Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 3, 2014

Jacob Kissinger was born on 14 November 1843 in Lykens Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.  During the Civil War, he served in the Emergency Militia that was formed from the Home Guards in Gratz when Lee invaded Pennsylvania, and in the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry.  Two prior blog posts gave some information about his life and service.  See:  Jacob Kissinger – Home Guards and 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry; and Obituary of Jacob Kissinger of Gratz.  This post will present an additional photograph and some supporting documents pertaining to him.

The photograph (above top) shows four generations of the family and was taken shortly after the birth of great grandson Raymond Kissinger in the early 1920s in Gratz.  Raymond is held by his father, Jacob Emanuel Kissinger.  At left is Civil War veteran Jacob Kissinger and second from left is Jacob’s son, Harvey Kissinger.

The Pension Index Card (above) from Fold3, gives the date of Jacob’s initial pension application as 19 August 1891, his death date of 16 November 1921, and the date of his widow’s pension application as 3 December 1921.  It also shows both regiments in which he served during the war.

Three interesting documents within the pension application files are shown below:

Document #10. Jacob Kissinger… enrolled on 23 February 1864 and served in Company K of the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry and was discharged at North Carolina on 18 July 1865. At the time of this application, he was 50 years old, was nearly 5 foot 10 inches tall, had a dark complexion, black hair and brown eyes. While he was a member of the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry, and in the line of duty at Griswold Station, Georgia, on or about 18 November 1864, he contracted rheumatism from exposure which resulted in heart disease which he began to suffer from shortly after his discharge. Also, while at Griswold Station, on 18 November 1864, while on picket duty, he received a gunshot wound in the left foot . He was not treated in the hospital for this wound. Prior to his military service he was in sound health but now, at age 50, he is materially disabled.

Document #11. Jacob Kissinger, age 48, residing in Gratz, Dauphin County, was a member of the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry as a Veteran Volunteer, and was discharged at Lexington, North Carolina on 18 July 1865. He is to a material extent disqualified from earning a support by manual labor by reason of rheumatism of body and limbs, affection [sic] of the lungs and heart, short breath, kidney disease and defective sight. He had made application for a pension “some eight years ago” on account of a gunshot wound of the foot, but apparently did not receive a pension because he was not a pensioner.

Document #8. Proof of Marriage. Personally appeared before me, a Justice of the Peace in and for the county and state aforesaid, Rev. Leo D. Horn, a resident of Pillow, Pennsylvania, who being duly sworn according to law, declares that he is the Minister of the Gospel, Uniontown Charge of the Reformed Church of the United States, at Pillow, Pennsylvania, and as such has the various Records of said Charge in his custody; and that in and among the Marriage Records of Rev. Jacob Kehm, a former Pastor of said Charge, he finds the following entry, viz: “Jacob Kissinger to Miss Amanda Williard, 25 August 1867.” (sig) Leo D. Horn. Sworn and subscribed before (sig) Elmer W. Dockey, Justice of the Peace, 21 January 1922.

The third document, which contains the proof of marriage, was presented by Amanda when she applied for a widow’s pension.  What was not known by Rev. Horn was that the wedding of Jacob and Amanda was a double ceremony.  On the same day, friends John Saltzer and Hannah Folk were married.  The couples traveled to Pillow together and returned to Gratz together.

The final document for Jacob Kissinger is his Pennsylvania Death Certificate (above) from Ancestry.com.  The certificate gives the date of death as 16 November 1921 and place of death as Gratz.  The occupation of Jacob was “retired farmer.”  His parents names were George Kissinger and Sarah [Knorr] Kissinger, both born in Pennsylvania.  The cause of death was chronic myocardites with a secondary or contributory cause of enlarged prostate glands.  His remains were interred in the Gratz Union Cemetery.

Category: Research, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on Jacob Kissinger – A Photograph and Additional Documents
Tags: Gratz Borough, Lykens Township, Pillow, Uniontown

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 2, 2014

On 1 April 1872, Edward Thomas of Gratz, was killed at the colliery at Short Mountain, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, by a “fall of rock.”  His body was recovered and he was buried at Gratz Union Cemetery (then called Simeon’s Cemetery).  He was exactly 32 years old at the time of his death.  A G.A.R. star-flag holder is at his grave marker.

Edward Thomas was born 1 April 1840 in Lykens Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, the son of Samuel Thomas (1811-1874) and Elizabeth [Hoffman] Thomas (1848-1922).  Through his mother’s line he was a direct descendant of Johann Peter Hoffman (1709-1797), the immigrant and early pioneer settler of the Lykens Valley.

Edward Thomas enrolled in the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry at Gratztown on 30 August 1861, Company A, as a Private.  At enrollment, he was 22 years old, was nearly 5 foot 5 inches in height, had brown hair, black eyes, and a light complexion.  He gave his occupation as plasterer and his residence as Gratz.  He was mustered into service on 9 September 1861 at Harrisburg.

At a Special Muster conducted on 13 August 1862, it was reported that Edward Thomas was sick in the hospital at Fredericksburg.  On 31 December 1863 at Blaine’s Crossroads, Tennessee, he was reported as discharged by reason of expiration of term of service.  However, at the same place in Tennessee, the record from the National Archives shows that he did re-enlist for a term of three years (see muster index card below).  That re-enlistment fact is also confirmed on the Pennsylvania Veterans’ File Card (shown above) from the Pennsylvania Archives.

After the war in 1868, Edward Thomas married Elizabeth Hoffman (1848-1922), a daughter of John George “Squire” Hoffman (1798-1887) of Gratz and Hannah [Welker] Hoffman (1817-1885).  Elizabeth, through her paternal line, was also a direct descendant of Johann Peter Hoffman (1709-1797) and the young married couple were therefore distant cousins.  On 12 March 1869, Elizabeth gave birth to twins – a boy and a girl.  The girl died the same day and the boy died two days later.  Both are buried at Gratz Union Cemetery.  Two more children were born to the couple:  Mary Thomas, born about 1871; and Catherine “Katie” Thomas, born 29 January 1872.  Katie married William P. “Willie” Umholtz (1865-1923).  Katie was only an infant when her father died in the mines.

Elizabeth [Hoffman] Thomas, left a widow with two young children, had to find some way to support herself and her family, so she became a housekeeper for Edward McNutt of Williamstown and took care of his wife during her fatal illness.  After McNutt’s wife died, Elizabeth married him.  When she died in 1926, she was buried in the Evangelical Cemetery in Williamstown.

In 1872, pensions were not available to widows of men killed in the mines.  This placed women in a precarious position, particularly if they had children.  Although Elizabeth found a way to get support, many widows of similar fate were not as fortunate, resulting in the break-up of families.

Additional information is sought about this veteran.  Attach comments to this post or send via e-mail.

Category: Overviews, Research, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on Edward Thomas – 50th Pennsylvania Infantry
Tags: G.A.R., Gratz Borough, Hoffman family, Lykens Township, Williamstown

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 1, 2014

The 71st Pennsylvania InfantryMonument at Gettysburg is located south of the town of Gettysburg at The Angle.  It was dedicated in 1887 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  No drawing of the monument 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 71st Pennsylvania Infantry .

A full description of the monument, its GPS coordinates, a photograph, and some of the history of the 71st Pennsylvania Infantry can be found on the Stone Sentinels Web Site.  Information is also available about Private John E. Clopp from this regiment who received the Medal of Honor for his heroics on the 3rd day of the battle.

—————————–

On 11 September 1889, the Philadelphia Inquirer included the following information on the 71st Pennsylvania Infantry  in its article on the monument dedications:

They Turned the Gun Upon Them.

Colonel R. Penn Smith led the 71st on the second day , when a body of rebels advanced upon the left of Cemetery Hill under the protection of a clump of tree and seized a brass piece from which the cannoneers had been driven.  He charged the rebels, captured the gun with 100 of the enemy, and as their broken ranks were falling back turned the cannon upon them.  On the 3rd this regiment occupied a position in the line which was swept away by an artillery fire rarely exceeded in the world’s battles.  Men, horses and limbers were hurled together in confusion, and in the following grand infantry charge this regiment maintained its most critical position in the line.

——————————

Information is sought on Colonel Richard Penn Smith who commanded the 71st Pennsylvania Infantry at Gettysburg.

——————————

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 71st 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 71st Pennsylvania Infantry, but was not part of the regiment during its days in Gettysburg.  There could also be errors on the plaque.

——————————

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

Category: Memorials | Comments Off on Monuments at Gettysburg – 71st Pennsylvania Infantry
Tags: Monument

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on November 29, 2014

Not all those who served during the Civil War were members of the military.  In an obituary that appeared in the Harrisburg Patriot on 20 December 1916, the wartime record of William H. H. Sieg was given as “in the secret service under Governor Curtin.”

Following a lingering illness, William H. H. Sieg, former postmaster of Steelton, a retired newspaper publisher, and at the time of his death the oldest living president of the Harrisburg City Council, died yesterday morning at the home of his son, William P. Sieg, in Bellefonte.

Mr. Sieg had been active in affairs of this city years.  During his service as councilman, he chose the site for the present reservoir in Reservoir Park and directed the construction of the now dismantled stand pipe at the pumping station, North and Front Streets.  He founded the Steelton Reporter in 1882 and continued actively in the business until his retirement three years ago.

The service of Mr. Sieg as a Harrisburg councilman dated from 1866, continuing to 1876, in the common branch.  As secretary of the Steelton Council, he served from 1883 until 1885, resigning to become postmaser in February of the latter half year term. After a three and a half year term, he was reappointed by President Harrison and served four and a half additional years.

Mr. Sieg was born in Lykens Valley, near Millersburg and was educated in the public schools of Harrisburg at the age of 15 he learned the printing trade and was Superintendent of the Harrisburg Telegraph in the seventies under George Bergner.  During the Civil War he was engaged part of the time as a clerk in the Harrisburg post office and was also in the secret service under Governor Curtin.

He was a member of the Masonic order and of the Odd Fellows.  The following children survive:  Miss Mary Sieg, of Bellefonte; Mrs. Arthur A. Smith, of Washington, D. C.; James Sieg, of this city; and William P. Sieg of Bellefonte.  Funeral services will be held Thursday afternoon at 1 o’clock.  Burial will be made in the Harrisburg Cemetery.  The funeral party will reach Harrisburg at one o’clock tomorrow afternoon.  Masonic services will be held at the family plot in Harrisburg shortly after.

A similar article appeared in the Harrisburg Telegraph on 19 December 1916, and a brief summary of the obituary appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer on 20 December 1916.  In the Inquirer summary, Mr. Sieg’s service was stated as: “he served as a scout and in secret service.”

Little is known about what William H. H. Sieg actually did during the Civil War.

A personal article appeared in the Patriot on 29 November 1883:

Silver Wedding.

There was a large and brilliant gathering at the residence of William H. H. Sieg, esq., at Steelton last evening on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of his marriage with his model wife, nee Annie Black.  The visitors included residents of Harrisburg, Highspire, Middleton and Steelton.  The presents were numerous and valuable.  The affair was characterized from commencement to close by that informality and cordiality of greeting and entertainment that cause every one participating to feel that the evening could not have been more enjoyably spent.

Postmasters were presidential appointments at the time William H. H. Sieg served in that capacity. Sieg’s re-appointment as postmaster in 1891 was not without controversy.

STEELTON’S NEW POSTMASTER

Editor William H. H. Sieg, editor of the Steelton Reporter, was appointed postmaster at Steelton yesterday.  Mr. Sieg held the office until three years ago when Christian Hess was appointed by President Cleveland to succeed him.  There was considerable opposition to editor Sieg, James L. Dickinson and Henry M. Newman being applicants for the place.  Mr. Dickinson recently filed a petition with over 1000 signers at the post-office department. [from the Harrisburg Patriot,12 September 1891].

In later life, Sieg’s health was followed by the readers of the Harrisburg Patriot from articles like the following which appeared on 23 April 1914:

SIEG RECOVERS

William H. H. Sieg has almost completely recovered from an attack of illness which caused his confinement for about four months.  He greeted many friends on his first trip outdoors yesterday.

The Pennsylvania Death Certificate of William H. H. Sieg gives some clues as to his family background:

William H. H. Sieg was born to parents William P. Sieg and Catherine [Young] Sieg on 17 May 1837.  According to information in the obituary, he was born in the Lykens Valley near Millersburg, but attended school in Harrisburg.  However, the family was not found in an 1830 or 1840 Census of Dauphin County.

Sieg has not been located in the military or pension records of the Civil War.

Additional information is sought on William H. H. Sieg, his connection to the area of Dauphin County near Millersburg, and his role in the Civil War.  Readers are invited to submit comments to this post or send the information via e-mail.

——————————

The portrait of William H. H. Sieg is from his obituary as it appeared in the Harrisburg Telegraph and was found through Chronicling America at the on-line resources of the Library of Congress.  The text of the articles from the Harrisburg Patriot  and Philadelphia Inquirer was transcribed from on-line resources of the Free Library of Philadelphia.  The Pennsylvania Death Certificate was located at Ancestry.com.

Category: Research, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on William H. H. Sieg – Pennsylvania Wartime Secret Service Agent
Tags: Millersburg, Upper Paxton Township

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on November 28, 2014

Fort Jackson was on land of forty-one acres, fifty-five perches, in Gratz Borough, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, and was part of 350 acres of land owned by Solomon Laudenslager, who inherited it from his father Jacob Laudenslager who had received the original patent in 1807.  In 1862, a sheriff’s sale transferred ownership from Solomon Laudenslager to Jonathan Holtzman and Dr. Isaiah Schminky.  Holtzman sold his undivided share to Dr. Schminky who owned it until his death.  This was a very early Laudenslager home, but later tenants lived in the old log house.  There has been some difficulty in identifying the tenants who lived here.  Most of the time, the Fort Jackson parcel was part of a vast acreage either owned by member(s) of the Laudenslager family or Dr. Isaiah Schminky.

One of the earliest possible tenants was Conrad Swenk, who may have lived at Fort Jackson in the late 1850s and early 1860s at a time when Solomon Laudenslager owned it.  In the 1860 Census, Swenk appears in a house on lands adjoining those of David Clark and Frederick Coleman, both of whom lived on properties that bordered on the Fort Jackson property.

Conrad Swenk (or Schwank or Shwenk), was born 12 April 1801, and died 27 March 1877.  He is buried in St. Matthew’s (Coleman’s) Cemetery in Lykens Township.  Conrad married Elizabeth [maiden name unknown], who was born 20 August 1807 and died 2 September 1870.  Their children included John Schwenk (19 September 1836 – 3 April 1895) who served in the Civil War in the 201st Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I, as a Private.  He was mustered into service on 23 August 1864 and was mustered out with his company on 21 June 1865.  Unfortunately, John received a severe head wound during the war which made him mentally impaired for the remainder of his life.  He never married and was taken care of by his brother Jacob Schwenk and sister Mary Schwenk.

An interesting document was found in the pension application file of John Schwenk.  A portion of this document is shown below.

The document consisted of a poorly reproduced photographed taken by Joseph Eby, photographer at Gratz, and a certification of what the photograph represented.  The text stated:  “The photograph [from 1895] is a true likeness of the home of Jacob Schwenk, Mary Schwenk, and John Schwenk….”  The home in the photograph bears a remarkable resemblance to the only previously-known photograph of Fort Jackson (top of post) that was taken about 1910, at which point the roof had collapsed.

Ralph Witmer (1894-1985) was a Gratz resident who provided information on Fort Jackson.  He had seen the structure as a youth and said that it was a one room log house with a ladder leading to a loft.  Ralph claimed that Peter Kembel (1819-1891) and his family were living at Fort Jackson in its earliest period of existence before moving to a house he [Kembel] purchased on Market Street in 1872.  The second known resident, according to Ralph Witmer, was Benjamin Crabb (1824-aft 1900), the son of Peter Crabb, one of the earliest settlers of Gratz.  Benjamin Crabb was a blacksmith, an African American and the brother of John Peter Crabb, the Civil War veteran who later became a G.A.R. Post Commander in Harrisburg.  While the exact dates of Benjamin Crabb‘s residence at Fort Jackson are not known, he is mentioned as a “tenant” in Gratz in 1876 and he was known to be at Fort Jackson until around the mid-1880s.  Also known to have lived for a time at Fort Jackson was Jacob Hinkle who had a small sawmill across the Cold Stream that was in front of the property at a time when about four acres of wood were cleared around the house.  Hinkle was also known to have farmed the land on the north side of the house.

Harry Shiro (1905-1989) was another Gratz resident who recalled what old timers said about Fort Jackson.  Shiro’s recollections included that the house was of log construction and the foundation was of cut stone.  An outside door opened from the cellar on the north-west side of the house.  The house itself measured about 12 by 20 feet.  Shiro speculated that the name “Fort Jackson” could have been attributed to a man who lived with the Hinkle family.  Eventually, the house became dilapidated and eventually caved in around the foundation.

Isaiah Schminky‘s heirs sold the forty-one plus acres to Newton Schminky in 1901 and the land remained in the Schminky family for over a hundred years.

The most intriguing and mysterious thing about this property is the reason it was called Fort Jackson.  Perhaps it is because it was the area where the Gratztown Militia gathered before the Civil War.

For prior posts on Fort Jackson, see:

African Americans in Pennsylvania

Death and Funeral of Dr. Isaiah S. Schminky

Gratz During the Civil War – Fort Jackson

——————————-

Some of the information for the above post was taken from A Comprehensive History of the Town of Gratz Pennsylvania.

Category: Research, Stories | Comments Off on More on Fort Jackson
Tags: Gratz Borough