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Lykens G.A.R. Civil War Monument
Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 10, 2010
A monument was erected in the Borough of Lykens to honor the veterans from the Lykens and Wiconisco area who fought in the Civil War. This monument is located on North Second Street in Lykens.. Traveling into Lykens from either direction on Route 209, turn north at Market Street and proceed to North Second Street. Turn right on North Second Street and the monument is located on the right. It stands in front of the old G.A.R. Building.
The date that this monument was erected is not clear, but had to be after 1881 when the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.), Heilner Post No. 232 was formed, because men are listed who joined after it was formed and men are listed who never joined.
The monument’s inscription reads:
Tablet erected by Heilner Woman’s Relief Corps, No. 101 of Lykens, Pennsylvania, in memory of the Men who enlisted from Lykens, Wiconisco, and vicinity in the Civil War, 1861-1865, and in honor of Heilner Post No. 232 G.A.R. of Lykens, Pennsylvania, organized October 27, 1881.
The monument it unusual in that it attempts to name every known person who served in the war from the area – those who were founding members of the G.A.R. Post, those who joined the G.A.R. Post later, and those who were never members. There are about 400 names listed. It is not known how the list was compiled. And, whether it accomplished the goal remains to be seen.
The geographic area represented is also not exactly clear. Does it include all of Wiconisco Township? At one time part of Wiconisco Township extended to the north side of Short Mountain. Are any veterans named on the monument who lived outside the geographic area, but who belonged to the Heilner Post? Are names omitted if a veteran lived in the geographic area but belonged to another G.A.R. Post? From a previous item posted here, we learned that there were many G.A.R. Posts throughout the Lykens Valley area.
The list of names is organized into three sections: (1) Charter members. (2) Joined After Organization. (3) Men Who Were Not Members. Within each of the sections, veterans are grouped by rank, highest rank fist, and within each rank they are grouped alphabetically. A set of symbols is used to note those were wounded, killed, died in rebel prisons, or died of disease. The names are in very small print on the bronze tablet and some of the names are difficult to read – due perhaps to wear, dirt or corrosion.
The names on the monument represent the largest group of Civil War veterans who were individually named on any Civil War monument in the area. This is also the only known Civil War monument in the area that was specifically created by a women’s group
About 80% of the names on the plaque are easy to identify. They represent individuals who were active in the community, lived for a long period after the war, had unusual names, are buried in area cemeteries, etc. Resources are readily available to identify the regiment and company in which they served. About 20% are difficult, perhaps because they have very common names, moved in or out of the community, died without out making any mark beyond their Civil War service, did not wish to be identified, etc. All of the names have now been included in the list of about 2000 Civil War veterans who have been identified thus far who are from the greater Lykens Valley area. One of the objectives of this Civil War Research Project is to find out as much information about these veterans as possible. Anyone who has information on any veteran named on this monument is urged to contribute to the project!
In reproducing a list of the names that appear on the monument, one “*” will be used to denote those who were wounded. Two “**” will be used to denote those who were killed. Three “***” will be used to denote those who died in rebel prisons. Finally, “^” will be used to denote those who died of disease. These are approximately the same symbols that are used on the monument.
CHARTER MEMBERS
Captain – James L. Pell
Surgeon – H. K. Myers
2nd Lieutenant – J. R. M. Haas
1st Sergeants – Henry Keiser*; Richard F. Martz
Sergeants – Riley Bressler; Josiah Minnick
Corporals – Henry M. Hoffman; Amos Kuntzelman; John L. Matter; John L. Shaud*; William Thomas; A. F. Thompson
Bugler – Henry Feindt
Privates – James G. Bateman; Hiram Bueck; William H. Ferree; William H. Kendall; Jacob McCoy; John Warner
JOINED AFTER ORGANIZATION
Captain – Harry W. Fox
1st Lieutenant – Jacob Alvord; Jacob L. Brallier; William H. Jones; John L. Long; Caleb H. Roe
2nd Lieutenant – A. B. Cassel; John DeSilva; Ephraim Potts
1st Sergeants – Jacob E. Arnold; Joseph Dunlap; Samuel M. Fenn; Benjamin F. Miller; John C. Miller
Sergeants – Cyrus Bitterman; Francis J. Feindt; John Kauffman; William Martz*; Joseph B. Miller; Martin P. Shaffner; Charles J. Shoemaker; Cyrus S. Spangler; Lewis D. Steckel; Samuel J. Thompson; John Townsend; Abel Wise; Fred K. Wise
Corporals – Joseph M. Buckanan; John C. Davis; Lewis Goudy; Michael M. Hoffman; Isaac W. Holland; Daniel Jury; John Kissinger; Jacob B. Lehman; Joel B. Myers; Edward Pugh; Jeremiah H. Smith; Harry W. Snyder; William L. Sowers
Privates – William Baily; George W. Bitterman; William Bitterman; William Bueckler; William H. Bogar; Jacob Bowman; Louis F. Breyer; Henry Buffington; John Chester*; Richard Coles; John Crane; William Davis; Isaac DeFrehn; Elias Deitrich; John Dolen; Louis Doutrich; Abram Dreibelbies*; Enoch Dressel; Benjamin F. Eby; Jacob P. Elm; George Ely; Boward Engel; William M. Fegley; Adam Fisher; Patrick Flynn; Jacob Forney; Joseph Fotheringill; Jonas Foust; Uriah Frantz; Earnest Gerdom Sr.; Henry S. Graver; William Grell; Henry R. Grimm; Daniel Grow; Benjamin F. Harper; Daniel Hawk; Philip Hawk; William H. Hawk; Charles C. Heck; Henry Helt; Cornelius A. Hochlander; Daniel C. Hoffman; John P. Hoffman; Samuel Hoover; Beneville Hoyer; William Hughes; James Hunter; George Irving; William Irving; Daniel Israel; Jerry Kerchner; John Kicher; Joseph Klinger; Samuel Klinger; George Knarr; Lewis Kniley; Josiah Kochner; William Kochner; Earnest Koons; Andrew Kreiner; William Laney; John Lebo; John F. Lechleitner; Emmanuel Lehman; Nat C. Lehman; Valentine Lenker; Josiah Lohr; Joseph Louden; Charles H. Loudenslager; Peter Lowe; Amos Mark; John H. Mark; Gustavus Martin; Henry A. Martz; Jacob Matter; Michael Matter; Peter Matter; Samuel S. Matter; Henry Maurer; Daniel Messner; William S. Miller; Alvin Morgan; William H. Morgan; William Morris; John Mucher; John Murphy; John McCarty; George McClellan; Alex McLaughlin; Daniel McManaman; L. F. Nolen; Moses Nutt*; John O’Brien; John W. Orndorff; Caleb Parfet; George A. Pinkerton; John H. Primm; Joseph Reinoehl; B. W. Ritzman; Joseph Ritzman; Jonas Row; Joseph Russel; Oscar Schindler; George Schreffler; Daniel A. Schultz; Joseph Seiders; James M. Sheetz; Joseph R. Shuler; David Smink; David C. Smith; Isaac E. Snyder*; John Snyder; John J. Snyder; Tyrus Snyder; William Snyder; William J. Snyder; George Spangler; John H. Spangler; Charles J. Starnowski; George W. St. Clair; Isaac D. Steel; John Steever; J. W. Steever; Emmanuel Stoneroad; Jacob Swab; Jonas Swab; George W. Uhler; William H. Uhler; William Wallace; George Waller*; Beneville Welker; Benjamin Welker; William Welker; John Wells*; John H. Wert; Samuel Wert; Nathaniel Willets; David T. Williams; William Williams; Thomas M. Williams; Daniel Williard; John W. Witmer; Levi Workman; Fred Yenoth; John H. Zarker; John H. Zimmerman.
MEN WHO WERE NOT MEMBERS
Colonel – Edward G. Savage
Sergeant Major – Cyrus G. Marks
Regimental Sergeant – Daniel Keiser
Captains – James K. Douden; Cornelius A. Harper; Jacob H. Martz
Surgeon – I. R. Skammo
1st Lieutenants – William J. Keiser; William P. Miller*
2nd Lieutenants – George W. Hain; Edward Miller
1st Sergeants – Robert Daikeridge; Frank Douden; John Potticher
Sergeants – Thomas E. Deitrich; Sylvester Erb; Francis Feindt; James M. Ferree; Isaac Finton; Samuel S, Harper; Philip Kline; Samuel Miller; Obed J. Reigel; Ben Umberger; Thomas J. Woodside
Corporals – Aaron Bressler; John Davis; James W. Elliot; Rush B. Foster; John Kerstetter^; Harry S. Matter; Benjamin F. Morgan; Edwin Moyer**; Benjamin Ressler; John Romberger; George Sheesley; Reuben Smith; James M. Witman; Joseph Workman**; Josiah Workman**; George W. Clark; Jonathan Hoffman
Privates – David Alvord; George Armstrong; Edward Baily; Guy E. Baily; Hiram Baily Sr.; Daniel Batdorff; Philip Batdorff; Fred Bellon; John Bellon; John Bird; Thomas Bitterman; Peter Blystone; Henry Bordner; Jacob Bordner; Moses Botts; Howard Brown; Isaiah Brown; Steve Crumm; Isaac Darker; Thomas Davis; Emmanuel Dougherty; Frank Duane**; Israel Feidt**; Jacob Ferree; Uriah D. Ferree; William M. Ferree; Josiah Folk; Edward Fordman*; John W. Forney; William Fuller; Levi Gable; Samuel Goudy; Albert L. Grace; John C. Gratz ^; Elias Grimm; John Gunderman; John Haley; Beneville Hand; Philip Harman**; James Hart; Jeremiah Hawk; Nathan Herb; Henry A. Higgins; Thomas F. Higgins; John H. Hoffman; Michael T. Hoffman Sr.; Philip Hoffman; John Hoover; Jonathan Hoover; David Israel; Richard Jones; William Keen; Alexander Keiser; George Keiser; Jonas Keiser; James Kercher**; Christian Kissley; Alexander Klinger; Fred L. Kniley***; Peter Lehman; David Machamer*; Henry Machamer; Isaac Machamer**; Israel Machamer; Hiram Mann; Pat Martin; Cornelius Martz; Edward Martz; Emanuel Matter; Henry O. Matter; Jeremiah Matter; John Matter; Jerry McCoy; Henry McCurtin; John McDermot; Owen McDermot; Philip Messner; William Messner; Cyrus Miller; Henry Miller; James Miller; John Miller; Elias Minnick**; Mort Mumma; Samuel Mumma; Edward F. Myers; George W. Myers; Michael O’Leary; George Parfet; James Parfet; Henry Pell; Peter Pell; Barnhardt Plotzer Sr.; Michael Polm; John Powell; William Reed; Jonas P. Reigle; Andrew Ressler; Henry Ressler; John Rettinger; John Roberts **; Andrew Robison**; Peter Robison**; Henry Romberger**; Jonathan Romberger; Simon Romberger; William Romberger; Adam Row; John M. Row; Harry H. Rubendall*; Solomon Rudisill**; Cyrus Salada; John Salada; Geroge Samuels; McCoy Sarbut**; William Savage; David Sayor; Jacob Saylor; Fred Schindler; Samuel Shell; Amos Shomper; Daniel Shomper; John Shomper***; Abraham Snyder; Israel Snyder; James A. Snyder; Gotleib Sperl; Daniel Stahl; Abraham Steude; John Tillman; James Thomas; William Thompson^; Frank Treon**; Aaron Updegrave; Daniel Updegrave; Solomon Updegrave; Joseph Way; Jacob Weaver; Jacob Weidel; William R. Williams; Hiram Wilt; Jacob Wilt; Josesph Witman; Nathaniel Woland; Oliver Wolcott; David Workman*; Frank Workman**; Cyrus Zeigler; Edward Zerby; Henry Zerby; Jacob Zerby.
Additional pictures of the monument follow. Click on tablet picture to enlarge and read names.
I was surprised to find that this monument exists. My GG Grandfather, Solomon Rudisill is on the list as well as my GG Grandmother’s brother Emmanuel Dougherty.
Solomon Rudisill is buried at Arlington.
Where can I access these digital records for Earnest Gerdom, Sr, and Henry/Harry Gerdom from the Lykens area. These are my great-great grandfathers. Thank you.
Digital records may be accessed at the society library – see information at http://www.gratzpa.org. If you are unable to visit the society library in person, send a specific request to society@gratzpa.org.
Wow! I was pleasantly surprise to see my great great grandfather Cornelius A. Hochlander listed on your monument out front. I am having trouble finding any information about him. I did sent a message to library staff and hope they can provide information about him!
Thank you for any help,
Tim
What a wonderful surprise to see the grave marker for my GGG Grandfather, Elias Dietrich on the “front page” of this Civil War Story at the Gratz Historical Society. I never knew my Dietrich relatives from Gratz Valley because my Mother was raised in Philadelphia at the Methodist Home for Children. Maybe someone at the historical society can help me to figure out how she landed there!
There are at least two errors in the list of names transcribed from the brass monument. On the monument itself, the name of Isaac Machamer appears among “Men Who Were Not Members”, along with a double star to indicate that he was killed in action. Isaac’s name does not appear anywhere in the transcription.
In addition, Isaac’s brother, Israel, appears on the monument as having survived the war, but is shown in the transcription as having been killed in the war. Israel, who was my g-g-grandfather, did not perish in the war. He was killed in a mine accident in approximately 1868, some years after the conclusion of the war.
Corrections have been made. Thank you for pointing out the errors!
Norm, you’ve done a tremendous service to the soldiers and their families. Thank you so much!
I’m looking for information on Henry Maurer who was in the Civil War and think he is buried in your cemetery. If you could please send me any information you have regarding him. He is my great great grandfather. If he’s not buried in this cemetery, perhaps another cemetery near yours.
Thank you.
Thank you for an informative article once again. My great-grandfather Henry Buffington is listed on the monument. I did not know about the monument. I will go to see it.
My mother told me my grandfather used to sing Civil War songs which she enjoyed hearing. Your information about the monument will be helpful to others and I will pass the info. on to them. Thanks again.
Pearl Hane
Halifax Area Historical Society
Private Jonas Foust is my great great great grandfather and I have a photo of him standing in his Union uniform.Wow I am really amazed that this site names my GGG Grandfather on the memorial.Thanks for the information! I am sure my family may want to visit the memorial when in town and see the name on it!
PVT. BENEVILLE HOYER ( 1844-1906) IS MY GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, FATHER OF MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER JENNY D. HOYER. HOYER LOST HIS LEG DURING THE BATTLE OF ANTIETAM 17 SEPTEMBER 1862. MY DAUGHTER TORI AND I WERE HONORED TO VISIT THE GAR MONUMENT AND HOYER’S GRAVESITE IN BERRYSBURG TWO YEARS AGO, IN 2014.