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Civil War Blog

A project of PA Historian

Obituary of Frank N. Douden of Millersburg

On 23 March 1917 a brief obituary appeared in the Harrisburg Patriot noting the death of a prominent businessman of Millersburg, Frank N. Douden.  Although the obituary gave his middle initial as “S,” it is the same person who served in the Civil War in Company G of the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry. Frank S. Douden […]

Civil War Christmas with the 96th Pennsylvania Volunteers

The men of the 96th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry struggled to keep warm on the evening of December 24, 1861. A frigid wind howled across the ridges and farms of Northern Virginia that Christmas Eve. Within their newly completed winter quarters, the hearty men of central and eastern Pennsylvania huddled next to blazing campfires, in a vain […]

Descendants of Philip Keiser Jr. in the Civil War (Part 1 of 3)

Philip Keiser Jr. (1800-1839) was born in Pine Grove Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.  He married Elizabeth Hoffman (1800-1876), a daughter of Peter Hoffman (1778-1864) and a great-granddaughter of Johann Peter Hoffman (1709-1797), Lykens Valley pioneer settler.  All of Philip Keiser Jr.‘s descendants are therefore descendants of Johann Peter Hoffman [see prior posts on Hoffman family, […]

Capt. Richard Budd – 96th Pennsylvania Infantry

Capt. Richard Budd, a lumberman from Williamstown, Pennsylvania, was born in Queen’s County, Ireland, 1 April 1832, the son Benjamin Budd and Mary [Larns] Budd.  When Richard was seven years old, his father died and the family farm was sold to an English lord.  In 1840, Richard’s mother decided to emigrate to America.  Sailing from […]

Pennsylvania Dutch Meals of the Civil War Period

A previous post on this topic gave some Pennsylvania Dutch words which were used to describe some basic foods which were common during the Civil War period.  This post includes some of the Pennsylvania Dutch words used to name meals, food combinations in recipes, and finally, will give some of the recipes. As before, the […]