Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on May 1, 2014

Daniel Engle (or Engel) enrolled in the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company H, as a Private, on 1 October 1861, at Donaldson, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, and was mustered into service on the same day at Pottsville.  He gave his age as 32, but other records indicate he was actually born in 1829 and was closer to being 42 years old.  On 5 March 1862, he was promoted to Corporal and on 14 May 1864, he was captured near Spotsylvania Court House.  Although some records state that he was taken to Andersonville, the pension application file of his widow clearly state that he was held prisoner at Florence, South Carolina, and died there on 1 November 1864.

The following documents from the pension files (Fold3) report his death.

Adjutant General reports enrollment and muster as a Private, 14 October 1861. On the muster out roll, dated 21 Oct 1864, he is reported Corporal, died at Florence, South Carolina, 1 November 1864, of scurvy and diarrhea, while a prisoner of war….

Died in the Rebel Prison at Florence of sickness, exhaustion and fatigue leaving… a widow and only one child named Daniel J. Engle who was born 8 August 1854.

He is reported Corporal, died at Florence, South Carolina, 1 November 1864 of scurvy and diarrhea while a prisoner of war.

And with other of the same company were captured in a skirmish near the River Po, Virginia, on the 14th day of May 1864 and was carried away by the Rebels and has every reason to believe that he died in some Southern Prison.  That this Daniel Engle was in good health at the time he was taken prisoner and had been in the service since 1861….

No evidence of death on file….

The last document notes that the records of veterans and prisoners were transferred to the 95th Pennsylvania Infantry.

Some interesting information from the pension application file of Mary A. [Hoffman] Engle follows.

Mary A. Hoffman was born 12 April 1830 in Berks County, Pennsylvania.  She could not read or write and placed her mark on the application papers.  She married Daniel Engle on 27 December 1848 in Pennsylvania.  She had one child with Daniel Engle, Daniel J. Engle who was born 8 August 1854 in Donaldson, Schuylkill County, and was baptized at Pine Grove, Schuylkill County, on 9 November 1854.  The young Daniel was delivered by a midwife who had died at the time Mary made application for her husband’s pension, so Mary had to produce witnesses to verify his birth.

On 1 May 1873, a fire destroyed Mary’s dwelling house and her pension certificate was lost in the fire.  She applied for a replacement certificate.

Mary A. [Hoffman] Engle died on 27 July 1917 at the hospital of the Schuylkill County Almshouse in Schuylkill Haven.  Her remains were returned to Tremont for burial.

From other sources:  In 1870 Mary was living in Tremont with her son Daniel J. Engle.  Mary was working as a tailoress and Daniel, age 16, was working as a machinist.  Mary appeared in the 1890 Veterans’ and Widow’s Census of Tremont, Schuylkill County.

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Category: Research, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on Daniel Engle of Schuylkill County – Died in Rebel Prison
Tags: Donaldson, Pine Grove, Tremont

Posted By Brian Tomlin on April 30, 2014

April 10.    In the spring of 1864, writer Nathaniel  Hawthorne’s health was failing. His publisher William Ticknor accompanied Hawthorne on a trip from Boston where they both lived to try to restore Hawthorne’s health. Ticknor caught what he assumed was a cold before leaving Boston and Hawthorne later wrote home that his friend had eaten bad oysters. By the time they reached New York, it was determined to be pneumonia. Ticknor was more concerned about Hawthorne, writing to Sophia, “You will be glad to hear that your patient continues to improve.” In Philadelphia, the duo visited Fairmount Park and Ticknor offered Hawthorne his jacket for warmth before they returned to the Continental Hotel. A physician offered various medicines but Ticknor died on the morning of April 10, 1864.  The sudden loss of Ticknor was devastating to the already failing health of Hawthorne who would die barely more than a month later on May 19. His publishing company, Ticknor and Fields, published the works of Horatio Alger, Lydia Maria Child, Charles Dickens, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, James Russell Lowell,Harriet Beecher Stowe, Alfred Tennyson, Henry David Thoreau, Mark Twain, and John Greenleaf Whittier. The firm was also the original publisher of  the Atlantic Monthly.

April 10. Austrian Archduke Maximilian is offered the title Emperor of Mexico by a group of Mexican monarchists, aided by France, and was the only ruler of the Second Mexican Empire. Many nations, including the United States, did not recognize Maximilian. He reigned until 1867.

April 22. The U.S. passes the Coinage Act of 1864, which created a 2 cent coin, but its more lasting legacy was that it required the phrase “In God We Trust” to be imprinted on all U.S. Mint coins.

April 29. Theta Xi fraternity is founded at Rensseber Polytechnic Institute in Rochester, NY. More about the history of the founding of Theta Xi, from the fraternity website. One of the founders, Peter Fox, was from Harrisburg, PA.

April 30. New York becomes the first U.S. state to charge a hunting license fee.

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Posted By Norman Gasbarro on April 29, 2014

Today’s post on the Shamokin Cemetery’s Soldiers’ Circle features nine graves in the second circle, fourth quadrant, beginning with photograph 129.  The photographs in this segment are numbered 129 through 137.  All of the stones in this section are sequenced in the order of the death of the veteran.  For each of the veterans, the best determination of the name is given and where possible some information about the military record.  Some errors may be noted where the information on the stone may not match other records.  Each grave photograph may be enlarged by clicking on it, and in some cases, readers may be able to identify or clarify some of the unknown information.  Comments can be added to this post or sent by e-mail to the Civil War Research Project.  The collected information on soldiers buried in the circle (including some military records, pension files, photographs, etc.) is available free-of-charge to veterans organizations, historical societies, and other non-profit groups.  Inquiries may be sent by e-mail or by regular mail, to the attention of Norman Gasbarro, P.O. Box 523, Gratz, PA  17030.

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#129 – Gideon Frain

Gideon Frain, also known as Gideon Frahn, was born 20 May 1831 and died at Oil City, Pennsylvania, 20 January 1915.  He was a Private of the 101st Pennsylvania Infantry assigned to a detachment during his service which was from his muster in at Meadville, Pennsylvania, on 30 May 1864 to his discharge on 3 May 1865.  He applied for a pension on 10 June 1891.  Not much else is known about him from the available on-line records.

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#130 – Benjamin R. Snyder

Benjamin R. Snyder served in the 208th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company A, as a Private, from 31 August 1864 through 1 June 1865.  He applied for pension benefits on 20 November 1903.  He was born about 1843 and he died on 7 March 1915.  Additional information is sought about him.

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#131 – David Goss (or Gass)

David Goss (or David Gass) was born 15 August 1842 and died on 11 December 1915.  He enrolled and was mustered into service in the 46th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company K, as a Private, on 27 February 1864.  He received an honorable discharge on 16 July 1865.  At the time of his enrollment, he was a laborer residing in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.  David applied for pension benefits on 24 July 1890 and following his death, his widow, Sarah Goss applied on 7 January 1916.

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#132 – James Metz

James A. Metz is also found in the records as Metze and Mertz.  He was born on 16 August 1841 in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, and died in Shamokin on 12 June 1916.  His primary service was in the 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Company A, where he served from 12 September 1861 through 29 September 1864.  He enlisted in this regiment at St. Clair, Pennsylvania and was mustered in at Harrisburg.  At the time his residence was given as St. Clair.  There is also evidence that he served in the 39th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company A, and in the 4th U.S. Cavalry, Company A, but the dates of this service are unclear.  James A. Metz applied for a Civil War pension on 18 May 1891 and after his death, his widow applied on 19 July 1916.

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#133 – Simon Rumberger

Simon Romberger (or Simon Rumberger as is stated on the stone), was born 27 February 1846 in Dauphin County and died 16 July 1916 in Gloucester City, New Jersey.  He enrolled and was mustered into service in Harrisburg in the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Company B (or Company C?) as a Private, on 22 February 1864 at age 18, giving his residence as Dauphin County and his occupation as miner.  For his service in the Civil War, he was recognized on the Lykens G.A.R. Monument.  Simon was married twice:  to Phoebe Yost and to Ellen Burd.  See Capt. James L. Pell and the Great Zingari Bitters for additional information about the family of Simon Romberger.

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#134 – Monroe Geasey

Monroe G. Geasey (or Geasy as it is sometimes found), was born 27 February 1845 in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, and died 24 January 1917 at Shamokin.  At the time of the Civil War he was residing at Sunbury and working as a moulder.  He joined the 74th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company C, as a Private at Harrisburg on 17 March 1865 and served until his discharge on 29 August 1865. In 1900 he was residing in Shamokin and working as a stationary engineer.  He applied for pension benefits on 8 December 1891 and his widow, Emma J. Geasey applied on 5 February 1917.

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#135 – James P. Shannon

James P. Shannon is the beneficiary of a relatively new government issue grave marker.  He was born in 1844 and died in 1917.  According to the stone, he served in the 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Company K, as a Private, and was possibly mustered into service on 5 November 1861.  There is a Montgomery Shannon who served in that regiment and company, possibly the soldier who is buried here?  There is also another James Shannon who died on 13 January 1914 at Shamokin who served in the 202nd Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I, whose records may be co-mingled with the James P. Shannon who is buried here.  Help is needed to clear up the inconsistencies in the available information.

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#136 – James M. Gaskins

James M. Gaskins was living in Donaldson, Schuylkill County, and working as a clerk when he enlisted at Harrisburg in the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I, as a Private.  His service began on 24 September 1861 and ended with his discharge on 9 August 1865.  However, the muster out records record him as absent.  One record states that he spent some time at Satterly Hospital after the  war.  Military records confirm that he re-enlisted at Blaines Crossroads, Tennessee, on 1 January 1864.  In 1890, he was living in Shamokin.  James M. Gaskins applied for a invalid pension on 19 November 1901.  His widow, Minnie Gaskins or Annie Gaskins, applied on 20 September 1917, after he died on 22 August 1917 at Shamokin.

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#137 – Frank Lott

Frank Lott (or Francis M. Lott) died in Shamokin on 17 December 1917.  He was born on 25 January 1844.  Frank was a blacksmith living in Northumberland County when he enrolled at Shamokin in the 46th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company K, as a Private.  His service dates were 1 September 1861 through 16 July 1865, with a re-enlistment occurring at Dechard, Tennessee, on 131 January 1864.  He made application for a pension on 17 October 1886.

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For all posts in this series, click on ShamokinSoldCircle.

Category: Queries, Research, Stories | 1 Comment »
Tags: Cemetery, Donaldson, Lykens Borough

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on April 28, 2014

Today’s post on the Shamokin Cemetery’s Soldiers’ Circle features nine graves in the second circle, third quadrant, beginning with photograph 120.  The photographs in this segment are numbered 120 through 128.  All of the stones in this section are sequenced in the order of the death of the veteran.  For each of the veterans, the best determination of the name is given and where possible some information about the military record.  Some errors may be noted where the information on the stone may not match other records.  Each grave photograph may be enlarged by clicking on it, and in some cases, readers may be able to identify or clarify some of the unknown information.  Comments can be added to this post or sent by e-mail to the Civil War Research Project.  The collected information on soldiers buried in the circle (including some military records, pension files, photographs, etc.) is available free-of-charge to veterans organizations, historical societies, and other non-profit groups.  Inquiries may be sent by e-mail or by regular mail, to the attention of Norman Gasbarro, P.O. Box 523, Gratz, PA  17030.

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#120 – Theodore Salter

Theodore F. Salter died in Sunbury, Northumberland County, on 22 November 1910, although at least one other record gives his death date as 4 December 1910. Perhaps this latter date is for his burial.  He served in the 103rd Pennsylvania Infantry, Company C, as a Private, from 7 March 1865 through 25 June 1865.  At enrollment he gave his residence as Mill Creek, Lebanon County, and his occupation as miner.  In 1890 he appeared in the census for Shamokin and in that same year he applied for a pension.  After his death his widow, Harriet A. Salter applied, but she waited until 28 September 1916 to do so.  His is name is also found as Salters.

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#121 – Unreadable

The stone at this site is badly weathered and completely unreadable.  The soldier buried here died between 4 December 1910 and 6 November 1911.

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#122 – George Miller

More information is needed about George Miller to determine his regiment and company of service during the Civil War.  From the stone’s position in the Circle, it can be determined that he was born about 1846 and died 6 November 1911.

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#123 – George Barnes

George Barnes was born in Pennsylvania around 1834.  He died in 1913.  When he enrolled in the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company F, as a Private, on 1 July 1862, he gave his residence as Philadelphia, his age as 28, and his occupation as carpenter.  He was mustered into service in Pottsville.  Like most of the members of the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry who were serving around 18 October 1864, his company was merged into the 95th Pennsylvania Infantry.   George completed his service in Company E of that regiment and was mustered out on 18 June 1865.  The 1890 census for Girardsville, Schuylkill County, indicates that George Barnes was shot in the head at the Battle of Spotsylvania, Virginia.  Pension application was made on 18 February 1888.

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#124 – Elias Culp

Elias Culp, who died at Shamokin on 18 October 1913, was born on 4 March 1839.  He is also found in the records as Elias Kulp.  This is at least the second headstone for Elias and there are pictures available of an earlier stone.  Elias Culp first served in the 11th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company H, as a Private, from 26 April 1861 to 1 August 1861.  He had enrolled in this regiment in Danville and was mustered in at Harrisburg.  Later he served in the 2nd Pennsylvania Artillery, Battery or Company F, as a Private, from 19 December 1861 through 18 December 1864.  In this latter service he was detached to serve as a regimental hospital attendant.  Elias was married three times:  to Katie Puff (or Poff); to Ellen Reed; and to Clara Lewis.  He applied for a pension on 3 December 1885 and his surviving widow made application on 28 October 1913.  The 1890 census for Shamokin notes that he received a disability discharge for a fractured scull and that he was deaf in one ear.

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#125 – John I. Esher

John I. Esher (or John J. Esher) died at Shamokin.  His death date was recorded as 19 October 1918.  He was born about 1830 and during the Civil War served in the 172nd Pennsylvania Infantry, Company D, as a 1st Sergeant, from 27 October 1862 through 1 August 1863.  He applied for a pension on 15 January 1890 and his widow, Margaret McCarty, applied on 6 February 1920.  The widow’s pension file has been merged with the file of Michael McCarty who served in Company D of the 56th Pennsylvania Infantry.

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#126 – John E. Eisenhart

John E. Eisenhart‘s stone is partially sunken in the ground, but enough information is readable including his dates of birth and death as 11 October 1838 and 16 November 1913.  He either died at the National Soldiers’ Home in Dayton, Ohio, or at Shamokin.  During the Civil War, he first served in the 8th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company A, as a Private, from 22 April 1861 through 29 July 1861.  At this time he was a resident of Shamokin and was working as a laborer.  Later he served in the 46th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company K, as a Private and Corporal, from 4 September 1861, through a promotion to Corporal on 1 October 1862, and through his discharge on a Surgeon’s Certificate of Disability on 23 April 1863.  His residence continued to be Shamokin and his employment was as a laborer.  However, in the 1863 Civil War Draft, he gave his occupation as brakeman.   John was married to Catherine Schlegel.

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#127 – William ——–

This stone marks the grave of a soldier named William, surname not determined.  He was born around 1828 and died between 16 November 1913 and 25 February 1914.

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#128 – Unreadable

The name is difficult to read on this stone, but the veteran died on 25 February 1914.

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For all posts in this series, click on ShamokinSoldCircle.

Category: Queries, Research, Stories | 1 Comment »
Tags: Cemetery

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on April 27, 2014

On 12 September 1861, a 25 year-old John Coffield enrolled in the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry at Tremont, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.  On 23 September, he was mustered into Company H as a Private.  The record indicates that he died on 11 November 1864, at Richmond, Virginia.  His name was found in a list of Schuylkill County prisoners of war, and there is a possibility that he died at Libby Prison.

Not much else is known about John Coffield.  No one applied for a pension based on his service.

Click on document to enlarge.

In researching him, a census return was found for 1860 which shows a family living in New Castle, Schuylkill County, with a Peter Coffield, a coal miner, as head.  The mother’s name was Bridget and three sons are named:  John Coffield, age 22; James Coffield, age 21, and Patrick Coffield, age 18.  The parents of these boys were Irish immigrants, but the children were born in Pennsylvania, and the three sons were working as mine laborers. While there is no definite confirmation that the John Coffield in this census is the same John Coffield who enlisted in the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry, to date no other John Coffield has been located.

Click on document to enlarge.

The same Coffield sons are found in the Civil War Draft of 1863, also in New Castle Township. While the age differs slightly from the age given by John at the time of his enlistment, it was known fact that enlistees often did not give an accurate age to the recruiters.  John, at enlistment gave his age as 25 (born about 1836).  In the census of 1860, he said he was 22 (born about 1838) and in the draft in 1863, he said he was 24 (born about 1839).  The John Coffield who registered for the draft was single and was working as a laborer.

The General Military Index Card for John Coffield, available from Fold3 via the National Archives, is a locator for the military records.  According to the database on Ancestry.com, the card is from Series M554 (Pennsylvania), Roll 21.

Click on document to enlarge.

The final available on-line document that was found is from the Pennsylvania Archives, the Register of Pennsylvania Volunteers.  The only new information found on that document are the names of the enrolling officer and mustering officer.  An interesting note needs to be made here – that on the same day that John Coffield enrolled at Tremont, many others were enrolled at the same place in this company.  However, John Coffield was the only one of that surname who joined that company.

What additional information can readers provide about John Coffield?  Is the John Coffield who died at Richmond the same John Coffield who appeared in the 1860 census as the son of Peter Coffield?  Did John Coffield die at Libby Prison?  When and where was he captured?  Did the two brothers, James and Patrick, also serve in the war?  What happened to this family after the war?  Are there descendants of the brothers of John Coffield (or the two sisters not mentioned in this post)?

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The Civil War Draft Registration and the Census of 1860 are from Ancestry.com.

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Tags: Tremont