Biography of Abner F. Pinchin, pages 1007 / 1008.  History of De Kalb 
County, Indiana.  Inter-State Publishing Company, Chicago, 1885.

Abner F. Pinchin, attorney at law, Butler, Ind., was born Sept. 28, 1822, 
near the old fort in Ticonderoga, N.Y., a son of John Pinchin, a native of 
Massachusetts, of English descent.  His grandfather was a soldier in the war 
of the Revolution; his father in the war of 1812, and he was in the war of 
the Rebellion.  When he was eight yeas of age he went to Vermont to live 
with a sister, and remained there till 1838, when he removed to his sister 
to Huntington County, Ind., and thence the same fall to Troy Township, De 
Kalb County.  In the fall of 1840 he returned to his native county, ad 
learned the blacksmith’s trade.  In 1842 he went to Racine, Wis., and was 
employed in the construction of the harbor, on which he dug the first shovel 
of dirt.  In 1844 he returned to De Kalb County, and in 1856 went to 
Hamilton, Steuben County, where he began the study of law and was admitted 
to the bar in August,1856.  He has resided in Butler since 1865, and has 
built up a good practice.  Mr. Pinchin, was married Feb. 9, 1845, to 
Amelia P. Aldrich, who died in 1855, leaving two children, both now 
deceased.  Sept. 19, 1855, he married Harriet Knisely.  But two of the 
four children born to them are living---Emma O. and Abner E.  From 1861 
till 1863 Mr. Pinchin was a recruiting officer in the service of the 
United States, and during that time enrolled about a 1,000 names.  In 
December, 1863, he enlisted in Company H, One Hundred and Twenty-ninth 
Indiana Infantry, and March 7, 1864, was commissioned First Lieutenant.  
He remained with the regiment till January, 1865, when he was detailed 
Ambulance officer, an as such was mustered out.  He participated in the 
battles of Resaca, Atlanta, Franklin Tenn., and Nashville.  At the battle 
of Franklin the rebels were in greatly the majority, but determined effort 
on the part of the Union forces won the day.  The army reports at 
Washington, D.C., give A.F. Pinchin the credit of gaining the battle of 
Franklin. The supply of ammunition was run out and he volunteered to make 
the attempt to pass through the ranks and to the rear for more, but before 
he reached headquarters he was wounded, but revived, had the ammunition 
sent to the front and the front and the ranks supplied, and they were able 
to repel the attacks. His bravery and determination inspired the soldiers, 
and with renewed effort Franklin was won by the Union forces.

Submitted by:
Arlene Goodwin
Auburn, Indiana
Agoodwin@ctlnet.com