Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 13, 2014

The death of Peter A. Campbell was noted in the Harrisburg Patriot on 8 July 1919:

OLD PONY MAIL RIDER DIES AT MILLERSBURG

Millersburg, 7 July 1919 — Peter A. Campbell, the oldest native-born resident of this place, and one of the Government’s pony mail riders between here and Sunbury years ago, died at his home here last evening, aged 85 years.

Mr. Campbell was in the hardware business for many years, and up until about a year ago attended to this business.  Since that time his son Lawrence has assisted him.

He was a Captain in the Civil War, belonging to the 127th Pennsylvania Volunteers [127th Pennsylvania Infantry] and took part in the battle of Gettysburg.  He was a prominent member of the G.A.R. and the Knights of the Golden Eagle and both orders will attend the funeral and have charge of the services at the grave.  The funeral will take place on Wednesday afternoon at 3 o’clock with the Rev. J. H. Barnes, pastor of the Methodist Church, officiating.  Burial will be made in the Oak Hill Cemetery.

Mr. Campbell is survived by four children:   Lawrence Campbell; Frank Campbell; William Campbell; and Mary Campbell, all of Millersburg.

Peter Campbell‘s second enlistment was in the Emergency Service of 1863, when he enrolled at Millersburg in the 26th Pennsylvania Infantry Militia, Company K, as a 1st Lieutenant.

It was part of this second service that Peter Campbell took part in the Battle of Gettysburg.  In recognition of that service, his name appears on the Pennsylvania Memorial table for the Emergency Force of 1863, Company K:

There is no mention on the Veterans’ Card or on the Gettysburg plaque that he served as a Captain in this regiment, but it is possible that at some point he received a promotion.

Peter Campbell‘s first enlistment took place at Harrisburg on 2 August 1862, Company F, of the 127th Pennsylvania Infantry, as a Corporal.  At the time he declared his age as 32 and his occupation as machinist.  His residence was Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

The Pension Index Card (shown below from Ancestry.com) gives his pension application date as 26 February 1896.  He received the pension, which he collected until his death in July 1919, whereupon his widow, Emma J. Campbell, applied and collected until her death. Peter reported no Civil War-related disabilities in 1890 at the time of the census.

For his service, Peter A. Campbell is recognized on the Millersburg Civil War Soldier Monument:

In addition to the occupations of pony mail rider, machinist, and hardware store proprietor, various censuses report that he was also a boatman, a lumberman, and a window sash maker.

Category: Research, Stories | Comments Off on Obituary of Peter A. Campbell of Millersburg
Tags: G.A.R., Millersburg

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 12, 2014

Today’s post features the grave of Col. Edward H. Leib who is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery, Millersburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, and also gives some additional information about him and his service in the Civil War.

One of the above two men is thought to be “Capt. E. Leib, 5th U.S. Cavalry” and the other is thought to be a “Captain Ramsey.”  The photo was supposedly taken at Morse’s Gallery of the Cumberland, Nashville, Tennessee.  But, which one is Leib?  Previously it was thought that the man on the left was Leib, but another photograph has surfaced has been positively identified as Col. Leib and is shown below.

The beard and the part in the hair more closely resemble the man on the right.

Edward H. Leib applied for a pension on 10 August 1877 as is shown on the Pension Index Card (above) from Fold3.  The other version of the Pension Index Card (from Ancestry.com, not shown) does not indicate the state from which Col. Leib applied for benefits.  However, the pension, which was received by him, was reported on the 1883 “List of Pensioners from the District of Columbia.”  The pension was first awarded in 1878 and the reason for the pension was a “wound at shoulder.”

A second indication that he was living in Washington, D.C. in the years after the war is a brief mention found in the Harrisburg Patriot of 2 July 1880 (pictured above):

Col. Edward H. Leib, of Washington City, has been paying a flying visit to his old home in Pennsylvania.  Col. Leib is one of the gallant veterans of the war.  During his visit he has been the recipient of numerous flattering attentions on the part of his old friends and comrades in arms.

At some point between the early 1880s and his death on 17 May 1892, Col. Leib returned to Pennsylvania to reside in Millersburg.  To the census of 1890, he reported from Millersburg, that he had been wounded four times in the body during the war.

And, on 30 September 1891, the Harrisburg Patriot reported that Col. Leib of Millersburg was awarded a “First Defenders” bronze medal that was specially struck at the Philadelphia Mint:

THE FIRST DEFENDERS.

Four from This County Will Receive Medals at Pottsville.

James Burns, of Steelton, Edward Foley of Harrisburg, Edward Leib of Millersburg, and Captain George G. Boyer, of Harrisburg, will receive the “First Defenders” medals at Pottsville, Thursday.  There are 246 others of the “First Defenders” who will wear the beautiful bronze medal, which will be presented to them by Governor Pattison.  The meeting of the survivors of the “First Defenders” will be an event participated in by about 10,000 old soldiers, among whom will be Generals Sickles, Slocum, Smith, Howard and others.  The medal was designed and executed at the mint at Philadelphia.  The state by special act appropriated $1500 for the purpose.  It is made of bronze and is in the shape of a Greek cross [pictured below from a prior blog post].

The article then went on to describe who the “First Defenders” were and named the Washington Artillery of Pottsville as one of the groups.  For additional information about the “First Defenders” see:  Story of the First Defenders as Told in 1935.

Col. Edward H. Leib died on 17 May 1892 and only a brief mention of his death was made in the Harrisburg Patriot of 18 May 1892:

E. H. Leib, colonel in the late war, and a brother of F. R. Leib, of this city [Harrisburg], died at Millersburg early yesterday morning.

He is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Millersburg.  A close-up view of the base of his monument is pictured below:

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

Category: Overviews, Queries, Research, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on Civil War Veteran Burials at Oak Hill Cemetery, Millersburg (Part 2)
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Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 11, 2014

The 74th Pennsylvania Infantry Monument at Gettysburg is located north of the town of Gettysburg at West Howard Avenue.  It was dedicated in 1888 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  A drawing of the monument (above) was available in the Philadelphia Inquirer article describing the regimental histories and ceremonies that took place in 1889.  For a picture of the monument, see Steven Recker’s Virtual Gettysburg Web Site which has more information about the monument and the 74th Pennsylvania Infantry.

A full description of the monument, its GPS coordinates, a photograph, and some of the history of the 74th Pennsylvania Infantry can be found on the Stone Sentinels Web Site.

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On 11 September 1889, the Philadelphia Inquirer included the following information on the 74th Pennsylvania Infantry in its article on the monument dedications:

Where the Storm Was Terrible.

On the 2nd the 74th Regiment was posted in front of the batteries in the cemetery.  Here it was joined by the men who had been sent on picket on the previous night, and to this position it clung through the terrible storm of battle of the two succeeding days, losing one officer and eight men killed and one officer and fifteen men wounded, a total loss in the entire battle of 136.  Colonel Von Hartung, who was in command of the regiment, was severely wounded on the first day.  Lieutenant Colonel Von Mitzell succeeded him, but was afterward taken prisoner, the comand then devolving on major C. Schleiter.

The monument of the 74th Infantry was dedicated on 2 July 188.  The organization will march to the monument, the president of the association will make an address, as will also Colonel A. Von Hartung.

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Adolph VonHartung (1832-1902)

Adolph VonHartung commanded the 74th Pennsylvania Infantry at Gettysburg. He was born in Germany.  On 5 August 1861 he joined Company A as its Captain and on an unknown date was transferred to headquarters.  On 17 October 1862 he was promoted to Major, on 15 January 1863 to Lieutenant Colonel, and on 4 April 1863 he was promoted to Colonel, the position he held at the Battle of Gettysburg.  On the 1st day at Gettysburg, Colonel VonHartung was wounded in the leg and Lieutenant Colonel Theodore VonMitzel took over for him.

Colonel VonHartung applied for a pension early on 29 July 1864 as a result of his war injuries.  He died on 10 April 1902 and is buried at Louden Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland.  More information about Colonel VonHartung can be found at his FindagraveMemorial.

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Theobold Alexander VonMitzel , second in command of the regiment, took over after Colonel VonHartung was wounded.  Originally, he had served as Captain of Company K, but was transferred to headquarters, date unknown.  Unfortunately for Major VonMitzel, he was captured at Gettysburg during the retreat of the regiment and sent to Libby Prison in Richmond where he was held as a Prisoner of  War until he escaped on 11 May 1864.  On 15 October 1864, he was re-united with the 74th Pennsylvania Infantry and was mustered in as a Lieutenant Colonel.  The front side of his Pennsylvania Veterans’ File Card from the Pennsylvania Archives is shown above.  No Findagrave Memorial has been found for him.

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Henry Krauseneck was the officer in command of one company at Gettysburg.  He had enrolled as Captain of Company D at Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, although his residence was given as Allegheny County.  Unfortunately for Captain Krauseneck he was charged with cowardice in the regiment’s retreat.  The details of the charges can be found in War Department Special Orders #114 (24 May 1864) and #368 (27 October 1864).  He was found guilt and given the opportunity to resign, which he did.  

For further information on Henry Krauseneck, see Civil War Institute at Gettysburg article, “Cowardice at Gettysburg.”

No Findagrave Memorial has been found for him.

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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 74th 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 the74th 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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The news clippings are from the on-line resources of the Free Library of Philadelphia.

Category: Memorials | Comments Off on Monuments at Gettysburg – 74th Pennsylvania Infantry
Tags: Monument

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 10, 2014

Daniel D. Weaver was born 13 June 1831, the son of Johann Jacob Weaver (1803-1875) and Catharina [Lenker] Weaver (1798-1862).  In 1850 the family was living in Upper Paxton Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania and Daniel was working as a laborer.  The father Jacob was a farmer and brother John Weaver, age 22  living at home, was a Carpenter and brother Josiah Weaver, age 15, also living at home, was working as a laborer.

On 27 August 1861, Daniel D. Weaver enrolled in the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry at a recruitment location in Dauphin County.  About two weeks later on 9 September 1861, he was mustered into Company A, as a Private at Harrisburg.  He was 30 years old at the time, was working as a carpenter, and claimed Millersburg as his residence.  The Pennsylvania Veterans’ File Card (shown below) from the Pennsylvania Archives notes that he was discharged on a Surgeon’s Certificate of Disability, date unknown.

Daniel D. Weaver died on 30 September 1862 and is buried at David’s Church Cemetery in Killinger (near Millersburg), Dauphin County.  His grave marker, which is pictured at the top of this blog post states that he served as a Private in the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry during the Civil War, and there is a G.A.R. star-flag holder at his grave.  The cause of his death may be on the lower line of text of the grave marker, but the wording is not clear enough to read from the photograph.  Note:  The death date on the stone suggests that he was wounded at Antietam and died days later, his remains being returned to his home for burial – but that could be coincidental without actual confirmation from source material.

No Pension Index Card has been located for him.  This probably means that he was not married and therefore no family member was able to claim benefit from his service.  Unfortunately, it also means that there are probably very few records in existence that would indicate where and how he died.

Daniel D. Weaver is also one of many Civil War veterans with a Millersburg connection who are not named on the Millersburg Soldier Monument, although there are two others named who have the surname Weaver:  Henry Weaver and Jacob Weaver.  At this time it is not know why Daniel’s name would have been omitted from the monument.

Anyone with additional information on this soldier, including a transcription of the last several lines of his grave marker, is requested to post a comment to this post or send an e-mail with the information.

Category: Queries, Research, Stories | Comments Off on How Did Daniel D. Weaver Die?
Tags: G.A.R., Killinger, Millersburg, Upper Paxton Township

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 9, 2014

The 73rd Pennsylvania InfantryMonument at Gettysburg is located south of the town of Gettysburg at The Angle.  It was dedicated in 1889 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as part of the large group completed for the 25th Anniversary.  A drawing of the monument (above) was included in the Philadelphia Inquirer article describing the regimental histories and ceremonies that took place in 1889.  For a picture of the monument, see Steven Recker’s Virtual Gettysburg Web Site which has more information about the monument and the 73rd Pennsylvania Infantry .

A full description of the monument, its GPS coordinates, two photographs, and some of the history of the 73rd Pennsylvania Infantry can be found on the Stone Sentinels Web Site.

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On 11 September 1889, the Philadelphia Inquirer included the following information on the 73rd Pennsylvania Infantry in its article on the monument dedications:

The 73rd There Three Days.

The 73rd had no field officers at Gettysburg and was commanded by senior Captain D. F. Kelly.  As the rear of the Union forces was retiring through the town the 73rd was ordered forward and charged through the orchard just below the cemetery, checking the pursuit of the enemy and occupying the houses on either side of the Baltimore Pike.  A brisk fire swept all the approaches and checked the enemy.  On the 2nd the corps occupied a position like the letter V, the apex pointing toward the town and both the receding lines were frequently passed over by the enemy’s shells.  The rebels advanced under the cover of Cemetery Hill and made one impetuous attack upon the brigade battery, but were repulsed by the 73rd and 27th.  On the third day in the same position the regiment was exposed to the artillery fire from a circuit of two or three miles.  The ceremonies will include an oration by G. T. R. Knorr; presentation of the monument to State Committee, W. W. Ker, Esq.; presentation to Gettysburg Monument Association, Colonel Vanderslice.

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Daniel F. Kelly commanded the 73rd Pennsylvania Infantry at Gettysburg.

Kelly enrolled as Captain of Company F on 11 September 1861 at Philadelphia and was mustered into service the same day.  The Pennsylvania Veterans’ File Card (above) from the Pennsylvania Archives gives little information about him except his age of 24 and his residence of Philadelphia.  It also notes that his last name is sometimes found on the rolls as Daniel F. Kelley and that he was discharged from service on 21 December 1863, but at this time it is not known why.  Another record states that he was mustered out with his company on 23 June 1864.

Although there are many persons named Daniel F. Kelly (or Kelley) in Findagrave, no match has been located for the Captain who led the 73rd Pennsylvania Infantry at Gettysburg.  Additional information is sought about him.

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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 73rd 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 73rd 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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The news clippings are from the on-line resources of the Free Library of Philadelphia.

Category: Memorials | Comments Off on Monuments at Gettysburg – 73rd Pennsylvania Infantry
Tags: Monument