Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on January 6, 2011

The Hegins Township All Wars Memorial is located in the Frieden’s Lutheran Church Cemetery along Route 25 in Hegins Township, Schuylkill Township, Pennsylvania.

Civil War veterans are honored by the G.A.R. Star and flag holder.

The monument was dedicated 13 December 2000 by the “Citizens and Students of the Valley” to the “Men and Women who Served and Gave Their Lives for Freedoms Just Cause.”  The four freedoms are noted on the side panels:  Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear.  The names of the committee organizers are on a stone at the base.

Frieden’s Lutheran Church and Cemetery surrounds the monument.

Many Civil War veterans are buried in the cemetery and their graves are marked with the G.A.R. star and flag holder.  Three graves were selected and are shown below:

Jacob Geist (1835-1898) – 57th PA Infantry, Co. B, Private

Paul Ney (1837-1908) – 50th PA Infantry, Co. A, Private

Valentine Savidge (1835-1920) – 173rd PA Infantry, Co. F, Private

Category: Memorials | Comments Off on Hegins All Wars Memorial
Tags: G.A.R., Geist family, Monument, Ney family, Savidge family

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on January 5, 2011

Alfred Mordecai (1804-1887)

Alfred Mordecai (1804-1887) was born into a Jewish family in North Carolina.  His father Jacob was a pioneer educator.  Because Alfred was a good student, he was admitted to West Point in 1819 and four years later graduated at the top of his class.  After a stint as a teacher at West Point, he was appointed as commander of the Frankfort Arsenal in Philadelphia.  His training as an ordinance engineer led him to posts in Washington, D.C. and later as an observer during the Crimean War, which he wrote about upon his return.  With experience during the Mexican War and in government as the Assistant Secretary of War, he was one of the prime candidates in 1861 for army leadership and was actively sought after by Confederate sympathizers who wanted him to fight for the southern cause.  His decision involved abandoning the family he had been raised in for the family he was now part of in the north.  The complexities and effects of the decision would remain with him for the remainder of his life.  Alfred Mordecai resigned his commission in the army and tried to remain out of the politics of the war rather than take up arms against his West Point son, who supported the north, and his family and friends in the south.  Without any steady income, he took positions wherever he could, working as a teacher for a good part of the period after the war, and relying on the support of his daughters who operated a school in Philadelphia.  It is believed that he never fully reconciled his differences with most of the southern members of his family.  He died in 1887 at the age of 85.

Simon Gratz (1773-1839), in addition to a much younger sister Rebecca Gratz (1781-1869), had a closer sister, Richea Gratz (1774-1858).  Richea Gratz married Samuel Hays, and their child, Sarah Hays was a first cousin to the children of Simon Gratz.  Theodore Gratz, the first mayor of Gratz, Pennsylvania, and who lived in the “Gratz House” on Market Street was a child of Simon Gratz, and therefore a first cousin to Sarah Hays.  Sarah Hays married Alfred Mordecai.

As already mentioned in a prior post, Theodore’s son John C. Gratz, died of disease during the Civil War.  Children of first cousins are second cousins to each other.  Therefore, John C. Gratz, was a second cousin to the children of Sarah Hays and Alfred Mordecai – the most prominent of which was Alfred Mordecai Jr. who was a student at West Point at the beginning of the Civil War and later a well-known U.S. general.

In a recent posting on her blog “Rebecca Gratz and 19^th-Century America”, Susan Sklaroff discusses the aspects of the decision that Alfred Mordecai, a North Carolinian, had to make at the beginning of the Civil War.  It is one of many stories where members of families had to make choices whether to bear arms for the North or the South – and what went into the making of the decisions.

Rather than repeat or summarize what is posted on that blog, I’ve provided a link to it.  Suffice it to say, that the decision made by Mordecai alienated him from his southern family – an alienation that lasted well beyond the war.  Mordecai was probably aware of the reasons for the separation between his wife’s aunt, Rebecca Gratz, and her brother Simon Gratz and his offspring – most likely caused by religious differences.  Although Alfred Mordecai, who became an agnostic, never returned to Judiasm, while his wife Sarah remained a practicing Jew, he was held in high esteem by the Gratz family because of his successful career in the military – and because his children were raised in the Jewish faith of their mother.  Theodore’s children, also raised in the faith of the mother, were raised as Christians.  See:  Alfred Mordecai’s Civil Wars.

There is also a good article on Alfred Mordecai by Dr. Yitzak Levine in The Jewish Press.  See:  Alfred Mordecai’s Agonizing Decision.

The picture of Alfred Mordecai is from the National Park Service.

Category: Reflections, Research, Resources, Stories | 2 Comments »
Tags: Gratz family, Jewish, Mordecai family

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on January 4, 2011

One of the best sources for general information about individual soldier Civil War service in Pennsylvania military units is Steve Maczuga’s Pennsylvania Civil War Project also known as “Pennsylvania Civil War Project:  Pennsylvania in the Civil War.”  Steve Maczuga is at the Population Institute at Penn State University.

A fully downloadable database contains the names of all the Pennsylvanians who served in the Civil War, their military units, their ranks and some general information about them including muster dates and if and when they were wounded or killed.  But you don’t have to download the whole database to do a search.

The results for a search for Lykens Valley soldier, Capt. Benjamin Evitts is shown below.

A recent addition to the entry for each individual soldier is the regimental flag, which has been shown courtesy of the Pennsylvania Capitol Preservation Committee, and a link is provided to information on Pennsylvania Civil War Flags.  A few months ago, the entry for the individual soldier only contained the information, not the flag.

The database is easily searched, provided you know the exact spelling of the last name and have some idea of the regiment in which the soldier served.   Otherwise, the searching tends to be on a hit or miss basis – guessing the various alternative spellings or looking through the “drill down listings” to find a soldier whose name could be a match.

Fortunately, in searching for “Evitts,” only a few names came up as results, and knowing that he served in the 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, it was easy to locate the above “card” for him.

To see a list of the soldiers who served with Evitts in the 177th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company I, it is an easy matter to go to the “drill down listing” and find the regiment and company.  Part of a list so produced is shown below.

Hint:  Click on picture to enlarge!

As can be seen, most of the soldiers on the beginning of this list were mustered out with the company on 5 August 1863.  However, one solider, Charles Coleman, was discharged on a surgeon’s certificate on 2 November 1862.  Maczuga takes his “notes” information from Bates, which is the standard reference for Pennsylvania in the Civil War.  Bates, as a resource, will be discussed in a later post.

A more interesting drill-down listing is for the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company A, where many of the men are reported as taken prisoner, wounded or killed.  A portion of that listing is shown for comparison:

Hint:  Click on picture to enlarge!

Maczuga’s database also includes search terms for 54 different Civil War battles.  So, if the soldier was killed, wounded, or captured at Gettysburg, searching for the Battle of Gettysburg will produce a listing of all that have the word “Gettysburg” in the notes.  Again, a portion of the list is produced as a sample:

Hint:  Click on picture to enlarge!

There are other features of the site, including a listing of those captured and sent to six Confederate prisons and a complete listing of those buried at Gettysburg National Cemetery including maps of the cemetery.

Some of the drawbacks are that the soldier is only listed under one spelling of his name and the search tool won’t find him unless you use the same spelling that Maczuga uses; it’s hard to find soldiers who were in the “named” regiments rather than the numbered regiments; and for some soldiers, the muster dates are not given or may not match dates found in other records.  A caution is that this is a secondary source and information can be in error unless checked against primary sources.

All in all, the site has some good basic information but for more detail it is best to follow up with other resources.  And, the regimental flags are a bonus, not easily found elsewhere.

Other resources for finding basic as well as more comprehensive information about Civil War soldiers will be discussed in later posts.

Category: Research, Resources | Comments Off on Steve Maczuga’s Pennsylvania Civil War Project
Tags: Evitts family, Regiments

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on January 3, 2011

(Part 2 of ongoing series). The National Civil War Museum is located high on a hilltop overlooking Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.  The museum aims to provide a balanced view and to inspire lifelong learning through preservation and research about the Civil War.   It has become a national destination for “families, students, civil war enthusiasts and historians to experience and research the culture and history of the American Civil War.”

On the grounds of the museum is “The Walk of Valor” – a red brick path symbolizing the blood shed and bearing the names of Civil War veterans honored by their surviving descendants.  There is a section for each state and all states that fought in the war have a stone marker indicating the number of soldiers that fought and the number of soldiers that died.

One brick honors Patrick Cuniff.

Patrick Cuniff (1837-1905).  Also in the records as Patrick Coneffe.  Patrick was born in Ireland about 1837 (some sources say 1840).  Throughout his life he worked as a coal miner.  Patrick Cuniff served in the 7^th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Co. F, as a Private.  At the time of the Civil war he lived in Tamaqua, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.  He enlisted on 8 March 1864 at Pottsville and was when his company was discharged on 23 August 1865, he was absent because he was in a hospital in Macon, Georgia.

Patrick Cuniff (about 1837-  ?)

In December 1871, Patrick Cuniff married Ann Brennan in Philadelphia.  Six known children were born to this marriage:  Mary, born about 1872; Sarah, born about 1874; John, born about 1877; James, born about 1878; Ellen, born about 1880; and Martin, born about 1886.  In 1880, Patrick and Ann were living in Swatara, Schuylkill, County, with their four young children.  In 1890, Patrick was living in Reilly Township in Schuylkill County, and at the time he claimed he was afflicted with ague (fits of chills and fever).  He applied for and received a pension based on disabilities incurred during his Civil War service.  At this time, not much else is known about Patrick.  More information is sought.

Another brick honors Cornelius Bixler.

Cornelius Bixler (1834-1912).  Cornelius Bixler was born 26 November 1834, in Pennsylvania, the son of John Bixler, a farmer of Jackson Township, Dauphin Co., Pennsylvania, and his wife Sarah [Straw] Bixler.

Cornelius’ military service consisted of a time in the 36^th Pennsylvania Infantry (emergency of 1863), Company C, from 4 July 1863 to 11 August 1863, where he served as a Private.  He joined the 210^th Pennsylvania Infantry on  14^th September 1864 as a 2^nd Lieutenant and was commissioned as a 1st Lieutenant on 12 April 1865.  He was mustered out of service on 30^th May 1865 in Washington, D.C.

Cornelius married Catherine A. Miller, and had these children:  Isaac P., born about 1860; Emma J., born about 1865;, Katie C, born about 1867; Daniel W., born about 1868;  John, born about 1871; William F., born about 1874; and Elizabeth, born about 1878.

In 1870 and 1880, Cornelius was living with his wife and children in Jackson Township and working as a coach maker.  In 1880, his son Isaac, then aged 20, was living in the household and working as a blacksmith, probably with his father in the coach making business.  In 1890, Cornelius, living in Fisherville, gave his military service only as the 210^th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company A, and indicated “chronic diarrhea” as a disability incurred in the service.  Cornelius’ wife Catherine died in 1892 and by 1900, Cornelius turned to farming for his livelihood and his youngest daughter Elizabeth was living at home as housekeeper.

Pension records indicate that he first applied around 1892 but did not receive a pension until after 1900.  His friends and neighbors, Peter Erb and William Sheesley, had to testify for him and submitted the following statement in December 1900:

We live right here in the same little town with Cornelius Bixler and se [sic] him almost daily, we have known him for the last thirty years.  He is an honest truthful citizen, he has been sickly for a number of years and we can truthfully say he is entirely unfit to perform manual labor on account of suffering with Lumbago, Kidney and Bladder trouble and General Debility.  From Jan 24, 1900 to Sept 26^th 1900 and up to the present time he has been suffering with the diseases here in mentioned which entirely incapacitates him from performing manual labor.

In 1910, at about the age of 76, the widower Cornelius was receiving a pension and indicated to the census taker that he had his “own income.”  His oldest daughter Emma was living with him and working as a collar setter in shirt factory.

Cornelius Bixler died  in July 1912 and is buried in the New Fisherville Cemetery, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.  More information is sought on him and his family including information on his work as a coach maker in the Fisherville area of Dauphin County.

Many others from the Lykens Valley area are also honored on the “Walk of Valor.”  Over time, additional bricks will be pictured that honor Civil War veterans from the Lykens Valley area.

Anyone wishing to honor any veterans not currently recognized on the “Walk of Valor” can do so through the National Civil War Museum. Contact the National Civil War Museum through the website or call 717-260-1861 or 866-BLU-GRAY.

The National Civil War Museum, One Lincoln Circle at Reservoir Park, P.O. Box, 1861, Harrisburg, PA  17105-1861.

The portrait of Patrick Cuniff is from an Ancestry.com publicly posted family tree by subscriber mamasal1234 of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  The pension statement for Cornelius Bixler is from the files of the Civil War Research Project.

Category: Memorials, Museums, Research, Stories | Comments Off on National Civil War Museum – Walk of Valor
Tags: Bixler family, Brennan family, Cuniff family, Erb family, Fisherville, Jackson Township, Regiments, Reilly Township, Sheesley family

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on January 2, 2011

The previous post on the subject of the Pennsylvania Dutch language noted the words that were used to describe the religious life and ways of many of the people of the Lykens Valley.  This post deals with how the Pennsylvania Dutch people spoke of the medical issues they faced.

Going to war meant that returning soldiers would be exposed to a whole host of new maladies generally not known before.  For example, many soldiers returned following amputations of limbs – which, of course, led to the more frequent use of the Pennsylvania Dutch word for “amputated.”  Other ailments were well known in the 19^th century – like diarrhea and consumption – but seemed to become more prevalent as the veterans blamed the war for their contraction of them.  One can picture a veteran describing a war injury to his family or friends – and not using one word of English.  One can also picture a lawyer sitting with a veteran or a widow, trying to fill out a pension application, and having to translate the name of the disease into English so the medical term can be put on the government form.

Turning to The English Pennsylvania Dutch Dictionary and its “equivalents” by Howard Snader, the following words are noted that describe parts of the body, injuries, diseases, maladies, and the ways of medicine:

Abdomen (bauch); abcess (g’SCHWAR a); ache (WAY doo); ailment (GLAW wa); alcoholic (be ZUFF ner); amnesia (ge DONK a fer LOHR a); ammonia salts (HARTZ hahn); amputated (OPP g’schnitt a); ankle (GNECH el); ankle bone (GNECH el GNOCH a); apothecary (OBB a dake); arm (OR em); bile (goll); black eye (schwartz AWG); blood (bludt); blood poisoning (BLUDT fer GIFT es); body (KAR ab er); bowels (DAR um); breast (bruscht); breast bone (bruscht GNOCH a); camphor (GOMB er); cancer (grebs); colon (KEID el); constipated (FESCHT lie wich); consumption (OWS tzair ing); convulsions (GICHT er a); cough (HOOCHT a); cramp (gromp); crotch (GOW wel); deaf (dawf); diarrhoea (DARR ich lawf); diphtheria (fowl HOLZ); drool (SCHLOW wer); dropsy (WASS er soocht); drunkard (SIFF er); dumb (doomb); ear (ohr); ear ache (OHR a way); entrails (DAR um); epilepsy (fitz); etherize (SCHLOF a mach a); faint (OOM mecht ich); feet (feese); finger (FING er); fist (fawscht); flesh (flaysch); foot (foos); fractured (FER broch a); girth (BAUCH gaad); glands (GREE sa); goiter (ge WEX); gut (DAR om); hair (hoar); health (g’ SOOND heit); heart (hartz); heart burn (sode BRENN a); heat stroke ( HITZ schtraich); hiccough (SCHLIX er); hip (hift); hip bone (HIFT gnoch a); homesick (HAME way); humpback (GROOM book lich); inflammation (RODE lawf a); insane (NARR isch); intestines (DAR um); itch (gretz); kidney (near); knee (g’nee); larynx (SCHPROCHE box); left hand (LINGX hond); leg (bay); light headed (fer HOOD el’d); liver (LEW wer); lumbago (RICK way); lunatic (narr); mad man (narr); measles (RAYD la); moron (DOOM kop); nausea (KUTZ e rich); nervous (NARR if ich); nose (naws); nostril (NAWS loch); nude (NOCK ich); palsy (TZITT e rich); paralysis (schlawg); peritonitis (bront); pharmacy (OBB a dake); physic (LOX eer ing); pills (PILL a); plague (bloke); poison (gift); pregnant (UFF ga BINDL’D); ribs (RIBB a); scab (grint); scabies (gretz); scalp (how duff em kop); scar (MAR ick); shingles (SCHIND la); sick (gronk); sick bed (GRONK bett); sick headache (GRONK kop way); sickness (GRONK hite); small pox (PAR ab la); spinal column (RICK schtrung); spleen (milce); stomach (MAWG er, bauch); stomach ache (MAWG er way, MAWG erg romp, bauch way); strain (schtrain); stricken (schlawg); stroke (schlawg); suicide (selb MORT, LAY wa nemm a); sweat (schwitz); symptom (FAYL er); testicles (HO da, BOLL a); thigh (SCHANK el); thirsty (DOSCHT ich); throat (holz); throw up (SCHMISE uff, KUTZ a); tumor (ge WEX); urinate (BRUNZ a); urine (brunz); veins (O der a); vertigo (DAR om lich); vomit (UFF schmise a, kutz, kutz a); womb (MUTT er); wound (WAY ge doo, ge WIGG el’d); wry neck (GRUM holz, SCHTIFE er holz).

For those who wish to study the language further, an excellent dictionary of Pennsylvania German to English, Common Sense Pennsylvania German Dictionary, was published by James C. Lins in Reading, Pennylvania, in 1895.   It’s a free download and a great resource.  Note though that there is no pronunciation guide and the German word must be looked up to find its English meaning.

The last post in this series will discuss the Pennsylvania Dutch vocabulary of war.

Category: Research, Resources | Comments Off on Pennsylvania Dutch & the Civil War – Medicine
Tags: Medicine, Pennsylvania Dutch