Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on November 18, 2010

On a grassy bank just off Specktown Road in Lykens Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, is the Lykens Township Veterans Monument – which also could be called the first Gratz Area Veterans Monument since its erection was sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Diamond Jubilee Post #2315, Gratz, Pennsylvania and was unveiled about four years before the one in the Borough of Gratz.  The physical location of the monument is “Lykens Township” and the post office address is “Lykens,” although residents refer to it as “Lykens R.D.”

This monument sits on land that was once owned by Hannah [Rickert] Riegle, widow of Civil War soldier Harrison Riegle (1840-1899) who served in the 103rd Pennsylvania Infantry.  After Harrison died, Hannah purchased the land and there she raised her youngest children.  The farm and buildings remained in the family until 1977.  Afterward, the southern part of the property was sold to the V.F.W.   Harrison Riegle was a member of Kissinger Post #376 of the G.A.R. which regularly met in Gratz, but served Lykens Township as well.  Therefore, he is honored on both monuments – and the land his wife purchased, partially with the widow’s pension she received from his military service, is land on which one of the monuments sits!

The inscription on the monument reads:  This memorial erected and dedicated by V.F.W. Diamond Jubilee Post 215 to all veterans who have honorably served their country in time of war or peace.  Dedicated May 27, 2001.

Rather than mounting the individual symbols for each war on the monument itself as was later done in Gratz, the V.F.W. chose to use the graveside flag holder with the standard symbols to reflect service in each of the nation’s wars.  The G.A.R. star represents the Civil War.

Category: Memorials | Comments Off on Lykens Township Veterans Monument
Tags: G.A.R., Lykens Township, Monument, Riegle family

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on November 18, 2010

The Gratz Area Veterans Monument, located in front of the Gratz Community Center, Center Street, was dedicated on Memorial Day, 2005. The ceremony was in memory of Mr. Harry Walter Davis, active citizen, decorated World War II veteran, and lifelong friend to the community. It honors veterans from Gratz of all time periods and all branches of service.

In the front lower left corner of the monument is a Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) star, the symbol for a veteran who served in the Civil War.  Veterans organizations have placed this star symbol at the graves of all known Union veterans and with the accompanying flag holder and flag, helps identify and honor the veteran throughout the year, but especially on patriotic holidays.

The G.A.R. was a fraternal organization that was formed after the Civil War and was composed of veterans who saw service in the war.  There were chapters in every state and in almost every town or city.  The chapter that served Gratz and its area veterans was the Kissinger Post #376.  Not much is known about the Kissinger Post except that it conducted annual patriotic parades on Memorial Day and many veterans, both in Gratz and Lykens Township were involved in its activities.   The regalia of the G.A.R. included a special uniform and medal.  Some memorabilia from the Kissinger Post #376 survives and is in private hands or local museums.  After the last Civil War veterans died, the G.A.R. posts ceased to exist and patriotic activities were taken over by other veterans groups.   In many places, the G.A.R. had sponsored the construction of a special monument to honor the Civil War veterans, but not so in Gratz.  Whether because of a lack of funding or a lack of interest, no one seems to know.

So, in 2005, rather than build a separate monument for each war, or individually list the names of every area veteran who served in wartime, a decision was made to erect an all-wars monument that would would be dedicated to the memory of all area veterans who served in our country’s hour of need.

The Gratz Area Veterans Monument bears the following inscription:  No one who dies in war so others might live in peace and freedom has died in vain.  This memorial is dedicated to the honor and memory of veterans of all our nations wars who served their country in its hour of need. Dedicated this 20th day of May in the year of our Lord 2005. At the top of the monument are the symbols of the branches of the armed services.  And, at the bottom front and bottom sides are the symbols of service in each of the nation’s wars.

Category: Memorials | Comments Off on Gratz Area Veterans Monument
Tags: G.A.R., Gratz Borough, Monument

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on August 9, 2010

Some interesting stories discovered about the Gratz family…

Lt. Louis A. Gratz, who we thought was a member of the Gratz family, and who served in the 9^th PA Cavalry, Co. B, was an immigrant arriving around 1860 and probably had no connection to the Gratz family of Philadelphia. When he suddenly left the 9^th PA and joined a Kentucky Cavalry unit as a Major, he did so under suspicious circumstances just after he was involved in the accidental death of a member of the 9^th PA Cavalry, Co. B – which was composed mostly of members from the Lykens Valley.

Benjamin Gratz Brown,(Civil War soldier, wartime U.S. Senator and later Governor of Missouri), was a cousin of Theodore Gratz of Gratz, PA.  In 1872, he ran for Vice President on the Democratic ticket with Horace Greeley.  The town of Gratz, KY, is named for Gratz Brown – the only other community in the United States named for a member of the Gratz family.

Rebecca Gratz of Philadelphia, of Ivanhoe fame, and the sister of Simon Gratz (after whom Gratz PA is named), tried to offer her services as a nurse during the war, but was rejected because of her advanced age.  She spent the war writing letters to her nephews who were fighting on both sides. Rebecca and her brother Simon had become estranged, possibly because of religious differences, and she knew little or nothing about Theodore’s family who were living in Gratz, PA, so she did not know that one of her nephews, John Gratz (son of Theodore) had died in the war. The Civil War Research Project has copies of the letters John Gratz sent to his mother.  John died Jan. 26, 1862 at Camp Northumberland, Virginia.  He was a member of the 96^th PA, Co. G.

Cary Gratz, also a cousin of the local Gratz family, was born in Lexington, KY, and fought in the 1^st Missouri Regiment (Union) as a Captain.  He was killed in the battle at Wilson’s Creek, MO.  Ironically, his step brother Joseph O. Shelby was a Confederate General who fought in the same battle!  At the time, neither knew of the involvement of the other.

Category: Stories | Comments Off on Gratz Family Civil War Stories
Tags: Gratz family, Rebecca Gratz