlisted and mustered into service in the 118th Pennsylvania Infantry on 6 August 1862 (1, 2, 4, 7). He was enlisted for three years, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by Lieutenant Pierce (2). He served as a private in company F of the 118th Pennsylvania (4).
He was captured at Cold Harbor, Virginia, on 2 June 1864 (4). He was paroled. He deserted from Camp Parole on 2 January 1863 (2). (This date is presumably wrong; perhaps it should be 2 January 1865.) He returned on 7 April 1865, reporting under the President's proclamation (2). He was required to make good the time he had missed by deserting (2).
On 2 June 1865, he was transferred from the 118th Pennsylvania (1). He served as a private in company C of the 91st Pennsylvania (1).
He mustered out with his company on 10 July 1865 (1).
His daughter Anne Taylor Van Sciver was born in 1875 (3).
In 1890, he was living at 2115 James Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (5).
On 13 September 1902, he applied successfully from New Jersey for a pension (6, 7).
He died in 1905 (7). He is buried in Beverly, New Jersey (3).
On 22 April 1909, his widow, Mary A Fordney, applied successfully from New Jersey for a pension (6, 7).
1 Bates, Samuel Penniman. History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5. Harrisburg: B. Singerly, state printer, 1869-71. 5 volumes. 'Ninety-first regiment', volume 3, pages 186-233. (In the roster) (Samuel T Fordner)
2 company C, descriptive roll, entry 183 (Samuel T Fordney [sic])
3 e-mail, Mark Van Sciver, 27 July 2004 (Samuel Taylor Fordney)
4 Bates, Samuel Penniman. History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5. Harrisburg: B. Singerly, state printer, 1869-71. 5 volumes. 'One hundred and eighteenth regiment', volume 3, page 1330. (In the roster) (Samuel T Fordney)
5 1890 US Census, Veterans' schedule, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, supervisor's district 1, enumeration district 505, page 3 (image 1666 on <www.ancestry.com>), searched February 2005 (Samuel T Fordney)
6 pension index, by name (Samuel T Fordney)
7 pension index, by regiment, 91st PA Infantry, company C (Samuel T Fordney)