Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on January 16, 2019

The National Tribune, 8 June 1899, posted a letter to the editor from Jesse Ditty, a Civil War veteran who is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery, Millersburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.  The National Tribune, published at Washington, D.C., was the official newspaper of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.).

The Fight at Morris Ravine

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Please allow me a small space in your valuable paper to talk to Comrades Fallis, 8th Ohio and Gilberg, 5th Ohio.  These comrades say the 20th New York Artillery was ordered up on the little hill at Morris Ravine, just a little south of Raleigh, North Carolina.  My company was right near the battery.  They unlimbered, ranged their two pieces, and one of the gunners ordered a shrapnel shell put into the gun.  The gun was loaded with the shell in before the powder, and the battery was ordered back.  The rebel battery that was captured by Companies E, F, C, and K, of the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry, led by Colonels Jordan and Murry, at Lovejoy Station , Georgia, and manned by detailed men of different regiments, was ordered up.  Only one shot was fired at Morris Ravine.

As for line after line of batteries, I can prove to you by Gen. Joe Wheeler himself that there was only one barricade across the road, and extending in the woods about 10 feet on each side.  Hampton, Wheeler, or Butler will see me out on that line.

As for a line of battle being formed at the depot, that is not correct.  There was a train of box cars at the depot, loaded with Union soldiers.  They were prisoners the Johnnnies had and were trying to get out of the way, and they could get no farther.  Aaron Dreiger, of the the 46th Pennsylvania Infantry was one of them.  He now lives at Mt. Carmel, Pennsylvania.

JESSE B. DITTY, Company E, 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Sunbury, Pennsylvania.

While Jesse Ditty‘s letter was primarily concerned with what happened at Morris Ravine, a friendly rebuttal was forthcoming from another veteran who disputed his claim about the rebel battery at Lovejoy Station, Georgia:

Per the National Tribune, 27 July 1899:

FIGHTING THEM OVER

What the Veterans Have to Say About Their Campaigns.

CAPTURED AT LOVEJOY STATION

A 3rd Kentucky Cavalry Trooper Tells How His Regiment Made a Gallant Charge and Took In Some Good Things.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE:  I have been a reader of the NATIONAL TRIBUNE for the last 15 or 18 years, and I am free to say I enjoy the old boys write-ups of their experiences.  I went the whole round from November 8, 1961 to July 15, 1865.  I enlisted in the early part of ’64 and served through the war in the same company and regiment and saw some pretty hard service.  I was a boy 16 years old when I went into Company D, 3rd Kentucky Cavalry, and we did our part in putting down the rebellion.

I must say that some of the boys surely write from hearsay, as I saw Comrade Jesse B. Ditty, Company E, 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry.  The comrade surely did not witness that affair as I did, or he would know more about it.  Colonels Gordon and Murray were neither present when the charge was made, as the order was given by Kilpatrick in person to Lieutenant-Colonel King, in command of the 3rd Kentucky Cavalry, who ordered and led the charge, and captured the guns and 61 prisoners.  If any other part of the command made any charge it was at some different point – not where the two guns were captured, for I was there and heard the order given and the exact words used by Kilpatrick.

We were grazing along in the morning near the head of the column, and some skirmishers in front of us were firing pretty sharply.  The rebels had the two cannon on a rise west of the railroad, just north of the station.  They had fired several shots that came rattling through the brush, some of them uncomfortably near us.  My regiment formed on the left or east side of the road, which ran parallel with the railroad, and were not more than 600 or 700 yards from the guns.  We halted in the open woods and Kilpatrick rode down the line from the west, and just as he was passing King, two shots were fired from the rebel guns, and both shots struck in the trees just over our heads, creating some excitement among the horses as well as the men.  Col. King was on his horse, almost in front of my company, and not more than 2 or 30 feet from him, when Gen. Kilpatrick said to him:

“King, how would you like to go for these fellows?

Col. King said:

“I am at your command, General.”

“Well, lead off your regiment, and go down that road like —- for a few minutes.”

No sooner said that the orders to lead off by fours, then trot, draw sabers, then charge, were given, and when we got just opposite the place where the two guns had fired their last shots they hooked up their teams and were crossing the railroad to the east to get to the wagon road, so they could go south.  We overhauled them, and continued our charge, not stopping to dismount the prisoners, 61 in number.

Col. King had the rebel Lieutenant show us how to place the two captured guns so we could use them if necessary, and we remained there one hour and a half before any part of the command came up.  When it did come, Gen. Kilpatrick was at the head, and complimented us for our success.  He had the word passed down the line to cheer the 3rd Kentucky Cavalry, which was done in good style as far as we could hear the men yell in the rear.

These are the two guns the comrade refers to, so if any of the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry took part in that charge, it was the half dozen men who happened to be near the road on the skirmish line, and fell in with us, as we were the only part of the column that charged down the road that day.

I hope that is any of the 3rd Kentucky boys see this and remember the situation, they will correct me if I am not right, for I would not, under any consideration, claim any honor that another comrade was entitled to; but many who are living took part in that day’s work, and can testify to the truth of my statement in this case.

If any comrade claims that his regiment captured or took part in capturing the two cannon at Lovejoy Station, Georgia, I would like to have him describe the part they performed.  I am sure some of the 10th Ohio Cavalry remember this incident, as they were the first to come to our assistance after the charge, and when we had the guns placed in position at the forks of the road, at which time Gen. Kirkpatrick gave the order to cheer the 3rd Kentucky Cavalry for their success.

I will say in reference to Colonels Murray and Gordon that they were always ready to lead their comrades in any place they were ordered to go; but on this special occasion neither of them was at that immediate point when Gen. Kilpatrick gave the order to Colonel Bob King, who led that charge made by the 3rd Kentucky Cavalry, and captured the two guns from Gen. Wheeler’s command.

I hope is any of the boys of other regiments  want to claim that honor they will explain the situation, as these were the only two guns captured on the start of the Sherman march to the sea at that point, and the same two guns that we kept with our brigade and had men detailed from our regiments to use them clear through to the surrender at Durham, North Carolina.

JOHN B. WILLIAMS, Sergeant, Company D, 3rd Kentucky Cavalry, Norman, Oklahoma.

__________________________________

Jesse B. Ditty enrolled in the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry on 26 February 1864, at Harrisburg, and was mustered into service there on the same day in Company E, as a Private.  At the time he indicated he was 18 years old, was born in Perry County, Pennsylvania but resided in Harrisburg, and was employed as a laborer.  He stood almost 5 foot 6 inches tall, had dark hair, a dark complexion and grey eyes.   The Veterans’ File Card, shown above from the Pennsylvania Archives, also indicates that he was honorably mustered out on 18 July 1865.

Previously on this blog, the cavalry action at Lovejoy Station was described.

On 26 August 1879, Jesse B. Ditty applied for pension benefits as shown by the card above from Fold3.  He was awarded a pension and collected it through to his death, which according to the card, occurred on 14 April 1900.

Jesse B. Ditty is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery, Millersburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.  His grave marker, shown above, indicates that he died on 12 April 1900 and names his Civil War service. 

For his war service, he is named on the Millersburg Soldier Monument. 

Category: Research, Stories | Comments Off on Jesse Ditty’s Recollections of Lovejoy Station
Tags: Millersburg

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on January 14, 2019

On 13 November 1907, Thomas B. Evans, a widower and a Civil War veteran, died of a stroke of paralysis at Williamstown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.  His death certificate indicates his occupation as blacksmith and his father as Jacob Evans, and his mother as Priscilla [Clase] Evans.  Thomas B. Evans was born in Pennsylvania on 13 December 1831.

On 12 September 1862, Thomas B. Evans, enrolled at St. Clair, Schuylkill County in the 6th Pennsylvania Infantry Militia (Emergency of 1862).  At the time he gave his age as 30, his occupation as blacksmith, and his residence as St. Clair.  He stood 5 foot 7 inches tall, had black hair, a dark complexion and dark eyes.  At the end of the emergency on 27 September 1862, he was discharged.

On 23 February 1864, at Pottsville, Thomas B. Evans enrolled in the 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry and on the same day and at the same place he was mustered into service in Company F, as a Private.  Regimental records indicate that on a date unknown, he was promoted to Blacksmith.  At the time of enrollment, he was 32 years old, stood about 5 foot 7 inches tall, had dark hair, dark complexion and hazel eyes.  He was a blacksmith from St. Clair, Schuylkill County, but indicated that he had been born in Berks County, Pennsylvania.  On 23 August 1865, he was honorably discharged.

When Thomas B. Evans applied for an invalid pension on 20 August 1890, he only indicated his service in the cavalry.  He received the pension and collected it until his death, which as previously noted, occurred on 13 November 1907.

In the 1890 Census, Thomas B. Evans was living in Williams Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.  In 1900, he was working as a blacksmith and living with his son Harry Evans, a coal miner, in Williamstown.

Research into Thomas B. Evans is ongoing.  Still not located is an obituary.  Moe information is also sought about his military record, his pension application, and his family.  Comments are welcome and can be added to this post or sent via e-mail.

____________________________________

Death certificate from Ancestry.com.  Pennsylvania Veterans’ File Cards are from the Pennsylvania Archives.  Pension Index Card is from
Ancestry.com.

Category: Research, Stories | Comments Off on Thomas B. Evans – Cavalryman – Died at Williamstown, 1907
Tags: Williams Township

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on January 11, 2019

Henry Culbert, who has been identified as a Civil War veteran from the Lykens Valley area, was previously mentioned on this blog, but at the time, not much was known about him:

Henry Culbert served in Company A of the 24th U.S. Infantry according to the grave marker.  Henry Culbert told the 1890 census takers that he served in the 22nd U.S. Infantry.  For prior posts, click here, including Tower City Veterans’ Memorial.

Although not much more has been discovered at this time about his Civil War service, some brief notices of his death have been located in local and area newspapers.

________________________________________

From the West Schuylkill Herald, 2 January 1914:

Henry Culbert, a former well known resident of Reinerton, is critically ill at the home of his brother, M. J. Culbert at Pine Grove.

______________________________________

From the Pottsville Republican, 8 January 1914:

Henry Culbert, of Reinerton, Porter Township, who came here [Pine Grove] on a visit recently, was taken with pneumonia and died after a brief illness at the home of Mrs. Michael Culbert, in the Annex.  Undertaker M. Shellhamer prepared the body for shipment and forwarded it to Tower City, where interment was made today in the Greenwood Cemetery at that place.  The deceased is survived by four sons and one daughter, the latter being Mrs. Charles Workman, of town.  Mr. Culbert was well known here and frequently visited here.  He was a member of the Tremont Lodge of Odd Fellows.

___________________________________

From the Lebanon Semi-Weekly News, 8 January 1914:

PINEGROVE

Pinegrove, January 8

Henry Culbert, of Reinerton, Porter Township, died while on a visit to Mrs. Michael Culbert, in the Annex.  Undertaker J. M. Shellhamer forwarded the remains to Tower City, where interment was made in the Greenwood Cemetery.  Deceased is survived by four sons and one daughter, the latter being Mrs. Charles Workman of town.   Mr. Culbert was well known here and was a frequent visitor.  He was a member of the Tremont Lodge of Odd Fellows.

______________________________________

From the Pine Grove Press Herald, 9 January 1914:

Henry Culbert, died at Culbert’s Hotel, in the Annex, on Saturday afternoon, at about 2:30 o’clock, of pneumonia.  Undertaker J. M. Shellhamer was notified who prepared the body and shipped it to his home at Tower City,  from which place interment will be made in the beautiful Greenwood Cemetery.  Four sons and one daughter survive.  Mrs. Charles Workman, of town, is the daughter.  The deceased is reputed to be about 61 years of age.  Interment took place on Wednesday.

_____________________________________

From the West Schuylkill Herald, 9 January 1914:

Robert Culbert of Mason City, Iowa; Leo Culbert of South Bend, Indiana, and Harry Culbert of Wade, spent several days in this vicinity.  They came here for the purpose of attending the funeral of their father, the late Henry Culbert.

________________________________________

From the West Schuylkill Herald and Pine Grove Press, 10 January 1914:

Henry Culbert, formerly foreman at Lincoln Colliery and later residing at Reinerton, died last Saturday afternoon at the home of his sister-in-law, Mrs. Michael Culbert, North Pinegrove, from typhoid pneumonia.  Funeral was held on Wednesday forenoon.  Interment was made in Tower City.

______________________________________

From the West Schuylkill Herald, 16 January 1914:

Leo C. Culbert Commits Suicide

Leo C. Culbert, aged 25 years, who was a resident of Reinerton for many years and is well known at that place on Monday committed suicide by swallowing a quantity of carbolic acid at his boarding house at South Bend, Indiana.

No reason is advanced why he committed the deed.  In the afternoon he sent a telegram to his friend Lincoln Sponsler at Toledo, Ohio, asking him to come at once to South Bend.  Sponsler wired back that he would start at 2 p.m.  As soon as Culbert got the telegram he went to his room and that was the last seen of him alive.  Sponsler arrived several hours later but Culbert was dead.  At the time of his death he was manager of a Gas and Electric Company.  He left two notes, one to notify his brother, Dr. Robert Culbert, at Mason City, Iowa, and another to the gas company, bot none of them throw any light on why he ended his life.

The deceased was a son of the late Henry Culbert whose funeral took place last week and which the son Leo attended, returning to South Bend the latter part of last week.

____________________________________

Genealogical records indicate that Henry Culbert was born in England on 21 December 1848, the son of Harry Culbert.  Henry came to the United States about November 1853, arriving at New York.  The 1870 Census has him living in Tremont, Schuylkill County, and working as a miner.  On 18 May 1871, he married Sarah Lehr at Pine Grove, and with her had at least eight known children.  Sarah was born in 1850 in Pennsylvania and died on 7 September 1911 at Tower City.

______________________________________

Henry Culbert applied for a disability pension on 10 September 1900, but according to the Pension Index Card, shown above from Ancestry.com, he was not given benefits.  Also, the card indicated that his service was in the 15th U.S. Infantry and the 24th U.S. Infantry.  The pension application files available from the National Archives would have to be consulted to determine why the pension was not awarded.

_____________________________________

Henry Culbert‘s grave marker at Greenwood Cemetery is shown above, with G.A.R. star-flag holder and designation of his service in the 24th U.S. Infantry.

_____________________________________

News clippings are from Newspapers.com.

Category: Research, Stories | Comments Off on Death of Henry Culbert & Suicide of His Son
Tags: G.A.R., Pine Grove, Reinerton, Tower City, Tremont

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on January 9, 2019

The obituary of Elias Etzweiler appeared in the Elizabethville Echo, 15 April 1909:

Elias Etzweiler

At about 6 o’clock on Good Friday evening, April 9th, Elias Etzweiler, approaching the close of four score years, breathed his last.  He had been making his home for some years with his sister, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Fawber, in the West End of town [Elizabethville], and had been in declining health owing to his advanced years and a dropsical affliction for quite a long time, and when lately a rheumatic complication set in and finally drew to his heart, the end came not unexpectedly. Elias Etzweiler, a son of Daniel Etzweiler and Christiana [Smith] Etzweiler, and one of twelve children, was born in the double-house next to Jacob Warfel‘s, one of the remaining landmarks of Elizabethville, on September 15th 1829, and brought his age to 79 years, 6 months, 24 days.  He was baptized and confirmed in the Reformed Church, by Rev. Bosler, in the Old Stone (Salem’s) Union Church near his home, and remained a consistent Christian all his life.  He was for a number of years connected with the United Brethren Church, but at the time of his death was a member in good standing in Salem’s Reformed Church in town.  He was a great reader and zealous student of the Bible, having in this way practically worn-out four copies of the Holy Book, and up to two years ago he was a regular attendant at communion unless sickness prevented.

At the time of the Civil War he enlisted October 18 1862 as a private in Captain G, 172nd Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers [172nd Pennsylvania Infantry] under Col. Kleckner and proceeded with the regiment to Washington and Newport News and in July 1863 joined Meade’s Army.  Having served his enlistment he was discharged August 11th 1863 and on the 27th of the same month 1864 re-enlisted in Capt. T. W. Hoffman‘s Company A, 208th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry [208th Pennsylvania Infantry] under Col. McCalmont, participating at the Fall of Petersburg,and was honorably discharged at Alexandria, Virginia, June 1st 1865. 

“The muffled drum’s sad roll has beat

The soldier’s last tattoo;

No more on Life’s parade shall meet

That brave and fallen few!

On Fame’s eternal camping ground, Their silent tents are spread,

And glory guards with solemn round

The bivouac of the dead”

He was married about the year 1858 to Eliza Riegel.  They had no children and all of his immediate family preceded him to the grave except two sisters, Mrs. Fred Fawber [Mary Fauber] of town, and Mrs. Levi Ditty [Kate Ditty] of Harrisburg, and two brothers, Jonathan Etzweiler of Halifax and Peter Etzweiler of Paxton.

The funeral was held at 9:30 at the house on Tuesday forenoon and services were held in the Reformed Church conducted by the pastor, the Rev. C. P. Wehr.  The interment was made in Maple Grove Cemetery,  Funeral Director I. T. Buffington.  The pall bearers weer comrades of the Grand Army of the Republic, as follows:  John Ritz, J. M. Koppenhaver, Jacob Zerby, and Jonas Row.

______________________________________

News clipping and article transcription taken from Newspapers.com.

Category: Research, Stories | Comments Off on Obituary of Elias Etzweiler
Tags: Elizabethville, Halifax

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on January 7, 2019

In the Lykens Standard of 25 April 1902, the editors began in serial form a lengthy article that had appeared in 1865 in the Lykens Valley Miner, which was then published by Samuel B. Coles and G. Washington Fenn.  The article was entitled, Recollections of 40 Years: Regarding the LykensValley Coal Mines and Vicinity Adjacent, and was written by Richard Nolen, Esq.

The very last part of that article told a story of four young men, printers who were working in the print office under Coles and Fenn, in Lykens, Dauphin County.  The four men went to war, but only one, Henry Keiser, returned.  Keiser, who is pictured above in his Civil War uniform, was born in Gratz, Dauphin County, in 1840.  He died in 1933 in is buried in Lykens.

Here follows the story told by Nolen in his Recollections of 40 Years:

In recounting the many improvements of Lykens and vicinity, since my acquaintances with it, let me not forget what all intelligent men most pronounce the greatest, to wit: – the establishment of a printing office and the issue of a paper from that lever so potent in framing the morals, religion and politics of the country – the printing press.  The first paper was entitled “The Farmers and Miners’ Journal,” its first number appearing on the 17^th of August 1856.  The office was owned by an association and employed Dr. J. Bower as editor, with S. B. Coles as publisher, but in some three months the association discovered the inability of the veracious doctor, and dispensed with his services.  Upon Mr. Coles devolved the management of the office some two weeks, when E. J. Pinkerton of Lancaster, took charge of the office and remained nearly a year, when his merits were discovered and he vamoosed.  Mr. Daniel Hoffman then took the paper as publisher and proprietor, with George Wolfe Buehler, Esq., as editor.  This continued thirteen months, when Mr. Buehler became proprietor and publisher, and so continued until October, 1861,when the office turned all of its four employees into the army as its quota to aid in the suppression of the rebellion, causing the suspension of the paper.

Let me digress a moment to write the fate of that contribution of the printing office at Lykens to the army:  Henry Keiser enlisted as a private to Company G, 96^th P. V. [96th Pennsylvania Infantry], served enlistment for over four years, and after passing through more than a dozen hard fought fields returned safe and sound as first sergeant of his company.

John C. Gratz enlisted in the same company and in the winter of 1861-1862 was stricken down with typhoid fever and surrendered his life for his country.

John E. Roberts, although but 15 years of age, enlisted in Company D, 5^th Pennsylvania Reserves [34th Pennsylvania Infantry], and after proving his bravery on three fields, fell at New Market Cross Roads, 26 June 1862, during McClellan’s disastrous peninsula campaign, and though supposed to be but wounded at the time, has never been heard from to the present writing.  His Colonel, the brave Simmons, fell the same day.

Christopher C. Hynicka enlisted in the 76^th Pennsylvania Volunteers [76th Pennsylvania Infantry] in September, 1861, and in one of its many engagements with the enemy, was captured and after confinement over a year, experiencing all the brutalities and starvation of Rebel prisons, was unable to reach the boat to be transported home, and surrendered his life on the altar of his country.

Thus it will be seen that three of the four printers who went forth from that office, died for their country with honorable careers, and the fourth, after experiencing the brunt of many battles, was spared to return.  Where can be shown a better record?

 To resume:  The office then passed into the hands of S. B. Coles, who published an advertising medium called “The Business Man’s Journal”  This continued until the first of August 1865, when George W. Fenn was induced to purchase one-half of the establishment. The 17^th of August 1865, witnessed the first issue of “The Upper Dauphin Register and Lykens Valley Miner” as a Republican paper. This firm continued but a few months, when Mr. Coles again became owner of the concern and published the paper until November 1868, when he sold the office to S. M. Fenn.

Hoping that these few crude, imperfect recollections of a man’s ordinary lifetime, spent in your section, may not prove unprofitable or uninteresting to those, who have perused them, I beg leave to subscriber myself,

Respectfully yours,

RICHARD NOLEN.

(The end.)

_______________________________________

Transcribed from Lykens Standard article found on Newspapers.com.

Category: Research, Stories | Comments Off on 4 Lykens Printers Went to War – Only 1 Returned
Tags: Gratz, Lykens Borough