Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on November 8, 2011

Isaac Lyter (1844-1912)

At age 55, Isaac Lyter was the youngest of the three bank officials present the day the Halifax National Bank was robbed, 14 March 1901.  He was the owner of five shares of stock in the bank and was its assistant cashier.  During the course of the robbery, he somehow was able to slip out the door and get help.  Joseph Lyter, said to be a brother of Isaac, came to the rescue with a shotgun and was able to subdue one of the robbers, Henry Rowe, in the alley behind the Methodist church.  In the exchange of gunfire that took place in the bank, it was not known for certain which robber fired the three shots that killed cashier Charles W. Ryan, but Rowe later admitted that he believed he was the one who fired the shots directly at Ryan.  Thus, Isaac Lyter‘s quick thinking in going out and getting help was the primary reason that the actual killer was captured while he was attempting to escape.  The other robber, Weston Keiper, was believed to have been subdued within the bank, but accounts differ on when and where he actually was placed under arrest.

Isaac Lyter was born 11 November 1844 in Halifax, Dauphin County.  His parents were Christian Lyter and Catherine [Bowman] Lyter.  Isaac’s father was a blacksmith, and in 1850 and 1860, Isaac is living with his family in Halifax.  Isaac’s mother was a brother of Isaac Bowman who had married Rebecca Enders, and thus he had a connection to the Enders family and the descendants of Captain Enders.  See Captain Enders Legion.

At age 19 (although he claimed he was 20), on the 14 September 1864, he joined the 46th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I, as a Private. According to information in Captain Enders Legion, Isaac saw the follow service:

Isaac [enlisted] in the 46th Pennsylvania Infantry regiment, Company I, at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  He reported to the 1st Brigade headquarters in the Atlanta, Georgia area and was directed to the 46th Regiment.  By the time Isaac reported, Atlanta had surrendered and Sherman’s victorious columns entered the city in triumph.  The hard fighting of the regiment was now ended.  General Knipe was transferred to the Command of Cavalry and the regiment Commander, Colonel Joseph L. Selfridge to the Brigade, leaving Major Patrick Griffith in command of the 46th.  On 11 November, General Sherman started his march to the sea.  On 21 December, he reached Savannah and after a brief conflict at Fort McAllister, took possession of the city.  With a brief respite, Sherman faced his columns to the north.  On 17 February, Columbia, the Capital of South Carolina was taken without resistance.  A month later he reached Goldsboro, North Carolina, the end of his hostile wayfaring.  Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrendered on 26 April and Sherman’s Army immediately commenced its homeward march.  On 8 June 1865, Isaac was discharged by General Order with the rank of Private.

Curiously, the authors of Captain Enders Legion report that this was Isaac’s second enlistment and that his first enlistment was in the Regular Army, supposedly taking place on 29 July 1861.  The actual record of that supposed enlistment has not been located and when Isaac applied for a Civil War pension, he only indicated service in the 46th Pennsylvania Infantry (see Pension Index Card below).  Perhaps the Regular Army enlistment was another person of the same name – although no other Isaac Lyter has yet been found either in the Civil War military lists or in the enlistment records of the Regular Army.

The only Veterans’ Index Card for Isaac Lyter that was found at the Pennsylvania Archives is shown above.  Below is shown the Pension Index Card referencing Issac’s pension file at the National Archives.

After the Civil War, in about 1870, Isaac married Mary J. Brubaker who was 23 years old at the time.  Their known children were Pearl E. Lyter, born in 1874; Lillie Mae Lyter, forn in a877, and Katherine Lyter, born in 1881.  In 1880, Isaac appears in the 1880 census, living in Halifax and working as a blacksmith.  In 1890, he was still living in Halifax and reported his service in the 46th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I, with no mention of the “other” service reported in Captain Enders Legion.

For both the 175th anniversary of Halifax and the bicentennial of Halifax, commemorative books were produced which described the history of the area, and in particular named the veterans who had served in various wars.  Named as a member of  Slocum G.A.R. Post #523, as one of its founding members, was Isaac Lyter.  In the picture shown above, reproduced for both the 175th and 200th anniversary of Halifax, none of the Civil War veterans are identified.  One of the veterans could be Isaac Lyter.

For the Census of 1900, Isaac Lyter identified his occupation as “clerk in bank.”  Since this census was taken in mid-1900, before the actual chartering of the Halifax National Bank which did not take place until 20 October 1900, Isaac must have been working for the old Halifax Bank.  It was during this time period that he purchased the five shares of stock at $100 per share that enabled him to obtain his new title of assistant cashier.  Bank records show that thirteen days following the robbery and murder of cashier Charles W. Ryan, Isaac Lyter was promoted to cashier, a position he held until his death in late 1912.

Isaac Lyter is buried in Halifax Methodist Cemetery with appropriate “G.A.R.” designation on his stone as well as the only known regiment in which he served clearly noted – the 46th Pennsylvania Infantry.  Although the stone notes his service in Company D, official records record his service in Company I.  Mary [Brubaker] Lyter died in 1935 in Halifax and is buried next to her husband.  She collected a widow’s pension for more than 20 years after his death.

More information is sought on Isaac Lyter, his Civil War service and the reasons for his change of occupation in the late 19th century, from blacksmith to banker.  Perhaps, because of his civil and fraternal involvement with the G.A.R. in Halifax, he became acquainted with the “money men” of the area, who brought him into their circle and when the opportunity arose for becoming a shareholder in the new National Bank, he was was able to “buy in.”

Tomorrow, the murder victim of the Halifax bank robbery will be profiled – Charles W. Ryan, also a Civil War veteran.

The Pension Index Card is from Ancestry.com.  The Pennsylvania Veterans’ Index Card is from the Pennsylvania Archives.  The portrait of Isaac Lyter is from Captain Enders Legion.  The Halifax Area Historical Society has headquarters at the old Methodist church at 3rd & Market Streets, in Halifax (Halifax Area Historical Society, P.O. Box 72, Halifax, PA  17032).  Hours are by appointment.

Category: Research, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on Halifax Bank Robbery – Isaac Lyter
Tags: Bowman family, Brubaker family, Halifax, Lyter family, Ryan family

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on November 7, 2011

The Halifax Bank, the first bank in the Borough of Halifax, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, was organized in 1871 and was located on Market Street.  By October 1900, the Halifax Bank bank closed and was re-established as the Halifax National Bank. Within a year, a robbery attempt was made at the bank which resulted in the death of its cashier, Charles W. Ryan.   The robbers were captured, a speedy trial was held, and less than a year later they were hanged in Harrisburg – at a public hanging in which more than 1000 persons came to witness.

The story of the bank robbery has been approached from many perspectives and today, there is an exhibit at the Halifax Area Historical Society at the old Methodist church, 3rd and Market Streets, which displays original documents from the trial and photographs of the execution.  The visitor to the Society is first greeted upon entry into the Methodist church with a large safe from the old Halifax National Bank of 1900 – and the parking lot behind the old church near where one of the robbers was captured, is now owned by the bank, which has re-located to the northeast corner of 3rd and Market Streets.  The old bank building, farther down the street, is now a private residence.  In the year 2000, the Halifax National Bank produced a commemorative booklet on its “100th Year” and again detailed the story of the robbery as one of the defining incidents in its history.  Over the years, the Halifax bank robbery of 1901 has become the focus of several programs of the Halifax Area Historical Society and has been variously described in periodical articles.  When the robbery and shooting occurred, it made headlines in newspapers throughout the country.  Likewise, the trial and execution of the robber-murderers was also eagerly awaited news.  Reporters descended on Harrisburg trying to get every possible detail of how the accused were responding and how remorseful they were for their deeds.  The execution was described down to the last detail including how long it took before the doctors could make the death pronouncement.  In one of their final statements, the convicted killers of Charles W. Ryan attributed their bad ways to too much reading of trashy western novels of the Jesse James ilk.

One of the aspects of this story that has not been thoroughly examined is the history of the banking system in the United States and how the Civil War fit into that history.  Today, the Federal Reserve System is our “National Bank” and issues national currency.  But in the days prior to the Civil War, there was no national currency.  Paper money was issued based on reserves of gold or silver held by the government, but for the most part, transactions were done in specie, or actual gold or silver, usually represented by coin.  The Civil War created huge expenditures for the Union and in order to finance the effort, about $150 million in “greenbacks” were issued.  According to one source:

The bills were backed only by the national government’s promise to redeem them and their value was dependent on public confidence in the government as well as the ability of the government to give out specie in exchange for the bills in the future. Many thought this promise backing the bills was about as good as the green ink printed on one side, hence the name “greenbacks.”

The original banking act, known as the National Currency Act of 1863, attempted to create a single national currency by allowing chartered banks to issue bank notes that were backed by the government.  The notes were printed by the government and issued to the banks only to the extent of the capital that the bank directors had deposited in the national treasury.  State chartered banks could still exist, but any currently they issued became taxed at a level where it was not economically prudent to issue currency – thus driving the state currency out of circulation.  The National Currency Act of 1864 was passed to establish federally issued bank charters and this took banking out of the hands of state governments.  These two currency acts were a direct result of the Civil War and the huge expenditures encountered by the Union – and they represent in the economic realm, a major shift between the role and power of the states and the role and power of the central government.

Under the new rules, it took a large amount of capital to establish a national bank.  States could still charter banks, but the capital required to do so was much less – and they could not issue currency.  Because of the low amount of capital required to charter a state bank, the number of state banks grew significantly in the period prior to 1913.  The dual banking system (national banks that could issue currency and state banks that could not) was an unusual arrangement that fueled the growth of the United States during the Gilded Age, industrial revolution, and great period of immigration between 1890 and 1910.  But the arrangement also caused a great deal of concern in presidential election campaigns and there were a number of financial “panics” that occurred during this period.

The Halifax National Bank, according to its “100th Year” booklet, was captitalized at $25,000 which involved 250 shares that were sold at $100 apiece.  The original shareholders included three men who will be discussed in this post and the two days following.  First, Abraham Fortenbaugh, owner of 10 shares, was elected as a director and was the first president of the bank.  The cashier of the new bank was Charles W. Ryan who also owned ten shares.  The assistant cashier was Isaac Lyter, owner of five shares.  All three men were present in the bank on 14 March 1901 when two other men, Weston Keiper and Henry Rowe entered the bank with the intention of robbing it.  The first three posts will look at each of the men in relation to their genealogies and Civil War connections.  The final post will examine the lives of the two robber-murderers and one of their accomplices.

Abraham Fortenbaugh (1838-1927)

Abraham Fortenbaugh was born in Newberry, York County, 5 August 1838, a son of Samuel B. Fortenbaugh, a butcher, and Mary Eve [Miller] Fortenbaugh.  In 1860, he was working as clerk while still living with his parents.  Three brothers had died young:  Samuel Fortenbaugh, at age 7 in 1851; a second Samuel Fortenbaugh, at about age 2 in 1853; and Robert Fortenbaugh, at about age 2 in 1856.  Likewise, two sisters had also died:  Mary Anna Fortenbaugh, the first-born of the family, who survived less than a year before Abraham was born; and Annie Fortenbaugh, who was born just after Abraham, and likewise died young.  Only one sibling had survived at wartime, Mary Ellen Fortenbaugh, who like her brother Abraham lived to old age.

Click on document to enlarge.

For whatever reason, the young Abraham chose not to enlist in the war.  On the 30 January 1862, Abraham married Mary Elizabeth Byrode, and they commenced having children while living in Newberry.  Their first child Seward Byrode Fortenbaugh was born 10 February 1863, just a few months before York County began to be overrun with Lee’s invading army.  No personal reminiscences have been located on how the young couple fared during the Gettysburg campaign.  When the national draft registration took place in July 1863, Abraham Fortenbaugh did his duty and registered – as a 24-year old merchant living in Newberry Township who was married and who was born in Pennsylvania.  He was never called to duty.

A second child was born 26 November 1864, Mary Ellen Fortenbaugh, and family records indicate the birth took place in Halifax, Dauphin County, so by this time the family probably had re-located from York County, perhaps as refugees.  In a short time after the birth of Mary Ellen, on 17 February 1865, Seward died.  Family records record the death in Halifax.  In years to follow, two other children were born to the couple:  Katherine Elizabeth Fortenbaugh, born in 1867, and Samuel Byrode Fortenbaugh born in 1869.  More will be said on the last two children in an epilogue to this series of posts.

Just after the war ended, in May 1866, Abraham Fortenbaugh‘s father Samuel B. Fortenbaugh died.  Family records do not indicate whether he died in York County or whether he had re-located elsewhere.  His place of burial has not yet been found.  Abraham’s  mother, Mary Eve [Miller] Fortenbaugh, supposedly lived to 1881, but her place of death and grave have not yet been located either.

Census records for the Fortenbaugh family have not yet been found for 1870 or 1880, and the 1890 census was lost.  There are two records for Abraham from 1900 – the census and a passport application.  The Census of 1900 shows Abraham Fortenbaugh living in Halifax and working as a merchant.  The passport application confirms other information about him, including information about his wife, Mary Elizabeth.  In 1907, Abraham Fortenbaugh and his son Samuel Fortenbaugh are found on ship list returning from Havana, Cuba.  In the 1910 Census, Abraham has relocated to Harrisburg, where his occupation is given as banker.  In 1920, still in Harrisburg, he is listed as a bank director.   In 1927, Abraham Fortenbaugh died at the age of 88 in Harrisburg.

More information is sought on Abraham Fortenbaugh and his family, especially the reasons he re-located to Halifax and whether there was a relationship to the Civil War.  There are also the “missing years” between the 1870s and 1900 where he has not yet been located in the records.  Anyone with information to contribute is urged to do so!

Tomorrow, the story of Isaac Lyter, the teller and assistant cashier was present at the Halifax National Bank the day of the robbery and who helped to subdue the robbers.

The picture of the Halifax National Bank and the picture of the national currency issued by the bank are from the 100th anniversary booklet produced by the bank in 1900.  The portrait of Abraham Fortenbaugh is from a Dauphin County history.  The 1863 draft registration form is from Ancestry.com.  Some of the information on national banks was taken from Wikipedia.   The Halifax Area Historical Society has headquarters at the old Methodist church at 3rd & Market Streets, in Halifax (Halifax Area Historical Society, P.O. Box 72, Halifax, PA  17032).  Hours are by appointment.

Category: Research, Stories | 1 Comment »
Tags: Byrode family, Fortenbaugh family, Halifax, Keiper family, Lyter family, Rowe family, Ryan family

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on November 6, 2011

Before, during and after the Civil War, many patriotic organizations were formed to express support for the country.  Some of these took root in cities, while other were more popular in the countryside.  One of the most famous and most successful of these organizations was the Union League of Philadelphia.

In May 1865, the Union League of Philadelphia opened its new house on South Broad Street.  It had been organized in 1862 as a patriotic organization to support Abraham Lincoln and the concept of Union.  It was the prototype of the “Union League Movement” which spread across the United States during the Civil War and afterward in Reconstruction.

The original headquarters of the Union League was at 1118 Chestnut Street (Washington Square), Philadelphia, shown below in an 1863 photo.  The broadsides on the wall in front of the adjacent building promote candidates and positions for an upcoming election.  This was the location of activities during the Civil War.

The new house of the Union League on Broad Street was the headquarters for activities during the period of Reconstruction and afterward.  The opening was described in a Philadelphia Inquirer article of 12 May 1865:

OPENING OF THE UNION LEAGUE HOUSE — RAISING OF THE AMERICAN FLAG — The new Union League House, on Broad Street, was thrown open yesterday morning to visitors, a large number of whom availed themselves of the opportunity of inspecting the different apartments.  Among those present yesterday were a number of ladies who were strangers in this city.  A full description of the exterior of this beautiful and substantial structure was given in this paper a few days since, in advance of all other contemporaries.  It remains therefore to speak of the furniture, which has been placed in the different rooms.  This will not give a just conception of the interior arrangements, however, as much more is to be added before the work of furnishing will be complete.

On ascending the flight of steps in front of the building, the spectator is at once ushered into the main hallway; the first object of attention on entering are the beautiful marble busts of Washington and Franklin, which are placed on pedestals on either side of the hall.  A revolving bulletin board is placed in the centre, on which will be posted any special news which may be of interest to the members at large.

Next Sunday, this blog will continue to “visit” this grand building by “viewing” some of the rooms as seen by a reporter of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Today, the Union League continues to abide by its motto, “Love of Country Leads.”  It has supported America’s military in all wars since the Civil War.  Within the current complex of buildings is a library-museum that houses a unique collection of artifacts and art.

Text of historical marker:

UNION LEAGUE OF PHILADELPHIA

Founded 1862 as a patriotic society supporting President Lincoln’s efforts to preserve the Union.  Recruited and financed troops during the Civil War.  Its membership of prominent citizens later pursued political reform and social, philanthropic and civic causes.  Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.  2004.

THE UNION LEAGUE OF PHILADEPPHIA.  FOUNDED 1862.  Entered upon the National Register of Historic Places for its Loyalty to the United States in War and Peace.  John Fraser, Architect.  Built – 1865.

Exterior Restoration of the Union League House with the Configuration of the Buildings in 1911.  Completed Fall 2006.  Frank Giordano, President of the Union League.

The image of the Daily Evening Bulletin at the top of this post is from the web site BlackPast and is in the public domain.  The image of the original Union League building is from the Free Library of Philadelphia as posted on the publicly supported site, PhillyHistory.  Information about the Union League was compiled from the the Union League web site as well the other aforementioned web sites.  The news clipping on the opening of the Union League is from the on-line resources of the Free Library of Philadelphia.

Category: Memorials, Stories | Comments Off on Union League of Philadelphia
Tags: Abraham Lincoln

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on November 5, 2011

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

Descendants of Philip Keiser Jr. in the Civil War (Part 3 of 3)

How Many Samuel Fryberger’s?

Lykens G.A.R. Building – Another Look

September 2011 Posts

The Adventures of Frederick N. Wise

Gratz During the Civil War – Solomon Wolf House

Disability – 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I – Part 1

Disability – 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I – Part 2

Pine Grove VFW All Wars Memorial

Pine Grove American Legion All Wars Memorial

Sudden Death of John L. Matter

Gratz During the Civil War – Zacharias Laudenslager House

Civil War Illustrations by H. A. Ogden

Deserters – 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I

They Paid Subs – 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I

3rd United States Colored Troops – Re-enactors

Death of George McClelland

Gratz During the Civil War – Hartman & Keiter Property

Civil War Illustrations by Louis Prang

Pension Index Cards – 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I

Jacob Weidel – Coal Miner

Gratz During the Civil War – Charles Gerhard Property

Daniel Schaffner, General Store Merchant

Obituary of Pvt. Alfred Hoover

Historical County Maps of Pennsylvania

Civil War Medicine – Re-enactors

Death of Daniel C. Hoffman

98th Pennsylvania Infantry – Re-enactors

Elizabethville Railroad Station

Veteran Killed in Railroad Wreck

Civil War Ghosts

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

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on November 4, 2011

Jacobs Lutheran Church is located along Suedbery Road (Route 443),  in Pine Grove Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.  In front of the church is a stone memorial to the early settlers who were members of this Revolutionary War era congregation who are buried in the cemetery adjacent to the church.  In front of the stone are bronze emblem flag holders representing all wars in which American fought.

The G.A.R. star and flag holder represents the Civil War.

The memorial plaque on the stone is in honor of the Revolutionary War veterans (click on picture to enlarge).

Other pictures of the setting are presented below.

Category: Memorials | Comments Off on Jacobs Lutheran Church All Wars Memorial, Pine Grove Township
Tags: G.A.R., Monument