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Tower City, Porter and Rush Township Civil War Veterans – Part 7
Posted By Norman Gasbarro on July 26, 2012
The Tower City Borough, Porter Township and Rush Township Veterans Memorial is located at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Cemetery which is located along Route 209 in Tower City, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. It was the subject of a prior post on this blog on 30 December 2010.
Within the glass cases on the monument are name plates for each of the eligible veterans who served in America’s Wars. The Civil War veterans are noted in the left case in the center section of the monument. To give due recognition to each of the Civil War veterans named on the monument, the name plates will be individually pictured followed by a brief description of the Civil War service of the veteran.
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JOHN LEBO (1844-1922), who was born in Lykens Township, Dauphin County, married Sarah Ann Row, of the Row family, early settlers of the Lykens Valley. During the Civil War he served as a Private in Company H of the 210th Pennsylvania Infantry; his dates of service were from 16 September 1864 through 30 May 1865. In 1890, he was living in Tower City, but he had mislaid his discharge. There was another John Lebo (1839-1887) who was also a Civil War veteran, but was from the Halifax, Dauphin County area, thus care must be taken to insure that their records are not co-mingled.
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WILLIAM HENRY LONG (1847-1933), who married Mary A. Updegrove, served in Regular Army regiments during the Civil War. After the war, he was a laborer and farmer in Porter Township, eventually becoming the township’s Supervisor of Roads and near the end of his life the truant officer for the township schools. He and Mary Ann had a large family and there are some interesting stories about him and his background that have been contributed to the Gratz Historical Society files by descendants – as well as papers from his pension application file.
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HARRISON MANWILLER (1841-1916) was a shoemaker when he enrolled in the 10th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company D, as a Private, at Pine Grove, 23 April 1861. After his discharge on 31 July 1861, he returned home for a while and then re-enlisted at Harrisburg on 10 July 1862 in the 107th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company G, as a Corporal, where he served until he re-enlisted again on 28 February 1864 at Mitchell Station, Virginia. During this latter service, he was taken prisoner at the Weldon Railroad on 19 August 1864 and for six months was held at Salisbury Prison. Eventually, he was “delivered” to Richmond, where he was released on 5 February 1865. In 1890, he was living in Williams Township, Dauphin County, but when he died, he was buried in Porter Township. Harrison, also known as “Harry,” was married to a woman named Catharine. His surname is also found in the records as “Manville” and “Manmiller.”
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CHARLES MAURER (1837-1907) enrolled at Llewellyn, Schuylkill County, in the 6th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company G, as a Private, and was mustered in at Harrisburg on 22 April 1861. He served until his discharge on 26 July 1861. At the time of his joining the army, he was a laborer who was living at Donaldson, Schuylkill County. Charles married a woman named Hannah and when he died was buried at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Cemetery, Tower City.
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ISAAC MEASE (1835-1912), also buried at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Cemetery, Tower City, served in the 4th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Company F, as a Private, from 12 August 1861 through 1 January 1864, when he re-enlisted at Bristoe, Virginia, for another term (or duration of the war), which meant he was discharged on 1 July 1865. Although his residence was Schuykill County in 1861, he enrolled at Lebanon County, and had to travel to Washington, D.C. to be mustered in. In 1890, he was living in Tower City and complained of poor health and was “unable to do anything,” which he attributed to “heart disease contracted in the war.”
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JOHN D. MESSNER (1848-1932) claimed to have guarded Confederate President Jefferson Davis while he was held in prison after his capture. During the Civil War he was a member of the 3rd Pennsylvania Artillery, Company D, in which he served as a Private. John, a laborer who was born in Dauphin County, was married twice – to Sarah Patrick and to Lilly Heckert. When he died, he was buried at Greenwood Cemetery, Tower City.
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EDWIN MOYER (1843-1864), was killed in action at Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia on 10 May 1864 while serving in the 95th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company G. His original regiment, the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry, had been consolidated with the 95th late in the war. Edwin’s service began with his enlistment and muster on 23 September 1861 and included a re-enlistment at Brandy Station, Virginia, on 15 September 1864. He was born in Schuylkill County and worked as a miner. After his death, his mother, Elizabeth Moyer, applied for his pension, but never received one based on his service. Edwin Moyer‘s death in the war is noted on the Tower City memorial with an “*” preceding his name. He is also honored on the Lykens G.A.R. Monument.
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HAZLETT M. McELWAIN (1829-1890) was married to Julia Etta Hornberger. He was a blacksmith from Ashland, Schuylkill County, who traveled to Philadelphia to enroll in the 5th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Company C, as a Private, on 3 September 1862. He served until 5 February 1865. In 1890, while living in Tower City, he complained of diarrhea that he attributed to his war service and as a result was “unable to do anything.” Hazlett is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery, Tower City. Variations of his name include: Hazlett, Haylet, and McElwaine.
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To be continued tomorrow….
Other posts in this series may be accessed by clicking here.
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