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Civil War Blog

A project of PA Historian

The Millersburg War Monument

Posted By on February 6, 2020

An article that appeared in the Harrisburg Telegraph of 20 September 1913 described the ongoing effort to place a monument to the Civil War soldiers and soldiers of other wars at some suitable place in the town.

WAR MONUMENT FOR MILLERSBURG

Marker For Soldier Dead Will Be Erected on Suitable Site in the Town

By Special Correspondence

Millersburg, Pennsylvania, September 20 [1913] — The monument to be erected in Millersburg in honor of the soldier dead of the Civil Wars and other wars, arrived in town on Wednesday and is a fine piece of workmanship.  The design is that of a young soldier in a model of the uniform worn by the boys of ’61, standing at parade rest, with rifle butt on the ground.  The figure is six feet tall and was cut from a block of Italian marble by an Italian sculptor in Italy.  The height of the monument from the base is eighteen feet and will be erected this fall if a site can be decided upon.  There has been a number of places mentioned, such as Oak Hill Cemetery, the parks and at the intersection of Center and Market Streets.  The latter place seems to be favored by the people more than the others.

 

The memorial was eventually located in the Central Square in 1914, but was dedicated only to the memory of those who fought in the Civil War.

For a previous blog post here, see Millersburg Soldier Monument.

For a previous blog post on the dedication of the monument, see Dedication of the Millersburg Soldier Monument, 1914, on the Lykens Valley Blog.

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News clipping from Newspapers.com.

January 2020 Posts

Posted By on February 4, 2020

A listing of the January 2020 posts on The Civil War Blog with direct links:

Joseph H. Reed of Tower City – Miner and Carpenter

November 2019 Posts

December 2019 Posts

More Tributes to William C. Mills – Naval Battle Survivor

Henry Rissinger of Jackson Township – Retired Farmer

Jacob Minnig of Donaldson & Porter Township

Tyrus Snyder -173rd Pennsylvania Infantry

Joseph R. Snyder – Militia Man from Millersburg

Jonathan B. Stutzman – 50th Pennsylvania Infantry

Elias Tressler – Last Civil War Veteran in Gordon, Died 1928

Elias Tressler – Last Civil War Veteran in Gordon, Died 1928

Posted By on January 30, 2020

Elias Tressler, a Civil War veteran of the 172nd Pennsylvania Infantry, died on 13 May 1928 at the home of his daughter in Gordon, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. He was the last surviving veteran who lived in that community.

ELIAS TRESSLER

Elias Tressler, aged 85 years and 10 days, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Isaac Bobb, at Gordon, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, May 13th [1928] at 10:45 o’clock.  The aged man had been bedfast for a year suffering of diabetes and cancer.

Born in Northumberland County, near Mahanoy, he was married to Susannah Bohner, October 4, 1866, to which union was born eight children, six of whom preceded him in death.  His wife died six years ago.  Since that time he has made his home with his daughter at Gordon.

A Civil War Veteran, Mr. Tressler was in a number of major engagements, and fought in the Battle of Gettysburg.  He was the last of Civil War veterans, residing in Gordon.

He is survived by two daughters:  Mrs. Bobb, of Gordon, and Mrs. C. C. Lebo of Elizabethville, also by four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held from the Bobb home Wednesday evening, and this morning the body will be taken to the Red Cross Lutheran Church, where further services will be held at 10:30 o’clock, and interment made in the adjoining cemetery.

Finding Elias Tressler in the records is sometimes difficult because his surname is incorrectly given as Pressler or Dressler.

His Pennsylvania Veterans’ File Card from the Pennsylvania Archives (above) gives limited information… only that he served in Company D of a drafted militia, the 172nd Pennsylvania Infantry. Another source gives his service dates as mustered in on 27 October 1862 and mustered out on 1 August 1863, and the entire service at the rank of Private.

The Pension Index Card from Fold3 (above), indicates that he applied for an Invalid Pension on 24 July 1883, which he received and collected until his death. The death date is confirmed on the card, as are the dates of service.

The Pennsylvania Veterans’ Burial Card (above), available through Ancestry.com, gives addition information, including his birth date of 3 May 1843, and the place of final rest, St. Peter’s Lutheran and Reformed Cemetery, Washington Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. Note also that his service began, according to the card, on 16 October 1862.

One final point. Veterans often claimed that they fought in battles in which they could not have possibly been present. The Battle of Gettysburg was fought on the 1st to 3rd of July 1863, at a time when the 172nd Pennsylvania Infantry was involved in Dix’s Peninsula Campaign, and attached to the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Corps. On 9 July 1863, though, his regiment was ordered to Washington, D.C., and from there, on 14 July 1863, joined the Army of the Potomac at Hagerstown, Maryland assigned to the 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 11th Corps. Thereafter for the days 19th to 25th July the 172nd Pennsylvania Infantry was in pursuit of Lee to Williamsport, Maryland, followed by a march to Warrenton Junction, Virginia. From Warrenton Junction, the regiment was ordered to Harrisburg, where it was mustered out of service.

According to a brief history of the 172nd Pennsylvania Infantry, the regiment fought in no major battles.

Jonathan B. Stutzman – 50th Pennsylvania Infantry

Posted By on January 28, 2020

Jonathan B. Stutzman was born on 6 May 1846 and died 19 April 1921. In 1860, he was living in Hegins, Schuylkill County, with his father, Christian Stutzman.

On 29 February 1964, J. B. Stutzman enrolled at Pottsville in Company A of the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company A. and on 1 March 1964, he was mustered into service as a Private. At the time, he was 18 Years old, stood almost 5 foot 6 inches tall, had brown hair, a light complexion, and blue eyes. He claimed to be a laborer, by occupation. Jonathan served until 30 July 1865, when he was honorably discharged.

On 28 November 1869, at Tremont, Schuylkill County, Jonathan B. Stutzman married Sarah Wean, who died in 1874 after the couple had two children. Then, in 1875 in Schuylkill County, Jonathan married a second time to Annie Miller. The couple had at least four known children together. Annie survived Jonathan and lived until 1931.

Census records for Jonathan Stutzman indicate that he lived in Frailey Township, or Donaldson, Schuylkill County from 1870 to his death. In 1870, his occupation was shoemaker; in 1880 he indicated he was a miner; in 1900 he was a day laborer; in 1910 he was a cobbler [shoemaker], with his own shop; and in 1920, he was still a shoemaker.

On 1 August 1890, Jonathan B. Stutzman applied for an invalid pension, which he was granted and collected until his death, whereupon his second wife Anna [Miller] Stutzman applied on 16 June 1921. She collected the pension until her death, which as previously stated, occurred in 1931.

On 23 April 1921, the West Schuylkill Press & Pine Grove Herald published his obituary:

Jonathan B. Stutzman, a prominent resident of Donaldson, died on Tuesday night, aged seventy-four years.  Mr. Stutzman was a veteran of the Civil War.  Among the survivors are the widow and son, William Stutzman and several other children.  The funeral services will be held in the Reformed Church at Donaldson, on Sunday morning at 10 o’clock.  Rev. C. A. Huyette will officiate.  Undertaker Otto has charge.

Burial was in the cemetery at Donaldson.

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Photo of Jonathan B. Stutzman and his grave marker are from a public family tree on Ancestry.com. Obituary is from Newspapers.com. Pennsylvania Veterans’ File Card is from the Pennsylvania Archives. Pension Index Card is from Ancestry.com.

Joseph R. Snyder – Militia Man from Millersburg

Posted By on January 23, 2020

Joseph Snyder, died on 2 July 1906, and is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery, Millersburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. He was married to the former Mary Ada Stewart, who died in 1923 and is buried at the same place, along with an infant daughter, Mary E. Snyder (1860-1860), who died before the war. With his wife, Snyder had at least two other known children.

Joseph Snyder was a Civil War veteran by virtue of his service in the 6th Pennsylvania Infantry (Emergency Militia of 1862). He enrolled at Halifax, Dauphin County, on 13 September 1862 and was discharged at the end of the emergency on 27 September 1862. According to the information on the Pennsylvania Veterans’ File Card, available from the Pennsylvania Archives and shown above, he was 27 years old at the time of his enlistment, although some genealogical sources give his birth date as 3 July 1838, which would have made him 24 at the time of enrollment.

The 1900 Census for Millersburg indicates that he was a farmer.

The Harrisburg Telegraph of 6 July 1906, published his obituary, but did not mention his Civil War service:

MILLERSBURG NOTES

Joseph Snyder, Odd Fellow for Forty Years, Is Dead

Millersburg, July 6 [1906] — Joseph Snyder, one of Millersburg‘s oldest citizens, died after a month’s illness.  Mr. Snyder was a member of Perseverance Lodge, Odd Fellows, for over forty years.  The lodge turned out in a body at his funeral.  He was 68 years old.  The funeral was held yesterday afternoon.  Rev. A. B. Saylor, of the United Evangelical Church, officiating.

Because Joseph Snyder only served in a militia regiment for less than the amount of time required for a pension, he is not found in the pension application files. However, his home town of Millersburg did recognize him on their Civil War monument.

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News article from Newspapers.com.