Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on January 18, 2014

Benjamin M. Frank (1844-1880), also found in the records as Benjamin M. Franke, served as Adjutant for the 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry during the Civil War.

On 9 March 1865, Benjamin M. Frank enrolled and was mustered into service of the 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry, Company K, as a 2nd Lieutenant, at Harrisburg.  He was 5 foot, 8 inches tall, had dark hair, dark eyes and a dark complexion.  He gave his occupation as clerk and his residence as Dauphin County.  Regimental records note that on 5 May 1865, he transferred to the headquarters at the rank of Adjutant.  In this role, he acted as the administrative assistant to a senior officer.

Records of both the 1850 and 1860 census for Upper Paxton Township and Millersburg respectively, show Benjamin living with his parent, his father, John Frank being a master carpenter.  In 1860, Benjamin’s occupation was a scholar.  This John Frank (1794-1877), who is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Millersburg in the plot next to that of Benjamin M. Frank, was a Captain in the War of 1812 and is the same person who was previously included in the Civil War Project‘s Veterans’ List.  No Civil War service has been located for him.  The woman buried with Capt. John Frank, Mary A. Frank (1817-1896), is named as the wife of John, is possibly the mother of Benjamin M. Frank.  There is another man buried in the John Frank plot at Oak Hill who could also be the son of John – but most likely with a first wife.  Henry Frank (1824-1903), is possibly the half-brother of Benjamin M. Frank.

Buried with Benjamin M. Frank at Oak Hill is his wife, Mary Elizabeth Frank (1846-1925).  She was the former Mary E. Karmany.  The burial plot on the other side of the “Franke” grave is for W. R. Karmany (1815-1878), most likely the father-in-law of Benjamin.

Benjamin M. Frank‘s Civil War service is remembered on the Millersburg Soldier Monument.  That portion of the tablet bearing his name  (B. F. Frank) is pictured at the top of this post.

After he returned from the war, Benjamin M. Frank was married and living with his parents in Millersburg in 1870 and working as a clerk for a coal company.  By 1880, after his father died, Benjamin and wife were still living in Millersburg where he was a coal shipping agent.  Children of this couple included – dates approximate: Cushing E. Frank (1871-1851); William B. Frank (1873-  ); John A. Frank (1874-   ); Joseph R. Frank (1876-1881); and Mary C. Frank (1878-   ).

Benjamin died either on 7 June or 9 June 1880 at Millersburg.  His death was noted on the Pension Index Card found at Fold3:

The above card also provides the date of 4 January 1882 – when Mary E. Frank applied for a widow’s pension – nearly 18 months after the death of Benjamin.  A minor’s pension was also applied for.  As the census of 1880 noted, there were 5 minor children.  However, cemetery records at Oak Hill show that Joseph had died in 1881, so presumably the pension was for the widow and only 4 children.

The alphabetical cemetery list for Oak Hill gives Benjamin’s date of death as 9 June 1880, at 36 years and 9 months.  Why he died at such a young age has not yet been determined.

The Pension Index Card available at Ancestry.com, which states some different information, adds the name of the widow as Mary E. Frank, the name of the guardian of the minor children as Simon S. Bowman, and the application date for the minor’s pension as 15 August 1890.

Simon S. Bowman

Simon S. Bowman was previously mentioned on this blog in conjunction with the founding of the Kilpatrick Post G.A.R. of Millersburg.  His name also appears on the Millersburg Soldier Monument.

There are many questions still to be answered about Benjamin M. Frank – his military record, his family background, why he died so young, etc.  One interesting connection to Benjamin may come about if it is determined that George W. Huff, previously mentioned as from Millersburg but who moved to Indiana after the war, was married to a member of the Frank family.  George also served in the Civil War, first in the 107th Pennsylvania Infantry as a Private and then as a Sergeant.  For a yet unexplained reason, he was transferred to the 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry, Company K, as a Captain – the very company and regiment where Benjamin M. Frank began his service as a 2nd Lieutenant and then was transferred to headquarters as Adjutant.  Could it be that they were brothers-in-law?  George W. Huff is not named on the Millersburg Soldier Monument.

Information is sought by the Civil War Research Project and by family members who are researching the Huff and Frank families.  Comments may be added to this blog post or submitted by e-mail.

Category: Research, Stories | Comments Off on Adjutant Benjamin M. Frank of the 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry
Tags: G.A.R., Millersburg, Upper Paxton Township

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on January 16, 2014

Lies Across America -What Our Historical Sites Get Wrong, by James W. Loewen, published in 1999, is the sequel to Lies My Teacher Told Me.  In it, Loewen takes up from the historical distortions he revealed in the first book and shows how these distortions have manifested themselves in the “landscape” in the form of monuments and markers placed at historic sites.  In his concluding remarks, he presents ten questions to ask at historic sites – questions which are based on the underlying thesis he develops in the book.

The dust-jacket descriptions states:

In Lies Across America, James W. Loewen continues his mission, begun in the award-winning Lies My Teacher Told Me, of overturning the myths and misinformation that too often pass for American history.  This is a one-of-a-kind examination of sites all over the country where history is literally written on the landscape, including historical markers, monuments, historic houses, forts and ships.  [Entries are] drawn from each of the fifty states….

Historical “sites” is a catch-all word used by Loewen to describe any public display of history – from an actual historical site complete with markers, monuments, brochures, etc., to a statue or memorial in a park or other public place, to a historic house or building that may have served some interesting past purpose, to a museum dedicated to the history of a particular person, place or thing, etc.

Some important points made by Loewen in the introduction include the categories by which he believes sites should be examined, elements of which are summarized below:

1. Racism– particularly white domination or supremacy, is often evident at the site – with Native American and African Americans often given passive or less important positions – or completely ignored altogether. This category could be broadened to include sexism.

2. Commemoration and Memorialization – there is a difference between recognizing an event that should not be forgotten and heroifying those who participated in it who should instead be reviled or vilified.

3. Omission – the tendency to avoid negative or controversial facts – or people (as well as groups of people) who are not in the power structure when the site (or monument or marker) was created.

4. Overemphasis – the opposite of omission, which gives undue treatment to those in the power structure at the creation of the site (or monument or marker).

The above points, and others made by Loewen in the introduction, serve as a framework for judging the more than 100 historical sites from all fifty states which he has selected to to show “what is wrong” about how history is presented in the American landscape.  Where the sites “get it right” is also noted.

For a study of the Civil War, the work by Loewen is particularly helpful in that many of the sites memorialize (or make heroes of) persons who took up arms against the United States, who strongly supported the institution of slavery, and/or continued the fight long after the war was over (e.g., segregationists, post-war versions of the Ku Klux Klan, etc.).  These sites are not only in the South, but are found throughout the country.  Often, the language used at the site excuses the negative and destructive behavior of the historical participants.  By overt and covert racism, by memorializing those who should be reviled, by omitting voices and perspectives, and by overemphasizing one group or person at the expense of others, the sites perpetuate lies about our past and have an influence on the present and future.

It is the hope of Loewen that new research, prompted by questions raised by him in his introduction, will result in other “voices” and “perspectives” coming to the fore and the “toppling” of the most offensive monuments and markers on the “landscape.”  The issue of “toppling” is thoroughly discussed  in Appendix C – where Loewen identifies twenty candidates for “toppling”, among them monuments and memorials to John C. Calhoun, the Ku Klux Klan (and its founder Nathan Bedford Forrest), and Henry Wirz, the notorious commander of Andersonville, who was the only person executed by the United States for his role in the Civil War.   Where monuments and memorials cannot be “toppled”, as in the case of Stone Mountain, Loewen states:

It would be a considerable achievement to vandalize Stone Mountain let alone topple it.  Surely however, those who run it can find a way to tell every visitor about the connections between the Confederacy and all three incarnations of the Ku Klux Klan.  This more complete history of Stone Mountain, whether told on new historical markers, in a brochure, or by guides, would help visitors realize the past power of the Klan in American life.

For those offended or disturbed by the suggestion that any public monument or marker should be vandalized, Loewen points out that Americans cheered when Eastern European monuments were toppled (and also in the case of monuments in Iraq, occurring after the publication of this book) and that he uses the word “toppling” (in quotation marks) as a “shorthand for the kind of civic discourse” that results in positive changes in the way public history is publicly presented.  Sometimes, as what he suggests take place at Stone Mountain, the “toppling” does not result or cannot result in the physical removal of the memorial, but in a more balanced interpretation of it.

All of this has to do with Loewen’s view of the role of history in our public conscientiousness – a view now more widely held that when he wrote the book (1999) – but still not accepted by many.  The way forward in our diverse society is to include those voices and perspectives which have been ignored and to correct misinterpretations and outright lies that are promoted and perpetuated in our historic sites.

In Appendix B, James W. Loewen presents the ten questions that should be asked at a historic site.  The ten questions will not be repeated in this blog post (the book is readily available in most libraries and book stores).  Instead, they can be summarized as the “who, what, when, where, and why” of historical analysis.  They include determining the actual sponsors, the motives and needs of the sponsors, and the historical sources that document the site.  The questions are rooted in the four important points summarized at the top of this post – racism, commemoration and memorialization, omission and overemphasis.

The “dust-jacket” description concludes with the following:

Lies across America is a reality check for anyone who has ever sought to learn about America through the nation’s public sites and markers.  Entertaining and enlightening, it is destined to change the way American readers see their country.

This book should be part of the basic library of anyone involved in public history.

Category: Memorials, Museums, Reflections, Resources | Comments Off on Ten Questions to Ask at Historic Sites
Tags: African Americans, Native Americans, Women

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on January 14, 2014

Previously on this blog the story of Daniel Schaffner was presented.  See:  Daniel Schaffner, General Store Merchant.  Early in his life, he learned the trade of store and tavern keeper in Gratz Borough.

His Civil War service included the following:

36th Pennsylvania Infantry (Emergency of 1863), Company E, Private.   served from 4 July 1863 through 11 August 1863.

87th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I, Private.  Served from 7 March 1865 through 29 June 1865.  At the time of his enrollment in this regiment, he was 35 years old, had a dark complexion and dark hair, and was 5 foot-6 inches tall.  He was born in Pennsylvania, was a carpenter by occupation, and gave his residence as Harrisburg.  A note on the back of the Pennsylvania Veterans’ Index Card (from the Pennsylvania Archives) mentions that he was “reduced from Corporal to Private, 16 June 1865.”

As mentioned in the prior post on Daniel Schaffner, the Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, notes that “at times he acted as Corporal in his company.”

An obituary for Daniel Schaffner appeared in the Harrisburg Patriot, 24 June 1910, three days after his death:

Daniel W. Schaffner

Funeral services over the body of Daniel W. Schaffner who died last Friday will be conducted tomorrow afternoon at 2 o’clock in Hummelstown.  Mr. Schaffner was one of the oldest residents of lower Dauphin County and was highly respected.  For many years he conducted a general store at Hummelstown, was Postmaster and Justice of the Peace.  He served in the Union Army during the Civil War.  He is survived by three sons:  Franklin J. Schaffner, an attorney at Hummelstown; Daniel Schaffner, a physician at Enhaut; and Alfred Schaffner, a minister of the Reformed Church at Catawissa.  A daughter, Carrie Schaffner, also survives.

Daniel Schaffner is buried at Hummelstown Cemetery, Hummelstown, Dauphin County, along with his wife Salome who preceded him in death.  The obituary of Salome [Hoerner]Schaffner appeared in the Patriot on 14 November 1908:

Death of Mrs. Daniel Schaffner

On Sunday evening Mrs. Daniel Schaffner, wife of a prominent citizen of South Hanover Township, died.  The funeral will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday at the family residence.  Interment and services at Hummelstown.

Mrs. Schaffer was well and favorably known by a large circle of relatives and friends and is survived by her husband and five children: F. J. Schaffner, Esq., Hummelstown; H. C. Schaffner, Hoernerstown; Dr. D. W. Schaffner, Enhaut; Rev. A. M. Schaffner, Catawissa; and Miss Carrie Schaffner, at home.

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

Category: Research, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on The Obituary of Daniel Schaffner
Tags: Gratz Borough

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on January 12, 2014

In today’s post, William Leonard Steever (1839-1885) will be profiled.

On the Millersburg Soldier Monument there are three Steever brothers who are honored as Civil War soldiers.  Initially it was difficult to identify them as brothers and construct a genealogy.  However, a biographical sketch was located of a younger brother, Aaron M. Steever, a pharmacist born in Millersburg, which clarified the relationship.  That information was given in the post of three days ago, part 1 of 4 of this series.

William Leonard Steever enrolled and was mustered into service on the same day, 21 July 1861, at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.  He served as a Private at first in Battery G of the 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery, later transferring to Battery G, date unknown.  William re-enlisted on 3 January 1864, and then served until his company was discharged on 9 Jun 1865.  The Pennsylvania Veterans’ Index Card (Pennsylvania Archives) for him provides the information that he was 24 years old in 1861, he stood 5 foot-five inches tall, had a fair complexion, grey eyes, and light colored hair.  He gave his residence as Dauphin County and his occupation as farmer.  Although some records give his name as “William H. Steever,” the Index Card notes that the company rolls give his middle initial as “L.”

There is an extensive summary of the role of the 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery on the site pacivilwar.com, so all of the skirmishes and battles need not be repeated here.  However, knowing that William’s older brother John Jefferson Steever perished at Second Bull Run on 30 August 1862, it should be noted that at that time Pvt. William Leonard Steever was involved in Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia from 1 August to 2 September 1862 and afterward in the Maryland Campaign from 6 to 24 September.  It is not known for certain where or when he learned of his brother’s death – but it likely that it became known to him during one of these two campaigns.

Following the war, William L. Steever appears in the 1870 Census for Millersburg, where his occupation is given as either tanner, farrier, or farmer (bad handwriting).  His wife Mary A. Leonard, age 26, and two young children, James E. Steever, age 2, and Charles Steever, 11 months are also in the household.

In 1880, “William Steiver” and family are living in Old Forge, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, where he is employed as a teamster.  Wife Mary is in the household as are the two sons previously listed in 1870, James Steever and Charles Steever, who in the ten year span between the censuses seem to have only advanced 8 years in age since their ages are given as 9 and 8 respectively.  There are other children:  Annie Steever, age 6; Mary L. Steever, age 4; and Howard Steever, age 3.

On 29 April 1882, William L. Steever applied for an invalid pension, which he received.  His death date, believed to be 4 January 1885, has not been confirmed with actual documentation, nor has his grave been located.  Once again, we have a widow applying for pension benefits a number of years after the possible date of death.  In this case, Mary A. Steever applied on 1 March 1890.  No widow’s census has yet been located for Mary A. Steever for 1890, although she was most likely alive and surely living in Pennsylvania at the time – as noted on the Pension Index Card (above) from Ancestry.com.

The final question that has to be asked about William Leonard Steever (as well as his brothers John Jefferson Steever and Wesley Steever) is who in Millersburg knew about their service in 1914 when the Millersburg Soldier Monument was dedicated?  They are the only men named Steever on the monument and it is very certain that they were brothers.  None of them were alive into the 20th century and none of them are buried at Oak Hill Cemetery, Millersburg.  This series of posts started with the biographical sketch of the youngest brother, Aaron M. Steever, who was too young to have served in the war (born in September 1850), who moved to Harrisburg and conducted business there as a pharmacist, and who died in 1904.

As with the other brothers, more information is needed on William Leonard Steever.  Comments can be added to this post or can be sent via e-mail to the Civil War Research Project.

Category: Queries, Research, Stories | 1 Comment »
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Posted By Norman Gasbarro on January 11, 2014

In today’s post, Wesley Steever (1835-1895) will be profiled.

On the Millersburg Soldier Monument there are three Steever brothers who are honored as Civil War soldiers.  Initially it was difficult to identify them as brothers and construct a genealogy.  However, a biographical sketch was located of a younger brother, Aaron M. Steever, a pharmacist born in Millersburg, which clarified the relationship.  That information was given in the post of two days ago, part 1 of 4 of this series.

At the time of his enlistment on 8 August 1862 at Harrisburg, Wesley Steever was 26 years old.  No other personal information is available about him on the Pennsylvania Veterans’ Index Card (see top of this post) at the Pennsylvania Archives.  He was mustered into service at Harrisburg on 9 August 1862 as a Private in Company D of the 127th Pennsylvania Infantry.  He did give his occupation as “rail roader” and his residence as Dauphin County.  Ironically, the enlistment of Wesley occurred less than a month before the death of his next younger brother John Jefferson Steever at the Second Battle of Bull Run.

According to information available at pacivilwar.com, the 127th Pennsylvania Infantry was organized at Harrisburg on 16 August 1862 and moved to Washington on 17 August, where they remained until 1 December when they moved to Falmouth, Virginia, arriving on 9 December.  It is not known whether Wesley learned of his brother’s death while still at Washington or while on the march to Falmouth.  He surely must have known at the time of Battle of Fredericksburg, 12-15 December 1862.  Just prior to his regiment moving south from Washington, Wesley received a promotion to Corporal.  On the second day of the Battle of Fredericksburg, Wesley was wounded and taken from the battlefield.  While the regiment took part in several battles up through its discharge in May 1863, it is not known at this time where Wesley was located – whether at a hospital or whether returned to his company.  He did receive an honorable discharge with his company on 29 May 1863.

In July 1863, after his service was completed, he registered for the federal draft – noting that he had served in the 127th Pennsylvania Infantry, 9 months service. At that time he was married, working as a laborer and living in Millersburg.  No other Civil War service has been located for him.

Just prior to the war, Wesley Steever appeared in the 1860 Census for Millersburg as a 24 year old laborer with a personal estate of $100.  Presumably, the 23-year old woman in the household, Susanna Steever was his wife.

No census record has been located for Wesley for 1870.  However, in the 1880 Census for Hudson, Summit County, Ohio, he is found as a 45 year-old farmer with wife Margaret A. Steever, age 44, and children as follows: John W. Steever, age 17; George A. Steever, age 15; Henry C. Steever, Age 14, Andrew F. Steever, age 5; and James Steever, age 2.  at this time it is not known whether Margaret was a second wife or whether she was the same woman who appeared in the 1860 Census, this time using a different name.  The Ohio location seems to confirm the information in the Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, which states that Wesley was “residing in Ohio.”

Strangely, at the time of the 1890 Census, he reported his service as a Private (not mentioning his promotion to Corporal) and gave no indication that he had any Civil War-related disabilities.  The pension application date of 6 January 1875, when he was not yet 40 years old, is an indication that his war wounds may have been more serious than Wesley later admitted in 1890.  Wesley Steever was living in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio in 1890.  Although it is believed by some researchers that he died in 1895, no specific document confirms this.

The widow, Margareta Steever did not apply for a pension until 2 February 1899, and she did so from Ohio.  A conclusion that can be drawn from this is that Wesley died in Ohio and is buried in Ohio – but no grave has yet been located there.  While there are a number of persons with the surname “Steever” buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Millersburg, including one named Wesley Steever, none of the birth or death dates are a match.

Perhaps a reader who has seen the pension application file of Margareta Steever can clarify the death date of Wesley and provide some information as to where he is buried.  There is also the possibility that some family stories and pictures may exist of Wesley Steever, as this is the soldier-brother who lived the longest, although all three of the brothers died before the beginning of the 20th Century.  With five known sons, it is also more likely that the family name may have been carried forward from him – although in Ohio, not in Pennsylvania where he was born.

In tomorrow’s post, the series on the Steever brothers concludes with William Leonard Steever, who appears on the Millersburg Soldier Monument as “W. L. Steever.”

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The Pension Index Card is from Ancestry.com and references the pension application files in the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

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