Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on October 17, 2018

Mary Clark of Wiconisco, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, reported in 1890, that she was the widow of a Civil War soldier, Samuel Clark, who served in the 39th Pennsylvania Infantry (Emergency of 1863), Company H, as a Private, from 20 June 1863 through discharge on 2 August 1863.  Note:  Click on above cut to enlarge.

The Pennsylvania Veterans’ File Card (above from the Pennsylvania Archives) confirms his service.

On 7 December 1874, the Harrisburg Telegraph reported the death of Samuel Clark but did not mention that he was a Civil War veteran:

Death of an Odd Fellow — Mr. Samuel Clark, an old citizen of Wiconisco, died on Tuesday last, of consumption.  Mr. Clark was 52 years of age.  His funeral took place yesterday afternoon, and was attended by Wiconisco Lodge and Encampment, I.O.O.F., of this borough, of which deceased was a respected member.   His remains were also followed to their final resting place by a numerous concourse of friends and acquaintances.  He leaves a widow.

The name of Samuel Clark does not appear on the Lykens G.A.R. Monument.  The G.A.R. Post at Lykens included Wiconisco as well as other nearby communities.

Some other information that is known about Samuel Clark:

1. He was born about 1825 in Ireland.

2. He married Mary McClellan.  She was born about 1825 in Ireland.  She survived him.

3. In the 1870 Census of Wiconisco, he gave his occupation as miller.  The Clark’s had a 15 year old daughter, Elizabeth Clark, who was living with them in 1870.

4. In the Census of 1880, the widow Mary Clark was living in Wiconisco.  George McClellan, 50 year old laborer and a brother of Mary was living with her, but the daughter Elizabeth Clark was no longer in the household.

5. Mary Clark was living in Wiconisco in 1890.

6. Samuel Clark is buried in the I.O.O.F. Cemetery, Lykens.  This was previously reported in the blog post Civil War Soldiers Buried at Lykens.

7. George McClellan, brother of Mary, was also a Civil War veteran, but is found as George McClelland.  See:  Death of George McClelland. 

Additional information about this militia soldier and his family as well as a reason his name does not appear on the Lykens G.A.R. Monument.

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Tags: Lykens, Wiconisco

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on October 16, 2018

George Washington Bowman died on 19 August 1883 and was buried at the Messiah Lutheran Cemetery, Fisherville, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.  He was a Civil War veteran who served honorably in the 210th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company A, as a Private, mustered into service on 7 September 1864, and mustered out on 30 May 1865..  At his grave, there is a G.A.R.-Star flag holder.

In Captain Enders Legion, p. 13-16, the following information is given about him:

George Washington Bowman, the son of Philip Irvin Bowman and Mary Ann Fetterhoff was born 21 Jun 1844 and later baptized by Rev. John Greamer on 13 Feb 1845.

On 7 Sep 1864, George enlisted in the 210th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Company A at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with Isaac Bowman, John F. Bowman, Jacob Barry, William H. Sheesley, William Bowman, William H. Lebo and Daniel W. Tobias.  He fought in numerous battles, such as Hatcher’s Run, the Bellefield Raid, the Destruction of the Weldon Railroad, Dabney’s Mills, Gravelly Run and a final skirmish at Appomattox Court House.  They were upon the front line to the last, the flag of truce proclaiming the Confederate surrendered, passing through the lines of the Brigade in which it stood.  During the three day battle at Gravelly Run, the regiment’s commanding officer, Colonel William Sergeant was mortally wounded, while gallantly leading his command on 31 March 1865.  Adjutant Morris Schlessinger, a scarred veteran and Captain John N. Hughes were also killed.  Schlessinger, when found upon the battlefield, weakened by his wounds, exclaimed, “This is the death I have sought.”  Margaretta sergeant, Col. Sergeant’s sister, was the wife of the much honored Major General George Gordon Meade.  General Meade was Commander of the Army of the Potomac from Jul 1863 to Jun 1865.  Gen. Meade died on 6 Nov 1872 and Mrs. Meade passed on 7 Jan 1886.  They are buried side by side in historic Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a few feet from brother and brother-in-law, Col. William Sergeant. The regimental losses were 35 killed, 115 wounded and 150 missing.  George marched in the Grand Parade in Washington and was mustered out with the company 30 May 1865 with the rank of Private.

George married Lydia L. Miller right after the war.  They had seven children:  Agnes Savilla Bowman was born 27 Jun 1867 and later married Amos C. Mumma with no issue;  Albert Ambrose Bowman born 19 Feb 1869 married Ella Feagley and they had three children; Katie Ann Bowman was born 7 Apr 1871, first married Hiram E. Gonder and four children followed.  After Hiram’s death in 1894, Katie married Hiram’s brother, Harry Jerome Gonder and had no issue.  Mary Jane Bowman was born 14 Aug 1873 and died 14 September 1874; Emma Louisa Bowman was born 15 Oct 1875; Edward Samuel Bowman, born 13 Jul 1878, first married Louisa Wunderlich and they had six children.  Edward Bowman was married for the second time to Maude Pensiger and they had a son.   Finally, Daisy May Bowman born 22 Jan 1881, married Leo Lutringer and sired three children.

On 19 Aug 1883, George was working at the saw mill near Halifax, Pennsylvania.  He had a premonition not to go to work that day and mentioned this to his wife, Lydia, and also to the person who picked him up for work.  He was very familiar with the workings of the saw mill, but he was accidentally killed and the course of the family from then on was extremely difficult.  George was buried in the Messiah Lutheran Church Cemetery, Fisherville, Pennsylvania.  He was 39 years, 1 month, 28 days old.

Emma Lousa Bowman was the most affected.  She was eight years old when her father died and was placed in the “Soldier’s Orphan School and Home” at 2140-2145 Market Street, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.  This facility was also known as “Holler Row.”  Her death date is unknown, but she is buried with her parents in the Messiah Lutheran Church Cemetery.

Lydia L. [Miller] Bowman outlived George by almost 47 years when she died on 27 Apr 1930.  She is buried beside her husband and near two of their children.

George was a brother and brother-in-law to Sarah Jane [Bowman] Sheesley and William H. Sheesley.  George was a first cousin of Isaac Bowman and Rebecca J. [Enders] Bowman, Sarah Bowman and husbands Henry Wilbert and Jacob G. Enders, and has many other family ties.

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The Harrisburg Telegraph of 24 August 1883 reported the sawmill incident as follow:

An accident happened on Cornelius Koppenheffer‘s saw mill at Halifax last Saturday morning, which resulted in the death of George W. Bowman, about twenty-four hours later.  He was employed as a sawyer, and was struck across the pit of the stomach by a slab hurled from the saw.  He died at Mr. Koppenheffer’s residence, retaining consciousness to the last.

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News clipping from Newspapers.com.

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Tags: Fisherville, G.A.R., Halifax

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on October 15, 2018

An obituary of Jacob Beller of Millersburg appeared in the Elizabethville Echo of 2 May 1912:

Civil War Veteran of Millersburg Dead

The death of Jacob Beller, a veteran of the Civil War, aged 76, occurred at his home on Union Street, Millersburg last Friday, after a short illness of pneumonia.  Deceased served during the war in the Eighteenth Regiment, U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, and was taken prisoner by the Confederates and held in Andersonville Prison for more than six months.  At the time of his death he was an aide on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief of the G.A.R. and a member of Kirpatrick Post No. 212, G.A.R. of Millersburg.  He is survived by one daughter and a sister of Millersburg, and a brother in San Diego, California.  Funeral services were held on Monday afternoon, Rev. Burke of the Methodist Episcopal Church officiating.  The G.A.R. had charge of the funeral.

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The report of his funeral appeared in the Lykens Standard of 3 May 1912:

Death of Jacob Beller

Jacob Beller, aged 76 years, a veteran of the Civil War, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Irvin Noll of Millersburg, last Friday afternoon, after a short illness of pneumonia.  He was an aide on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief of the G.A.R. and a member of Kilpatrick Post, No. 212, G.A.R.  The funeral services were held Monday afternoon at 2 o’clock and were in charge of the G.A.R., the Rev. E. W. Burke of the Methodist Episcopal Church, officiating.  A short service was held at the house, after which the interment was made in Oak Hill Cemetery.  From there they proceeded the M. E. Church, where the funeral sermon was preached.

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That he was on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief of the G.A.R., had not been previously known, and resulted in additional research.  A headline and brief mention of this was reported in the Harrisburg Telegraph of 13 January 1912:

APPOINTMENT FOR MILLERSBURG MAN

Jacob Beller Made an Aid of the Staff of Commander-in-Chief G.A.R.

Millersburg, Pennsylvania, 12 January [1912] — Jacob Beller, a member of Kilpatrick Post, No. 212, G.A.R., of Millersburg, has been honored with the appointment of aid on the staff of the commander-in-chief of the G.A.R.

Harvey M. Trimble

In 1912, Harvey M. Trimble was the Commander-in-Chief of the G.A.R. and the above photo of him appeared in the Los Angeles Times, 10 January 1912, when he was there planning for the 46th Annual Encampment which was to be held there beginning on 9 September 1912.  While a long list of those who accompanied Trimble appeared in an article describing the preparations, the name of Jacob Beller did not appear.  However, it is possible that he was too ill to make the cross-country journey in January.  He died about three and a half months later.

Not much more is known about the role Jacob Beller was expected to play as aide to Harvey M. Trimble.

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News clippings from Newspapers.com.

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Tags: G.A.R., Millersburg

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on October 12, 2018

Charles Artz Coleman (1844-1915), was drafted into Civil War service and reported to Camp Curtin and was assigned to Company I, 177th Pennsylvania Infantry.  The record indicates that this occurred on 2 November 1862 and on the same day, he was discharged on a Surgeon’s Certificate of Disability.  Because of the way Civil War rosters were kept, he was listed on the official register for this company of this regiment.  In effect, he met his obligation under the draft law – he reported when drafted, but was legally discharged from service because of a medical disability.  Those who were discharged in this manner (at muster camp), were not considered Civil War veterans.

This was previously reported in a blog post entitled “Disability – 177th Pennsylvania Infantry.”

From the Lykens Standard, 30 April 1915:

Charles A. Coleman, an old citizen of Gratz, died Wednesday of last week of necrosis, aged 70 years.  The funeral was held from his late home on Monday with services at Coleman’s Church.  The body was laid to rest in the adjoining cemetery.  He is survived by his wife and the following daughters:  Mary (Mrs. Charles Yeager), of Tower City; Susan (Mrs. John Deibert), of Weissport; Carrie (Mrs. E. Koppenhaver), of Gratz, and Jennie Coleman and Mina Coleman at home.  He is also survived by one sister, Mrs. Benjamin Boyer, of Hickory Corners, and 15 grandchildren.

The widow, not identified by name in the obituary, was Lydia Matilda Coleman, nee Rine.  Previously on this blog, the widow’s obituary was noted:  Aged Widow of One-Day Civil War Veteran Died in Gratz in 1940.  In that blog post, a brief biographical sketch was also given of Charles Coleman.

Charles Coleman and Lydia Coleman are buried at the St. Matthew (Coleman) Church Cemetery, Lykens Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.  At the grave site, there is no recognition of the one-day Civil War service for which he was credited.

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News clipping from Newspapers.com.

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Tags: Gratz, Hickory Corners, Lykens Township

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on October 11, 2018

Minersville, Schuylkill County, is adjacent to the area of study of the Civil War Research Project.  No doubt though, what happened there was well known within the Lykens Valley area.

The Pottsville Republican, of 30 June 1927, reported on a Ku Klux Klan event for the 4th of July – a parade of Klansmen in Minersville.

Klan Parades at Minersville

The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan will participate in the Fourth of July Parade in Minersville at 9:30 a.m.  Pottsville Unit leaves hall at 8 a.m. sharp.  Visors down.

“Visors down” indicated that the Klansmen would have their faces covered.

How many more communities with Fourth of July parades had Klan groups march in them?

This post is a continuation of the reporting on hate groups that were active in the Lykens Valley area in the years following the Civil War.  It was a widely known fact that the third iteration of the Ku Klux Klan had a significant presence in the Lykens Valley and adjacent valleys during the early years of the 20th Century.  This iteration of the Klan was strongly white supremacist and was opposed to equal rights for African Americans, Catholics, Jews, and immigrants.

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News article from Newspapers.com.

Category: Research, Stories | 1 Comment »
Tags: Hate