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4 Lykens Printers Went to War – Only 1 Returned
Posted By Norman Gasbarro on January 7, 2019
In the Lykens Standard of 25 April 1902, the editors began in serial form a lengthy article that had appeared in 1865 in the Lykens Valley Miner, which was then published by Samuel B. Coles and G. Washington Fenn. The article was entitled, Recollections of 40 Years: Regarding the LykensValley Coal Mines and Vicinity Adjacent, and was written by Richard Nolen, Esq.
The very last part of that article told a story of four young men, printers who were working in the print office under Coles and Fenn, in Lykens, Dauphin County. The four men went to war, but only one, Henry Keiser, returned. Keiser, who is pictured above in his Civil War uniform, was born in Gratz, Dauphin County, in 1840. He died in 1933 in is buried in Lykens.
Here follows the story told by Nolen in his Recollections of 40 Years:
In recounting the many improvements of Lykens and vicinity, since my acquaintances with it, let me not forget what all intelligent men most pronounce the greatest, to wit: – the establishment of a printing office and the issue of a paper from that lever so potent in framing the morals, religion and politics of the country – the printing press. The first paper was entitled “The Farmers and Miners’ Journal,” its first number appearing on the 17th of August 1856. The office was owned by an association and employed Dr. J. Bower as editor, with S. B. Coles as publisher, but in some three months the association discovered the inability of the veracious doctor, and dispensed with his services. Upon Mr. Coles devolved the management of the office some two weeks, when E. J. Pinkerton of Lancaster, took charge of the office and remained nearly a year, when his merits were discovered and he vamoosed. Mr. Daniel Hoffman then took the paper as publisher and proprietor, with George Wolfe Buehler, Esq., as editor. This continued thirteen months, when Mr. Buehler became proprietor and publisher, and so continued until October, 1861,when the office turned all of its four employees into the army as its quota to aid in the suppression of the rebellion, causing the suspension of the paper.
Let me digress a moment to write the fate of that contribution of the printing office at Lykens to the army: Henry Keiser enlisted as a private to Company G, 96th P. V. [96th Pennsylvania Infantry], served enlistment for over four years, and after passing through more than a dozen hard fought fields returned safe and sound as first sergeant of his company.
John C. Gratz enlisted in the same company and in the winter of 1861-1862 was stricken down with typhoid fever and surrendered his life for his country.
John E. Roberts, although but 15 years of age, enlisted in Company D, 5th Pennsylvania Reserves [34th Pennsylvania Infantry], and after proving his bravery on three fields, fell at New Market Cross Roads, 26 June 1862, during McClellan’s disastrous peninsula campaign, and though supposed to be but wounded at the time, has never been heard from to the present writing. His Colonel, the brave Simmons, fell the same day.
Christopher C. Hynicka enlisted in the 76th Pennsylvania Volunteers [76th Pennsylvania Infantry] in September, 1861, and in one of its many engagements with the enemy, was captured and after confinement over a year, experiencing all the brutalities and starvation of Rebel prisons, was unable to reach the boat to be transported home, and surrendered his life on the altar of his country.
Thus it will be seen that three of the four printers who went forth from that office, died for their country with honorable careers, and the fourth, after experiencing the brunt of many battles, was spared to return. Where can be shown a better record?
To resume: The office then passed into the hands of S. B. Coles, who published an advertising medium called “The Business Man’s Journal” This continued until the first of August 1865, when George W. Fenn was induced to purchase one-half of the establishment. The 17th of August 1865, witnessed the first issue of “The Upper Dauphin Register and Lykens Valley Miner” as a Republican paper. This firm continued but a few months, when Mr. Coles again became owner of the concern and published the paper until November 1868, when he sold the office to S. M. Fenn.
Hoping that these few crude, imperfect recollections of a man’s ordinary lifetime, spent in your section, may not prove unprofitable or uninteresting to those, who have perused them, I beg leave to subscriber myself,
Respectfully yours,
RICHARD NOLEN.
(The end.)
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Transcribed from Lykens Standard article found on Newspapers.com.
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