Civil War Veteran Burials at St. Paul’s Cemetery, Tower City (Part 2 of 6)

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on February 8, 2013

(Part 2 of 6). St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Cemetery is located in Tower City, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, at the corner of East Grand Avenue (U.S. Route 209) and North 4th Street. At the front of the cemetery, along East Grand Avenue, is the Tower City, Porter Township and Rush Township Veterans Memorial, which was previously featured here in a series of posts with each of the name plates of the Civil War veterans from the area. This is the last of the four major cemeteries in the Tower City area that will be examined for Civil War burials. No doubt there are other cemeteries and family cemeteries in the area where Civil War veterans were buried – some still undiscovered – but for now, the presentation of the St. Paul’s Cemetery will complete the photographic tour and brief description of each of the Tower City area veterans’ war service that began months ago and included the area memorial, Greenwood Cemetery in Tower City (5 parts), St. Peter’s U.C.C. Cemetery in Reinerton (3 parts), and the Grace United Evangelical Cemetery in Muir (2 parts).

Research continues on each of the Tower City area veterans and as a result of the analysis of the tombstone inscriptions at St. Paul’s Cemetery, some new information about them has been added to the Civil War Research Project. But, much remains to be discovered. Especially needed are pictures of the veterans and their families, stories, and any other information that would help in an understanding of this generation of Americans who fought to preserve the Union more than 150 years ago. As always, the Project relies on local researchers and family members who are willing to come forward and share information about these men and their families. By sharing the information, we increase our knowledge.

Some of the now-known information about the veterans buried at St. Paul’s Cemetery is presented with the grave marker pictures. Links are provided to where the veteran previously was mentioned in blog post articles, and some of the past-known information is repeated. In addition, new Project file numbers are added. When correspondingby e-mail regarding information available on a specific veteran, it is helpful to use the file number (if known), especially in the many cases where there is more than one veteran with the same name.

Three veterans’ graves are presented today.

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JACOB GAMBER (1833-1890)

JACOB GAMBER (1833-1890) is also found as Jacob Gamper. He was the son of Jacob Gamber and Magdalena [Miles] Gamber.

During the Civil War, he served in the 51st Pennsylvania Infantry, Company B, as a Private. After being drafted on 16 September 1864, he was mustered into service on 27 September 1864 at Harrisburg. He was discharged by a General Order (G. O.) which arrived by telegram on 17 May 1865.

In 1880, Jacob Gamber reported to the census that he was 46 years old and a former coal miner. Two of his sons, living at home, were working as laborers in the coal mines.

The application for the headstone is shown above, which includes Jacob’s death date of 15 May 1890. He is buried in St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Cemetery in Tower City. Carved into the “government-supplied” grave marker is the regiment number and company. His widow, Anna Mary [Schaumber] Gamber (1837-1916), was living in Tower City in 1890, Jacob having died just before that census was taken. His service, which was in the 51st Pennsylvania Infantry, Company B, as a Private, resulted in him being “ruptured,” which was reported in the 1890 record.

Jacob Gamber made application for an invalid pension on 20 February 1890, but due to the slowness of the bureaucracy, he died before he could be awarded benefits. His widow Ann M. [Schaumber] Gamber applied in July 1890 and she was successful in getting benefits, which she received until she died in 1916. She is buried with her husband in St. Paul’s Cemetery in Tower City.

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BENJAMIN HAUTZ (1844-1924)

BENJAMIN HAUTZ (1844-1924) or Benjamin Houtz as he is also known, served in the Emergency Force of 1863, designated the 39th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company H, as a Private. His service dates were from 29 June 1863 through 2 August 1863. His name is also found in the records as “Benneville Houtz” among other combinations. He was married to a woman named Jennie and the records show that the couple had at least six children: St. Clair Hautz; Charles Hautz; Reno Hautz; Elizabeth Hautz; Jennie Hautz; and Edwin Hautz.

In the 1870 and 1880 censuses, Benjamin was living in Porter Township and working as a coal miner. Benjamin Houtz died on 17 February 1924. He is buried in the St. Paul’s Cemetery, Tower City. His service time was too short (less than three months) for him to apply for a pension.

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CHARLES MAURER (1837-1907)

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 on 5 January 1907 was buried at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Cemetery, Tower City.

In 1880, Charles was living in Pine Grove Township and working as a laborer. In 1890, he had moved to Tower City, and by 1900, he was a widower, living in Porter Township and working as a coal miner.

Charles Maurer was a late pension applicant, not submitting his paper work until late 1896, over six years after his wife Hannah died (see Pension Index Card, above, from Ancestry.com). He was awarded an invalid pension, which he collected until his death in 1907.

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Continued tomorrow….

To access other parts of this series on St. Paul’s Cemetery, click here.

Category: Research, Resources, Stories
Tags: Cemetery, Donaldson, Muir, Pine Grove Township, Porter Township, Reinerton, Rush Township, Tower City

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