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Lieutenants of the 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I
Posted By Norman Gasbarro on February 25, 2012
Today, the blog post features two officers of the 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I, who served the full term of nine months and received honorable discharges on 5 August 1863. The research results presented here are based on preliminary data gathering on each of the members of the company and searches for Pension Index Cards that reference the pension application files that are available at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Some of the members of this company have been previously discussed on blog posts here and reference to those posts are provided with links.
In addition, much has already been written on Benjamin J. Evitts, the elected captain of this company (click here for previous posts on Benjamin J. Evitts). Click here for previous posts on the 177th Pennsylvania Infantry.
The 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I,was a drafted militia that served for nine months. No member of this militia was reported injured as a result of a military act, so, theoretically, nearly all the pension applications should be post-1890, when “age” became the most significant factor for the veteran to receive a pension. This should be reflected in the date of application on the Pension Index Card. If the veteran died before 1890, there probably was no application made by the veteran, but it is possible that a widow applied. In the column for “Certificate Number,” if no number appears, this would indicate that an application was made, but no pension was awarded. If a number appears in the “Certificate Number” column, it can be assumed that a pension was awarded, although the date of the award cannot be determined from the Pension Index Card.
The posts on the officers of the company begin with Peter Bergstresser who served as 1st Lieutenant and Joseph D. Gise who served as 2nd Lieutenant. Tomorrow, the sergeants will be featured.
PETER S. BERGSTRESSER (1836-1913).
Previously reported as part of the post on Peace Cemetery, Berrysburg.
Peter was first drafted into the 177th Pennsylvania Infantry,Company I, and elected as 1st Lieutenant, mustered in on 25 November 1862, and mustered out with his company, 5 August 1863. After this service he joined the 192nd Pennsylvania Infantry, Company H, as Captain, where he served from muster in on 2 March 1865 through muster out with his company on 24 August 1865. He married Sarah Jane Snyder. During his lifetime he lived in Mifflin Township, Lykens Township, Berrysburg and some places in Northumberland County. He was a teacher and for a time was associated with the Berrysburg Seminary as its principal teacher.
The Berrysburg Seminary
A copy of a history of the Berrysburg Seminary is available at the Gratz Historical Society Library.
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JOSEPH D. GISE (1834-1908)
Previously reported in the post Gratz During the Civil War – Kissinger House.
Joseph Gise was the older brother of Sarah Gise and Mary Gise who married Civil War veterans. He served in the 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I, as a 2nd Lieutenant, also under Capt. Evitts who would later become his brother-in-law. Joseph married Elizabeth Witmer of Pillow and had three children, one of whom became an attorney and another who became a school teacher, both in Schuylkill Haven. Joseph worked first as a laborer, but then attended an academy in Union County and became a school teacher in Lykens Township. He also had a long career representing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the 14th Congressional District, of which Gratz was a part. Later, in retirement, he purchased a farm in Lykens Township and raised livestock. He is buried in Gratz Union Cemetery.
No pictures of Joseph Gise are available at this time.
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