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Civil War Blog

A project of PA Historian

Daniel Messner – Served in Infantry & Cavalry

Daniel Messner (1834-1904) served in both an infantry and cavalry regiment during the Civil War. He died on 23 December 1904 is is buried in the cemetery in Lykens, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, and is also recognized on the Lykens G.A.R. Monument at that place. At the time of his death, the Lykens Standard, on 30 […]

Josiah A. Heckert – Cavalryman Was Founder of Dalmatia G.A.R. Post

At Georgetown, later called Dalmatia, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, a G.A.R. Post was organized in 1882. As reported by the Sunbury Weekly, 24 March 1882: GEORGETOWN, this county, has organized a Post G.A.R., with I. H. Ressler as Post Commander; George H. Yeager, S. V. Commander; and Josiah Heckert, Chaplain. The Post numbers about twenty members. […]

The Pension Fraud Case of James M. Hart of Lykens

On 25 July 1881, the Harrisburg Daily Independent published an article entitled “Trying to Beat Uncle Sam,” in which it described the failed effort of James M. Hart, of Lykens, to provide fraudulent evidence to obtain a Civil War pension. TRYING TO BEAT UNCLE SAM The Man Arrested by Detective Hoopes Held for Court Detective […]

Death of Riley Bressler, 1899

When Riley Bressler died on 7 December 1899, two local newspapers published lengthy obituaries of him. The West Schuylkill Herald of Tower City, Schuylkill County, said the following in its 14 December 1899 edition: DEATH OF RILEY BRESSLER Riley Bressler who’s serious illness we mentioned in last week’s issue, passed peacefully away at about 1 […]

Emma [Hoffman] Yentch – Lykens Woman’s Relief Corps Member

According to her death certificate, Emma [Hoffman] Yentch died on 5 January 1908 in Lykens, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, of pneumonia.  She was the widow of Frederick Yentch, a Civil War veteran who died in Lykens on 11 September 1885. Her obituary, which appeared in the Lykens Standard, 10 January 1908, told of her role in […]