Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 9, 2011

The Emanuel United Brethren Cemetery, also known as Forney’s Cemetery, is located in Washington Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania (original post office address Rife).  Heading west out of Elizabethville on Route 209 traveling toward Millersburg, cross over the bridge at Wiconisco Creek and take the first left on Dam Hill Road and then the first right onto Shiffer Mill Road.  The cemetery is located on the right side of Shiffer Mill Road and is marked by a monument to the Emanuel Church.  The monument houses the original church bell and has two American flags flanking its front.

The stone plaque indicates that Emanuel’s United Brethren Church existed here from 1858 to 1901.  This Civil War church has long since disappeared, but the cemetery is well-maintained.

The church bell is inscribed with the name of its maker and donor.  McNeely and Company of West Troy, New York, cast the bell.  Mrs. M. D. Bonawitz (nee Forney) was the donor.  There are several persons with the surname Bonawitz or Forney who presently appear in the list of names compiled for the Civil War Research Project, but it is not known at this time if any of these have a genealogical connection to the donor.

One Civil War veteran is easily identified in this cemetery, and his grave is appropriately marked with the G.A.R. star and flag holder.

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JOHN HENRY JURY (1834-1918)

John Henry Jury was born in 1834 in Berrysburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, the son of Jacob Bretz Jury (1799-1884), a farmer, and Mary Ann or Anne Marie [Schupp] Jury.  John Henry is sometimes found in the records as Johannes Heinrich Jury, the German equivalent of his name.  During the Civil War, he was drafted into the 172nd Pennsylvania Infantry, Company A, as a Private, serving from 2 November 1862.  Bates indicates he was not accounted for at muster out, but this must have been later clarified, because the Pension Index Card indicates he applied for and received a pension when the requirements were much more strict than they were years later.  After his death in 1918, his widow received the pension until her death in 1926. John Henry Jury was a farmer who settled in Upper Paxton Township and with his wife Susanna [Knoll] Jury began raising a family during the Civil War.  His known children were (birth years approximate):  Charles H. Jury (1862); Ann Jane Jury (1864); Ephraim Jury (1866); Harriet A. Jury (1868); William Lawrence Jury (1870); Catharine F. “Kate” Jury; (1872); Emma Jury (1876); Lora Jury (1878); and John H. Jury (1888).  Both John and his wife are buried in Emanuel (Forney’s) Cemetery.  John Henry Jury’s name is inscribed on the Millersburg Civil War Monument.

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Cemetery records are currently being examined to determine if any other Civil War soldiers were buried there.  Some other views of the cemetery are shown below.

Category: Memorials, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on Emanuel United Brethren (Forney’s) Cemetery, Rife (Washington Township)
Tags: Berrysburg, Bonawitz family, Cemeteries, Elizabethville, Forney family, G.A.R., Jury family, Millersburg, Regiments, Schupp family, Upper Paxton Township, Washington Township

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 7, 2011

The recently published book on the Lincoln assassination, written by Bill O’Reilly, anchor of Fox News Channel’s “The O’Reilly Factor,” and his co-author Martin Dugard, is generating a negative response in some quarters.  The book is entitled Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever, Henry Holt & Company, 2011.  The central event in the controversy seems to be a review of Killing Lincoln written by Edward Steers, which was published in North and South: The Official Magazine of the Civil War Society, in November and then re-published on a web site of the Lincoln assassination.  Either in conjunction with this review, or independent of it, Rae Emerson, the deputy superintendent of Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service, conducted a study of the book and concluded that it was “sloppy with the facts and and slim on documentation.”  As a result of the review, the book was banned from sale at the National Park site.

O’Reilly and Dugard’s book is presently on the New York Times non-fiction best seller list and apparently the controversy has done little to put a dent in its sales.  Rather, questions should now be asked about National Park Service policies regarding what is sold in their on-site gift shops, how those policies are made and who is responsible for their implementation.  Does it seem proper that the government should be banning books?  In addition, Steers has opened himself up for criticism, because he appears to be using the supposedly objective review he wrote as a means of selling his own books on the assassination.  Critics of Steers’ review essay could also correctly point out that he is guilty of some of the very things he accuses O’Reilly of doing.

There are no perfect books on the Lincoln assassination.  Each book must be judged on what it is trying to accomplish.  Books that purport to get every little detail “correct” should be well-documented and have interpretations that are fact-based.  Where facts conflict, it is the responsibility of a true, professional historian to explain why one fact is chosen over another and to be able to defend that choice.  Unfortunately, many books on the assassination are overburdened with facts selected to convey a particular point of view – at the expense of other facts which are “left out”, ignorantly or intentionally.  Dismissing possible or actual critics by stating that “historians agree” is a sure warning that there is something there on which historians do not agree.

It is always refreshing when a new interpretation presents itself – sometimes with different facts – or, as in the case of Killing Lincoln, from a different perspective.  Although Bill O’Reilly has a B.A. in history from Marist College – and he was once a history teacher – his advanced degrees from Boston College (broadcast journalism) and Harvard University (public administration) and his twelve years of experience in cable news – have added significant depth to his understanding of the present and the role history has played in the shaping of the present.  What O’Reilly has done is to look at a variety of materials that are readily available – mostly how others have reported on and interpreted the assassination – and present them through his own eyes, and with a particular style – that is hopefully readable and will entice others to delve deeper. O’Reilly does not claim that he is writing a definitive historical work on the assassination nor does he claim to be a professional historian.  He is first and foremost a commentator on current social, political, and economic issues – and on that, if ratings are an indicator, he is very successful.

Therefore, the criticism in this case that he got a few facts wrong, is inappropriate as the main point in a review – particularly when the review is done by an author who doesn’t always get his facts right.  The question here should be whether the thesis is proven by what is presented in the book.

It is O’Reilly’s contention that we, as a people and nation, are currently in a leadership crisis, and we should look to the past for guidance.  This O’Reilly quote, from Newsweek, says it in his words:  “In this time when we’re struggling for leadership—and whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat, you know that we are struggling with leadership in America—we need to go back to a guy like Abraham Lincoln and understand what made him great.”  From the dust jacket, we learn that the book features “some of history’s most remarkable figures,” including John Wilkes Booth, who is referred to as an “impenitent racist”.  The book is intended to be “history that reads like a thriller.”

In an opening note, O’Reilly states what he hopes the reader get out of the book:

The story you are about to read is true and truly shocking…. The assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, only days after the end of the war, was a terrible tragedy.  Much has been speculated about the events leading up to the murder and immediately afterward, but few people know what really happened….  The ferocious assassination plan itself still has elements that have not been clarified…. There are layers of proven conspiracy and alleged conspiracy that will disturb you….   The experience, I believe, will advance your understanding of our country, and how Lincoln’s murder changed it forever….

It is not the purpose of this current blog post to provide a review of Bill O’Reilly‘s book – or to provide a review of any other books on the Lincoln assassination.  Those will come in time.  Students of the assassination know that there is a Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, connection with several of the principal characters who were at Ford’s Theatre the night of the assassination, and therefore, the Lincoln assassination and conspiracy theories related to it are an appropriate topic for future posts on this Civil War Blog.

In the meantime, readers of this blog should judge Killing Lincoln for themselves.

Comments to this post are welcome.

For previous posts on this blog which have mentioned Abraham Lincoln, click here.  For the specific post describing Lincoln’s arrival in Harrisburg while on the way to his inauguration, click here.

Category: Research, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on Bill O’Reilly Book on Lincoln Assassination
Tags: Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln Assassination

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 6, 2011

According to Burke’s Presidential Families of the United States, Abraham Lincoln is a direct descendant of King Edward I Plantagenet (1239-1307) of England.  This connection with the royalty of the British Isles gives some descendants of the same king who currently have a connection with the Lykens Valley area, a distant cousin relationship with our martyred sixteenth president who led the nation during the Civil War.

The genealogical chart shown below traces Lincoln’s line from Edward I (top left) down through Lincoln’s mother, Nancy [Hanks] Lincoln (1784-1818), a family that had its American beginnings in the Philadelphia area but later migrated to Virginia and Kentucky.  It is reproduced below from the appendix of the aforementioned book, which describes other interesting royal connections to American presidents – namely, George Washington as descended from King Henry III (1207-1272); George Washington from King Edward I (1239-1307); Thomas Jefferson from David I, King of Scott (1080-1153); James Monroe from Edward III (1312-1377); John Quincy Adams from Edward I (1239-1307); Ulysses Grant from David I, King of Scots (1080-1153); and, although he was not a president, the genealogical connection of Robert E. Lee to Queen Elizabeth II.  There is also a connection with a more recent president, Richard M. Nixon, and King Edward III, although in that case, the claim goes through an “illegitimate” (but “biological”) offspring, Eleanor Holland, who was born around 1405.

Click on chart to enlarge.

Unfortunately, there is very little documentation in the table itself, but all the documentation (dates, marriages, names of other offspring, etc.) can be easily located in a good genealogical library or on line.  Occasionally, the spellings of names vary and in the period before surnames came into common usage, there can be confusion.  Burke’s, which publishes genealogical references, is located in England and published Burke’s Presidential Families of the United States of America in first edition in 1975.  It stands behind all of its genealogical references and the materials are often quoted when applying for admission to patriotic societies such as the Daughters of the American Revolution or the Sons of Union Veterans.  A copy is available on the open shelves in the main building of the Free Library of Philadelphia.

Once an American line is connected with a royal line, the “cousin” connections become easy to determine.  It’s hard to believe, and he may not have had any inkling of it, but Abraham Lincoln can not only be connected as a cousin to the aforementioned presidents and Robert E. Lee, but also to Queen Victoria.  Thus, the very country that the Confederacy was courting and sought recognition from, was ruled by a monarch who was a distant cousin of the president of the United States!  Even if they didn’t know it then, it makes for an interesting story now.

Abraham Lincoln and Mary [Todd] Lincoln had four sons, only one of whom, Robert Todd Lincoln,survived into adulthood.   He married Mary Harlan and together they had three children but each of those lines ends.  Today, there are no living descendants of Abraham Lincoln.

Pictured below is Queen Victoria.  Her “American Cousin”, Abraham Lincoln, was assassinated in April 1865, ironically, while watching a play of the same name.

Photos of Lincoln and Victoria are from Wikipedia.  The genealogical chart showing the descendants of Abraham Lincoln is linked from the Arlington National Cemetery website of M.R. Patterson.

Category: Research, Resources, Stories | 6 Comments »
Tags: Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln Assassination

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 5, 2011

A listing of the November 2011 posts on The Civil War Blog with direct links:

Lincoln Sightings During Gratz Fair Week

Civil War Harrisburg

Gratz During the Civil War – Leopold Loeb House

Jacobs Lutheran Church All Wars Memorial, Pine Grove Township

October 2011 Posts

Union League of Philadelphia

Halifax Bank Robbery – Abraham Fortenbaugh

Halifax Bank Robbery – Isaac Lyter

Halifax Bank Robbery – Charles W. Ryan

Halifax Bank Robbery – The Robbers

Philadelphia Civil War Memorial on the Franklin Parkway

Gratz During the Civil War – Jonas Faust, Coach Maker

Union League House, Philadelphia – Interior

Honorable Discharges – 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I – Part 1

Obituary of Daniel Israel

Gratz During the Civil War – Fort Jackson

Jacobs Lutheran Cemetery, Pine Grove Township

Thanksgiving 1861 – Preparation

Honorable Discharges – 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I – Part 2

Honorable Discharges -177th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I – Part 3

Umholtz & Strayer – Unknown Photo at Gettysburg

Gov. William Fisher Packer of Pennsylvania

Thanksgiving 1861 – Proclamations

Thanksgiving 1861 – Observance

Honorable Discharges – 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I – Part 4

Devil’s Den & Elsewhere – Unknown Photos at Gettysburg

Honorable Discharges – 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I – Part 5

Gratz During the Civil War – Samuel’s Church

Gratz During the Civil War – Franklin Fidler House

St. Mark’s Cemetery All Wars Memorial, Hubley Township

Category: Overviews | Comments Off on November 2011 Posts
Tags: Table of Contents

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 4, 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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ABRAHAM SNYDER (1844-1905)

Abraham Snyder was previously discussed under the post of 20 October 2011, entitled Pension Index Cards – 177th Pennsylvania Infantry – Company I.  Although he served the full term of nine months until discharge on 5 August 1863, there is no record that he applied for a pension.  However, his widow applied for a pension after he died, and she did not receive one.  Information is still being sought to determine if this Abraham Snyder is the same person who is named on the Lykens G.A.R. Monument.

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AMOS SCHOFFSTALL (1832-1906)

Amos Schoffstall was born in Pennsylvania in 1832, the son of Peter Schoffstall and his wife Mary Ann.  The family lived in Lykens Township, Dauphin County, in 1850, where Peter Schoffstall was a farmer.  In 1863, Amos indicated he was a laborer and single when he registered for the Civil War Draft in Lykens Township, and he also noted that he served in the 177th Pennsylvania Infantry.  After the war, Peter took up farming in Washington Township, Dauphin County.  There are no records to indicate that he ever married.  In 1880, he was living with his brother William Schoffstall in Washington Township, and in 1900 he was retired,  living on his pension as a boarder in the home of George W. Uhler, a dry goods merchant in Elizabethville.  Amos Schoffstall died in 1906 and is buried in the Maple Grove Cemetery in Elizabethville.

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SAMUEL STRAUB (1836-1899)

Samuel Straub is also found in the records as Stroub, Stroup, and Streub.  He was born in Lykens Township, Dauphin County, in 1836, the son of John Straub II and his wife Christina “Dina” [Helm] Straub.  In the 1863 Civil War Draft, Samuel noted that his occupation was farmer and that he was married.  He also indicated that he had service in the 177th Pennsylvania Infantry.  Samuel Straub married Hannah Klinger around 1857.  She was one of the descendants of Johann Peter Klinger and Catharina [Steinbruch] Klinger as well as Johann Peter Hoffman.  Samuel and Hannah started their family before the Civil War and continued having children during the war despite Samuel’s nine month term of service as a draftee.  The following children were born to the couple (birth years approximate):  Tobias Straub (1858); John Straub (1861); Braden Straub (1863); George Straub (1864); Mary Straub (1865); Oscar Straub (1870); and William Straub (1870).  In 1882, Hannah died and Samuel re-married.  His second wife, Elemiah, survived him and collected his pension as guardian of his minor children, but she failed to get approval to continue his pension.  Samuel Straub is buried at Zion (Klinger’s) Church cemetery in Erdman, Lykens Township along with his second wife Elemiah.

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JOHN ADAM SALTZER (1834-1869)

John Adam Seltzer was born in 1834 in Pennsylvania.  At the time of his writing, his parentage was not yet discovered.  He married Ann Elizabeth “Eliza” Schoffstall.  In 1863, when he registered for the draft, he was still single, living in Lykens Township and working as a tailor.  He noted that he had service in the 177th Pennsylvania Infantry.  John and Eliza had three known sons (birth years approximate):  Ulrich Oscar Saltzer (1866); Henry Grant Saltzer (1867); and John Adam Saltzer (1869).  John Adam Saltzer died young at age 35 in 1869 and is buried in Gratz Union Cemetery, Gratz Borough.  He left his wife with young children to support.  It is not known why her application for a widow’s pension was not approved.

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ABRAHAM SEILER (1820-1899)

Abraham “Abe” Seiler, whose name is also found as Siler in the records, was born in 1820 in Pennsylvania.  His parents names have not yet been determined.  After his drafted service in the 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, he joined the 192nd Pennsylvania Infantry, Company H, as a Private, where he served from 1 March 1865 through 24 August 1865.  Prior to the war, Abe married and he and his wife Mary began having children which they continued to do during the war.  His known children (birth years approximate) were:  Rebecca Seiler (1859); Ellen Seiler (1860); William C. Seiler (1862); Abraham L. Seiler (1864); Joseph Seiler (1867); Catharine Seiler (1871); and Louisa Seiler (1873).  In 1870, Abraham Seiler was living with his wife and children in Dalmatia, Northumberland County, and was working as a house carpenter.  In 1880, he had moved to Upper Paxton Township where he was working as a laborer.  The Civil War Monument in Millersburg bears his name.  This is an indication that the G.A.R. knew of his war service and he was probably active in the post in Millersburg.  Abraham Seiler died in 1899 and he is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Millersburg.  After his death, his widow collected his pension.

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The continuation of the “Honorable Discharges” of the 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I, will appear in about two weeks.

Category: Research, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on Honorable Discharges – 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I – Part 8
Tags: Dalmatia, Elizabethville, Erdman, G.A.R., Gratz Borough, Hoffman family, Klinger family, Lykens Township, Millersburg, Regiments, Schoffstall family, Seiler family, Upper Paxton Township, Washington Township