Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 19, 2011

Today, the blog post  again continues to feature members of the 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I, who served the full term of nine months and received honorable discharges on 5 August 1863.  The research results presented here are based on preliminary data gathering on each of the members of the company and searches for Pension Index Cards that reference the pension application files that are available at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.  Some of the members of this company have been previously discussed on blog posts here and reference to those posts are provided with links.

In addition, much has already been written on Benjamin J. Evitts, the elected captain of this company (click here for previous posts on Benjamin J. Evitts).   Click here for previous posts on the 177th Pennsylvania Infantry.

The 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I,was a drafted militia that served for nine months.  No member of this militia was reported injured as a result of a military act, so, theoretically, nearly all the pension applications should be post-1890, when “age” became the most significant factor for the veteran to receive a pension.  This should be reflected in the date of application on the Pension Index Card.  If the veteran died before 1890, there probably was no application made by the veteran, but it is possible that a widow applied.  In the column for “Certificate Number,” if no number appears, this would indicate that an application was made, but no pension was awarded.  If a number appears in the “Certificate Number” column, it can be assumed that a pension was awarded, although the date of the award cannot be determined from the Pension Index Card.

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GEORGE H. TROUTMAN

More information is sought on George H. Troutman since no Pension Index card has been located which indicates service in the 177th Pennsylvania Infantry.  No record for the Census of 1890 has been located either.  There are several entries for a George H. Troutman in other Pennsylvania regiments, but none of these has been connected to the George who served in the 177th Pennsylvania Infantry.

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WILLIAM WEAVER

A Pension Index Card and a 1890 Veterans’ census entry have been located for the William Weaver who served in the 177th Pennsylvania Infantry.  He was living in Curtin, Mifflin Township in 1890, so it is possible that the farmer William Weaver, who appears in the 1880 Census for the same township is the same person.  Addition information is needed to confirm this.

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JOHN H. WERT (1837-1913)

John Wert was previously mentioned in the Calvary United Methodist Cemetery post.  He is also found in the records as John H. Wirt.  Born in 1837 in Jackson Township, Dauphin County, John was the son of Jacob Wert (1804-1890) and Sarah Elizabeth “Betsey” [Faber] Wert.  Prior to the Civil War, John Wert married Mary Margaret Pinkerton (1840-1910) and with her had the following known children (birth years approximate):  John F. Wert (1858); Annie M. Wert (1865); Catherine J. Wert (1868-1908); William Henry Wert (1871); James Monroe Wert (1872); Charles Jacob Wert (1877); Emma Rebecca Wert (1881); and Mattie Frances Wert (1883).  John and his family lived in Wiconisco after the war where he worked as a carpenter in a cola mine.  He collected a disability pension based on his Civil War service in the 177th Pennsylvania Infantry.  The last three years of his life he lived as a widower in Wiconisco and when he died, he was buried in the Calvary United Methodist Cemetery in Wiconisco.

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DANIEL WILLIARD

Daniel Williard was born in 1825 in Pennsylvania, and believed to be the son of Samuel Williard and Eva Schoffstall.  In 1843, he married Elizabeth Long. in Uniontown (now Pillow), Dauphin County.  They had the following known children:  William Henry Williard (1845); Mary Ann Williard (1847-1867); Rebecca Jane Williard (1849-1856).  Mary Elizabeth Williard (1852); Jonathan William “John” Williard (1855-1866); Daniel Frank Williard (1863-1917); Adam Victor Williard (1865); and John A. Williard (1866).  Daniel Williard was one of the older members of the 177th Pennsylvania Infantry.  After the war he lived in Lykens Township where he was a farmer.  He is buried in Zion (Klinger’s) Church Cemetery, Erdman, Lykens Township.

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The conclusion of the “Honorable Discharges” of the 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I, will appear tomorrow.

Category: Research, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on Honorable Discharges – 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I – Part 9
Tags: Curtin, Erdman, Jackson Township, Lykens Township, Mifflin Township, Pillow, Regiments, Schoffstall family, Troutman family, Uniontown, Weaver family, Wiconisco, Williard family, Wirt family

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 18, 2011

The following article was found in the Lykens Standard of 28 February 1902:

ATTENTION, SONS OF VETERANS!

LYKENS.– The sons of the veterans of the war of 1861-65 are hereby requested to meet in the Post room of G.A.R. hall tomorrow (Saturday) evening at 7:30 o’clock, standard time, for the purpose of making preliminary arrangements for the reorganization of the camp Sons of veterans of this place.  The time is nigh at hand when the noble work done by the Grand Army of the republic in perpetuation the memory of their departed comrades who sacrificed their lives on southern battle fields or in rebel prison pens that this Union might be maintained, must pass into other hands; soon the last survivor of that long and bloody struggle will obey the command of the Great captain and join his comrades in the grand army beyond, and who then will decorate their graves with the first flowers of spring and recount their valorous deeds?  Shall the memory of the noble sacrifices they made die with them?  God forbid!  Let every son of these noble heroes then attend this meeting.  There is no reason why a large Camp should not be organized at this place, and especially so now, when the camp would have advantages not enjoyed before.  Don’t forget the time — 7:30 o’clock tomorrow evening — and bring all who are eligible to membership with you.  There will be a festival by one of the churches in the room on the first floor, but this will not interfere.  Just enter the hall and go right up the stairway to the Post room, where you will be heartily welcomed.

Category: Research, Stories | Comments Off on Reorganization of Sons of Veterans Camp in Lykens
Tags: G.A.R., Lykens Borough

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 17, 2011

Another visiting group photo from the Gettysburg battlefield is presented today in an attempt to identify the persons in the photo.  The two monuments in the rear of the photo should give some clue as to the location on the battlefield where the photo was taken.  Unfortunately, when the original print of this photo was donated to the Gratz Historical Society, the donor could not identify anyone pictured.

Two persons who appear in the photo are of an age where they could have been veterans of the Civil War and their pictures are enlarged below in the hopes that a reader will be able to identify them.  By clicking on any of the pictures, they will enlarge further and greater detail can be seen.

Comments are welcome!

Category: Queries, Research, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on Another Unknown Photo of Gettysburg – Visiting the Battlefield
Tags: Monument

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 16, 2011

The Garden State Central Model Railroad Club (New Jersey) held a  meeting at member Thom Radice’s Civil War era HO model railroad layout on October 13th 2009. This layout was the cover feature of the October 2009 edition of Railroad Model Craftsman magazine.  The layout depicts the Western and Atlantic Railroad from Atlanta to Chattanooga in 1863.  The video that was taken of the meeting was posted to YouTube on 15 October 2009.  Radice’s model layout is a fine example of of a period-era railroad.

Not many model companies make reproductions of Civil War era trains and buildings so much of Radice’s display was made from scratch over a period of many years.

For those wishing to set up a Civil War era model railroad display, Bachmann has released a 150th anniversary set in both Union and Confederate editions (Union set pictured above).  The sets are available through many sources on the web, which can be located by entering “Bachmann Civil War Train Set” into a search engine.

Watch also for other companies to release Civil War models in various scales for the Civil War Sesquicentennial. “Finds” can be added as comments to this post.

This blog welcomes pictures of model railroads of the Civil War era, particularly if they depict the type of equipment used on the Northern Central Railroad or Lykens Valley Railroad during the Civil War period – or if they involve military aspects of the war in geographic areas where Lykens Valley soldiers were present and made contributions.  Many of the veterans who appear in this Civil War Research Project participated in the Atlanta Campaign and Sherman’s March to the Sea, hence the relevance of Radice’s Western and Atlantic Railroad.

Category: Events, Museums, Reflections | 1 Comment »
Tags: Railroad

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 15, 2011

Andrew Gregg Curtin served as Governor of Pennsylvania for six years (two terms of three years) from 15 January 1861 to 15 January 1867.  As Pennsylvania’s Civil War governor he took the lead among northern governors in supporting President Abraham Lincoln by raising troops, organizing them into combat units, setting up training camps (the first of which was set up at Harrisburg and named Camp Curtin), visiting soldiers in the field including those serving in the south, holding a wartime conference of northern governors aimed at coordinating war efforts, and providing for the care of soldiers who were wounded and for the families of those who were killed in the war.  He was the leading force in establishing the Gettysburg National Cemetery and sat next to President Lincoln when he delivered the dedicatory address.

Andrew Curtin was the grandson of Andrew Gregg, a United States Senator from Pennsylvania who served in the period prior to the start of the War of 1812.  As the governor of the state, he was the civilian Commander in Chief of Pennsylvania forces.  Three of his first cousins were officers in the army during the Civil War:  John I. Gregg; David McMurtrie Gregg; and John I. Curtin.  His cousins led Pennsylvania regiments in which men from the Lykens Valley area served.

In 1844 Andrew Curtin married Catharine Irvine Wilson (1821-1903).  The couple had nine children, eight of whom were born before the Civil War.  The two sons among the nine children were born in the 1850s and were too young to serve in the military during the war.

Andrew Gregg Curtin was born on 22 April 1817 in Bellefonte, Centre County, Pennsylvania.  His father, Roland Curtin, was a Irish immigrant who became an iron manufacturer in central Pennsylvania, establishing the Eagle Iron Works in 1810.  Andrew received his education at the Bellefonte Academy and at Dickinson College and afterward began the practice of law.  The first public office he held was Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which was followed by an appointment as Superintendent of the Public Schools.  Originally a Whig, Andrew Curtin switched parties in 1860 to run for governor as a Republican in the state election which preceded the national election by one month.

As governor, his quick action in calling for a draft, in mobilizing emergency militia, and in recommending to Lincoln the appointment of Gen. George Gordon Meade as Major General, is credited for saving Pennsylvania from being overrun by the rebel army commanded by Gen. Robert E. Lee.

All was not easy for Gov. Curtin early in the war as the stresses of office led to a partial mental breakdown, and while he was recovering, Pres. Lincoln offered him an ambassadorship, which he refused, choosing to stay the course and run for re-election in 1863.  After the war, he did accept a position as Ambassador to Russia where he served during the Grant administration.  Upon returning to the United States, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives where he served from 1881 to 1887.  He then retired to Bellefonte where he died on 7 October 1894.  He is buried in Union Cemetery in Bellefonte.

For previous blog posts which have discussed Gov. Curtin, click here.  Some of the information for this post was taken from Wikipedia.  The painting of Gov. Curtin is from the Capitol Preservation Committee website.  The photograph is from Wikipedia and is in the public domain because its copyright has expired.

Category: Research, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on Andrew Gregg Curtin, Civil War Governor of Pennsylvania
Tags: Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Curtin, Curtin family, Gregg family