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Tower City, Porter and Rush Township Civil War Veterans – Part 10
Posted By Norman Gasbarro on August 1, 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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SAMUEL SCHWENK (1848-?) is one of two people with the same name from Pennsylvania. The Samuel Schwenk named on the Tower City Memorial died before 1890 and his widow, Angeline S. Schwenk, was living in Tower City at the time of that census. She reported that her husband served in the 151st Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I, as a Private, for a period of 9 months. However, the Pension Index Card indicates that Angeline was the widow of Samuel Schwenk who served in the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company C., without the 151st Pennsylvania Infantry mentioned. The other Samuel Schwenk was Brig. Gen. Samuel Klinger Schwenk, who died in 1915 in New York City, and was on the headquarters staff of the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry. According to Angeline, her husband died of “catharr” [probably catarrh].
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CHRISTIAN SEIBERT (1817?-1882), an immigrant from Germany, served in the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company B, as a Private, from 23 September 1861 until his transfer to the Veteran Reserve Corps on 29 October 1863. He had enrolled in the 96th Pennsylvania at Pine Grove, Schuylkill County, and was mustered in at Pottsville. Christian was married three times. His wives names were: Amanda Magdalena Alspach, Catherine Roemer, and Maria Anna Harman. When he died, he was buried at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Cemetery, Tower City.
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RICHARD SHUTTERS (1823-?), also known as Richard Shutter, enrolled in the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry at Mt. Joy, Pennsylvania, and was mustered in at Camp Grebble, Pennsylvania on 21 November 1861. He served until he was discharged on 3 December 1863. By occupation, he was a mason. He was born in Lancaster County. Not much else is known about him other than that he was alive in 1890 and living in Tower City.
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HENRY SPONSALER (?-1890), also spelled “Sponsler,” was discharged from service on a Surgeon’s Certificate of Disability some time between 4 March 1863 and 8 April 1863. He had been serving in the 173rd Pennsylvania Infantry, Company F, as a Private, where he was mustered in on 16 October 1862. He was married to a woman named Barbara. In 1890, he reported his disability discharge without being specific about the disability.
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WILLIAM SPONSALER (1834-1862) served in the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company H, as a Private. He had enrolled in Porter Township and was mustered into service at Pottsville. William did not survive the war. He died at Baltimore, Maryland on 20 May 1862. His death in the war is appropriately marked with an “*” on his name plate on the memorial.
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JOHN W. STROHECKER (1842-1890) is one of two persons who enrolled in the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company A, with the same initials, “J.W.” In most cases, both are listed only by their initials in the records making it difficult to separate their experiences and information. This one had a first name of John and a wife named Mary. Mary had just become a widow at the time of the 1890 census, John having died on 19 July 1890. Mary gave “comsumption” as the cause of death, which she attributed to his war service. At the time of enlistment, John W. Strohecker was a laborer residing in Wiconisco. He is buried in Tower City.
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GEORGE K. STROUD (1839-1920), also known as Stoud, Stoudt, and “Pappy” Stroud or “Pappy” Stoudt, served in the 93rd Pennsylvania Infantry, Company C, from 22 October 1861 through 28 October 1864. He was wounded at the Wilderness, Virginia, 5 May 1864. At the time of his entry into the regiment, he was a shoemaker who was living in Lebanon County. His wife’s name was Caroline. In 1890, while living in Tower City, he reported his service-related disability as a hearing loss. George is buried in St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Cemetery, Tower City.
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DAVID P. THOMPSON (1837-?) first served in the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company H, as a Private, from 26 September 1861, through a discharge on a Surgeon’s Certificate of Disability on 22 December 1862. Both his sight and hearing were affected by being struck by a shell at South Mountain. However, David was sufficiently well enough to meet the needs of service in the Emergency of 1863, and joined the 39th Pennsylvania Infantry (Militia), Company H, as a 1st Lieutenant, where he served from 29 June 1863 through 2 August 1863. David’s married a woman named Cassie (probably Catherine). Not much else is known about him except that at the start of the war he enrolled at Porter Township and he was living in Tower City in 1890.
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To be continued Monday….
Other posts in this series may be accessed by clicking here.
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