Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on May 18, 2012

As pointed out in the post of 10 May 2012 (Pennsylvania Regimental Numbers – A Second Look), it is unfortunate that the militia companies that were in existence in local communities, when called into state service, were given the same regimental number designations as the state-raised infantry regiments that were sent into national service.  There is a controversy brewing that centers around the belief that those infantry regiments that entered national service for periods of up to three years had greater sacrifice and much different experiences than the state militia companies who served for periods of about one month or less and therefore should not be grouped together without some way of differentiating them.

When I previously stated that it didn’t matter to the G.A.R. what the state-service militia regiments were called and that I had found no examples of where the G.A.R. or individual veterans had discriminated against these militia men, I spoke too soon.  Recently, I discovered a statement made in 1916 by a veteran of the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company C (from Schuylkill Haven, Schuylkill Co., PA) who had spent more than three years in the war:

The Call of November 10, 1916

A NEW DEFINITION FOR WAR VETERAN

To the Editor of The Call:

I want to give the definition of a veteran soldier.  Up to the time we reenlisted at Blaines’ Cross Roads, East.  After we reenlisted for three years or during the war, on the thirteenth day of January 1864, then they called us the 50th Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer Infantry Regiment.  Now that leaves four veterans living that served in Company C, 50th Regiment, Pennsylvania V. V. Infantry, namely: Captain Charles E. Brown, Schuylkill Haven, Sergeant Levi Eckert, Manayunk, Corporal William Wildermuth, Schuylkill Haven and Corporal Henry Deibler of Schuylkill Haven.

Now the men that enlisted in Company C in ’64 and ’65 are all short term men.  Some of them were volunteers.  Some of them were drafted and some of them were substitutes.  Now I see you call some emergency men Civil war Veterans that were not from their home over thirty days and they were never in the U. S. service and never saw a Rebel.  Now there are only four soldiers living that served four years in Company C, 50th Regiment.  All the rest enlisted in 1864 or 1865.  I am anxious to give every soldier that was enlisted in Company C all the credit that belongs to him, but when they claim as much credit as a soldier that served four years, then I will call them down.  This is in answer to what you had in The Call last week about the veteran soldiers of Company C.

Yours very truly,
Charles E. Brown
Late Captain of Company C, 50th Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers Infantry Regiment
Schuylkill Haven Pa

Charles E. Brown was one of Pennsylvania’s 300 Medal of Honor recipients, and his regiment suffered greatly in casualties, prisoners taken (especially to Andersonville), and general conditions.  As one who served for the duration of the war, and saw much of this suffering, he believed that he deserved more “credit” than those “short-termers” who entered into service late in the war, and especially those who were only in the state militias.  Unfortunately, at the time Charles E. Brown made the above statement, he was about ten years into a diagnosis of senile dementia (according to information from Soldiers’ Home records) and seemed to have alienated everyone including his own family by what he said.  The “short-termers” in his own regiment and company who he was criticizing had a high percentage of casualties in 1864 and 1865 and were in most cases men who had just turned 18 and couldn’t have joined before 1864.

In the Gratz area, the militia were always “in service” so it would be a misnomer to say they only served 30-days or “short-term.”  All of the communities surrounding Gratz also had their own militia.  Gratz, because of its central location in the Lykens Valley area, was the site of the annual encampments where the militia from each community held drills, parades, exercises, etc.  lasting for more than week each year.  In addition, these militia units met regularly to learn the skills of defending their homes and in training the younger men in military tactics and the use of weapons.  Gratz also had an “arsenal” and “headquarters” which was called “Fort Jackson.”  The annual militia encampments were held on what is now the Gratz Fairgrounds (located on Route 25) in the Borough of Gratz.

While some of the men in the Gratz area chose to enlist in the newly formed state regiments that would be sent into national service, some felt that they were already serving by protecting their homes and remaining in the local militia units that were continuously in volunteer service.  They did not see that it was their role to go off into another state to fight to force the men of that state to return to the Union.  There was nothing disloyal about this, as they felt they were loyal in doing what they believed was correct according to their worldview.  When the Gratztown Militia was called into state service, it was because of the emergency of the invasion of Pennsylvania.  The Lykens Valley, which is part of the greater Susquehanna Valley, was the object of Lee’s “invasion” resulting in the Battle of Gettysburg.  There are recorded skirmishes and sightings of Confederates (as far north as Herndon) in the days before Gettysburg, and when the threat was clear to their homes and families, the militia units which were continuously active as local defenders, placed themselves at the disposal of Governor Andrew Curtin who directed them in the defense of the state.  Fortunately, enough of these trained and ready men remained behind in order to defend the state, or the outcome of the war may have been quite different.

I do agree about making the distinction in the regiments/companies as far as the history of the regiments is concerned – and that problem has come about only because Pennsylvania used the same numbers for the emergency service as for the regiments they sent into national service.  But that distinction should not be used to belittle the service of the militia units.  It serves no purpose to start comparing the level of sacrifice or suffering in order to put down one group over another.

Nearly everyone in the Lykens Valley area was connected somehow – by blood, marriage, or economic ties – and many families sent more than one soldier into war.  Some didn’t return.  Many returned and were never the same again.  Most who stayed at home and protected their lands and families were deeply affected by family losses of those who chose to fight or were drafted to fight in far away places.  When the war was over, no community was ever the same again.  The suffering was widespread and affected every family.

Much more research needs to be done on the role of the local militia units during the Civil War.  Unfortunately, the types of records that were kept for the men who served in local militia units were not uniform and at the best were sketchy.  In most cases, the men were volunteers who didn’t get paid.  They had to provide their own weapons, uniforms and rations.  There were no official muster sheets.  Their “official active duty” service (the period of time that they were called into service by the governor) was too short in most cases to qualify for a federal pension.

On the positive side for these men, they did their duty by protecting their homes and families and by voluntarily supplying what they could to support the war effort.  Often the men who were chosen as officers of the state regiments that were sent into national service had received training and experience as members of the local militia units.

Finally, in the case of the Gratztown Militia, there is no evidence that there was discrimination against the service of African Americans who served side-by-side on the same terms as their neighbors in the Gratz community.  Not so with the state regiments that were called into national service, where at the beginning of the war, African Americans were not welcome in service and later in the war had to serve in special “colored” regiments that were led by white officers.  Unfortunately and ironically, the equal rights that African Americans had in the local militia unit were taken away by national policies for the recruitment and service of state regiments that went into national service and these segregated and discriminatory policies were carried forward into the post-war period and the veteran organization, the G.A.R.

Readers comments are invited.

Category: Reflections, Research | Comments Off on In Defense of the Militia
Tags: African American, Andrew Curtin, G.A.R., Gratz Borough, Herndon, Regiments

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on May 17, 2012

Four men with the surname Williams served in the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company C, as privates during the Civil War.  Three were boatmen from  Pottsville or Schuylkill Haven, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.  They worked on the Schuylkill Canal.  The fourth was a coal miner, and he was from Minersville, Schuylkill County.  At this time, it is not known whether the men were related to each other.

The post today is a continuation of a study of the men who served in the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry.

Because the surname Williams is very common, it is difficult to find information on these veterans.  However, certain facts are known and those facts are presented here in the hope that a reader will be able to contribute additional information.

—————————–

ALEXANDER WILLIAMS

According to information on his Pension Index Card, Alexander Williams was 22 years old (born about 1839) when he enlisted in the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company C, at Schuylkill Haven, 14 August 1861.  No other personal information is in this record.  He began serving at muster in Harrisburg on 9 September 1861, but at some point in his service (date and reason unknown), he was discharged on a Surgeon’s Certificate of Disability.

A copy of the Veterans’ Census of 1890 has not yet been located for Alexander.  According to information on the Schuylkill Haven web site, he died in the year 1916 along with several other veterans from the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry.  It was stated in an article that appeared in The Call of Schuylkill County that he died in a Soldiers’ Home – but the location of the home was not given.

Alexander Williams applied for a pension in 1870, but the state from which he applied is not noted on the Pension Index Card.  He was awarded a pension as evidenced by the Certificate Number on the card.

Also noted on the card is the information that Alexander also served in the 1st New Jersey Cavalry.  In searching the military databases in Ancestry.com, his service in the New Jersey cavalry was from 6 October 1863 to 24 July 1865.  The records of the the 1st New Jersey Cavalry indicate that it was involved in heavy fighting in all the major Virginia battles in this time period, through the surrender at Appomattox Court House in April 1865, though nothing specific has yet been determined about Alexander’s service.

It is not known whether Alexander Williams married or had children or where he lived.

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CHARLES F. WILLIAMS

Information on Charles F. Williams was located on Findagrave.  He was born in 1846 and died on 1 February 1916.  He is buried in Port Clinton Cemetery, Port Clinton, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, along with his wife, Elizabeth [Moyer] Williams and an infant grandchild.

His service in the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry was during the last year and a half of the regiment’s service – from 19 February 1864 through discharge on 30 July 1865. His Veterans’ Index Card notes that he was 18 years old at the time of enlistment, that he was 5 foot, two inches tall, he had light hair and a florid complexion.  Charles was a boatman on the Schuylkill Canal and lived in Pottsville at the time of his enlistment.

He reported in the Veterans’ Census of 1890 that during the Civil War he was “wounded – collar bone.”  No other information about this injury has been located.

In 1900, Charles and Elizabeth were living in Port Clinton and he was working as a constable.  In 1910 he was a mail carrier.

In 1890, Charles applied for an invalid pension and the Certificate Number indicates that he eventually received monthly benefits.  There is no widow’s application noted on the card because Elizabeth ]Moyer] Williams died before Charles (see grave marker, above).

At this time, nothing else is known about Charles F. Williams.

——————————-

PATRICK WILLIAMS

Patrick Williams was one of the early enrollments in the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company C.  He survived his three-year enlistment and on 1 January 1864, he re-enlisted at Blaine’s Crossroads, Tennessee.

Patrick was a 22 year old coal miner from Minersville, Schuylkill County in 1861.  He was 5 foot, 6 inches tall, had dark hair, dark complexion, and blue eyes.  Nothing else is known about his personal life.  According to the information on the Veterans’s Index Card, he died while a prisoner of war.  His date of death is unknown, but had to occur after his re-enlistment of 1 January 1864 and before the end of the war.

No Pension Index Card has been located for him, possibly indicating that there were no survivors who needed support that he would have provided had he lived.  Likewise, no census information has been located for 1860 or before which would give some clues about his family background.

—————————

WILLIAM WILLIAMS

According to information found in veterans’ records, Williams Williams was born about 1843 in New York.  He enlisted for a three year term in the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company C, at Schuylkill Haven, Schuylkill County, on 9 September 1861.  On 1 January 1864, he re-enlisted at Blaine’s Crossroads, Tennessee for another three year term, or for the duration of the war.

William was a boatman on the Schuylkill Canal and was 18 years old at the time he enrolled in the infantry.  He was living in Schuylkill Haven in 1861, but it is not known when he moved there.  He has not yet been located in the 1860 or 1850 censuses.

Much of the information about William Williams military service comes from the records of the Soldiers’ Home in Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio.  Apparently, William was never married.  At Spotsylvania Court House, he was captured and marched to Florence and then to Andersonville, where he was confined as a prisoner.  Some of his fellow prisoners from Company C, died there, but William survived.

The Dayton Soldiers’ Home records also note that at the time of his admittance in 1889, he was living in Cambridge, Ohio, and was working as a laborer.  In 1892, he was discharged from the home, “at request.”  The records do not state who made the request.

At this time it is not known where or when William Williams died.

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Comments are welcome from readers.  Pension records, not currently available on-line, are sought and a request is made to anyone who has already obtained them from the National Archives to submit copies for the Civil War Research Project.

Additional stories on the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry and the men who served in it can be found by clicking here.

Category: Queries, Research, Resources, Stories | 1 Comment »
Tags: Regiments, Williams family

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on May 16, 2012

The post today is a continuation of a study of the men who served in the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry. In 1860, Levan J. Warner was living on a farm owned by his father Daniel Warner in North Manheim Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.  Levan was then only 12 years old.  Levan’s mother Mary [Emerick] Warner had six younger children to care for and was undoubtedly assisted by her mother, Sally Emerick, also living in the household.  Others living there were Elijah Emerick, probably Mary’s younger brother, and his wife and young child.  In addition, a Levi Warner, aged 42, was working as a boatman.  The young Levan would soon be employed as a boatman, the occupation he would give upon enlistment in the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry.

Click on document to enlarge.

Out the outbreak of the Civil War, Levan J. Warner was clearly too young to volunteer.  However, he was a member of the militia that was called into service for the Emergency of 1863 and he ended up serving from 23 June 1863 through 31 July 1863, however, he was not at Gettysburg.

The militia service probably convinced the young Levan that he really was old enough to serve, so when the opportunity came in 1864 to enlist in the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry at Pottsville, Schuylkill County, he did so and was mustered in on 19 February 1864 at Pottsville.  Although he gave his age as 18, he was probably closer to 16 in age.

Within only few months after joining the regiment, Levan J. Warner would be killed at the Battle of the Wilderness, Virginia.

The following extracts are from The Union Army, Volume 6:

PRELUDE TO THE BATTLE

Wilderness, Virginia, 5 through 7 May 1864.  

Army of the Potomac. On 9 March 1864, Maj.-Gen. Ulysses S. Grant was raised to the rank of Lieutenant-General and placed in command of all the United States armies in the field.  The interval from that time until the 1 May 1864 was spent in planning campaigns, and in strengthening, organizing and equipping the several armies in the different military districts. Grant remained with the Army of the Potomac, which was under the immediate command of Maj. Gen. George G. Meade, and which had for its objective the destruction of the Confederate army under command of Gen. Robert E. Lee. On 1 May 1864, the Army of the Potomac lay along the north side of the Rapidan River….
During the campaign the 18th Corps, commanded by Maj.-Gen. W. F. Smith, was transferred from the Army of the James to the Army of the
Potomac….

Lee’s headquarters were at Orange Court House, about half way between Longstreet and the line along the Rapidan, from which point he could easily communicate with his corps commanders, and detachments of cavalry watched the various fords and bridges along the river.

Grant’s plan was to cross the Rapidan at the fords below the Confederate line of entrenchments move rapidly around Lee’s right flank and force him either to give battle or retire to Richmond.  As soon as this movement was well under way, Gen. Butler, with the Army of the James, was to advance up the James river from Fortress Monroe and attack Richmond from the south. The region known as the Wilderness, through which the Army of the Potomac was to move, lies between the
Rapidan the north and the Mattapony on the south.  It is about 12 miles wide from north to south and some 16 miles in extent from east to west.  Near the center stood the Wilderness Tavern, 8 miles west of Chancellorsville and 6 miles south of Culpeper Mine Ford on the Rapidan. A short distance west of the tavern the plank road from Germanna Ford crossed the Orange & Fredericksburg Turnpike, and then running southeast for about 2 miles intersected the Orange Plank Road near the
Hickman farmhouse. The Brock road left the Orange & Fredericksburg Pike about a mile east of the tavern and ran southward to Spotsylvania Court House, via Todd’s Tavern. The first iron furnaces in the United States were established in the Wilderness, the original growth of timber had been cut off to furnish fuel for the furnaces, and the surface, much broken by ravines, ridges and old ore beds, was covered by a second growth of pines, scrub-oaks, etc., so dense in places that it was impossible to see a man at a distance of 50 yards. Between the Orange Plank Road and the Fredericksburg Pike ran a little stream called Wilderness Run, and north of the latter road was Flat Run the general direction of both streams being northeast toward the Rapidan into which they emptied. On the Orange Plank Road, about 4 miles southwest from the Wilderness Tavern, was Parker’s store.

From the Confederate signal station on Clark’s Mountain… the Federal camps could be plainly seen. On 2 May 1864, Lee, accompanied by several of his generals, made a personal observation, saw the commotion in the Union lines, and rightly conjectured that an early movement of some kind was in contemplation. He accordingly directed his officers to hold their commands in readiness to move against the flank of the Federal army whenever the orders were given from the signal station. It was on this same day that Meade, by Grant’s instructions, issued his orders for the advance. Knowing that his every movement was observed by the enemy, he determined to cross the Rapidan during the night.  At midnight on the 3rd the 5th and 6th Corps, preceded by [a] cavalry division, began crossing at Germanna Ford.  The 2nd Corps, preceded by Gregg’s cavalry, crossed at Ely’s Ford farther down the river. On the evening of the 4th, Gen. G. K Warren’s [5th] Corps went into bivouac near the Wilderness Tavern….

During the night Lee sent word… to “bring on the battle now as soon as possible….” Grant joined Meade… and the two generals established their headquarters on the knoll around the Lacy house, a little west of the Wilderness tavern.

The Union loss in the battle of the Wilderness was 2,246 killed 12,037 wounded and 3,383 captured or missing. No doubt many of the wounded were burned to death or suffocated in the fire that raged through the woods….

Concerning the enemy’s casualties, Adam Badeau, in his Military History of U. S. Grant, says: “The losses of Lee no human being can tell. No official report of them exists, if any was ever made, and no statement that has been put forth in regard to them has any foundation but a guess. It seems however, fair to presume that as Lee fought outside of his works as often as Grant, and was as often repelled, the slaughter of the rebels equaled that in the national army. The grey coats lay as thick as the blue next day, when the national scouts pushed out over the entire battle-field and could discover no living enemy “

Levan J. Warner was killed in action at the Battle of the Wilderness on 6 May 1864.  It is not known if his body was recovered or identified, and if so, his place of burial is unknown at this time.

In 1881, Levan’s father, Daniel Warner, applied for a pension based on his Civil War service and death.  The Pension Index Card shows that no pension was awarded to the father.  The reason that the pension was not awarded to his father is probably in the application file which is available at the National Archives.  No record has been found that anyone applied for a pension at the time of Levan’s death.  He was probably not married, and his mother had other means of support.

Schuylkill Haven was the home town of Levan J. Warner and a plaque there in Bubeck Park notes that he was killed in action in the Civil War.  The plaque is pictured on the Schuylkill Haven web site.

Not much more is known about Levan J. Warner at this time.

Comments are welcome from readers.  Pension records, not currently available on-line, are sought and a request is made to anyone who has already obtained them from the National Archives to submit copies for the Civil War Research Project.

Additional stories on the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry and the men who served in it can be found by clicking here.

Category: Queries, Research, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on Levan J. Warner – Killed at Wilderness, 6 May 1864
Tags: Regiments, Warner family

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on May 15, 2012

The post today is a continuation of a study of the men who served in the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry.   Franklin Wise was a Private in Company C, who enlisted on 9 September 1861, at Schuylkill Haven, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.  At the time, he was a resident of Schuylkill Haven and was employed as a boatman.

A physical description off Franklin Wise is not found on the Pennsylvania Veterans’ File Card from the Pennsylvania Archives.  However, his age at enlistment was given as 22 years, something that will become apparent is inconsistent with other records.  Another piece of evidence is that he was discharged for wounds received in action, date unknown.  Franklin Wise is also found in the records as Franklin Felix Wise, Franklin F. Wise, and F. Frank Wise.

A search of Civil War Pension Index Cards on Ancestry.com produced the following result:

The date of 9 March 1863 on the Pension Index Card and the fact that he was eventually awarded a pension (certificate #189081) is proof that Franklin’s wounds were sufficiently serious enough for him to make an early application while the war was still being fought and that the Pension Bureau accepted his application and awarded him a pension.  The date his widow applied, 10 March 1916, could be in close proximity to Franklin Wise’s death – a date that to this point in the research had not yet been determined.  While there is no state named from which Franklin made application for the pension, Ohio is given as the place from which the widow made application, indicating that there was a possibility that Franklin Wise did in Ohio.

Another piece of information gleaned from this Pension Index Card is that Franklin Wise also served in the 5th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company F.  A search of the Pennsylvania Archives Veterans Index Cards produced the following result:

Unfortunately, there is no further personal information on this card.  However, adding to the confusion as to Franklin’s year of birth is his stated age on enrollment – which he gave as 24, indicating a birth year of about 1837.  Franklin Wise‘s dates of service in the 5th Pennsylvania Infantry, a three month regiment, are given as 20 April 1861 to 24 July 1861, and his rank is given as Private.

In searching for more detail on his military experiences through the databases on Ancestry.com, it was discovered that in 1875, Franklin Wise was residing in the Soldiers’ Home in Dayton, Montgomery Co., Ohio.  The record sheet for that home experience is shown below:

Confirmation that this is the correct “Franklin Wise” is given in the military record portion of the sheet.  From the dates and reason of discharge, a new piece of information is discovered – that Franklin was discharged from a “Convalescent Camp” on 27 Jan 1863 and that his disability was incurred on 1 September 1862.  The specifics of the disability are not stated.  From the personal information, an age of 39 was given for the home admission in 1875, indicating an approximate birth year of 1836.  At the time (1875) he was single and gave his occupation as boatman.  There were no known relatives who were named on the Dayton Soldier’s Home record.  Under the section on “Home History,” it is seen that Franklin Wise was a resident at Dayton for slightly less than one year, his date of entrance being 29 April 1875 and date of discharge being 15 April 1876.  The reason for his discharge is given as “Surgeon’s Certificate” and it is not known at present whether this meant that he was capable of caring for himself – or if he was discharged because his condition was so bad that the home was not equipped to care for him.  In any event, there is no physical description of Franklin Wise in the home record, just as there was no physical description of him in the Pennsylvania Veterans’ Index Cards.  Finally, an interesting fact that needs further research is his stated place of birth as “France.”

Knowing that his death possibly occurred in 1916 in Ohio (from Pension Index Card), a search of Findagrave produced a record of his birth and death as well as a picture of his grave marker (see top of post).  A date of birth of 16 May 1833, as stated in this record, would seem to indicate that Franklin told recruiters that he was much younger than his actual age when he enrolled in both the 5th Pennsylvania Infantry and the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry.  Also, this record, not official, states his birthplace as Pennsylvania.  The Findagrave names his burial place as Cedar Hill Cemetery, Newark, Licking County, Ohio.  The date of death is given as 27 February 1916.  Franklin Wise most likely died in Ohio in Licking County.  There should be additional confirmations of this in Ohio records.  Also, since his grave marker is a “military” issue, an application card should be available for that stone.  The stone application cards are available in a database available through Ancestry.com.

One other “military” record to search for is the Veterans’ Census of 1890, which should be available for Ohio.  A search of that census via Ancestry.com produced the following result for Franklin Wise:

Note:  By clicking on the document above, it will enlarge.  The military records is confirmed by the 1890 Census.  Franklin Wise was living in Newark, Licking County, Ohio.  The disability incurred in the Civil War is stated as a “gun shot wound… weak eyes and rheumatism.”  A portion of the disability is difficult to read and could indicate a problem with the stomach.

The published records entitled List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883, [giving the name of each pensioner, the cause for which pensioned, the post-office address, the rate of pension per month, and the date of original allowance], was searched via Ancestry.com, but Frederick Wise was not found in these records.

Finally, the census records (other than 1890) were searched and Frederick Wise was located in Newark, Licking County, Ohio in 1900 and 1910.  In both cases, he was reportedly married and named as the head of a household, but his wife was not living with him in that household and another individual was also named as head of the household.  In these censuses, Frederick Wise gave no occupation and indicated his birth place was Pennsylvania and that at least one parent was born in France.  Using the search tools of Ancestry.com, Frederick was not located in any other census, including 1860, when he most likely was living in Schuylkill County.

The Ohio Death Index, available through Ancestry.com, confirms that Frederick Wise died in Licking County, Ohio, on 16 February 1916.  However, no record was found in the Ancestry.com databases for  application for a “military issue” grave marker.

With the information that Frederick Wise was wounded on or about 1 September 1862, the histories of the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry were consulted.  First, from The Union Army, available on Ancestry.com, it was learned that the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry was in the Battle of Chantilly on 1 September 1862, and had just fought in the Second Battle of Bull Run only two days before.  The description of the Battle of Chantilly is provided from The Union Army, Volume 5, page 255:

3d Corps, Army of Virginia; 3d and 9th Corps, Army of the Potomac.

After the battle of Manassas [Second Bull Run] on 30 August [1862], Pope fell back to Centerville. His forces there on the morning of 1 September numbered about 62,000 men.  They were made up of the 1st, 2nd and 3d Corps of the Army of Virginia, commanded by Sigel, Banks and McDowell, and the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th and 9th Corps of the Army of the Potomac, commanded by Sumner, Heintzelman, Porter, Franklin and Reno.  (The 9th Corps was temporarily commanded by Brig.Gen. Isaac I. Stevens.).

The last day of August was rainy, but Lee decided to push his advantage in spite of the weather. To this end Jackson’s Corps closely followed by Longstreet’s, was moved to Sudley Ford, where they crossed Bull Run, and early on the morning of the 1st September, Jackson started for the Little River Turnpike, intending to reach Fairfax Court House, 7 miles in the rear of Pope, and cut off his retreat.  At 3 o’clock that morning Pope ordered Sumner to make a reconnaissance in the direction of the pike, and the detachments sent out for that purpose discovered Jackson’s column.  Pope ordered McDowell to move back toward Fairfax.

Hooker’s Division of Heintzelman’s Corps was to take a position on the right of McDowell, while Stevens was directed to push forward north of the road from Fairfax to Centerville in the direction of Chantilly to intercept Jackson’s advance.  The remainder of Heintzehnan’s corps was posted on the road between Centerville and Fairfax in support of Stevens, Franklin was placed on the left of McDowell; Sumner, Sigel and Porter, in the order named, were to form on the left of Heintzelman.

Banks’ corps was sent with the trains by the old Braddock road to strike the Alexandria pike beyond Fairfax. Stevens was unable to reach the pike in advance of Jackson, but became engaged with the Confederate skirmishers south of the road.

Without waiting for support, he determined to attack. Seizing the colors of the 78th New York Highlander [his old regiment] he led the advance in person. His division, numbering about 2,000 men, every one of whom was inspired by the heroic conduct of their commander, charged impetuously upon the Confederate column, effectively checking its further progress. Stevens fell in the charge.

Gen. Kearny, commanding the 1st division of Heintzelman’s Corps, moved promptly to the assistance of Stevens and was also killed.

The fighting continued for an hour or more. Ricketts’ Division of McDowell’s corps was drawn up across the road in the valley of Difficult creek and attacked Jackson in front while the fighting on his flank was going on. This assault from two directions forced the enemy to retire and Pope’s army was saved.

The engagement is also known as the Battle of Ox Hill.

The official statement of the Union loss here is included in the report of the operations from 16 August 16 1862 to 2 September 1862.  The Confederate reports give 44 killed, 151 wounded and 5 missing.

Further confirmation that Franklin Wise was wounded at the Battle of Chantilly, Virginia, is found in a history of Schuylkill County, which names him in the casualties of Second Bull Run and Chantilly.

In his History of Company C, 50th Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer Infantry Regiment:  From the Camp, the Battlefield, and the Prison Pen, 1861-1865, J. Stuart Richards presents a letter written to the Pottsville Miners Journal, 9 September 1862, by 1st Sergeant William H. Menning.  The letter is further confirmation that Franklin Wise was a casualty of the Battle of Chantilly, Virginia.  The letter reports the death of Gen. Stevens and then reports that missing men included Franklin Wise.  In the comments that follow the letter, Richards states (page 53):

The men who were mentioned in William Menning‘s letter who were missing were captured and sent behind Confederate lines, and in all probability marched south toward Richmond.  Sometime in early October they were paroled and sent to Camp Parole in Annapolis.  Here they would be exchanged for Confederate prisoners…. Franklin Wise was exchanged, but he was wounded seriously and was discharged.

For Franklin Wise, the information that for a time he was a prisoner of war can now be added to his story.

No obituary has yet been located.   However, the Call of Schuylkill County recognized the death of Franklin Wise in an article that appeared on 3 November 1916:

Of the total number of men in Company C, there survive about forty, only a handful being from or residing here at this time… During the year six members of this company that were former residents of Schuylkill Haven or who enlisted in Company C from this town passed away.  They were Charles Knarr of Haas, Pa, Peter Paul of Schuylkill Haven, G. Schwenk of Illinois, A. Williams of a Soldiers Home, Franklin Wise of Ohio and James Saylor of Philadelphia.  There was a total of nine deaths in Company C during the year.  There were thirty three deaths in the entire membership of the 50th Regiment leaving about 290 survivors in the regiment at this time.  In distances traveled, in the variety of their service and in the extremes of heat and cold to which they were subjected, it may be doubted whether any other organizations of Pennsylvania troops paralleled or approached the 50th and 45th Regiments.  The itinerary of the 50th or the total number of miles traveled by this regiment on rail, foot and water amounted to over 12,000 according to statistics gathered by writers and publishers of histories of the war.

Not much more is known at this time about Franklin Wise.  Was he born in France or in Pennsylvania?  Additional information can probably be found in the pension application files that can be found in the National Archives in Washington, D.C.  Pension application files exist for both Franklin and for his widow, Elizabeth A. Wise.  There is also the possibility of more detail available on the injuries sustained by Franklin at the battle of Chantilly and his capture and parole.  Where was he hospitalized during his recovery and up to the time of his release?

Franklin’s move to Ohio may have coincided with his admittance to the Soldiers’ Home in Canton, Ohio, but that is not certain from the available information.  Why was his stay at the home less than one year and why was he released?

Additional information on the Battle of Chantilly, Virginia, can be found in the newspapers of the time, particularly in the Philadelphia Inquirer and The Farmer’s Cabinet, but nothing is mentioned of Franklin Wise‘s injuries or capture, in those brief descriptions.  The accounts focus more on the loss of Gen. Stevens and the fact that he was being touted as the next leader of the army.

More information is also sought on Elizabeth A. Wise.  What was her maiden name?  Where was she from? Why was she not living with her husband in 1900 and 1910?  Did the couple have any children and if so, are there any living descendants?

Comments are welcome from readers.  Pension records, not currently available on-line, are sought and a request is made to anyone who has already obtained them from the National Archives to submit copies for the Civil War Research Project.

Additional stories on the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry and the men who served in it can be found by clicking here.  The quote from the Call  of Schuylkill County is from the Schuylkill Haven web site.

Category: Queries, Research, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on Franklin Wise – 50th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company C
Tags: Regiments, Wise family

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on May 14, 2012

Samuel A. Losch (1842-1900)

Samuel A. Losch, a veteran of the Civil War and a Pennsylvania State Senator from the area around Schuylkill Haven, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, died in Atlantic City, New Jersey, at the age of 58.  Sen. Losch was born in Uniontown (Pillow), Dauphin County.  His death was reported in both the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Harrisburg Patriot:

SENATOR LOSCH PASSES AWAY

Well-Known Veteran and Politician Died at Atlantic City Yesterday

Had Gone to the Seashore in the Hope of Recuperating His Health

THE LATE SENATOR LOSCH

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., 11 September 1901 — State Senator Samuel Alfred Losch, aged 58 years, representing the Twenty-seventh district of Pennsylvania, died here to-day in a sanitarium, where he had been under treatment for kidney trouble.  He came here in May in ill health.  Mrs. Losch was with him when the end came.

His family of six children had been here during the summer and had only returned to their homes in Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania, last week.  His son Harry is a cadt aboard the Pennsylcvania training shipp “Saratoga,” which is now in European waters.

The body of Senator Losch was sent to Schuylkill Haven in a special car this afternoon.

Senator Losch was born in Uniontown, Dauphin County, 10 December 1842.  He was educated in the public schools and when the Civil War broke out he enlisted as a private in Company C, Fiftieth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers [50th Pennsylvania Infantry].  He was promoted from time to time and when he was mustered out in 1865 it was as first lieutenant of his company. 

He was a member of the House of Representatives in 1875-76.  He was appointed Secretary of New Mexico by President Arthur.  He was elected chief clerk of the House of Representatives in 1887 and he had been a delegate to nearly every Republican State convention since 1871.  Senator Losch was active in the G.A.R.  He was also well know in Masonic circles.

Above article from:  Philadelphia Inquirer, 12 September 1900.

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DEATH OF SAM LOSCH

State Senator From Schuylkill County Expires at Atlantic City Sanitarium

UP TO A FEW DAYS AGO HIS HEALTH HAD BEEN IMPROVING, BUT MONDAY HE TOOK TO HIS BED

WAS ONCE SECRETARY OF NEW MEXICO

Atlantic City, N.J. 11 September 1900 — State Senator S. A. Losch, of Pennsylvania, aged fifty-eight years, died here to-day at a sanitarium, where he had been under treatment for kidney trouble.  He came here from his home at Schuylkill Haven last May.  He was then in poor health, but had sufficient scrength and vitality to move around the hotel and visit the boardwalk in a rolling chair.  He was in the dining room Monday and ate a light breakfast.  An hour or two later he was forced to retire to his bed, where he remained until death came.

Mrs. Losch was with him when he expired.  Other members of the family who had been here during the season returned home a few days ago under the impression that the senator was improving.  The body was taken this afternoon to Senator Losch’s late home.

Senator Losch was serving his first term in the state senate from the 29th district and for several years was chief clerk in the house of representatives at Harrisburg.

Above article from Harrisburg Patriot, 12 September 1900.

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Samuel A. Losch was 5 foot, 6 inches tall, had blue eyes, light hair and light complexion, as his Pennsylvania Veterans’ Index Card notes.  His occupation at the time of enlistment was boatman and he probably worked on the Schuykill River at or near Schuylkill Haven.  He was eighteen years old when started in the regiment, first as a Private, but later receiving promotions up to the final rank of 1st Lieutenant.  His term of service included a re-enlistment on 1 January 1864, at Blaine’s Crossroads, Tennessee.  Pennsylvania Veterans’ Index Cards are available from the Pennsylvania Archives.

The Pension Index Card (above) gives the year of 1879 for the first application for an invalid pension by Samuel A. Losch.  He was awarded the pension as the presence of a certificate number indicates.  The date the pension was awarded would be found in the file for Samuel A. Losch at the National Archives.  When Sen. Losch died, his widow, Fidelia S. Losch, applied for and received the continuation of his pension.  Pension Index Cards, a product of the National Archives, are available through the on-line resources at Ancestry.com.

The Pennsylvania Veterans’ Burial Card (above) correctly notes the birth and death date of Sen. Losch as 19 December 1842 and 11 September 1900, his dates of service, and his place of burial which is Union Cemetery, Schuylkill Haven, Schuylkill County.  However, his highest rank is given at 4th Lieutenant, when the military record clearly states his promotion to 1st Lieutenant on 1 April 1865, which was before his discharge. His grave marker gives his highest rank as “Major.”  This later rank may have been a result of later service in the Pennsylvania National Guard, but needs confirmation  There was no additional U.S. service (other than the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry) noted on his Pension Index Card.  Pennsylvania Veterans’ Burial Cards are a product of the Pennsylvania Archives but are available through Ancestry.com.  Information on these cards is often found to be inaccurate as it was usually supplied by family members who did not have access to official records.  The cards are useful in identifying grave locations, but the actual stone should be located to help confirm the information.  In this case, the picture of the stone as found on Findagrave clearly shows the rank as “Major.”  No records have been located to confirm that Sen. Losch ever served at the rank of 4th Lieutenant.

The portrait of Sen. Losch was digitally improved from the picture that was published in the Philadelphia Inquirer at the time of his death.  News articles are from the on-line resources of the Free Library of Philadelphia.

For further information on the life and career of Samuel A. Losch, see the Schuylkill Haven History web site, and search on the page for “Losch.”  There is very good information on his activities with the Schuylkill Haven G.A.R. Post on that page!

Since Sen. Losch was born within the geographic triangle of this Civil War Research Project, he will be included in the next edition of the Veterans List.  Anyone with further information on Sen. Losch is urged to contribute it – particularly information on his term as “Secretary of New Mexico”.  Additional pictures and stories are always sought!

Category: Research, Resources, Stories | 1 Comment »
Tags: G.A.R., Pillow, Regiments, Uniontown