Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on July 5, 2011

The Road Show of Pennsylvania Civil War 150 stopped in Philadelphia for the Fourth of July Weekend this year and was the highlight of the festivities held at Franklin Square.  The Road Show is a traveling, interactive exhibition of photographs, maps, artifacts and documents that tell the stories of Pennsylvanians who were caught up in the Civil War.

The Road Show is housed in what appears to be a double-wide trailer that can be easily moved about and set up a different locations in the state.  It was was designed by Metcalf Architecture & Design of Philadelphia.

Upon entry, the visitor is greeted with a statement providing an overview of the exhibits:

Transformations:  Pennsylvanians and the Civil War

The Civil War between the Union (North) and Confederacy (South) was the deadliest war in American history.  It restored the union, abolished slavery and increased the power of the federal government.

Only one major battle took place in Pennsylvania, but Pennsylvanians in every county were transformed by the War and affected by its outcome.

Pennsylvanians experienced the war personally, responding in different ways; they were inspired to action; they offered courageous aid; they waited anxiously; and when it was over, they remembered how it had changed their lives.

One of the first things the visitor sees is a map entitled  “Pennsylvania and the Civil War.”  Unfortunately, the exhibit curators chose a map from 1857 rather than from the actual Civil War years.

To the 1857 map of Pennsylvania, a number of symbols were added to show major centers of raw materials and manufacturing.  Railroads are represented by dotted black lines and canals by solid blue lines.

Click on map to enlarge.

A section of the map for Upper Dauphin County is shown above.  Correctly placed is the symbol for “farming” (a barn and silo) – squarely in the Lykens Valley area.  However, it is hard to imagine where the manufacturing center of textiles was located in Jackson Township, also farm country.  What is not included is the Northern Central Railroad which ran north from Harrisburg to Sunbury and which was such an important strategic factor in Gen. Robert E. Lee’s invasion of Pennsylvania.  Several posts here on this blog have emphasized the role played by the railroad that ran up along the eastern bank of the Susquehanna River – through Halifax, Millersburg, and Herndon – three communities that saw tens of thousands of troops pass through on the way to and from the war.  Of lesser importance was the rail line from Lykens to Millersburg which should also be shown – bus isn’t.  Likewise, the importance of Harrisburg as the “Crossroads of the Union,” is not emphasized by this map, nor can the important escape route of the Underground Railroad be shown.  It would be advisable for the curators to re-design this important exhibit element so that it better reflects the conditions present in Pennsylvania at the beginning of the war in 1861.

Moving about the exhibit the visitor can see reproductions of items from the period – an example is shown above.  There are several displays and story boards.  There are also some stereoscopic viewers that can be peered into to see scenes of the time.  There is a good effort to show many different aspects of the war as well how different groups and individuals fared during and after the struggle.

To show how women had to adapt during the war, the Schwalm family of Schuylkill County is portrayed.  Portraits of Samuel Schwalm and Elizabeth Schwalm surround a slide board telling how the duties of Elizabeth changed before and during the war.  This blog is familiar with the Schwalms as they were the subject of a post and are included in the Civil War Research Project.

The sign board states that Samuel Schwalm and Elizabeth Schwalm were German immigrants.  Were the Schwalm’s German immigrants?  Hardly!  Part of the confusion in understanding the history of the Lykens Valley area is the fact that German remained a home language well into the 19th century for most of the descendants of the German immigrants who arrived in Pennsylvania in the early part of the 18th century.  These Pennsylvania “Dutch” are described in an early post on this blog and a series of posts on the Pennsylvania “Dutch” culture followed.  The Schwalm family was part of that uniquely American blend of the old German ways of more than a century before and the adaptation necessary for living in a new, multicultural society.  The original repository of the Johannes Schwalm Historical Society was the Gratz Historical Society before being re-located to the Franklin and Marshall College Shadek-Fakenthal Library.  The Gratz Historical Society still maintains many of the Schwalm items in duplicate, including a near-complete set of the journals.

Click on picture to enlarge.

The above portion of the Census of 1860 from Hegins Township, Schuylkill County clearly shows that the Schwalm’s were born in Pennsylvania (underlines added in red).  Census forms are one of the major resources available to researchers and copies are saved in the Civil War Research Projectcollection with the records of each of the more than 2000 veterans who had some connection with the Lykens Valley area.

Another feature of the Road Show is the video slide shows that cover aspects of the war – such as the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.), the organization of Union veterans that played an important role in the post-war period – and the screen shown above, which describes the horrors of Andersonville, the notorious prisoner of war camp.  That slide show on Civil War prisons also diagrams how prisoners escaped Libby Prison by tunneling their way out.

A major effort of the Road Show is to collect information from visitors on how their ancestors contributed to the war effort. In the advertising materials, it is stated:

You can even bring your own family’s Civil War memorabilia and share the stories in the Road Show‘s “Share Your Story” recording booth.

The way is works is this:

Recording instructions are shown on the computer screen and assistance is provided by member of the staff.

The final product is shown on monitors in the exhibit and is also posted on the Pennsylvania Civil War 150 website.

The Road Show has already been in Harrisburg, but will probably return at some point in the future.  Upcoming dates and county locations can be found on their website.  It is well worth a visit and everyone is urged to bring an artifact and tell a story to add to the knowledge that is gained and research that is being conducted as part of the Pennsylvania Civil War Sesquicentennial activities.

This blog and the Civil War Research Project has received the endorsement of Pennsylvania Civil War 150 and is entitled to display the “endorsed by” logo which is found in the right hand column of the blog.

PA Civil War 150,is a state wide project that is promoting Pennsylvania’s involvement in the Civil War with its own activities, events and website. A great feature of this site is a combined calendar of all civil war related events in the state. Their web address is: http://pacivilwar150.org/

See also Civil War Blog: 22,000 hits!

Category: Events, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on Pennsylvania Civil War 150 Road Show
Tags: G.A.R., Halifax, Herndon, Jackson Township, Lykens Borough, Millersburg, Schwalm family, Women

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on July 4, 2011

In Harrisburg, the preparation for celebration of the Union victory of 1865 was well underway as troops returning from the war flooded the capital.  A controversy developed that centered around the desire of Gov. Andrew Curtin to hold a celebration and parade on the 4th of July to recognize and honor the veterans and the desire of the veterans to return home to their families as quickly as possible.  Tens of thousands of soldiers were waiting in Camp Curtin in Harrisburg for their pay and final muster out.  Among those waiting in Harrisburg were many from the Lykens Valley area.   How many actually stayed for the celebration is not known.  Some may have returned for muster out after first going home.  The elaborate preparations are described in a series of news articles of the time.

Governor Curtin to the People of Pennsylvania

Executive Chamber, Harrisburg, June 10, 1865. – To the people of Pennsylvania: – The bloody struggle of four years is ended.  The fires of Rebellion are quenched.  The supremacy of law and right is re-established.  The foulest treason recorded in history has been beaten to the earth.  Our country is saved.

These blessings we owe, under God, to the unequaled heroism, civic and military, of the people.  In the darkest house, under the heaviest discouragements, falter who would, THEY never faltered.

They have been inspired with the determination of our fathers, the continued union of our whole country, and the grand Republican principles which it is their pride and duty to defend for the sake not only of themselves but of the human race.

I glory in saying that the people of Pennsylvania have been among the foremost in the career of honor.  Their hearts have been in the contest; their means and their blood have been poured out like water to maintain it.

The remnants of the heroic bands that left her soil to rescue their country , are now returning, having honorably fulfilled their service.  They have left tens of thousands of their brothers on many a bloody field.  Their memories will be served on our rolls of honor.  For their widows and families a grateful country will suitably provide.

Let the survivors who are now returning to us have such welcome as befits a brave and patriotic people to give to the gallant men who have saved the country and shed new lustre on Pennsylvania.

I recommend that in every part of the State, on the approaching anniversary of Independence, special observances be had of welcome to our returning defenders, and of commemoration of the heroic deeds of themselves and their comrades who have fallen.

Andrew G. Curtin, Governor of Pennsylvania

The Philadelphia Inquirer responded with an editorial:

Governor Curtin has issued a proclamation, which congratulates the country that the was against the rebellion is over, and that our people are once more to experience the joys of peace.  The document is well timed, and its suggestions are appropriate. The recommendation that in every part of the State the ensuing Fourth of July shall be dedicated to “special observances of welcome to our returned defenders and of commendation of the heroic deeds of themselves and of their comrades who have fallen,” will be generally approved.”

There seems to be a disposition throughout the loyal states to make the next Fourth of July such as day as Daniel Webster suggested in the imaginary speech of John Adams, in Congress, July 4th 1776, a day to be celebrated with bonfires, salutes, parades and illuminations.  There would have been a brilliant illumination in this city after the capture of Richmond and the surrender of Lee’s army had not the sudden assassination of Abraham Lincoln turned the national joy into deep sorrow.  But the martyred President “—is in his grave; after life’s fitful fever he sleeps well; Treason has done his worst; nor steel, nor poison, Malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing Can touch him further.”

We have paid to his memory the full respect that is due to his virtues and his goodness.  His name will remain, an incentive to the patriot, and a constant reminder that simplicity and honesty will survive the attacks of envious guilt.  Time runs on, and we have duties to perform ourselves.

That we should celebrate the most memorable day in the most memorable tear of our history with more than common enthusiasm, will not seem to be an unnatural determination.  We may, therefore, prepare for such a celebration of the Fourth of July as America has never known; an exhibition of the joy and gratitude of a restored people, who have maintained the principles of human freedom against formidable assaults.

Philadelphia Inquirer, 12 June 1865

The Harrisburg correspondent then reported the plans for the Fourth of July.

Promises to be a grand day here.  Extensive preparations are making for its celebration.  No less than ten general committees have been appointed, embracing an executive committee, and committees on finance, on music, on refreshments, on firemen, on Sunday schools, on fire works and illuminations, on decorations, on the procession and on the military.  It is proposed to have a salute fired, and singing and other suitable ceremonies by the Sunday schools, on the morning early, under the triumphal arch in the square; public prayer meetings at eight, a grand procession of civic societies, the trades and the military, at nine; the Declaration of Independence, an oration and a public dinner in the Capital Park; a fireman’s torch-light procession and a general illumination in the evening.

Philadelphia Inquirer, 16 June 1865

Additional preparations were announced the next day:

The Illumination

The City Councils have resolved to illuminate the public buildings on the evening of the Fourth of July, and have recommended our citizens to provide for a similar celebration.  The proposition will be generally adopted, and already many are preparing to do honor to the occasion.  During the war there were some who objected to illuminations upon account of Union victories, because they were gained “over our brethren.”  But even the most fastidious persons will be happy to illuminate in honor of peace, and there will e additional satisfaction in the hope that there may never be another occasion within their lives calling for a similar demonstration.

Philadelphia Inquirer, 17 June 1865

The first hint that there was a problem with the soldiers was reported as a rumor circulating because the soldiers tied the delay in receipt of their pay with the desire of official to hold them in Harrisburg:

[The regiments] are still awaiting the convenience of the Paymaster, though it is alleged there is some difficulty in regard to the pay rolls.

What the Men Think.

The impression prevails among the men of the regiments that they are to be retained here after the Fourth of July, to enable the Harrisburghers to present a large display on Independence Day.

Ambitions for Show.

The Committee on the Military is composed of influential men occupying high military posts at Harrisburg, whose ambition, of course, is to make the display as large as possible.

Where the Boys Want to Spend the 4th.

The soldiers are, however, too anxious to spend the 4th at their own homes.  They desire to be paid off and furnished transportation as soon as possible.

Philadelphia Inquirer, 30 June 1865.

A few days later, there was an attempt to correct the impression that the soldiers were being retained in Harrisburg:

In perverting the meaning of your correspondent’s despatch of the 29th ultimo, in which he said that the impression prevailed among the men of the regiments here that they were to be retained until after the Fourth of July, to enhance the display at the capital, the Associated Press agent was making a mountain out of a mole-hill.  It is not denied that the soldiers had gained such an impression.  It would have been pointer, and more consistent for him to have said that there was no ground for such impression.

The assertion that the men are being rapidly paid off is simply untrue, as every one familiar wit affairs here knows.  Complaints against the paymasters are daily made to the Governor.  Delays have certainly taken place within the last four or five days.  The paymasters have several times stopped at two and three o’clock, without any explanation, though it is now alleged that they ran out of money had to send to Washington for more.

Philadelphia Inquirer, 3 July 1865

Preparation for the Fourth continued and another controversy began to emerge – that the celebrations were to be too partisan “Republican:”

Extensive preparations have been made for the celebration of the Fourth here.  Unhappily, however, the celebration, on the part of a portion of the citizens at least, will assume a partisan aspect.  The committee of arrangements, appointed at the citizens’ meeting, have invited the citizens of Harrisburg and the surrounding country to meet here to celebrate the eighty-ninth anniversary of American Independence and the establishment of freedom throughout all the land.  At sunlight a salute of thirty-six guns will be fired from Capitol Hill and the bells will be rung from five to seven A.M.  Public prayer meetings will be held at eight.

At nine o’clock a grand military and civic procession will march through the city, proceeding to capitol park, where the Declaration of Independence will be read by Col. James Worrall, and an oration will be delivered by rev. T. H. Robinson.  A banquet will be served at two in the afternoon, at which the soldiers will have a special place assigned.  Music by the Sunday Schools, under the arch in the square, at six o’clock.  There will be a general illumination, and a fireman’s torchlight procession later in the evening.

All who love their country and abhor its enemies – all who are devoted to Freedom and detest Tyranny – who have faith in the endurance of Free Institutions – who are honestly in favor of supporting the authorities laboring to maintain the Government, are invited to participate in the proceedings and partake of the banquet.

Or at least a portion of them who are not satisfied with these arrangements, and who contend that Republicans have been appointed to all the posts where “buncomb: speeches may be made, are going to have a celebration of their own.  They have “seceded” from the citizens’ meeting and are going it on their own hook, having invited Mr. Joseph Ingersoll and others to address them.

Philadelphia Inquirer, 3 July 1865

Finally, it took an appeal from  Col. J. B. Kiddoo to the soldiers to remain in Harrisburg for the celebration:

Appeal to the Soldiers.

Head-Quarters Military Forces, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, July 3, 1865. – Fellow soldiers: – Without cause base traitors made war upon our Government.  For more than four years the rage of civil conflict surged from centre to circumference.  The whole country has been drenched with gore and watered with best blood of the nation.  Thank God this fratricidal war has ended, and you, brave men, have brought us peace.

in the hour of distress your country called for help.  You obeyed her commands and did your duty as patriots, as freemen, as heroes.  The victory has been won triumphantly, at immense cost of treasure and of blood; to you belong the praise, the credit and the thanks of the nation.  You have returned from the battlefields covered with glory; the nation will garland your brows with the freshest laurels.  We weep for the lamented dead; we pray for the suffering wounded, and we rejoice at the return of our heroic victors.  We welcome you to the old Keystone Commonwealth.  Yes, bravemen, we extend you a thrice hearty welcome to your families and your homes.

The citizens of Harrisburg propose to give you a public reception on the Fourth of July.  They have sprung triumphant fires under which you will march, and the will honor you with a sumptuous banquet upon Capitol Hill.  Accept the tender of their hospitality, which you have so richly and nobly merited.  It is peculiarly appropriate that we should at one and the same time celebrate the glorious anniversary of our National Independence, rejoice at the triumph of our nationality, of right over wrong, of law over recklessness, and of freedom over tyranny, and welcome to their homes our country’s brave defenders.

We are again united: let us be and remain a happy people, for as the Lord lives the supremacy of our Government must be maintained at home, and shall be respected abroad.

The various commanding officers are invited to report to their respective commands in North Second street, in the city of Harrisburg, by 9 o’clock to-morrow morning, in order to be assigned their proper positions in the parade, and will report to these head-quarters as soon as possible.

J.B. Kiddoo, Colonel Commanding Post.

The Fourth of July Celebration took place as planned, but no records were kept of the individual soldiers who chose to participate.  Personal stories passed down in families might be the only way to determine whether a specific soldier was present.

News articles were obtained through the on-line resources of the Free Library of Philadelphia.

Category: Culture, Research, Stories | Comments Off on Fourth of July in Harrisburg, 1865
Tags: Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Curtin, Harrisburg

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on July 3, 2011

Lot #19 – Jeremiah Crabb, Blacksmith. Click on map to enlarge.

This is the fourth in a series of posts on Gratz during the Civil War.

Lot #19 and the house on it was purchased by Jeremiah Crabb (1826-?), a blacksmith, in 1854.  Previously, the property had been owned by Adonjah Mathias who sold it to Crabb.  Mathias, a wheelwright and turner, was the original purchaser of the lot from Simon Gratz and probably built the house about 1820.

The first post in this series has two Civil War era maps which identify the Simon Gratz lots by their original lot numbers.

Jeremiah Crabb was born around 1826 in Gratz in a two-story log house on Lot #47 which was owned by his father, Peter Crabb who was also a blacksmith.  The house where Jeremiah was born is still standing and will be discussed in a later post.  By 1860, Jeremiah and his brother John Peter Crabb (1843-1901) were working as blacksmiths at this Lot #19 property.  The father, Peter and Peter’s wife Mary (possibly a second wife and not Jeremiah’s mother) were living in the household and Peter was listed as head of the family even though the tax records indicate that Jeremiah owned the property.  In 1872, the house and blacksmith shop were sold by the sheriff to two couples from Sunbury, who in turn re-sold it to John Laudenslager (1823-1895).  The origins of the Crabb family in Gratz are a mystery and while there is much speculation on their roots, no definitive answer has been found.

The Crabb family of Gratz was mentioned in a previous post on this blog.  Click here.  Some of the information for this current post was obtained from A Comprehensive History of the Town of Gratz Pennsylvania where complete genealogies of the families who lived on this property can be found.

No Civil War service record has been found for Jeremiah Crabb.  He moved to Sacramento, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, in 1871, where he had employment as a blacksmith for Wiest’s Hotel.  In 1880, he is back in Gratz and married with a four year old son.  He then disappears.  No death record or marked grave has been located.  In the 1880s, a “Jeremiah Crabb” has been found in the records of the 24th U.S. Colored Troops, Company M, which saw service in the west in the post-Civil War period.  That Jeremiah Crabb died at Fort Wright near Spokane, Washington and is buried there – after spending some time in an army hospital in Arkansas.  It’s possible that this is the same person who owned Lot #19 in Gratz since the western army forces needed blacksmiths, but this is only speculation.

Jeremiah’s brother John Peter Crabb (1843-1901) who lived at this property did see Civil War service.  John Peter Crabb was a member of the 36th Pennsylvania Infantry (Home Guard), Company C, the emergency force of 1863.  He served from 4 July 1863 through 11 August 1863 when he was discharged.  Later, John Peter Crabb joined the 24th U.S. Colored Troops, Company B, as a Corporal.  His “basic training” was at Camp William Penn near Philadelphia.  Service in this regiment mainly consisted of guarding Confederate prisoners at Point Lookout, Maryland.

In 1866, John Peter Crabb married Anne E. Engleman in Gratz.  They had three children, an infant girl who died young, Wellington Crabb and Engleman Crabb.  By 1870, the family moved to Wiconisco Township, Dauphin County, where John Peter was shoeing horses for a coal company.  In 1880, he was in Harrisburg with his family.  There is a record that he died in 1901, but his place of burial is unknown.  The descendants of Wellington Crabb are very active in tracing the family history of this branch of the Crabb family and would appreciate any information on the family origins.

A third son of Peter Crabb, Edward Crabb, a shoemaker, also saw Civil War service in the 36th Pennsylvania Infantry (Home Guard), Company C, the emergency forces of 1863.  He served during the same period as his brother John Peter.  However, Edward was not living at the house on Lot #19 in 1860.  In 1850, he was living with the Samuel Umholtz family.  During the Civil War, Edward Crabb married Catherine Jones, and they had five known children.  Edward Crabb is buried in Gratz Union Cemetery, but his grave is not marked with a G.A.R. star and flag holder and the stone is broken.

Photo from about 1906.

A later owner of this property, Clarence U. Kratzer, also operated a blacksmith business here.  The photo from 1906 (above) is from the time of the Kratzer ownership and is the earliest available picture of the house.

Anyone who can supply any information about the Crabb family is urged to provide it.  Contact or post a comment below.

The Jeremiah Crabb House as it appears today.

Category: Research, Stories | Comments Off on Gratz During the Civil War – Jeremiah Crabb, Blacksmith
Tags: African American, Crabb family, Engleman family, G.A.R., Gratz Borough, Jones family, Kratzer family, Laudenslager family, Regiments, Sacramento, Umholtz family, Walking Tour

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on July 2, 2011

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

121st Pennsylvania Infantry – Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg

139th Pennsylvania Infantry – Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg

142nd Pennsylvania Infantry – Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg

May 2011 Posts

Jonas Row – 8th Pennsylvania Cavalry & 16th Pennsylvania Cavalry

Heilner Woman’s Relief Corps Minutes Discovered

The Repasz Band

And the Band Played On….

Joseph R. Shuler – Gunsmith

48th Pennsylvania Infantry – Regimental Memoir

143rd Pennsylvania Infantry – Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg

147th Pennsylvania Infantry – Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg

148th Pennsylvania Infantry – Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg

American Flags of the Civil War

The Civil War: Smithsonian Headliners Series

Photographic History Donation to Gratz Historical Society

St. Michael’s Church Cemetery, Klingerstown

Gratz During the Civil War

Who is John Hess?

Descendants of Johann Peter Klinger & Catharina Steinbruch

2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry – Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg

3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry – Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg

History of the 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry

Gratz During the Civil War – Post Office

Descendants of Johann Philip Klinger, Immigrant

Descendants of Alexander Klinger, Immigrant

107th Pennsylvania Infantry – Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg

109th Pennsylvania Infantry – Pennsylvania Regiments at Gettysburg

110th Pennsylvania Infantry – Pennsylvania Regiments at Gettysburg

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

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on July 1, 2011

Just about everyone in the Lykens Valley area of Pennsylvania knows the story of Gratz baseball star Carl Scheib and his quick ascent to the big leagues, becoming the youngest person ever signed to a American League baseball contract when he joined the Philadelphia Athletics at the age of 16 during the 1940s.

Now a “Gratz” connection has been discovered in the 1860s – and to the same team, the Philadelphia Athletics, an early incarnation of the team later established in the 20th century as the most successful sports franchise in Philadelphia history.  Found in the pages of the Philadelphia Inquirer of 22 June 1865 is the following sports story and “box score:”

ATHLETIC VS. CAMDEN. – Yesterday afternoon, a game of baseball was played between the second nine of the Athletic and Camden Clubs, on the grounds of the former, at Fifteenth street and Columbia avenue.  The play commenced at three o’clock, and was witnessed by a large number of persons.  The Athletics were the victors by the following score: -… 46-32.

The “box score” contained the “lineup” with the last names of the players, their positions, and the number of runs scored by each.  From the runs scored, the heavy hitters appeared to be in the middle of the lineup.  The name  “Gratz” is clearly recognizable as the fourth batter in the Athletics lineup and as the 2nd baseman. Gratz scored 6 runs that day, the third highest total of any individual.

Who was this “Gratz” who played on the “second nine” of the Philadelphia Athletics in 1865?  According to information on the website of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, early baseball players came from the “best families” who had time and money to compete for recreation.  In telling the story of the Philadelphia Mercantile Base Ball Club, a successful group in Civil War period, the website reports that the Philadelphia Athletics were another successful ball club in the city and often played the Mercantile Club and the Olympic Club, which was considered the oldest American ball club.  It is not known at this time whether rosters exist for all these early teams, but if they do, it might be possible to find the first name and more information about this “Gratz” who played in the game against the Camden club in 1865.  It is very likely that this “Gratz” was a member of the Gratz family that was connected to the founding family of Gratz, Pennsylvania – and this “Gratz” was a cousin of John  C. Gratz, son of the first mayor of Gratz.  John C. Gratz was born in Gratz, Pennsylvania and died in the Civil War.

Many soldiers returning from the Civil War brought baseball back to their communities.  They had played baseball in camp and there are numerous examples of games within regiments, between regiments, and even in some of the prison camps.  It is not known at this time how the rise of baseball in Gratz, Pennsylvania, was connected to returning soldiers from the war.  But, by but the beginning of the 20th century baseball had firmly established itself in the Lykens Valley area.  A history of baseball in the early 20th Century in Gratz and the Lykens Valley area can be found in A Comprehensive History of the Town of Gratz Pennsylvania, pages 805-807, including the story of Carl Scheib and some pictures of the early teams.  An exhibit in the Gratz Historical Society Museum features memorabilia from the early teams.  A monument to Carl Scheib stands at the ball park where he played in Gratz and is adjacent to a restored, historic grandstand.

Much research has been done on what has been called the ‘first inning” of organized baseball in America but there is so much more that remains to be discovered.  Now, knowing that someone named “Gratz” played on one of the earliest baseball clubs – the forerunner of the Philadelphia Athletics – gives even more interest to finding out about the early origins of baseball during and after the Civil War and the role this “Gratz” played in helping to establish baseball as our national pastime.

For more information about the history of the Philadelphia Athletics, see the Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society website.  For more information on the history of baseball, see the National Baseball Hall of Fame website.  For more information on the Gratz family in Philadelphia, see Susan Sklaroff’s blog, Rebecca Gratz and 19th Century America.

The clipping from the Philadelphia Inquirer is from the on-line resources of the Free Library of Philadelphia.

Category: Culture, Queries, Research, Stories | Comments Off on Baseball and Gratz
Tags: Gratz Borough, Gratz family