Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on June 16, 2014

Two sons of Christian Walborn (1802-1871) and Judith [Hartman] Walborn (1804-1853) of Lykens Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, have been confirmed as Civil War soldiers:  Jacob Walborn (1839-1915) was a member of the 78th Pennsylvania Infantry; and Jonas Walborn (1840-1912) was a member of the 99th Pennsylvania Infantry.  In addition, there is a possibility that a son-in-law, Henry Reed (1835-1904), who was married to Catherine Walborn (1844-1913), was also a veteran of the war, but no specific service records has been seen for him.

—————————–

Jacob Walborn (1838-1915), a mason (bricklayer), and cabinetmaker, was mustered into service at Harrisburg in the 78th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company D, as a Private, on 22 February 1864.  His residence at the time was East Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.  He was 25 years old, stood 5 foot ten inches tall, had dark hair, dark eyes, and a florid complexion.  He survived his enlistment, apparently unscathed, and was honorably discharged on 7 June 1865 by General Order.

There are two further indications that Jacob was not injured during the war.  The first is the Census of 1890, when he was living in Lykens Borough, and did not give any war-related disabilities.  The second, from 16 September 1890, when he applied for pension benefits; a pension application of 1890 or later is usually confirmation that benefits were based on old age, not war-related health problems.

No other Jacob Walborn has been located from the Lykens Valley in any census records.  However, a Jacob Walborn was drafted into the 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I, as a Private, and was mustered in at Harrisburg on 2 November 1862.  That Jacob Walborn was reported as deserted on 24 November 1862.  The age given at the time of enrollment would have made the birth year 1839 and that company of the 177th was composed almost exclusively of Lykens Valley men under the command of Capt. Benjamin J. Evitts.  This was previously reported in the blog post entitled Deserters – 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I.  Whether it is the same person who served in the  78th Pennsylvania Infantry is still to be determined.

Click on document to enlarge.

The widower Jacob Walborn died on 1 May 1915 at Tower City, Schuylkill County, of tubercular ardenitis.  His death certificate (shown above), available on-line through Ancestry.com, confirms his birth date as 4 April 1939, and his parents as Christian Walborn and Judith [Hartman] Walborn.  The informant was his son Charles. His place of burial was given as Lykens, Pennsylvania.

Although Jacob Walborn was found in the cemetery list for the I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Lykens Borough, South Second Street, his grave site and grave marker have not been exactly located, due in part to the poor condition of this large cemetery and the confusion as to where the various sections begin and end.  The I.O.O.F. Cemetery is one part of a large community cemetery containing at least 7 sections.  Jacob is said be buried in mid Row 8 in the I.O.O.F. section.

Jacob Walborn married Catherine Heinzman, who was born about 1844, in 1867.  Children born of this marriage included:  William Walborn, born about 1867; Clara Walborn, born about 1868; George Walborn, born about 1873; Charles Walborn, born about 1875 (the death certificate informant named above); Levi Walborn, born about 1877; Jacob E. Walborn, born about 1879; and John F. Walborn, born about 1886.

In 1870, Jacob and family lived in Shamokin, Northumberland County, where he was employed as a bricklayer.  In 1880, working as a cabinetmaker, and in 1890, he lived in Lykens Borough.  In 1900 and 1910 Jacob and Catherine lived in the Tower City-Porter Township area where where he worked as a mason.  He mentioned his Union Army service to the 1910 Census.

Given that Jacob Walborn clearly lived in Lykens Borough for both the 1880 and 1890 Censuses, and that he is buried in a cemetery in Lykens Borough, it is strange that he is not one of the approximately 400 recognized veterans on Lykens G.A.R. Monument.  Neither is his name found on the Tower City Memorial.  And, he lived in Shamokin for at least the time of the 1870 Census and his name is not found on any of Shamokin monuments/memorials either!

—————————-

Jonas Walborn (1840-1912), a bricklayer, was mustered into service in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, in the 99th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company D, as a Private on 17 August 1861.  His residence at the time was the 15th Ward of Philadelphia. He was 20 years old, stood 5 foot 6 inches tall, had light hair grey eyes and a dark  complexion.  On 7 February 1864, he was wounded at Brandy Station, Virginia. On 1 July 1865, he was promoted to Corporal and on 1 July 1865, he was mustered out of service with his company.

Information from the 1883 Pension List notes that he received a gunshot wound to the head.  At that time he was living in Numidia, Columbia County, Pennsylvania.  He has not been located in the 1890 Veterans’ Census.

Jonas applied for a pension on 16 June 1877 as shown on the Pension Index Card (above) available from Fold3.  Also noted on the card is a death year of 1912, although no place of death is given.

In 1900, Jonas was living in Lykens Township, Dauphin County, was a single head of household, and no occupation was given; a servant, Elizabeth Fisher, a 70 old widow, lived with him.

By 1910, he had moved to Locust Township, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, was still single, and was working as a clock cleaner.  He was a boarder in the hotel of Edward Bowen, age 53.  Jonas identified himself in the census as a Union Army veteran.

Click on document to enlarge.

Given that Jonas Walborn died in 1912, a search was made of the Pennsylvania Death Certificates (available on Ancestry.com) and good match was found in a Johnson Walborn (shown above) who died of apoplexy on 10 June 1912 in Snyder County.  The only problems with this certificate are that the informant, a Henry Hoffman, knew very little about the person he was reporting on and the birth date is slightly different than the one previously believed to be correct – 1 November 1840.  The birth date on the certificate is 10 June 1840 or 1841.  The “Johnson Walborn” who died on 10 June 1912, was buried in Snyder County.

The Pennsylvania Veterans’ Burial Card (above), available from Ancestry.com (via the Pennsylvania Archives), notes that the Jonas Walborn who served in the 99th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company D, as a Private, is buried at Baker’s Cemetery in Selinsgrove, Snyder County.  There are no birth or death dates on the card – but it would have to be assumed that this is same person who is being researched here for this blog post.  The cemetery is called Baker’s United Methodist Church Cemetery today.

More information is sought on Jonas Walborn.  Comment on this post or send an e-mail.

—————————-

As sister of Jonas Walborn and Jacob Walborn was Catherine Walborn (1844-1913).  Her genealogy/ancestry can be found on page 128 of A Comprehensive History of the Town of Gratz Pennsylvania.  According to that source, she married Henry Reed (1839-1904) [Note: birth year on grave marker is 1835].  Henry and Catherine are buried at St. Matthew (Coleman’s) Church Cemetery in Lykens Township, Dauphin County and Henry’s grave marker is shown above.  Although a “Henry Reed” appears in several Civil War veteran lists, no direct connection was located to identify the Henry Reed who is buried at Coleman’s with any particular Civil War service.  However, this Henry Reed has been connected to a known Civil War veteran of the 184th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company B, as a Private – Emanuel Reed (1840-1916), who was Henry’s brother.

One clue to follow is that one of the veteran lists, Henry Reed was said to have been enrolled or mustered into service on 21 Apr 1861 in Harrisburg.  Since there are numerous persons named Henry Reed who served from Pennsylvania, a narrowing has to be done to locate the correct regiment, if indeed he did serve.  A likely group of regiments to examine, if the given enrollment/muster date is correct, is the first-called group of regiments including the early designated reserve regiments.  An examination of the ten Pension Index Cards available on Fold3, quickly results in the elimination of five because the veterans died at different dates and places than the Henry Reed who is buried at Coleman’s.  Of the five remaining, no death dates are given, but following those regiments and companies through with other sources, either the enrollment dates are way off, or, as in one case, the soldier died in the war.  Not all veterans applied for pensions, for various reasons including that they were not eligible – so it is possible that this Henry Reed enrolled and was mustered into service, but was discharged quickly and/or was able to obtain a substitute.

Researching veterans with common names is difficult, but not impossible,  If any readers of this blog have information to connect this Henry Reed to Civil War service, please add comments to this post or send via e-mail.

—————————–

Pennsylvania Veterans’ Index Cards are available from the Pennsylvania Archives.

Category: Research, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on Jacob & Jonas Walborn – Sons of Christian & Judith Walborn
Tags: Lykens Borough, Lykens Township, Porter ATownship, Tower City

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on June 14, 2014

Military and pension records for Samuel Spotts (1841-1862), who is also found in the records as Samuel Spatz,  indicate that he died by drowning in the James River, Virginia, on 7 July 1862 at Harrison’s Landing.

Samuel was a member of the 35th Pennsylvania Infantry (also known as the 6th Pennsylvania Reserves) and had been mustered into service at Washington, D.C., on 27 July 1861, after enrolling at Gratz Borough (Gratztown) three days prior.  His age was given as 18, but no other personal information was reported about him on the Pennsylvania Veterans’ Index Card (shown above) available from the Pennsylvania Archives.

According to the history of the 6th Pennsylvania Reserves, the regiment saw the following service up to and including the time of the reported death of Samuel Spotts:

• Service & Battles – 1861

• Duty at Tennallytown, Maryland, July 27 to October 10, 1861, and at Camp Pierpont, near Langley, Virginia, till March, 1862.
• Expedition to Grinnell’s Farm December 6, 1861.
• Action at Dranesville December 20.

• Service & Battles – 1862

• Advance on Manassas, Virginia, March 10-15. 1862.
• McDowell’s advance on Falmouth, Virginia, April 9-19.
• Duty at Fredericksburg, Virginia, till June.
• Moved to White House June 11-13.
• Seven days before Richmond June 25-July 1.
• Guarding supplies at Tunstall’s Station and White House June 26-July 2.
• At Harrison’s Landing till August 16.

According to the web site for the Napa Valley Register:

On 8 July 1862, 150 years ago, during the American Civil War, an important meeting occurred between Commander-in-Chief Abraham Lincoln and his leading Union general, George B. McClellan.

It took place at Harrison’s Landing on the north bank of the James River in Virginia, in the aftermath of the Seven Days’ Battles that were the culmination of McClellan’s unsuccessful Peninsula Campaign.

Thus, the death of Samuel Spotts can be attributed to the failed campaign on the peninsula, in that he died, according to the record, on 7 Jul7 1862.  The exact circumstances of his drowning are not known at this time nor is his place of burial.  For further information on the Seven Days Battles, see the prior blog post entitled, Pennsylvania Regiments at the Seven Days Battles – Corps and Generals.

Samuel Spotts was born around 1841, the son of Michael Spotts (or Spatz) and Elizabeth J. Long, who supposedly were not married.  In 1843, Elizabeth married Daniel Williard (1809-1885), and with him had ten known children.  Daniel Williard was a Civil War veteran of the 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I, a drafted unit.  The record of the 177th Pennsylvania Infantry shows that Daniel Williard served a full term from 2 November 1862 through discharge on 5 August 1863.

After Daniel died in 1885, Elizabeth, his widow, applied for pension benefits  on 27 June 1887 (see card above from Fold3), but for some reason she was denied.  The specific reason for denial should be found in the pension application file, which has not yet been consulted.  At that time, all Elizabeth’s children with Daniel Williard were past the age of 16, so the benefits would have only been for her – not for minor children.

Daniel Williard is buried at Zion(Klinger’s) Church Cemetery, Erdman, Lykens Township, Dauphin County.  His grave is marked with a government-issued stone.

A statement (pictured above) of Elizabeth’s financial condition was found in her pension application file:

The said Elizabeth Williard to the best of my knowledge has no real estate of any kind but has yet a little house furniture but that is old and I would like to offer thirty dollars for the whole concern.  She has no income whatever that I know of except a balance of fifty dollars from an old house which I only heard say.  That she is dependent on her own labor and the support of others.  Her own labor is very little as far as I know on account of disability.  So far as I know she is mostly with her son-in-law Henry Heim who is also very poor.  If she is not there she goes from place to place to her relation an neighbors.

The Henry Heim (1847-1919) referred to in the above statement was the husband of Elizabeth’s daughter Lydiann Williard, who was born about 1858.  Henry was a Civil War veteran of the 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry, and at the time of the death of Lydiann’s father, Daniel Williard, had just applied for his own pension benefits (see card below from Ancestry.com).

After Henry Heim died in 1919 of a mining accident near Shamokin, Northumberland County, his widow Lydiann [Williard] Heim applied for benefits, which she received until her death.

At this time it is not known whether any of the other children (or sons-in-law) of Elizabeth [Long] Williard and Daniel Williard were collecting Civil War pensions.  Someone must have suggested to Elizabeth – after she was rejected for her husband’s pension benefits – that she apply for benefits based on the death of her son, Samuel Spotts, which the record shows (see below from Fold3), that she applied for on 9 October 1890.

The pension, based on Samuel Spotts’s service was granted and Elizabeth received benefits until her death.  Note also that the card indicates that the application files based on the service of Daniel Williard and Samuel Spotts have been combined in the widow’s file for Elizabeth Williard.

Further information is sought on Samuel Spotts as well as his mother Elizabeth Long and his father Michael Spots.  Was his body ever found, identified and buried?  Add comments to this post or send by e-mail.

Category: Research, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on Samuel Spotts – Drowned in James River at Harrison’ Landing, Virginia
Tags: Abraham Lincoln, Erdman, Gratz Borough, Lykens Township

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on June 12, 2014

Cyrene Bowman enlisted on 9 September 1861 as a Private in Company A of the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry.  He was discharged from service on 23 October 1862.  The following information from his pension application file gives some insight into his experiences in the war:

Wounded at the battle near Chantilly, 1 September 1862 – treated 6 September to 23 October 1862, vulnus sclopet discharged from service, 23 October 1862.

From enrollment to 30 June 1862 [muster rolls] report him not present.  P.O.W. records show him paroled near Ox Hill, Fairfax County, Virginia, 3 September 1862.

Gun shot through left foot at Chantilla, Virginia.

I left about 2 August 1861 but one week at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, from that time to the 19 August 1861 till we were sworn in the U.S. Service, for three years or during the war, unless sooner discharged.  Got wounded in Battle of Chantille, Virginia through the left foot, wa staken prisoner and parolled, and sent to Lyceum Hospital, Alexandria, Virginia, got discharge from the U.S. Service on 23 October 1862 at the aforesaid hospital  Gained this knowledge and exact dates from my discharge.  Was not in the U.S. Service prior to the dates above given.

That while in said service in the line of his duty at Chantilly in the State of Virginia on the 31 day of August 1862 he was wounded by gun shot in left foot in action for which he was treated at Lyceum General Hospital, Alexandria, Virginia, and that he has not been in the U.S. Military or Naval Service since discharge there from 23 October 1862.

That he believes himself to be entitled to an increase of the current pension on account of…now in entirely youseless [useless] of left leg also of left arm so I have to have another person to help me wen my bowls move and dress and undress myself.

The Pension Index Card (above) from the Pennsylvania Archives, notes that Cyrene T. Bowman enrolled at Hegins, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, about three weeks before he was mustered into service at Harrisburg.  He declared himself to be eighteen years old, was a blacksmith by trade, and his residence was Klingerstown.  The card does not give a date for his discharge, which was on a Surgeon’s Certificate of Disability (S. C. of D.).

 The Pension Index Card (above ) from Fold3, shows that Cyrene T. Bowman (Cyrus as he is noted on the card), did not apply for a pension until 29 January 1875 – nearly thirteen years after his discharge.  His death at Gratz on 30 March 1919 is also given on the card.

Click on document to enlarge.

Finally, in the Census of 1890 (above, from Ancestry.com), Cyrene T. Bowman reported bis service in the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry, but did not mention that he was wounded, was held prisoner, or that he had a disability that was war-related, yet seven of fourteen of his fellow Gratz residents who appear on the census sheet noted disabilities that ranged from hearing loss, rheumatism, “shot in head” and ruptures.

It should also be noted that no original Prisoner of War record has been seen for Cyrene – other than the secondary accounts given above which supposedly are based on official records as noted above (muster rolls, discharge, etc.).

—————————-

In 1997, A Comprehensive History of the Town of Gratz Pennsylvania was published.  A biography of Cyrene T. Bowman appeared on pages 118 and 120 of that book, with pictures on page 119. Although the biography mentions that Cyrene was a prisoner of war, it gives the location of his imprisonment as Andersonville.  This information is not sourced.  It is possible that the person who wrote the biography was confused by the handwriting – Alexandria v. Andersonville.  The picture at the top of this post is cropped from a picture that appeared on page 121 and the picture of Cyrene in his general store/post office (shown below) is also from the same page.

Cyrene T. Bowman had been a resident of Gratz for many years.  He came in 1866 upon appointment as Postmaster.  He started a general mercantile in the store building on lot number thirty-three.  Among many other itess, he stocked patent medicines.  Merchandise was not his only interest.  Mr. Bowman was adept at being involved in several business opportunities at the same time.  By 1783 Cyrene T. Bowman was a trader in horses, mules and ponies.  He traveled to far off places such as Missouri to pick up the animals.  In 1873 Dr. Schminky traveled with him, and at least for the last leg of the journey, they drove the animals home by foot.  He continued in that business for many years.  In 1886 a reporter mentioned that Mr. Bowman had just received another fine lot of horses and was ready to “buy, trade, or sell.”  In 1889 he had a stockyard for cattle and hogs.

Some years earlier, in 1886 Cyrene Bowman became the manager of a coal operataion near Gratz.  He was affiliated in that enterprise with Jacob Shiro and others. Business according to written accounts was particularly brisk during sleighing time.  The farmers took advantage of those times to fill their coal houses.  Cyrene Bowman was also a partner with Jacob Shiro for a brief time in the merchant business.

Besiseds the various occupations of Cyrene Bowman, he was active in community organizations.  He belonged to Fraternal Organizations such as I.O.O.F. and Knights of Golden Eagle.  each year he had his own enterprise going on the fair grounds during Gratz Fair week.  He sold various items (mostly food).  He did create a bit of controversy during Fair Week of 1891.  Besides the regular items he offered for sale that year, he decided to quench the thirst of his various customers.  He was selling liquor without a license.  At a Quarter Sessions Court in 1892, Cyrene Bowman was sentenced to thirty days in jail and fined $500.00 plus costs!

Where there was life, there was Cyrene Bowman!  He served as a stage driver traveling from Gratz to other area for several years.  He engaged in hotel keeping, and belonged to the Gratz Driving park Association.  He engaged in arranging the “Sweep Stake Shooting Matches” which were so popular on Thanksgiving Day.  The shooting matches continued form the 1870’s until well past 1900.

From what can be learned about the person of Cyrene T. Bowman, it is believed that above all else, he was a patriotic person.  He served his country during the Civil War.  During the process he received a gunshot wound of the foot, and was even taken prisoner at Andersonville.  As mentioned before, he was an active member in the patriotic organizations of Gratz after the war.  An article from the newspaper of 2 Jun 1898 probably best reflects the attitude of Cyrene Bowman and most of the the citizens of Gratz at the turn of the century:

“A demonstration in honor of the U.S. Fleet victory over the Spanish was witnessed on our street Thursday night.  It infused a spirit of patriotism as was shown by the universal participation on this occasion.  The procession was led by our Citizen Cornet Band, followed by a string of men and boys waving their flags and cheering for ‘ol Glory.’  The procession was under the command of Capt. C. T. Bowman on of the old boys in blue of ’62.  May God speed the day when all true and patriotic hears with one accord may shout for joy when the iron group of Spain upon cities shall be loosed.”

In March 1889, Cyrene T. Bowman and family moved to Sacramento, where they occupied the hotel for some time.

Category: Research, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on Cyrene T. Bowman – Soldier, Businessman, and Fraternal Leader
Tags: Gratz Borough, Hegins Township, Klingerstown, Sacramento

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on June 10, 2014

After the bodies of the Union guard who died at Shohola were re-interred at Elmira, New York, at the Woodlawn National Cemetery, a monument was erected with a plaque that named the 17 men who are buried there in a common grave.  Previously on this blog, research was presented on two of those men, Adam Wilkinson and Lyman Wetherby, both from Pennsylvania; both served in Pennsylvania regiments prior to being transferred to the 11th Veteran Reserve Corps.  Who were the other 15 men? With only preliminary research begun on them, some clues can now be given to those who wish to do further research – perhaps in their military records or pension files which are increasingly becoming available on-line.

Readers are invited to fill in any missing details or make any corrections to the information presented here.

To see all the posts in this series, click on ShoholaTrainWreck.

—————————–

Henry French

The Pension Index Card (Ancestry.com) for Henry French indicates prior service in the 27th Iowa Infanty, Company H.   This information leads to other records that name Mary M. [Older] French as his widow.  She later married Stephen Gray.  There were minor children involved who were survivors.  Fold3 has 37 pages of pension files for the widow’s and minor’s application.  The pension application files have numerous references to the death of Henry French at Shohola.

—————————–

William H. Connel (or Cornell?)

Note: Incorrect card as discussed below.

Note: Correct card as discussed below.

No veteran named William H. Connel has been located in the records.  The closest name found is William H. Cornell.  Two different Pension Index Cards representing two different persons (and military records) have been located – where surviving fathers applied for pension benefits.  One represents the 45th Illinois Infantry and the other represents the 134th New York Infantry.   Neither card indicates service in the 11th Veteran Reserve Corps. Help is needed to further identify the William H. Connel who died at Shohola.

……………

Note (added 12 October 2014):  An e-mail has been received from blog reader, Bert Barnett of the National Park Service as follows:

“Found this bit you might be interested in.  On p. 98, History of Schoharie County, Vol. 1, 1713 – 1882, by William E. Roscoe, (Truair, Smith, & Bruce; Syracuse, N.Y. 1882) the following appears – 

“Schoharie’s Honored Dead

“[Some other names, then]…William H. Cornell, private, Company C, 134th Regiment, N.Y.S. Vols,; was born in Lisle, Broome County, March 5, 1840; enlisted 14 August 1862.  Fought in the battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburgh, and was killed by a railroad collision 15 July 1864.

“This book is accessible on Google Books [click on title above to download].”

Following through on the above information, the following documents are used to confirm the record of William H. Cornell who died at Shohola:

Pension Index Card from Fold3 (shown above) for the William H. Cornell who served in the 134th New York Infantry.  This card indicates that his father applied for a pension on 13 December 1888 based on the son’s service in the regiment.  The pension was received by the father.  However, the card does not note service in the Veteran Reserve Corps.

Click on document to enlarge.

The New York State Military Abstract Record for the William H. Cornell who served in the 134th New York Infantry is shown above and is available from Ancestry.com.  The record confirms that he enlisted at Schoharie and that he was in the hospital prior to his transfer to the Veteran Reserve Corps.  This record also contains personal information about him including his height, hair color, eye color and complexion.  Also, he was born at Worcester, New York, and was a 22 1/2 year old farmer at the time of his enlistment.

With full confidence that this is the Union guard who was killed in the Shohola Train Wreck, further information can now be obtained about him from the pension application file (of the father) available at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

—————————–

John A. Hart (or John P. Hart?)

No military record or Pension Index Card has yet been located for this individual.

—————————–

Isaac Jackson

The above Pension Index Card shown above notes that a Melinda Jackson applied for a widow’s pension for the service of an Isaac Jackson who served in the 31st Ohio Infantry, Company I.  The application was made on 10 June 1865, but no pension was received. Since the 11th Veteran Reserve Corps is not mentioned in the application (as per the card), further research is necessary to determine when and if this Isaac Jackson was transferred to the V.R.C. and if this is the same person who died at Shohola.

—————————–

Thomas M. Jeffrey

Although this is possibly the same person who served in the 2nd Ohio Infantry, further information is needed to insure that it is the soldier who died at Shohola.

—————————–

Joseph Lingo

The Joseph Lingo whose widow, Mary Elizabeth Lingo, applied for a pension in early 1865 is the same person who died at Shohola and there are several references to his death in the eighteen pages of the application that are available on Fold3.  Previous to his service in the 11th Veteran Reserve Corps, Joseph served in Company K of the 63rd Ohio Infantry as a Private.

—————————–

John S. Martin

John S. Martin served in the 3rd Vermont Infantry, Company C, as a Private before being transferred to the 11th Veteran Reserve Corps.  The above page is one of 34 from his survivor’s pension application file and notes his death at Shohola.  Several other pages of the application also refer to the train wreck.

—————————–

Edmund Plass

The Edmund Plass who died at Shohola is possibly the same person who served in the 24th Michigan Infantry.  The widow of that Edmund Plass later married P. Stein who had served in the 14th Ohio Infantry, Company F.  Because the widow re-married, her original application has been re-filed under the records of P. Stein and those records are not yet available on-line.

—————————–

Richard Price

This possibly the same person who served in the 36th Ohio Infantry, but no document has been located showing service in both the Ohio regiment and the 11th Veteran Reserve Corps.

—————————–

David Smith

This possibly the same person who served in the 101th Illinois Infantry, but no document has been located showing service in both the Illinois regiment and the 11th Veteran Reserve Corps.

—————————–

Daniel Spicer

This possibly the same person who served in the 140th New York Infantry, but no document has been located showing service in both the New York regiment and the 11th Veteran Reserve Corps.

—————————–

Hart W. Vanalstine (or Van Alstine)

This possibly the same person who served in the 26th Iowa Infantry, Company F, as a Private, but no document has been located showing service in both the Iowa regiment and the 11th Veteran Reserve Corps.

—————————–

Ozro Vannorman (or Van Norman)

This possibly the same person who served in the 33rd Ohio Infantry, Company K, as a Private, but no document has been located showing service in both the Ohio regiment and the 11th Veteran Reserve Corps.

—————————–

Gotlieb Volz

This possibly the same person who served in the 178th New York Infantry, but no document has been located showing service in both the New York regiment and the 11th Veteran Reserve Corps.

—————————–

Philip Wichert

Philip Wichert first served in the 104th Illinois Infantry, Company A, as a Private.  His widow applied for a pension on 13 August 1864.  Unfortunately, the widow’s application and the minor’s application were combined at the later application date and therefore are not yet available on Fold3.  Only four reference pages of the file have been posted.  The Pension Index Card does confirm that this is the same soldier who was killed at Shohola, the service in the 11th Veteran Reserve Corps is noted.

—————————–

Comments can be added to this post or sent to the Project via e-mail.

Category: Research, Resources, Stories | 2 Comments »
Tags: Railroad

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on June 8, 2014

On 14 July 1860, more than two years before he was was drafted into service in the Civil War, William Shartle (1835-1874), applied for membership in the Gratz Borough, I. O. O. F. (International Order of Odd Fellows).  In his application, he declared that he was 25 years old, was living in Jordan Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, and was a merchant.  He also stated that he was in sound health, that he believed in a “Supreme Intelligent Being, the Creator and Preserver of the Universe,” and that he had not applied for membership in any other lodge in “this” jurisdiction in the past six months.

William Shartel (or Shartle or Schertel) was born 30 July 1835, the son of George Shartel (1835-1874) and Mary “Polly” Shartel (1817-1893).  George was a farmer living in Upper Mahoney Township, Northumberland County and William had three known sisters:  Elizabeth Shartel, born about 1836; Mary Shartel, born about 1838; and Julianne Shartel, born about 1850.  Not much is known at this time about the sisters.

Also confirming that William was a merchant in 1860 is the census for Jordan Township, which showed him and his wife, Justina [Wiest] Shartel (1828-1872) and three young children in the household:  Mary Shartel, born about 1855; Amelia Shartel, born about 1857; and Eve Shartel, born about 1858.  While an exact date for the marriage of William and Justina has not been located, it can be assumed that it occurred about 1854, based on the birth years of the three known children.  Justina Wiest was the daughter of Samuel Wiest (1795-1867) and Eve Elizabeth [Klinger] Wiest (1794-1870).

On 28 October 1862, William Shartel was mustered into service of Company K, 172nd Pennsylvania Infantry, as a Corporal.  He served with his regiment until it was discharged on 1 August 1863.

In 1870, William was living in Jordan Township and operating a hotel there.  In his household were his wife Justina and the three children previously named above.  Boarding in the hotel were two men:  Jessie Lahr, age 26, a blacksmith; and Gabriel Reed, age 21, a farm laborer.

Zion (Klinger’s) Church Cemetery

Justina died on 6 February 1872 and William died on 17 April 1874.  Both are buried at Zion (Klinger’s) Church Cemetery, Erdman, Lykens Township, Dauphin County.  No pension application has been located for William and nothing is known at this time of any descendants.

Justina Wiest‘s genealogy is found on page 137 and 138 of A Comprehensive History of the Town of Gratz Pennsylvania, but the genealogy does not contain the information that William was a Civil War veteran.

Any additional information about this veteran would be greatly appreciated!

——————————

The “cut” from the 1860 Census of Jordan Township is from the full enumeration sheet available on Ancestry.com.  The Veterans’ Index Card is from the Pennsylvania Archives.

Category: Research, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on William Shartel – Merchant and Hotel Keeper
Tags: Erdman, Gratz Borough, Jordan Township, Lykens Township, Upper Mahoney Township