Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on January 28, 2019

Henry Dietrich, or Henry Dietrick as he is sometimes found in the records, enrolled in the 10th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company F, as a Private on 26 April 1861, at Lykens, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania,  He was mustered into service at Harrisburg and served the duration of his three-month enlistment and was honorably discharged on 31 July 1861.  At the time of his enlistment he claimed to be 24 years old and stated that he resided in Millersburg, Dauphin County, and was working as a clerk.

As with many of the Lykens Valley young men who served in the 10th Pennsylvania Infantry, Henry Dietrich then re-enlisted in another regiment with a longer term of service.  On 14 September 1861, at Lykens, he enrolled in the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry, and on 7 October 1861, he reported to Harrisburg to be mustered in to Company B, as a Private.  By this time he was 25 years old, claimed his residence was Dauphin County, and his occupation was still clerk.  A physical description was provided which included a height of 5 foot 7 inches, light hair, a fair complexion, and hazel eyes.  Within three days of muster, he was promoted to the rank of  Sergeant.   The card from the Pennsylvania Archives (above) states that he was not on the muster out roll.  Note:  The Pennsylvania Civil War Project gives the promotion rank as “Quarter Master Sergeant” and spells the surname “Deitrich.”

On 17 October 1916, from Pennsylvania, Bridget Dietrich applied for widow’s benefits based on the service of Henry Dietrich in the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Company B.  The service in the 10th Pennsylvania Infantry was not mentioned.  Also there was no reference to Henry having applied.  Bridget received the pension.  The Pension Index Card (above) is from Ancestry.com.  Strangely, there is no Pension Index Card for a Henry Dietrich in Fold3 where the cards are filed by regiment and company.

Attempts to locate a Bridget Dietrich in the 1910 Census have thus far been unsuccessful.

Attempts to locate Henry Dietrich in population censuses after the Civil War have also been unsuccessful

If Henry Dietrich was still alive in 1890, he could not be located in the 1890 Veterans’ Census, and neither could a widow named Bridget Dietrich.

In the 1860 census, one possibility that has not been fully explored is that the Henry Dietrich who served in the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry is the same person who was a common school teacher in Selinsgrove, Snyder County, Pennsylvania, and living with his parents John Dietrick and Sarah Dietrick. 

A difficulty in tracing this Henry Dietrich is that there are many variations of the surname, including abbreviated forms such as Deets, Deeter, Dieter, etc.

The answer to what were the genealogical roots of Henry Dietrich as well as what happened to him after the war, may possibly be found in the military and pension records available from the National Archives.  Those records were not consulted for this blog post because of the expense of obtaining them

If any reader can shed light on this individual – perhaps someone who has copies of the military or pension records can share them here?

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Posted By Norman Gasbarro on January 25, 2019

Conrad Carl was born 2 March 1842 in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.  He was killed at the Wilderness on 9 May 1864 is buried in the Fredericksburg National Cemetery, Fredericksburg, Virginia, in grave #1994.

On 25 February 1864, Carl Conrad enrolled in the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company A, at Harrisburg, and the next day was mustered into service as a Private.  At the time he said he was 21 years old, and was a laborer who resided in Wiconisco, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Physically, he stood 5 foot 9 inches tall, had dark hair, a dark complexion, and brown eyes.  Less than three months after joining the regiment and company, he was killed in action at the Nye River, Virginia.

The Military Index Card is shown above from the National Archives, a copy of which is available on Fold3.  It provides much less information, and no new information, than is found on the Pennsylvania Veterans’ File Card from the Pennsylvania Archives, shown above.

The above excerpt from the “U.S. Registers of Deaths of Volunteers” repeats the information that Conrad Carl, a Private in Company A of the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry, was killed on 9 May 1864, but designates the place of death as Spotsylvania.  A column on the right side of the page, not shown, notes that the death was reported and verified by J. P. Vickers, an army surgeon.

No pension application has been located for a Conrad Card from this regiment and company.  This is an indication that he most likely was not married during the time he served in the military.

The baptismal record shown above is from Pennsylvania Church and Towns Records available at Ancestry.com. It is believed that this is the documentation of the baptism of Conrad Carl, which gives the date of that baptism as 12 June 1842, and his parents as Henry Carl (also known as Heinrich Carl) and Catherina Carl (also known as Catherine “Kitty” [Holwig] Carl).  The baptism took place at St. Paul (Artz) Lutheran Church, Sacramento, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.  Sponsors were Nicholas Adam and his wife Sarah Adam.

If the above genealogical information is correctly matched with the Conrad Carl who died in the war, then there are at least three other children of Heinrich and Kitty, brothers of Conrad, who can be researched to find out more about Conrad Carl.  The other children are:

• Moses Carl (1832-1916), also a Civil War solider, who served in the 107th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company G, as a Private.
  
• Edward Carl (1839-1900), also a Civil War soldier, who served in the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company A, as a Private.
• Henry Carl (c. 1841-?), about whom not much is known.
• Daniel Carl (c. 1827-?), about whom not much is known.
• Catherine “Kitty” Carl (c. 1828-?), about whom not much is known.
• Ephraim Carl (c. 1838-?), about whom not much is known.
• Evi Carl (c.1840-?), about whom not much is known.

Finally, the Conrad Carl who was killed in the war gave his residence as Wiconisco.  The G.A.R. Monument located in Lykens, Dauphin County, is for veterans who had a connection to Lykens, Wiconisco, and Wiconisco Township, and the surrounding area.  Conrad Carl is not recognized on that monument, but should be if he lived in Wiconisco at the time of the war.

Additional information is sought on this veteran who sacrificed his life in the war.  It can be provided by adding a comment to this blog post or by sending it via e-mail.

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Tags: Lykens Borougn, Sacramento, Wiconisco, Wiconisco Township

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on January 23, 2019

On 15 May 1882, William Devine applied for a Civil War Pension based on his service in the 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry, Company L.  The Pension Index Card, shown above from Ancestry.com indicates that the application was made from Pennsylvania and that he received the pension.  No widow applied indicating perhaps that either he never married or that he was a widower when he died.  The Pension Index Card from Fold3, not shown here, does not give a date of death.

William Devine was living in Reilly Township, Schuylkill County in 1890 when he reported his Civil War service to the census.  However, as was pointed out in a prior post, it may be that it was a widow “Mary Moffat” who was reporting William’s service to the census.  For a discussion of how there may be an incorrect alignment of names on the 1890 sheet, see:  James Kilrain – Irish Immigrant. Coal Miner, and Civil War Veteran

The Pennsylvania Veterans File Card from the Pennsylvania Archives indicates that William Devine enrolled in the 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry on 19 August 1861 at the age of 21 (born approximately 1840).  On 23 August 1861, he was mustered into service in that regiment, Company L, at Washington, D.C., as a Private.  A physical description would include a height of nearly 5 foot 7 inches, dark hair, a light complexion, and grey eyes.  He gave his residence as Schuylkill County and his occupation as miner.  A discharge date of 31 August 1864 was given, but also the remark that he was a prisoner of war since 27 August 1963.

Prior to entering the service, William Devine is found in the 1860 census for Reilly Township, Schuylkill County.  The household in which he was living had others with different surnames, but there were several persons of the surname Devine included.  Since the 1860 census did not include relationships, it can’t be determined if he was related to the others.  William’s occupation was given as fireman, probably for the mines, and his place of birth was given as Nova Scotia.

No further information is known about William Devine.  A death place and date have not been located.  Not known also is whether he was married.  Much of the information about him will probably be found in the pension application files which are housed in the National Archives, but because of the cost of obtaining them, they were not available for the writing of this blog post.  Also of great interest is the term he served as a prisoner of war and whether that had any effect on his life after the war.

Readers are urged to provide information about the William Devine who served in the 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry.  Add as comments or send as an e-mail.

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Posted By Norman Gasbarro on January 21, 2019

Henry Haupt Derrick was born on 7 November 1839 in Pennsylvania, the son of Gideon Derk (1816-1881), a farmer and farm laborer, and Esther “Hettie” [Haupt] Derk (1816-1889).

In 1860, he was living in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, with his parents. and was employed as a shoemaker. 

On 27 October 1862, he mustered in at Harrisburg in the 172nd Pennsylvania Infantry, Company D, as a Private.  After serving his contracted term of nine months, he was discharged on 1 August 1863 with his company.

Around the same time he entered the army, he married Mary Wagner (1839-1913).  The couple had at least five known children.

In 1870, Henry, wife and four young children were living in Jackson Township, Northumberland County, where he worked as a shoemaker.  In 1880, the family was living in Herndon, Northumberland County, and Henry was still working as a shoemaker.  By 1890, when the veterans’ census was taken, Henry was still living in the same place.

The Pension Index Card, shown above from Ancestry.com, shows that Henry H. Derrick applied for an received a pension.   After his death, his widow, Mary Derrick, applied and received the pension.

According to family information, Henry H. Derrick died on 2 November 1897. 

Previously on this blog, a brief biographical sketch was given:

Henry Haupt Derrick (1839-1899) ——– 172nd Pennsylvania Infantry, Company D, Private (MI 27 Nov 1862 – MO 1 Aug 1863).  NARA M554-R28.  Lived in Jackson Township, Northumberland County, in 1890.  Married:  Mary Wagner.  Found in Trevorton Civil War veterans list, p. 53.  AKA:  Derk or Derck.

As stated in the brief sketch, he is also found in the records with his surname spelled “Derk” and “Derck.”

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Tags: Herndon, Jackson Township

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on January 18, 2019

Samuel Etzweiler died on 24 April 1916 and is buried at the St. Paul (Bowerman’s) Church Cemetery, Enterline, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.  On his grave marker it is noted that he served in the 101st Pennsylvania Infantry, Company D, as a Private.

At Harrisburg, on 20 February 1865, Samuel Etzweiler enrolled in the 101st Pennsylvania Infantry, the 2nd Company D, as a Private.  The next day he was was mustered into service.  He was 18 years old, a laborer and a resident of Middle Paxton Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.  He was born in Pennsylvania, according to another source, on 12 April 1846.  His descriptive information included a height of 5 foot 8 inches, sandy hair , light complexion, and grey eyes.  That information is reported on the Pennsylvania Veterans’ File Card (shown above), obtained from the Pennsylvania Archives.

On 25 June 1865, he was mustered out of the service with his company.

On 20 August 1879, Samuel Etzweiler applied for a veterans’ pension, which, according to the Pension Index Card (above) from Fold3, he received and collected to his death, which is noted on the card as 2 April 1916.  Following his death, his widow applied and she received benefits until her death.

Genealogical information found elsewhere indicates that some time following the Civil War, Samuel Etzwewiler married Catherine E. Mader, who was born about 1845 in Halifax, Dauphin County, and died in 1921 in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.  Catherine and Samuel had at least three known children together.

Samuel Etzweiler was the son of Jonathan Etzweiler (1825-1910), a farmer, and his wife Mary “Polly” [Hoover] Etzweiler (1827-1901).  In 1860, Samuel was living at home in Jefferson Township, Dauphin County, and although no occupation was given on the census for him, he probably was a laborer on the family farm.  In 1870, he was living in Middle Paxton Township, Dauphin County, and was working as a farmer.  Likewise, in 1880, he was working as a farmer, but in Wayne Township, Dauphin County.   In 1890, he was still living in Wayne Township, but by 1900, he had moved to Porter Township, Schuylkill County.  In 1910, he is found in Plant City, Hillsborough County, Florida, where was working as a farmer and a laborer.  At some point between then and his death, he moved to Tower City, where he died.

Of his three known children, one lived until 1952:  Mary Alice Etzweiler, born 27 July 1878, married Charles Darwin Hoffman (1869-1954), a direct descendant of John Peter Hoffman, pioneer settler of the Lykens Valley.  They had at least six known children.

Additional information is sought about this Civil War veteran.  The pension application files were not consulted for this blog post, nor were the actual military records.  Comments can be added to this post or sent via e-mail.

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Tags: Enterline, Halifax, Jefferson Township, Porter Township, Tower City, Wayne Township