Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on January 23, 2011

In yesterday’s post, two immigrant ancestors of Dietrich‘s from the Lykens Valley area were presented.  The information on those immigrant ancestors was printed in Our Dietrich Lines, a genealogy by William Dietrich, a direct descendant of both Dietrich immigrants, Michael Dietrich and Lenhart Dietrich.  It was also pointed out that there was no ancestral connection made between these two Dietrich immigrants and although many Dietrich descendants in the Lykens Valley area and beyond can claim one or both of these immigrants as their ancestor, there are other Dietrich‘s who have no connection to these two Dietrich lines.

The purpose of this post is to identify persons with the Dietrich surname who may have some connection to the Lykens Valley and who served in the Civil War.  In some cases, the names appear in one of the previously mentioned genealogical lines; in other cases, the genealogical connection with an immigrant ancestor has not yet been established.

Elias Dietrich (1836-1902) – Lykens Union Cemetery

Elias Dietrich (1836-1902).  Also found in the records as Detrich, Detrick, Deitrick, and Deitrich.  Elias served in the 55th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company G, as a Private, from 19 January 1865 to 30 August 1865.  He married Amanda Welker (1840-1917) in 1860 in Berrysburg, Dauphin County.  The couple had 14 known children (birth and death dates approximate):  Louisa Dietrich (1862-1932); Solomon Dietrich (1863-1931); George Dietrich (1864-1943); Amanda Dietrich (1865-1947); Sarah Dietrich (1868-1947); John Dietrich (1868-1935); Isaac Dietrich (1871-1938); Samuel Dietrich (1874-1935); Alfred Dietrich (1875-?); Catherine Dietrich (1878-1952); Edward Dietrich (1880-1951); Harry Dietrich (1881-1946); Mamie Dietrich (1883-1961); and Valera Dietrich (1885-1886).   From the 1870 census through the 1890 census, Elias was living in Wiconisco Township and working as a laborer.  In 1900, his occupation was laborer in coal mines.  Son Samuel, age 26, was living at home,and employed as a tailor. Son Harry, age 18, was living at home, and employed as a laborer in coal mines.  Elias died in 1902 from Bright’s disease.  Elias Dietrich was a direct descendant of Lenhart Dietrich and his genealogy appears in Our Dietrich Lines.

Emanuel Dietrich (1837-1920)

Emanuel Dietrich (1837-1920).  Also found as Dietrick and Deitrich.  Emanuel was born in Schuylkill County.  During the Civil War he served in the 199th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company C, as a Private, from 9 March when he enlisted at Scranton, Lackawanna County, through 28 June 1865 when he was mustered out with his company at Richmond, Virginia.  His pension index card noted that he was a re-enlisted veteran so he may have served in another regiment or regiments not known at this time.  He married Sarah [?] Dietrich and they had at least two children, Bertha Dietrich, born about 1868, and Harry Franklin Dietrich, born about 1878.  Census records from 1890 through 1910 show him living in Shickshinny, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania and working as a coal miner.  In 1910, son Harry, age about 31, was living in his father’s household and working as a clerk in a coal company.  Emanuel died in 1920 and is buried in Pine Hill cemetery, Shickshinny.  Emanuel’s connection to the immigrants Michael Dietrich or Lenhart Dietrich has not been established nor has an exact connection to the Lykens Valley area.  In initially considering him for the Gratz Civil War Project, he may have been confused with another Emanuel who served in the 213th Pennsylvania Infantry and whose information is given below.

Emanuel C. Dietrich (1841-1865).  Also found as Deterich and Dietrick.  Emanuel was born in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and was a machinist by occupation.  He served in the 213th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company H, as a Private and then as a Corporal, enlisting at Philadelphia on 28 February 1865.  Military records show that he died at Laurel, Maryland on 14 August 1865 of chronic dysentery.  The pension index card names his widow as Lizzie A. Cowan.  A son, Harry Eugene Dietrich, born 16 Aug 1863, also survived him.  The widow’s pension was filed from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania and the couple’s marriage record is from Franklin County.  The Civil War Research Project has copies of more than 30 pages of his military and pension records but no direct connection has been made yet with the Lykens Valley area.  Also, no direct genealogical connection has been made to the immigrants Michael Dietrich or Lenhart Dietrich.

Jeremiah Dietrich (1833-1894).  This name was first found in Our Dietrich Lines as a Civil War veteran who served in the 25th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company D, as a Private, from 8 April 1861 to his discharge on 25 Jul 1861.  This was one of the first regiments to answer the call to service and was also known as the National Light Infantry.  Jeremiah is a direct descendant of Lenhart Dietrich.  Jeremiah was married three times, once to a woman named Mary Troy, who spent some time in prison for living in adultery (the story is detailed in Our Dietrich Lines).  The third wife, Christianna [Bolich] Dietrich survived Jeremiah and claimed his pension.

John Dietrich (about 1818-before1890).  Also found as Deitrick.  John served in the 151st Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I, as a Private, from 3 November 1862 to 27 July 1863 when he was mustered out with his company.  During the Battle of Gettysburg he was captured and for a time he was held prisoner.  At the time of his enlistment, he was a resident of Schuylkill County.  John died before 1890 and his widow Matilda Dietrich, who was living in Tower City in 1890, indicated to the census his service in the 151st Pennsylvania Infantry.

John R. Dietrich (? -1863).  According to information in Our Dietrich Lines, John R. Dietrich was a member of the 9th Army Corps.  He died on 5 August 1863 at Mill Dale, Mississippi.  However, he has not been found in any of the Pennsylvania regiment lists, perhaps indicating that he was a member of the Regular Army.  During the time period of John’s reported death, the 9th Army Corps was assigned to the Army of the Tennessee under the leadership of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, and was involved in the siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi.  John R. Dietrich was a direct descendant of Lenhart Dietrich.  John married Christine Schwartz (1840-1915) and had at least three children:  Louisa Dietrich, born about 1859; James Dietrich, born about 1860; and Amanda Dietrich, born about 1862.

Philip Dietrich (1824-1894).   Also found as Dieter and Deitrick.  Philip was living in Porter Township, Schuylkill County at the beginning of the Civil War.  At age 40, Philip joined the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company A, on 7 March 1864, and was mustered out with his company on the 20 July 1865.  After the war he worked as a farmer and a laborer and lived in Rush Township, Dauphin County, as well as Tower City where he was at the time of the 1890 census.  Philip married Lovina [?] Dietrich and had at least 3 children:  Sarah Dietrich, born about 1844; Amanda Dietrich, born about 1846; and Catherine Dietrich, born about 1848.  Philip’s connection to the Dietrich immigrants Michael Dietrich or Lenhart Dietrich has not been established.

Thomas E. Dietrich (1832-1911) – Millersburg Civil War Memorial

Thomas E. Dietrich (1832-1911) – Lykens G.A.R. Memorial

Thomas E. Dietrich (1832-1911).  Also found as Deitrich, Detrick, and Deitrick.  Thomas first joined the 10th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company F, as a Private and served from 26 April 1861 to 31 July 1861.  Then he joined the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Company B, as a Corporal and then was promoted to Sergeant. He served in the cavalry from 7 October 1861 through 18 July 1865.  According to reports, he spent time in a hospital in Louisville, Kentucky.  After the Civil War he lived in Wiconisco and Millersburg and worked as a house carpenter.  He first married Caroline Coleman (1832-1906) with whom he had four children:  Kate Dietrich (1866-1939); Johanna Dietrich (1868-1868); Sarah Dietrich (1870-1924); and Hattie Mae Dietrich (1875-?).  He second married Lydia J. Alleman (1851-1927) and had one child, Dora Dietrich, born about 1886.  After Thomas’ death, Lydia applied for and received his Civil War pension.  Thomas E. Dietrich is one of the few individuals who lived in the Lykens Valley area who is honored on both the Millersburg Civil War Monument and the Lykens G.A.R. Monument.  Thomas Dietrich is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Millersburg.  He was a direct descendant of the immigrant Michael Dietrich.

Daniel Deeter (?-about 1898).   Also found as Dater and Dieter.  Daniel joined the 211th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company B, as a Private, on 5 September 1864 and served until 7 June 1865 when he was discharged by General Order.  The handwriting on his Pennsylvania Veterans’ File Card (shown above) is difficult to read, but from what can be read, it appears that he was a blacksmith.  In 1890, he was living in Weishample, Schuylkill County.  His Civil War pension records indicate that after he died, his wife Mary Ann [?} Deeter applied for and received his pension.  He has not yet been connected to one of the Dietrich lines of immigrants Michael Dietrich or Lenhart Dietrich.

In addition to the above-named Dietrich‘s, there are many others who are listed in Steve Maczuga’s Pennsylvania Civil War Project and in the Pennsylvania Veterans Card File as Civil War veterans.  For example, the total number of entries in Maczuga’s data base for each of the following spellings of “Dietrich” is as follows:  Dietrich (22); Deitrich (46); Deeter (8); Dietrick (8); Deitrick (43); Dieter (11); and Deiter (6).  Surely some of those could represent some veterans from the Lykens Valley area.  Much more research is needed on the Dietrich family’s participation in the Civil War.

Information on the above Civil War veterans was compiled from several sources, including military records, census records and pension index cards available through Ancestry.com.  The portrait of Emanuel Dietrich is from the files of the Civil War Research Project.  Pennsylvania Veterans File Cards are from the Pennsylvania Archives.

Copies of the book, Our Dietrich Lines, are still available from the author, William Dietrich, who lives in Schuylkill County, or from Marion Dietrich Bowman (also in Schuylkill County), who worked with William Dietrich in compiling and editing the final text.

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Postscript:  Added 3 March 2011/Amended 3 January 2012 with new e-mail address

I received notification from the author William Dietrich that he can be reached at  dietrichpa @ frontier.com (remove spaces on either side of “@”) for purchasing copies of the book. I am awaiting a physical address from him, which I will post when I receive it.

Category: Queries, Research, Resources, Stories
Tags: Berrysburg, Dietrich family, Lykens Borough, Millersburg, Monument, Porter Township, Regiments, Rush Township, Tower City, Weishample, Wiconisco