i found it!!! only i cant get to the whole article because you have to pay for it
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40D16FC3A5A1B7493C2AA1783D85F458784F9

There must be a free article somewhere on it..at least you have a date with month and day now....

here is a link for the train wreck I mentioned earlier about Confederate Prisoners going to Elmira Prison.

http://wnyrails.org/news/c0000073.htm

Okay, the Massachusetts accident was Westfield, the Pennsylvania one was Westport.  There is a write up about the accidents (both in the same article) in The Brooklyn Daily Eagle.  Yep, engineer was warned to slow down and he didn't.  I smell a law suit

The Murders by Railroad -- August 28, 1871.  

Go to http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/eagle/  
click Enter the site  
at the top click on "Keyword search"
keyword "collision" (without quotes) also under select time scope put a dot next to "date range" and in the date boxes put
August 27, 1871 and August 30, 1871 and click "go"

The article Murders by Railroad which talks about the two wrecks is the second hit "August 28, 1871"

Hope this helps,

Linda.

Thanks Linda...the one in Mass was a bigger wreck. Interesting that the one in Westport had the mail train an hour late from Williamsport, PA ( My place of Birth). I actually lived for 20 years between the Pennsy, Reading and NY Central railroad yards in Williamsport. They all closed down over the 20 year period, but I can still remember when the last steam engine left.

im near Williamsport... heading there Friday night

my husband finds all this funny. he said if i keep it up ill know the history of everyone buried in that cemetery actually i have a couple more i do want to research, but have to go back and get the names of 2... mother and child.

Dulcie,

One more thought came to mind during my morning commute. Maybe you already have, but check with the Clinton County Historical Society. They should have something on the Westport train wreck and maybe more details on Reuben.

Ill have to find it Marc I know whereabouts it is... but we just moved here in Jan.. so Im still trying to find my way around. I actually need to find them anyways and see if I cant do any volunteering (perhaps have more reasons to wear my hoops.. yah Im crazy.. I love my hoops and corsets).

Have we considered or confirmed/denied that he could have been serving in some sort of local "Home Guard" or militia unit during the war.

Thus serving with out really serving?