John Snyder must have been anxious to play his part in the Civil War. After he turned seventeen on July 25, 1864, he enlisted on October 6 into Company F, 111th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, a unit made up of many men from Farmer Township, as well as Milford, Hicksville, and Mark. Plenty of war waited for John, the son of Alex and Eve Snyder of Farmer Township.
In October, 1864, the 111th was on the move in the pursuit of Gen. John Bell Hood's army in Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. On November 20, they fought the Battle of Columbia and then covered the Union retreat to Franklin, Tennessee. There they took their position on the Union left for the Battle of Franklin where 22 men were killed and 40 wounded. They retreated to Nashville, participated in the Battle of Nashville in December, and by January were transported to Cincinnati, then Washington D.C. and finally by steamer to Fort Fisher, North Carolina where they joined Sherman's Carolina campaign. Too much war for a young teenager. John was mustered out after the surrender on July 12, 1865, having served 9 months and 9 days, according to the 1890 census.
The 1870 census enumerator visited the Michael Knisley farm in Farmer Township on June 16, 1870. He found Michael and his wife, Rebecca and two children on a farm valued at $5000. Living with them were John Snyder, 22, farmer, and his wife, Samantha (nee Knisley), 16, and their one month old son, Sherman. How appropriate that the first child of John's should be named Sherman!
By 1880, John and Samantha (called Minnie) were on their own in Farmer Township. John was a lumberer and the family then had three children: Frank S. (Sherman?) - 10, Orie -7, dtr., and Grace - 2.
Eventually John would start an orchard and truck farm and have this occupation until his old age.
The 1910 census indicated that the couple had 11 children, but only 9 were alive at that time. Subsequent censuses named Johnnie A., Vita, Madge, Quedo, Bret and Greeley. John died on September 8, 1919 in Bryan, Ohio.
John Snyder's brief obituary appeared in the Bryan Democrat on September 12, 1919:
"DEATH OF JOHN SNYDER
John Snyder, past seventy years of age, died at his home on East High street early Monday morning from the results of pneumonia. The funeral was held in the Christian church at Farmer Wednesday, Rev. S. O. Redacre conducting the service and the body was laid to rest in the Farmer cemetery. He is survived by a widow and eight sons and daughters. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder had made their home in Bryan only about a year ago, moving here from Farmer. He was a Civil War veteran, a member of the 111th and took a part in the reunion of the 38th held here last week."
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