Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on January 3, 2015

The obituary of Elias F. Garman appeared in the Harrisburg Patriot on 12 October 1910:

FINE WAR RECORD

Elias F. Garman, Who Died in Lewistown, Enlisted Here

FRIEND OF GEN. MILES

Lewistown, 11 October 1910 — Elias G. Garman, who died here on Monday, was one of the most gallant defenders of the Union and served during the entire period of the Civil War, first in Company K, Fourteenth Volunteer Infantry [14th Pennsylvania Infantry]. and later in Company I, 11th Pennsylania Cavalry.  Garman was a man who seldom spoke of his war days, but among his papers were found honorable discharges from both organizations and on the back of the later one was the following letter written in red ink:

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Field Headquarters, Company I, 11th Pennsylania Cavalry, Near Locia Court House, Virginia, 6 June 1865.

I certify that the within named, Elias F. Garman, a late private of Company I, 11th Pennsylania Cavalry, was a true and worthy soldier as his conduct in the field and many engagements during his enlistment has won for himself a name that centuries cannot erase for his unflinching bravery has merited the name for which I can recommend him as a true and brave soldier.

FRANK F. Farrell, 1st Lieutenant, 11th Pennsylania Cavalry, Commanding Company I

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The secret of what these acts of bravery consisted was probably taken to the grave with him unless some of his comrades can recall them which is not likely, as he refused to speak of them.  Even when petitioned by his children his only reply was “No, you must hear them from other lips than mine.”  It is known, however, that he spent several months in the secret service of the army and that he thrice entered the enemy’s lines in front of Petersburg and Richmond and returned with valuable information.

He was helpless from paralysis for two years and during this period he received a letter from General Nelson A. Miles, with whom he was intimately associated during the war and it was read to him he cried like a child.  He had in his possession a razor, a pair of booty pullers and long dirk knife by which he set great store and said he secured them from the headquarters of General Robert E. Lee prior to his surrender, but he refused to tell the story of how they came into his possession.

The body will be taken to New Cumberland, his old home, for interment, on Wednesday.  Garman enlisted from Harrisburg, in fact was born in Dauphin County, 18 August 1844.  He is survived by two brothers, George Garman of Jersey Shore, and John Garman of Canesville, Illinois, and three sons, Theodore G. Garman, of Harrisburg; Robert B. Garman of Lewistown; and William E. Garman of Chester.  In this as in many other cases the United States Government failed to provide an adequate pension to bring him comforts in his declining years, but these were furnished by Carthage Lodge, No. 194, K. of P., Steelton, through the agency of Juniata Lodge, No. 270, of this city, and by his son, Robert E. Garman, with whose family he made his home.  Funeral services will be held at New Cumberland at 2 P.M. Wednesday.

Turning to the Findagrave Memorial, a conflicting statement was found regarding Garman’s first service:

He was drafted in Harrisburg 16 October 1862, and mustered into federal service there 3 November 1862, as a private with Company K, 173rd Pennsylvania Infantry, and honorably discharged with his company 18 August 1863.

Bates notes that a Lawrance Garman served in the 14th Pennsylvania Infantry and a Elias F. Garman served in the 173rd Pennsylvania Infantry.

The Findagrave Memorial also notes that he is buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery, York County, not in New Cumberland.

On the matter of the “inadequate pension,” it should be noted that Garman did not apply for pension benefits until 20 July 1897, a pension which was received and collected until his death.  The Pension Index Card notes that his service other than the cavalry regiment was in the 173rd Pennsylvania Infantry, not the 14th Pennsylvania Infantry as noted in the obituary.

The Pennsylvania Death Certificate for Elias Garman was found on Ancestry.com:

According to the death certificate, Elias Fertig Garman died at Lewistown Hospital, Derry Township, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania.  His last occupation was carpenter and he was a widower at the time of his death.  His father’s name was John Garman and his mother’s name was Elizabeth C. Fertig, which accounts for the middle name of “Fertig.”  The death certificate does indicate that Elias was buried at New Cumberland, not York as stated in Findagrave.

Finally, a search was made of the York County Heritage Civil War Database created by Dennis Brandt.  Elias Garman is included in that database.  There are a number of other facts about him not previously mentioned in this post, including that his “hometown” was Middle Paxton Township, Dauphin County.

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Posted By Norman Gasbarro on January 2, 2015

The 84th Pennsylvania Infantry Monument at Gettysburg is located south of the town of Gettysburg near the Pennsylvania Monument.  It was dedicated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1889.  The drawing of the monument pictured above is from an article that appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer on 11 September 1889.

For more information about this monument and the 84th Pennsylvania Infantry, as well as an additional view of the monument, see Steven Recker’s Virtual Gettysburg Web Site.

A full description of the monument, a picture, the GPS coordinates, and some of the history of the 84th Pennsylvania Infantry can be found on the Stone Sentinels Web Site.

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From the Philadelphia Inquirer of 11 September 1889:

What the 84th Was Doing.

The recruiting of the 84th Regiment commenced August, 1861.  It was organized at Camp Crossman near Huntingdon, 23 October, mustered into the service of the United States 23 December, re-enlisted 1864, consolidated into a battalion of four companies 31 December 1861, consolidated with the battalion of six companies of the 57th Pennsylvania, 13 January 1865, the Lieutenant Colonel of the 84th becoming Colonel of the consolidated regiment, mustered out 29 June 1865.

The 84th was saved from capture at Bull Run by Lieutenant Colonel Nixon who imperiled his life and was taken prisoner.  when the 84th reached Washington after the disaster it had but seventy-five men fit for duty, but was soon replenished with Pennsylvania recruits.  At Chancellorsville 219 of its 319 men engaged were killed, wounded or captured.  During the Battle of Gettysburg the 84th was detailed to guard the corps train at Westminster under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Milton Opp.  The last commander of the regiment, Brevet Brigadier General George Zinn, is still living.  The exercises at the monument will take place at 2 P.M.  The dedicatory address will be made by Captain Thomas E. Merchant.

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Milton Opp

Lieutenant Colonel Milton Opp commanded the 84th Pennsylvania Infantry at Gettysburg.  He had enrolled in Company F as a 1st Lieutenant on 1 October 1861 and received a promotion to Captain of the Company on 19 May 1862.  A promotion to Major at the regimental level occurred on 1 October 1862, and another promotion to Lieutenant Colonel on 23 December 1862.

At the time of his enrollment in the regiment, he was 26 years old and gave his residence at Lycoming County, Pennsylvania.

Unfortunately, Lieutenant Colonel did not survive the war and died on 9 May 1864 of wounds received three days earlier.  He is buried at Muncy Cemetery, Muncy, Lycoming County.  No record has been located to indicate that any survivors applied for a pension based on his service.

For more information about Milton Opp, see Facebook and his Findagrave Memorial.

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Around the base of the Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg are a series of plaques which, by regiment and company, note the names of every soldier who was present at the Battle of Gettysburg.  The plaque for the 84th Pennsylvania Infantry is pictured below.  By clicking on the plaque it should enlarge so the names can be more clearly read.  If a name does not appear, it could be that the soldier did serve in the 84th Pennsylvania Infantry, but was not part of the regiment during its days at Gettysburg. There could also be errors on the plaque.

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Posted By Brian Tomlin on December 31, 2014

December 1. The Great Fire of Brisbane  swept through the central parts of Brisbane in the Colony of Queensland (now a state of Australia). For two and a half hours the fire burned out of control in large parts of Brisbane’s central business district with entire blocks being destroyed. The fire  consumed 50 houses, 2 banks, 3 hotels, 4 draperies, and many other businesses as well as a “considerable amount of small houses”. Considering the extent of the fire, casualties were very few; there was no loss of life, and four people were taken to hospital with injuries.

December 8. James Clerk Maxwell presents his paper A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field to the Royal Society in London, treating light as an electromagnetic wave.

December 8. Syllabus errorum: Pope Pius IX condemns theological liberalism as an error and claims for the supremacy of Roman Catholic Church authority over the civil society. He also condemns rationalism, socialism, communism, Bible Societies, and a host of other non-Catholic centered beliefs. The full text of the Syllabus of Errors.

December 8. The Clifton Suspension Bridge across the River Avon (Bristol) in England, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and completed as a memorial to him, opens to traffic.On 8 December 1864, the bridge was lit by magnesium flares for its ceremonial opening parade, but they were blown out by the wind. The custom of lighting the bridge has continued with more recent events, although later thousands of electric light bulbs were attached to the bridge instead of flares. In 1979 the bridge became the host of the first modern bungee jumping. Throughout its history the bridge has also become known for the numerous suicides which have occurred from its deck.

December 13. Paraguayan War: Paraguay formally declares war on the Empire of Brazil in support of the Uruguayan National Party. The war continues to 1870 with around 300,000 Paraguayan deaths and 400,000 total deaths. It particularly devastated Paraguay, which suffered catastrophic losses in population and was forced to cede territory to Argentina and Brazil.

December 17. Jacques Offenbach’s operetta La Belle Hélène receives its first performance at the Paris Variétés

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Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 30, 2014

The obituaries of four men who died in 1910 in Harrisburg provide an opportunity for further research for someone interested in the role played by African Americans in the Civil War.  Presented here are: (1) Edward Lowery; (2) Eli Gray; (3) William H. Harris; and (4) Gideon Williams.

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From the Harrisburg Patriot, 6 June 1910:

Edward Lowery

Edward Lowery, aged eighty-two years, was found dead last evening about 8 o’clock at his home, 236 Liberty Street [Harrisburg].  Death was due to asthma from which he had been a sufferer for a long time.  Coroner Coover held an investigation and determined that death was due to the above disease.  He was a Civil War veteran and was sell known in this city.

The funeral will be held from the Wesley Union A. M. E. Zion Church tomorrow afternoon at 2 o’clock.  The colored lodge of Masons and Odd fellows will have charge.  Interment will be made in Lincoln Cemetery.

The death certificate of Edward Lowery (below) is from Ancestry.com:

The death certificate confirms information provided in the newspaper obituary:  address of decedent, cause of death, name of coroner, approximate age of decedent, and place of burial.  Information not given includes the place of birth and names of parents.

Also not determined from the information in the above two sources is the regiment in which Mr. Lowery served during the Civil War.

According to the database of soldiers available at the National Park Service, an Edward Lowery served in the 24th United States Colored Troops, Company F, as a Private.  From the regimental history:

Organized at Camp William Penn, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 30 January to 30 March 1865. Moved to Washington, D. C., 5 May, and duty at Camp Casey till 1 June. At Point Lookout, Maryland, guarding prisoners till 16 July. Moved to Richmond, Virginia, and duty in Sub-District of Roanoke, Headquarters at Burkesville, till September. Moved to Richmond, Virginia, and there mustered out 1 October 1865.

Military Index Cards for Edward Lowery, available from Fold3, provide the following additional information:  (1) he was born in Virginia;  (2) he was drafted into the 24th U.S.C.T. on 18 March 1865 at Chambersburg, Virginia; (3) he claimed to be 34 years old at his entry into the service; (4) he was working as a laborer; (5) he was 5 foot, 10 inches tall, black complexion, black hair, and hazel eyes; and (6) he enrolled for a period of one year; and (7) he was discharged at Washington, D.C., on 30 September 1865.

To the date of this writing, no Pension Index Card has been located for him.

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From the Harrisburg Patriot, 12 September 1910:

ELI GRAY, BARBER DEAD

Had Worked At His Trade for Half a Century

Eli Gray, one of the oldest Negro barbers in the state died last evening shortly after 8:30 o’clock at the home of his sister, Mrs. A. C. Brown, 267 Briggs Street [Harrisburg].  He was in his seventy-seventh year.

The arrangements for the funeral have not yet been completed, but it is understood that the services will be held Wednesday at the home of Mrs. Brown, his only surviving relative.

Gray was born in York, Pennsylvania, and lived there until 1865.  It was there he began his trade as a barber and worked at his trade in that city throughout the Civil War days.  In 1865 he came to this city [Harrisburg] and worked as a barber here.  For twenty-five years he conducted a shop under the National Hotel.

The Pennsylvania Death Certificate for Eli Gray was found under “Eli Grey” on Ancestry.com:

The death certificate confirms information in the obituary, namely his occupation, his place of death, date of death, approximate age (his date of birth is given as 1 November 1835), and the fact that he was single.  Additionally, his place of burial is given as York, Pennsylvania.  He was the son of William Grey and Amanda Brown, both of whom were born in Pennsylvania.

A Findagrave Memorial has been located for him.  He is buried in the Lebanon Cemetery, North York, York County, Pennsylvania.  The grave marker has a dedication from his sister Cornelia, presumably the sister who is mentioned in the obituary.  The date on the stone is 1 November 1834, rather than the 1 November 1835 death date from the death certificate.

While no Civil War military service has been located for Eli Gray, he most likely had some very interesting stories about his life as a civilian in York, Pennsylvania, at the height of the Emergency of 1863 when Lee and the Confederate armies invaded Pennsylvania.  Perhaps he told these stories in his barber shop in Harrisburg in the years after the Civil War.  Or, perhaps these stories were passed down in the family.

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From the Harrisburg Patriot, 17 October 1910:

W. H. Harris

The funeral of W. H. Harris, a Civil War veteran who died at his home, 326 Calder Street [Harrisburg], early Saturday morning, will take place this afternoon from Zion Baptist Church.  Rev. Walter Tolliver, the pastor, will officiate.  Mr. Harris was a member of Post 520, G.A.R., and of the Baptist Church.  Interment will be made in Lincoln Cemetery.

The Pennsylvania Death Certificate for W. H. Harris was found on Ancestry.com under the name “William Harris“:

The additional information provided on the certificate includes that William H. Harris was born in Henrietta County, Virginia, in 1838, possibly in slavery.  The names of his parents were not known by the informant.  The date of death was 14 October 1910, and the cause of death was “auto-intoxication due to obstruction complicated by bronchial pneumonia.”

William H. Harris is buried in Lincoln Cemetery, Harrisburg, but as of this writing, a Findagrave Memorial has not been located for him.

Because of his common surname, finding him in the Civil War veterans’ records is difficult, although it was initially thought that he was the Private who served in Company C of the 24th United States Colored Troops.  However, the Military Index Cards for that William Harris indicate that he was 44 years old at the time of enlistment and was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania.  But, the birthplace information and year of birth on the death certificate could be wrong, which would justify pursuing further the William Harris who served in the 24th U.S.C.T.

Additional research is needed to determine his regiment and company of service and whether he ever applied for a pension.

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From the Harrisburg Patriot of 23 April 1910:

Gideon Williams, aged seventy years, died yesterday afternoon at 3 o’clock of pneumonia after a few days illness.  Mr. Williams was well known in this city.  He was a Civil War veteran.

The funeral will take place from his late residence, 1034 South Cameron Street, on Monday afternoon at 2 o’clock.  Interment will be made in Lincoln Cemetery.

Williams was born in Maryland as were both of his parents.  He died in the Harrisburg Hospital.

He is probably the same Gideon Williams who served in the 41st United States Colored Troops, Company B, as a Private, from 5 October 1864 through his discharge on 18 October 1865 at the expiration of his term.  If so, he applied for a pension on 31 May 1878, which he received and collected until his death, which occurred on 22 April 1910.  There are at least 20 individual documents available about him on Fold3 which include information that he was a substitute for someone who was drafted from York County.

As of this writing, no Findagrave Memorial has been located for him.

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News clippings are from the on-line resources of the Free Library of Philadelphia.

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Tags: African American, G.A.R.

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 29, 2014

The 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry Monument at Gettysburg is located south of the town of Gettysburg south of Little Round Top close to Sykes Avenue.  It was dedicated in 1889 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  The above drawing of the monument appeared in an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer on 11 September 1889.

See Steven Recker’s Virtual Gettysburg Web Site which has more information about the monument and the  83rd Pennsylvania Infantry.

A full description of the monument, its GPS coordinates, a photograph, and some of the history of the  83rd Pennsylvania Infantry also can be found on the Stone Sentinels Web Site.

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The Philadelphia Inquirer article of 11 September 1889 gave some basic information about the regiment:

Where Colonel Vincent Fell.

On the 2nd, the 83rd and its corps were ordered forward to the relief of Sickles’s line, which had begun to give way on Little Round Top.  Each rock was a fortress, behind which the advancing soldiers took shelter.  Scarcely had they established a line when a body of Longstreet’s corps, under Hood, came upon a double quick with bayonets fixed and uttering unearthly yells, intent upon carrying this coveted position.  They struck the centre, directly against the 83rd, whose rapid, deadly volleys checked the onset.  The enemy then attacked further to the left.  While Lieutenant Strong Vincent, of the 83rd, was reforming his line he was shot, and, as he fell, exclaimed: “This is the fourth or fifth time they have shot at me, and they have struck me at last.”  Colonel Rice, of the 44th [44th Pennsylvania Infantry], succeeded to the command.  As the enemy passed on along to the left the 83rd gave him a telling volley, but he pushed on until his line lapped around the left, and the 83rd began to receive shots in the rear.  By this time, however, the rebels were so weakened that a charge drove them into confusion, and the skirmishers of the 83rd brought in 74 prisoners and 300 stands of arms.  The 83rd will dedicate with appropriate ceremonies.

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Strong Vincent

The commander of the brigade to which the 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry was attached was Colonel Strong Vincent, a 26 year old native of Erie, Erie County, Pennsylvania.  Colonel Vincent was mortally wounded at Gettysburg and was taken to a farm house where he died on 7 July 1863.  He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General on 3 July 1863, but it is not known whether he was aware of this fact.  More information about him can be found at his Findagrave Memorial.

Orpheus S. Woodward

The actual commander of the 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry at Gettysburg was Colonel Orpheus S. Woodward, a 28 year old native of Erie, Pennsylvania.  At Gettysburg, he was cited for heroic action at Little Round Top.  Afterward, while fighting in the Wilderness, he was wounded resulting in the amputation of his right leg.  On 20 September 1864 he was discharged on a Surgeon’s Certificate of Disability and as a result qualified for a pension for which he applied on 21 June 1865.

His post-war career included serving two terms in the Pennsylvania Legislature, after which he moved to Kansas where he worked as a farmer, rancher and in the hardware business.  He spent his last days in the Soldiers’ Home in Leavenworth, where he died on 26 June 1919.  He is buried at Cedarville Cemetery, Neosho Falls, Woodson County, Kansas.

Further information on his life and career can be found at his Findagrave Memorial.

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Around the base of the Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg are a series of plaques which, by regiment and company, note the names of every soldier who was present at the Battle of Gettysburg.  The plaque for the 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry is pictured below.  By clicking on the plaque it should enlarge so the names can be more clearly read.  If a name does not appear, it could be that the soldier did serve in the 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry, but was not part of the regiment during its days in Gettysburg.  There could also be errors on the plaque.

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