Civil War Blog

Posted By Brian Tomlin on August 27, 2012

The following advertisements were taken from the Lancaster Examiner and Herald dated August 27, 1862.

Selected text from each ad are typed out beside the photo of the ad. You may see the entire August 27, 1862 edition of the Examiner here.

The Lancaster Academy. Mr. George R. Barr, of this city, having procured the large and beautiful rooms in Reed & McGrann’s Banking House, will open a School for the Education of both sexes, on Onday, August 11, to continue in session until the close of June, 1863,

The Course of instruction will embrace all the branches taught in the Common and High Schools in this city, including the German, French and Latin Languages. The school will be conducted on the most approved princuples of modern training, by the Princiapl and several experienced Female Assistants; and, in addition to all the other advantages which the institution will afford, the course of study will be accopanied by Lectures on the Physical, Intellectual and Moral Scienes, and Illustrated by Maps, Charts, Black-boards, Apparatus and a Cabinet of Mineralogical, Botanical and Zoological Specimans. Sound moral training will constitute an important feature of the educational system of the Scho9ol; and with many years of exprience in one of the best schools in the State, the Principal  flatters himself that he will be able to give full satisfaction to all who may be placed under his care. Excellent Boarding may be obtained from $2.00 to $2.50 per week.

Application for admission should be made immeidately in orfder to secure seats.

Circulars containing terms and further particulars may be obtained by addressing or calling upon the Principal, at his residecne, at No. 60 West Orange Street.

Attention! Everybody!

Every man of you harken and heed!

Every one of you listen and read!

Fathers and brothes, and uncles and cousins,

All your relations, by dozens and dozens.

Harken and listen! We bravely declare

Here are the Garments for Summer Wear;

Garments for persons of every condition.

For men of all shapes and of every position.

Elegants suits of appropriate colors,

All to be had for a very few dollars;

Novelties splendid in Masculine Raiment,

At shocking low prices for readyh cash payment.

Clothing for gentlemen long or tall,

Clothing for stout men, clothing for small:

Certain to fit you– Come! hurry and buy

Elegant clothing for June and July.

Trumpet the tidings from city and town!

Tell the intelligence gladly around!

Bring your relations and neighbors all–

Come and buy clothing at the Great Oak Hall.

Particular Notice: This extensive establishment is directly on the corner of Sixth and Market Streets.     Wannamaker and Brown, Philadelphia

Sparkling Soda Water, in the Syrups of

Lemon, Pine Apple, Sarsaparilla, Vanilla, Ginger, Orange, Strawberry, Nectar, Orgeat, Raspberry and Raspberry Vinegar.

Also, the Cream Syrups of Great Variety

at

Heitshu’s Drug Store, 13 West King Street, Lancaster PA.

1000 Dollars Premium

Wentz Brothers

Have still on Exhibition that LARGE HOOP SKIRT,

For which a premium of One Thousand Dollars will be given to any lady tall enough to wear it. Ladies are invited to call and see it, and contend for the premium; at least, secure one of the three thousand hoop skirts which Wentz Brothers are offering at Old Prices, not withstanding the advance of the manufacturers in consequence of the new tax bill. An extra large purchase direct from the Manufactor, prior to the advance enable us to offer Ladies’, Misses’ and Children’s Hoop Skirts At Old Prices

Category: Culture | Comments Off on Advertisements from August 27, 1862
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Posted By Norman Gasbarro on August 26, 2012

The Civil War Research Project has just received the complete pension application files for two Civil War veterans of the Bressler family:  Adam Bressler and Daniel Bressler.  The papers, as obtained from the National Archives, were given to the Society by a descendant who done extensive research on the Bressler family and its Civil War service.

Adam Bressler was previously not included in the Civil War Veterans’ List for the Lykens Valley area, and will be added at the next list update.  His case is an example of how a veteran can go unacknowledged and get “lost” over time – because no one locally has publicly documented his service.  Finding these “lost” veterans has been a priority of the Civil War Research Project and has resulted in the “finding” and documenting the service of more than 2300 area veterans.  Initially, it was assumed that the number of those who served from the area was only about 350.

Adam Bressler served in the 172nd Pennsylvania Infantry, Company C, as a Corporal from his enrollment as a draftee on 17 September 1862 through his promotion to Sergeant on 28 November 1862 and his eventual discharge on 1 August 1863.  He returned home to Jefferson Township, Dauphin County, with a bad case of “Camp Fever” which resulted in his death on 26 August 1863.  A wife, Sarah [Hoover] Bressler, and a young daughter, Salome Amelia Bressler, survived him.  The pension application file documents Sarah’s attempts to get financial support for herself and her daughter, which she received, but not without a great deal of documentation.  The file includes:  (1) documentation of Sarah’s marriage to Adam; (2) documentation of Salome’s birth and baptism; (3) documentation of Adam’s service, including a statement from his commanding officer, Capt. John A. Ettinger, telling of the honest and faithfulness of Adam in the days after Gettysburg when the regiment was pursuing Gen. Robert E. Lee; (4) Adam’s discharge papers;  (5) sworn testimony of neighbors, friends and family; (6) a statement from the doctor who attended Adam in his final days of life; and (7) documentation of the date and place of Sarah’s death.

The Pension Index Card, show above indicates that the pension was first applied for in 1865.  By itself, the card gives minimal information.  The reference number for the application file is needed to obtain the actual file at the National Archives – which today can be obtained by mail for what some consider an outrageously high fee.  The file can also be obtained at the National Archives in Washington by appearing in person and requesting it, and the per-page photocopy fees at the National Archives are standard and are comparable to those at most research facilities.  Personal flatbed scanners are also permitted.  The richness of information that can be obtained from these files makes their contribution to the Civil War Research Project a most valuable addition to the project resources.  Since the project’s commencement, about 100 additional pension files have been submitted by family members.

The pension application file of Daniel Bressler‘s widow, Mary [Sweigart] Bresser, also shows that Daniel died at home of “fever” contracted during the Civil War and while he was serving in the 172nd Pennsylvania Infantry, Company F.

The file contains the following: (1) several affidavits from neighbors and friends; (2) documentation of Mary’s marriage to Daniel’ (3) the names and birth dates of their children; (4) the dates of military service; (5) Daniel’s discharge papers;(6) a statement from the physician who attended Daniel in his last days attesting to “typhoid fever” as the cause of death; and (7) and date of Mary’s death.

The difficulty with which war widow women had to prove that their husband’s died as a result of something that was war-related is evidenced in both these files.  There are come common items found in the files, not the least of which is the fact that both soldiers were named Bressler, both served in the same regiment, and both died of essentially the same thing – and at home in the same geographic area.  The fact that they were brothers was not previously known by the Civil War Research Project until the pension files were obtained and the files were discussed with the family member who researched both men and provided the copies.  A third brother, Henry Bressler, supposedly died in 1862, perhaps of the same fever.  No Civil War record has yet been located for him.

Finally, a clue as to why Adam Bressler was not previously included in this research project.  Sarah [Hoover] Bressler may have left the Lykens Valley area soon after her husband’s death.  When her death was reported to the Pension Bureau, it was reported from Collegeville, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, an area very close to Philadelphia.

Readers who have obtained pension application files on veterans who have a connection to this project are urged to contribute those files to the Civil War Research Project.  The interconnections, not readily available from one set of files, become more easily apparent when the files of many veterans can be examined easily in one place and at the same time.  There is much more in the files than pension application papers.  For a complete listing of the types of items that have been digitized, see the project description, though not all files have the same information.

Pension Index Cards shown here were obtained from Ancestry.com.

Category: Research, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on Bressler Pension Files
Tags: Bressler family, Gratz Borough

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on August 25, 2012

Several readers of this blog have written requesting information on how to have changes made to the plaques on the Pennsylvania Gettysburg Monument.  All the regimental plaques have previously been presented here on this blog and descendants of some of those whose names were missing from the plaques inquired as to how to get the name of their ancestor added.  The readers were certain that their ancestor was at Gettysburg and wanted to know why the name was omitted.  All of these readers were directed to the National Park Service at Gettysburg to find out who is currently responsible for the monument and how changes can be currently made.  It is obvious from the plaque pictures that changes have been made to the plaques – names added as well as names removed.

On 12 July 2012, the following e-mail was received from Patty Shoemaker Giroult:

A few months ago I was at the National Archives looking for my civil war soldiers and found a young man, probably not related to me but was interesting nonetheless. He was at the Battle of Gettysburg and died: Sylvester Shoemaker:  Company F, 53rd Pennsylvania Infantry, 2 July 1863.  He had a very haunting history but to make this short I went to Gettysburg yesterday but did not find his name on the Pennsylvania monument although he fought and died (buried in the national cemetery there). Is there any recourse for this so that he too could be recognized for giving his life. He was a teenager at that time and I guess got scared and left his regiment to go into town. He was arrested and jailed, rank lowered to corporal but then sent back to the battle and subsequently died there…. This young man just haunted me since he died there and I saw his records at the Archives. Thank you so very much.

The reply, on the same day:

He’s on the plaque for the 53^rd Pennsylvania Infantry, Company F, as “Sylvester Shemake”, a corporal.  The plaque for the 53^rd can be found at:  https://civilwar.gratzpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/053PA-Gettysburg-001a.jpg.  Click on it to enlarge it and you will be able to read his name.

The response:

That is how he is known in the Bates book, but that wasn’t his name. Anyway do you know how I can get that changed to his real name? On the grave stone they had his name right,  “S. Shoemaker.”

And in reply, on 12 July 2012:

Contact the National Park Service office at Gettysburg.  They should be able to direct you to the department that is in charge of the battlefield monuments.  It appears that there have been many changes made to the Pennsylvania tablets over the years, so what you are trying to do is not impossible.  Let me know how you make out…. and if you’d like to write up the story of Sylvester (as well as your effort to get the change on the monument tablet) I’d consider posting it on the blog.

This was the same advice given to the several readers who inquired about the Pennsylvania Monument errors.  The first official response from the National Park Service, just received a few days ago, was forwarded to me by Patty Giroult:

I wrote you last month about a relative on the Pennsylvania Monument with his name misspelled. I wrote to the park service and I am attaching their email back to me. It is quite sad that he cannot be honored since he gave his life for his country. If it would  have been Abraham Lincoln, they would make sure his name was spelled correctly. I am very sad for Sylvester, not sure that there is any family left since he was a young boy when he was killed —  but what is right is right. Thank you for helping me though, I appreciate it.

The official response from the National Park Service was sent to Patty by Katie Lawhon, Management Assistant, Gettysburg:

From: “Katie Lawhon” <Katie_Lawhon@nps.gov>
To: pguru@comcast.net
Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2012 3:26:55 PM
Subject: Name on PA monument

Dear Ms. Giroult:

This is in response to your recent email to Gettysburg National Military
Park regarding the misspelling of your relative’s name on the Pennsylvania
Memorial.

The Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg is one of more than 1300 monuments,
memorials and markers in the park, the vast majority of which were placed
on the battlefield by the battle veterans themselves between the 1870’s and
the 1930’s.  Due to the age of the monuments, and their personal
connections with the veterans who survived the battle, the monuments are
considered historic in their own right.  They are the historic record left
behind by those who fought here.

When errors such as misspellings and omissions are discovered on monuments
in national park areas, it is the policy of the National Park Service (NPS)
not to change or correct the monuments or their inscriptions.  NPS
management policies state:  “Many commemorative works have existed in the
parks long enough to qualify as historic features.  A key aspect of their
historical interest is that they reflect the knowledge, attitudes, and
tastes of the persons who designed and placed them.  These works and their
inscriptions will not be altered, relocated, obscured, or removed, even
when they are deemed inaccurate or incompatible with prevailing present-day
values.”

The park has created a full listing of Pennsylvania soldiers present at the
Battle of Gettysburg, including corrected spellings and names that were
omitted from the memorial.  The list is kept in the park’s archives, with a
copy available for visitors to review at the park’s Museum and Visitor
Center.  If you have not already provided information concerning your
great-great-grandfather’s service for this listing, you may send copies of
your documentation to the Historian’s Office, Resource Planning, Gettysburg
National Military Park, 1195 Baltimore Pike, Suite 100, Gettysburg,
Pennsylvania, 17325.

We respect and admire your wishes to honor Sylvester Shoemaker’s Civil War
service.  Thank you for your interest in the National Park Service.

Sincerely,

/s/

Katie Lawhon
Management Assistant
Gettysburg National Military Park
1195 Baltimore Pike, Suite 100
Gettysburg, PA 17325
phone:  717/ 334-1124 x3121
fax: 717/334-1891
www.nps.gov/gett

“From the Fields of Gettysburg” blog: http://npsgnmp.wordpress.com/

So that’s the answer.  The National Park Service will not correct errors on the monument itself, but instead will maintain a “correct” list at the park archives with a copy at the Museum and Visitor’s Center.  It does then seem proper to ask why this information is not posted at the monument itself – i.e., where the corrected list is kept so that visitors can examine it.  Perhaps the National Park Service doesn’t want to admit that the largest monument on the battlefield that it maintains – and the one that has the most names, is the one with the most errors and omissions.  This is not a fitting tribute to those who served from Pennsylvania, nor is it a proper memorial to those who gave their lives at Gettysburg.

Thank you to Patty Shoemaker Giroult for making the inquiry and forwarding the NPS response here so that it can be shared with readers of this blog!  She has the privilege of the last words for this post:

I was just very sad when I got that e-mail… They are restoring the platform where Lincoln stood in the cemetery and spending thousands to do that. Why not honor those who gave their lives there? Lincoln wouldn’t be famous for his speech if there were no Gettysburg and if men didn’t fight and die there…. It is just very sad for not just Sylvester but any of those men who fought and died or were wounded or just were there  serving their country, not to be recognized for what they did. What visitors are going to go to the archives and ask for the list of men who died or who were left off of monuments or had their name spelled incorrectly?  I am not sure that anyone knows about being able to do that and anyway they all need to be recognized for their service.

This is the 75th post in a series on the Battle of Gettysburg.  Additional posts will follow.

Category: Reflections | 1 Comment »
Tags: Abraham Lincoln

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on August 24, 2012

The Gratz Historical Society received a recent donation of three large oval hand colored portraits of members of the Riegle family of the Lykens Valley area.

The portraits are 19 inches high and 14 inches wide.  Scanned cropped images are presented below in the hopes that a reader of this blog will be able to identify the individuals.  It is believed that the first portrait is that of a Civil War veteran, that the second portrait is his wife, and the third portrait is his daughter.

Anyone with information about these photos should contact the Civil War Research Project or add a comment to this post.

The photos are on cardboard with raised centers indicating that they were once framed in raised-glass oval frames.  Unfortunately, the frames were not part of the donation.

Category: Queries | Comments Off on Unknown Riegle Family Photos
Tags: Riegle family

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on August 23, 2012

The Halifax United Methodist Church Cemetery is located at the corner of Rise Street and Wind Hill Drive in Halifax, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.  The graves of twenty Civil War veterans are easily located in this cemetery.  A prior post described the cemetery and showed old maps with its location noted.  Today, Part 5 of a 5 part series is presented, each part focusing on four of the twenty veterans buried here.

——————————–

HIRAM BRUBAKER (1834- ?)

Hiram Brubaker has a “military issue” grave marker and a G.A.R. star at the base of the stone.  There was a Hiram Brubaker who was initially found in the Halifax Bicentennial Book where he was named as a Civil War veteran.  Preliminary research has indicated that Hiram sered in the 192nd Pennsylvania Infantry, Company H, as a Corporal, and that his wife’s name was Margaret.  Anyone who can help further identify this veteran can either add a comment to this post or send an e-mail to the Civil War Research Project.

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GEORGE W. ETTER (1838-1915)

George W. Etter

George W. Etter was the son of John Etter (1814-1876) and Susannah [Enders] Etter (1816-1911).  George’s mother was a descendant of the pioneer Enders family in the Halifax–Jackson Township area of Dauphin County.  During the Civil War, George married Catharine Lebo, and at least one child, John W. Etter, was born of this marriage.

In 1863, when George registered for the draft, he was living in Mifflin Township, Dauphin County, and was working as a carpenter.  He was married at the time and noted no current or prior Civil War service.  It has not yet been determined which regiment or company he served in during the Civil War.  His grave is marked with a G.A.R. star, but no Pension Index Card has been found and he has not yet been located in the 1890 Veterans’ Census.

In 1900, George Etter was living in Halifax Borough and was working as a bridge foreman.  He died in 1915 and was buried in the Halifax United Methodist Church Cemetery.

More information is sought on George Etter, his family, and his Civil War service.  The photo of George, taken late in his life, was cropped from a family photo in the collection of the Gratz Historical Society.

——————————-

CHARLES W. RYAN (1841-1901)

Charles W. Ryan

Charles W. Ryan was previously featured in a post entitled, Halifax Bank Robbery – Charles W. Ryan.  He was the victim in the robbery.  New information added here includes a wide view of his grave site and a wood-cut drawing of him as it appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer at the time of his death.

Charles served in the 6th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company E, as a Private, from 15 September 1862 to the 28 September 1862 for the state emergency of that time.

—————————–

CORNELIUS A. HARPER (1822-1895) or C. A. HARPER

Capt. Cornelius A. Harper was the commanding officer of the 2nd Company G, 103rd Pennsyvlania Infantry, from 12 April 1865 through 25 June 1865, the company composed primarily of Lykens Valley men from the Gratz and Lykens Township area.  His prior service was as Captain of the 173rd Pennsylvania Infantry, Company K, a drafted regiment.  That service was from 15 November 1862 through 18 August 1863.  In early March 1865, Capt. Harper was selected as a recruiting officer in Harrisburg and at the time of his own enrollment in the 103rd Pennsylvania Infantry, he stated that his residence was Wiconisco, Dauphin County.  Pre-war records show that Capt. Harper was involved in business in Wiconisco as a merchant and as a clerk.

After Cornelius Harper was discharged from the service in 1865, he went to work for the railroad as a dispatcher and worked in Wiconisco Township, but for some unknown reason, gave that up to become a farmer in Halifax Township where he was found in the census of 180. In 1890, Cornelius gave his service record to the census taker, but did not indicate any war-related disabilities.  He died in 1895 and was buried in the Halifax United Methodist Church Cemetery.

Cornelius Harper married Sarah Ulrich some time prior to the birth of their oldest child, Samuel S. Harper (born about 1843 in Wiconisco).  Samuel enlisted in the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Company B, rising in rank to Sergeant before his discharge on 18 July 1865.  After the Civil War, Samuel Harper moved to Montana where he met and married Augusta Frances Wilkins.  There, the couple operated a ranch as well as a farm.  By 1910, Samuel moved to California where he again took up ranching.

Surprisingly, no pictures of Capt. Harper have been found.  Considering that he was the captain of two companies composed almost exclusively of Lykens Valley men, and it was common practice for officers to have their pictures taken frequently and given to the men in their command, a picture may yet surface that has been hidden in a attic or album and unidentified these many years.  If any readers have unidentified pictures of men in captain uniforms, and know of their ancestors’ service under Capt. Harpers’ command, then it is possible the picture is of Cornelius A. Harper.

—————————

This concludes the series of five posts on the veterans buried in the Halifax United Methodist Church Cemetery. For all posts in this series, click here.

Category: Research, Resources, Stories | 2 Comments »
Tags: Cemeteries, G.A.R., Gratz Borough, Halifax Borough, Jackson Township, Lykens Township, Mifflin Township, Wiconisco, Wiconisco Township