Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on November 12, 2014

The 57th Pennsylvania Infantry Monument at Gettysburg is located in the yard of the Sherfy Farm on the Emmitsburg Road.  It was dedicated as part of the group of monuments paid for by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1889.  The drawing of the monument (above) is from the Philadelphia Inquirer article describing the monument dedications.  For a picture of the monument, see Steven Recker’s Virtual Gettysburg Web Site which has more information about the monument and the 57th Pennsylvania Infantry.

A full description of the monument, its GPS coordinates, a photograph, and some of the history of the 57th 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 57th Pennsylvania Infantry in its article on the monument dedications:

How the 57th Was Caught. 

The 57th was General Graham’s Brigade at Gettysburg and bivouacked just after dark on the 1st in an open field on the right of Emmittsburg Road.  Going to the front at daylight of the 2nd, the brigade, after considerable delay, was posted in the open field facing the pike, where at 4 P.M. the enemy’s artillery shook the solid earth unceasingly for an hour and a half.  Bursting shells killed many of the greatly exposed men.  The brigade then attacked the advancing enemy just beyond Sherfy’s house.  By flanking the left the enemy drove General Graham back which many of the 57th did not discover on account of their isolated position in the old cellar and were taken prisoners.  The loss was 12 killed, forty-five wounded and fifty-seven missing.  General Graham was a prisoner and Colonel Peter Sides, of the regiment, was wounded.  December 24, at Culpepper, the regiment was drawn up in a hollow square and address by Chaplain McAdam on the question of re-enlistment.  Colonel Sides then asked all who desired to re-enlist to step three paces forward.  More than two-thirds of the men stepped out and gave three rousing cheers.

The surviving 57th veterans will assemble at the monument at Sherfy’s house at 9 A.M. when the monument will be rededicated with these ceremonies:  Introductory remarks by Captain D. W. Gore, of Sheshequin, Pennsylvania; prayer by Chaplain W. T. McAdam, of Mount Pleasant, Iowa; reading historical sketch of the regiment, by Captain E. C. Strouss, of Meadville, Pennsylvania; address by Lieutenant Colonel L. D. Bumpus, of Washington, D.C.  A camp fire will be held in the yard of Sherfy’s house at 7:30 P.M. to which survivors of Graham’s Brigade are invited.

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Peter Sides, a Philadelphia merchant aged 40,  first joined the 57th Pennsylvania Infantry on 4 December 1861 as Captain of Company A.  On 15 September 1862, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment, the rank he held when he commanded it at the Battle of Gettysburg.  He was wounded and taken out of action at Gettysburg on the second day of the battle and Alanson H. Nelson, Captain of Company K, took over for him in command of the regiment.   On the 12 March 1864, Peter Sides was promoted to Colonel, but he was unable to continue in the service due to several battle wounds, and on 28 November 1864,  he was discharged on a Surgeon’s Certificate of Disability.

Peter Sides was born about 1820 in Philadelphia and died on 23 October 1878 in Philadelphia.  On his death, the Philadelphia newspapers provided a brief obituary.  Of him, the North American said:

Colonel Peter Sides, an old veteran of the rebellion, died Thursday at his residence, 1824 North Nineteenth Street, aged fifty-four years.  He entered the army as a captain in the Fifty-seventh Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers and arose to its command.  He distinguished himself in several battles, and was honorably discharge in November 1864.  The remains will be interred in Monument Cemetery on Sunday.

A photograph of Peter Sides is being sought by the Civil War Research Project.  Additional information about him 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 57th 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 57th 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.  The Pennsylvania Veterans’ File Card is from the Pennsylvania Archives.

Category: Memorials | Comments Off on Monuments at Gettysburg – 57th Pennsylvania Infantry
Tags: Monument

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on November 11, 2014

On 8 July 1862, the Louisville Journal* reported the following news item about the drowning of Lieutenant David H. Nissley, Company G, of the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry:

BOWLING GREEN, Kentucky, 7 July 1862 — Our gallant and brave Lieutenant Nissley, of the Ninth Pennsylvania Cavalry, was drowned while bathing in the river at this place on Saturday evening, and was found on Sunday morning by a young man of the name of Garrison, who dived down to the bottom of the river and found him.  [*Note:  This news piece was re-printed in the Philadelphia Inquirer on 14 July 1893.

David H. Nissley enrolled in the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry at Harrisburg on 24 August 1861.  He was mustered in as 1st Lieutenant on 26 October 1861 at the same place.  At the time he joined the cavalry he was 21 years old and lived in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  the Pennsylvania Veterans’ Index Card (above) from the Pennsylvania Archives confirms his death at Bowling Green, Kentucky, but does not give the cause of death.

After his death, his remains were returned to his home and he was buried at the Henry Eberle Cemetery, Mount Joy, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

David H. Nissley was born 25 August 1838 in Lancaster County.  In 1850, he was living with his parents, David Nissley and Frances Nissley of East Donegal, Lancaster County.  The elder Nissley was a farmer and was born about1811.   In 1860, David H. Nissley was working as a carpenter.  No record has been seen to indicate he was ever married.  No Pension Index Card for him has been located.

Click on document to enlarge.

On the Register of Deaths of Volunteers (above from Ancestry.com), it is noted that the cause of death is not stated.

David H. Nissley was not mentioned in Yankee Cavalrymen, the history of the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry based on the Diary of William Thomas of Lykens.

At this time, no other information has been seen about this soldier who met an unfortunate and untimely death in the war.  Hopefully, some readers will be able to add to his story.

Category: Research, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on Report on the Drowning of Lt. David H. Nissley
Tags: Lykens Borough

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on November 10, 2014

George Spangler, who late in life was a school janitor in Lykens Borough, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, died on 25 January 1921.  He was a Civil War veteran who served in the 2nd Company G of the 103rd Pennsylvania Infantry.

The obituary appeared in the Harrisburg Patriot on 28 January 1921:

CIVIL WAR VETERAN DIES AS A RESULT OF INJURIES

Special to the Patriot

Lykens, 27 January 1921 — George Spangler, for sixty years , a resident of this city and one of the few Grand Army men left in Lykens, died early last evening at the home of his son, at 439 North Second Street, as the result of injuries received when he fell down the cellar steps of his home two days before.

Funeral services will be held Friday from the home of the Rev. Mr. Slinhoff, pastor of the Reformed Church, who will officiate.  Burial will be made in the P.O.S. of A. Cemetery.

His death certificate (obtained through Ancestry.com and shown below), stated that the cause of death was apoplexy.

George Spangler was born on 12 September 1846, the son of George Spangler (born about 1806) and Sarah Keith, or Keath (born about 1810).  One source says he was born in Lebanon County [military record] while another source says he was born in Lancaster County [death certificate].  It is not known for certain when he moved to Dauphin County, but the obituary notes that he was a resident of Lykens for about 60 years.

On 14 March 1864, George Spangler enrolled at Harrisburg in the 103rd Pennsylvania Infantry‘s 2nd Company G, a replacement company in a Pennsylvania regiment whose ranks had been decimated by capture and imprisonment of most of its men.  On 27 March 1865, he was mustered into service as a Private.  At the time of his enrollment he was 18 years old, stood 5 foot – 3 inches tall, and had light hair, grey eyes, and a light complexion.  He gave his occupation as laborer and his residence as Mifflin, Cumberland County.  It is possible that the county of residence was erroneously recorded and he lived in Mifflin Township, Dauphin County.   The service record for this regiment was relatively event-free as the war was winding down and this replacement group was stationed at Roanoke Island, North Carolina.  The company was discharged at New Bern on 25 June 1865, but had to return to Camp Curtin to receive their final pay.  What George Spangler saw in his service in his brief time in North Carolina was the processing and re-settlement of prisoners of war and their transport home as well as a large number of ex-slaves who were attempting to re-locate in safe areas.

In Lykens in 1890, George Spangler reported no Civil War-related disabilities.

Further evidence that he did not suffer from his wartime experience is the late date of his pension application which was 8 April 1899, well after the rules had been sufficiently relaxed to include nearly every Civil War veteran who was still alive.

George Spangler is buried in the P.O.S. of A. Cemetery in Lykens.

Additional views of his grave marker and family plot can be seen at his Findagrave Memorial.

George Spangler joined the Heilner Post in Lykens at some point after its organization.  For his participation in the activities of the local G.A.R., he is recognized on the monument on North Second Street in Lykens:

Additional information is sought about George Spangler, specifically stories, genealogical data, and pictures.  Add comments to this post of send information by e-mail.

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News clippings are from the on-line resources of the Free Library of Philadelphia.  The Pennsylvania Veterans’ File Card is from the Pennsylvania Archives.  The Pension Index Card is from Fold3.

Category: Research, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on George Spangler – 103rd Pennsylvania Infantry
Tags: African American, G.A.R., Lykens Borough, Mifflin Township

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on November 9, 2014

The 56th Pennsylvania Infantry Monument at Gettysburg is located west of the town of Gettysburg on Reynolds Avenue.  It was dedicated as part of the group of monuments paid for by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1889.  The drawing of the monument (above) is from the Philadelphia Inquirer article describing the monument dedications.  For a picture of the monument, see Steven Recker’s Virtual Gettysburg Web Site which has more information about the monument and the 56th Pennsylvania Infantry.

A full description of the monument, its GPS coordinates, a photograph, and some of the history of the 56th 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 56th Pennsylvania Infantry in its article on the monument dedications:

Guarding Every Fence Panel.

The 56th Regiment was from Philadelphia, Luzerne, Indiana, Centre, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, and Wayne Counties.  It was the 56th, under Colonel Sullivan A. Meredith, that was ordered by McDowell to see that “no corn was taken from Citizen Huffman at Belle Plains if he had to put a guard at every fence panel.”  This regiment opened first fire at Gettysburg, Colonel Hofmann commanding, the position being on Oak Ridge.  They did fierce fighting there, and after withdrawing to Seminary Ridge on the 2nd, they occupied the angle at the summit of Culp’s Hill in the woods, and poured a murderous fire upon the advancing rebels.  On the 3rd they supported the batteries in the cemetery. 

The exercises of the 56th Regiment will be:  Call to order, Lieutenant T. D. Cunningham; prayer, Rev. Dr. H. W. Knight; address, General J. W. Hofmann; benediction, Rev. Dr. W. Knight.

The comrades will assemble at 9 A.M. 11 September, at the rooms of Corporal Skelly Post, No.l 9, G.A.R., to proceed to the grounds where the memorial has been erected on Reynolds Avenue.

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John William Hofmann (1824-1902)

John William Hofmann was from Philadelphia and was 39 years old when he took command of the 56th Pennsylvania Infantry as its Colonel, the rank he held at the Battle of Gettysburg.  On 1 August 1864, he was promoted to Brevet Brigadier General, about 5 months after his service in the 56th Pennsylvania Infantry ended.  His first service in the Civil War was with the 23rd Pennsylvania Infantry, Company E.

Hofmann died on 5 March 1902 and is buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia.  Additional information about him can be found at his Findagrave Memorial.

Note:  John William Hofmann spelled his name as it is presented here, not as it is found in many histories, “Hoffman.”  He is also sometimes found in the records as J. William Hofmann, John W. Hofmann, and J. W. Hofmann.

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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 56th 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 56th 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 clipping is from the on-line resources of the Free Library of Philadelphia.

Category: Memorials | 1 Comment »
Tags: Monument

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on November 8, 2014

On 17 May 1913 in its section on “News of Steelton,” the Harrisburg Patriot reported the death of Samuel N. Wells, a prominent G.A.R. official of that borough.  The obituary stated that Wells was born in Halifax, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.  Previously, this was not known and Wells had not been included in the Civil War Research Project.

S. N. WELLS DIES; LONG SICK

Never Recovered From Fall – Had Interesting Career – Refused Office

Samuel N. Wells, one of the best known Civil War veterans and an old resident, died yesterday afternoon at 4:20 o’clock from complications.  He had been confined to his home, 170 North Front Street, since 12 June 1911, when he received a fracture of the left leg in a fall down the flight of steps at the entrance to the house.  He had not been able to leave his bed since that accident.

Mr. Wells was born 13 November 1832 at Halifax, Pennsylvania, and some time afterward moved to Harrisburg where he resided until some time in 1877 when he removed to the Borough [Steelton].  While a resident of Upper Harrisburg he was elected a member of common council from Allison’s Hill against his wishes and refused to serve the office.

He served as a private in Company F, 127th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry [127th Pennsylvania Infantry] and as corporal in Company A of the 201st Regiment [201st Pennsylvania Infantry] from this State.  He received a gunshot wound at the Battle of Fredericksburg.

Mr. Wells was a prominent member of Sergeant Lascomb Post 351 of the Grand Army since its early days and served terms as commander, senior vice-commander and held other offices in the post.  His wife died 23 March 1910 and he is survived by the following children:  Mrs. E. Morrison; C. E. Wells; J. C. Wells; Mrs. L. E. Morningstar; Mrs. O. Westhafer; and S. Frank Wells.

Funeral services will be held from his late residence Monday afternoon at 2 o’clock the Rev. J. E. Grauley officiating.  Burial in charge of the Grand Army will be made in the Harrisburg Cemetery.

Samuel Wells enrolled in the 127th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company F, on 31 July 1862 at Harrisburg, and was mustered into service the same day and at the same place as a Private.  At the time of his enrollment, he claimed to be 24 years old, gave his occupation as saywer, and his residence as Highspire, Dauphin County. He was mustered out of service on 29 May 1863.  During this enlistment he was wounded in the abdomen, 13 December 1862, at Fredericksburg.  At this writing, records have not been seen describing the extent of this injury; however, he did report it as a war-incurred disability in 1890 when the veterans’ census was taken.

On 18 August 1864, Wells enlisted for a second time at Harrisburg in Company A of the 201st Pennsylvania Infantry.  Within a few days of that enlistment, he was promoted to Corporal, and then served until 21 June 1865, when he was honorably discharged with his company.

Samuel N. Wells applied for a Civil War pension on 17 November 1885, as shown by the above Pension Index Card from Ancestry.com.

Between 1889 and 1905, the Harrisburg Patriot reported frequent visits from his niece, Miss Annie E. Donahower of East Orange, New Jersey.  On 15 November 1900, the Patriot told of a surprise 68th birthday party for Samuel N. Wells.  The guests included Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Wells, Harold Wells, Mr. and Mrs. L. E. Morningstar, Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Westhafer, Miss Anna Hope Morrison, Miss Ella May Morrison, Frank Morrison, Miles Morrison, Mr. and Mrs. S. Frank Wells, and James Wells.

in 1898, Samuel N. Wells represented Steelton at the State G.A.R. Encampment in Lebanon.  On 26 August 1900, Samuel N. Wells, along with other G.A.R. Post leaders from Pennsylvania, attended the National Encampment in Chicago, Illinois.  In 1902, he attended the 15th Annual reunion of the 127th Pennsylvania Infantry in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.  Others from the Steelton G.A.R. Post who attended the regimental meeting were:  L. F. Heicher, Charles H. Babb, George Boyer, David R. Hoffman, Luke Shuman, Peter Day, George Conklin, Abraham Baum and Jacob Good.  In 1903, he participated in a visit to the Lascomb Post Commander, Abram Atticks, who was enfeebled by illness and confined to his home.  Others from the Lascomb Post who also visited the commander were:  John Breckenridge, D. W. Neron, Adam Stahler, Robert Henry, Peter Dunkle, D. A. Page, and Jacob Prowell.  The Patriot reported that “Mr. Atticks thanked his guests for their remembrance of him in a short speech.”

One article that appeared in the Harrisburg Patriot in 1906 described a happy event in the family life of Samuel N. Wells, and his wife of 50 years, Mary Louise Weiss:

WERE REMARRIED ON GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY

Mr. and Mrs. Samuel N. Wells celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their marriage yesterday in a novel manner by being remarried at their home on North Front street before a large gathering of their friends and relatives including five of their children.  The ceremony, which was identical with the regular marriage rites was performed by the Rev. O. E. Stocking, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church.  During the day many friends of the happy couple called to extend their congratulations and in the evening a family dinner was held, which was attended by the six surviving children, eleven grandchildren and one great grandchild.

Mr. and Mrs. Wells were married 24 July 1856 in Highspire by the Rev. John Quincy Adams, pastor of the United Brethren Church at the home of Mrs. Wells, who was Mary Louisa Wise [sometimes found as Mary Louisa Weiss].  During the war Mr. Wells enlisted in the Union Army and served two enlistments, one of them being in the famous One Hundred and Twenty-seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers.  He participated in a number of battles.  He is prominent in Grand Army circles in the borough, being a member of the Sergeant Samuel Lascomb Post.

Mr. and Mrs. Wells have resided in Steelton for about twenty-eight years, and all but one of their children live in the borough.  Despite the fact that both are seventy-four years old, they are in excellent health and greatly enjoyed the remarrying ceremony yesterday,  The children who live to bless the happy union are:  Mrs. Emma R. Morrison; Charles E. Wells; Joseph C. Wells; Mrs. Alda L. Morningstar; Mrs. Ella J. Westhafer.

Despite the Patriot‘s report that Samuel Wells and Mary Wells were in excellent health, both had problems which were known to many in the community.  As early as 12 March 1896, the Patriot reported that Samuel was confined to his home by illness.  Again in 1904 and early 1905, he was again confined to his home.  This recurred in August of 1905, but he supposedly recovered.

Mrs. Wells died in March 1910.  Her funeral was held from the home and was conducted by Rev. H. W. Westwood of the First Methodist Episcopal Church.  In addition to her husband surviving her, six children were mentioned in the obituary:  Mrs. T. Morrison; Charles E. Wells; J. C. Wells; Mrs. L. E. Morningstar; Mrs. Oscar Westhafer; and S. Frank Wells, all of whom lived in Steelton.  Mrs. Wells was also survived by four sisters:  Mrs. George Conklin, of Steelton; Mrs. H. Cramer, of Baltimore, Maryland; Mrs. J. deHart, of Plainfield, New Jersey; and Mrs. Peter R. Day, of Steelton.

In June 1911, slightly more than one year after the death of his wife, Samuel fell down a flight of stairs at his Steelton residence.  The incident was reported in the Harrisburg Patriot of 13 June 1911:

AGED MAN’S BAD FALL

Samuel N. Wells’ Leg May Have Been Fractured as Result

As the result of a fall down a flight of stairs yesterday afternoon, Samuel N. Wells, of North Front Street, is in the Harrisburg Hospital awaiting an X-ray examination to determine if his right leg is fractured.

Wells, who is 79 years old, was descending a steep flight of stairs at the side of his residence and when half way down his right knee, which was weakened by rheumatism, gave way and he tumbled to the brick pavement below.  Dr. B. T. Dickinson was called and, after giving temporary treatment, the injured man was removed to the hospital where he will undergo an X-ray examination today.

The death certificate of Samuel N. Wells (shown below from Ancestry.com) contains some additional information about him including the cause of death and the names of his parents – but does not confirm that he was born in Halifax.

Samuel N. Wells, his wife, and four of his children are buried in the Harrisburg Cemetery.  For further information about him and his family, see his Findagrave Memorial.

Additional information is sought about Samuel N. Wells, including pictures and stories – and confirmation in some document that his birthplace was indeed, Halifax, Dauphin County!  Add comments to this post or send by e-mail.

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

Category: Research, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on Samuel N. Wells – Halifax Native, Steelton G.A.R. Post Commander
Tags: G.A.R., Halifax