Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on July 16, 2018

George N. Aumiller was born 20 August 1842, in Dalmatia, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, the son of John Aumiller and Hannah [Peiffer] Aumiller.  At the time of the Civil War he joined the 208th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company A, as a Private, and served honorably from 18 August 1864 through his discharge with his company on 7 June 1865.  He spent most of his life in the area around Dalmatia, but died on 10 October 1928, at Sunbury, Northumberland County.  He is buried at the Trinity Church Cemetery at Dalmatia.

No record has been seen that George Aumiller ever married.

On 16 October 1928, the Shamokin News-Dispatch, reported the probate of his will:

Will of Late George Aumiller Probated

The will of George N. Aumiller, late of Lower Mahanoy Township, who died in the Mary M. Packer Hospital at Sunbury recently, was probated yesterday in the court house at Sunbury.

It leaves his entire estate in trust with the Sunbury Trust and Safe Deposit Company, the income to be paid to the unmarried children of his deceased sister, Mrs. Sara C. Bowen, late of Sunbury.  They are Anna E. Bowen, Lou M. Bowen, Harry M. Bowen, and Rachel K. Bowen.

After the death or marriage of the last of these nephews and nieces, the principal of the estate is to be divided among the heirs of the of the late Mrs. Sara C. Bowen.  The will was made 27 August 1927 and contains a request that the provisions be read by an officer of the Sunbury Trust and Safe Deposit Company following the funeral.  The Sunbury Trust Company is name executor.

______________________________________

News clipping from Newspapers.com.

Category: Research, Stories | Comments Off on George N. Aumiller – Left Estate in Trust
Tags: Dalmatia, Lower Mahanoy Township

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on July 13, 2018

During the Civil War, Daniel Paul served as a Private in the 130th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company H.  After the Civil War, he moved to Michigan, but kept in touch with his Lykens Valley friends and relatives via correspondence to the editor of the Lykens newspaper.

Three stories of the death and burial of Daniel Paul appeared in the Lykens Standard in 1911:

______________________________

DEATHS AND FUNERALS

Daniel Paul, aged 67 years, died at the home of his niece, Mrs. Walter I. Bowman, on South Second Street [Lykens], shortly after 5 o’clock Monday morning, of a complication of diseases.  He had been in poor health for some time and about a week before his death had an attack of grippe, which confined him to the house and the last few days to his bed.  Before being compelled to stay in the house he told several neighbors who inquired about his health, that it was too damp up here between the mountains for him and just as soon as he felt better he’d get out of this.

Deceased was a son of James Paul and his wife Catherine Paul and was born in Wayne Township.  He was married to Sarah Straw of Jackson Township, and four children were born unto them, one of whom, Emma Paul, preceded him in death.  The surviving children are Charles Paul, of Marion, Indiana; Nora Paul, Mrs. William Munson, of Constantine, Michigan; and Frank Paul, of Kansas.

He is also survived by one sister, Amanda Paul, Mrs. Daniel Rettinger, of South Second Street [Lykens].

By occupation, Mr. Paul was a stone mason, but about 35 years ago he went to Constantine, Michigan, where he engaged in farming until four years ago last September when, upon the death of his wife, and his impaired health, he retired from active work.  Since then he has lived almost entirely in this vicinity, making occasional trips to Michigan and Indiana.  He also several years ago made a trip to Florida and Cuba for the benefit of his health.

Mr. Paul was a veteran of the Civil War, having enlisted on the 7th day of August 1861, as a private, in Company H, 130th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry [130th Pennsylvania Infantry], and honorably discharged, June 1863.  He was a member of the G.A.R., Department of Michigan, Post No. 124 (by transfer). He was also a member of Siloam Lodge, No. 35, F. & A. M. of Constantine, Michigan, and Chapter No. 63, R. A. M., also of Constantine, Michigan, and of Jacksonville Council, No. 80, United American Mechanics of Enders.  He was a staunch Republican and a man of good judgment and his political predictions generally were verified.

He was a kind and indulgent father; to his sister a tender brother, to his friends the soul of fellowship. But the greatest of all was he as a man.  And as a man it is that those who knew him best most loved to contemplate him.  He believed in the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.  He believed that the man who scatters flowers in the pathway of his fellow men, who lets into the dark places of life the sunshine of human sympathy and human happiness, is following in the footsteps of his Master.

Funeral service were held at the home of his niece Monday evening. Rev. H. S. Kiefer, pastor of the U. B. Church, officiating.  Songs were touchingly rendered by the church choir.  The relatives in this section and a delegation from Ashlar Lodge, F. & A. M. of this place, attended the services.

The body, in charge of Cornelius Rettinger and wife, left on the 7:24 a.m. train for Constantine, Michigan, where burial was made on the family plot beside his wife.

The relatives here desire to thank all who kindly assisted them in their bereavement.

Lykens Standard, 28 April 1911

____________________________________

E. Rettinger and wife, who took the body of Daniel Paul to Constantine, Michigan, Tuesday morning of last week, returned home Tuesday noon.

Lykens Standard, 5 May 1911.

____________________________________

The friends of Daniel Paul, who died at Lykens last week, were sorry to hear of his death.  Mr. Daniel Paul was born and brought up in Small Valley and lived at Enders, from which place he moved to Michigan.  He was a member of the O. U. A. M. and kept himself in good standing all these years.

“Enders,” Lykens Standard, 5 May 1911.

_____________________________________

News article from Newspapers.com.  This blog post concludes the series on the travels of Daniel Paul.

Special thanks to Debby Rabold, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for discovering these articles about her relative.

Category: Research, Stories | Comments Off on The Travels of Daniel Paul, 1911
Tags: Enders, Lykens Borough

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on July 11, 2018

On 26 April 1861, after enrolling at Lykens, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, a shoemaker from Wiconisco, Levi Gable, was mustered into service in the 10th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company F, as a Private.  At the time, he was 23 years old.  Nothing much more is known about him except that he served his three month term of enlistment and was mustered out with his company on 31 July 1861.

One of the difficulties in determining in which regiments Levi Gable served is that there are several men of the same name.  Because the enrollment of the Levi Gable who served in the 10th Pennsylvania Infantry was as Lykens, that service is used as the baseline for connecting other evidence to this Levi Gable.

In a prior post here, a list of Civil War soldiers buried at Lykens cemeteries was presented.  That list was compiled by Claude Keiser, son of Henry Keiser.  Henry Keiser served in the 10th Pennsylvania Infantry and was responsible for compiling the list of veterans for the Lykens G.A.R. Monument.  Claude Keiser‘s list included a Levi Gable, buried in Union Cemetery in Lykens.  Union Cemetery is a small section of of the greater Lykens Cemetery and is bounded by an alley, Spruce Street, and South Second Street.  However, in walking that section, no grave marker for Levi Gable was seen.  In a published list of the some of the sections of the Lykens Cemetery, a Levi Babel was found in Row 13 of the Union Cemetery.  The written designation states that Levi Babel had a “govt. tbst.” [government tombstone] with no dates and on which was inscribed, “Company H, 173rd Pennsylvania Infantry”  That stone can no longer be found in the cemetery.

From the Lykens G.A.R. Monument found on North Second Street, Lykens, the name of Levi Gable can be seen among a listing of Privates who were not members of the G.A.R.:

From the database, “Headstones Provided for Deceased Union Civil War Veterans” (Ancestry.com), the following was found:

The card from the database states that the Levi Gabel who served in Company K of the 173rd Pennsylvania Infantry who is buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery at Lykens, died on 27 February 1871.  The contract for the stone was dated 21 January 1883 (or 1888).

Is this the same person who served in the 10th Pennsylvania Infantry?

The 173rd Pennsylvania Infantry was a drafted militia placed under national service.  According to the Registers of Pennsylvania Volunteers found at the Pennsylvania Archives, the Levi Gabel who served in Company K of that regiment was enrolled as a Private at Camp Curtin at age 25 on 9 November 1862 and was mustered into service at the same place on 11 November 1862.  He was discharged on 18 August 1863 with his company.  Many of the members of this regiment and company were also from the Lykens Valley area, so it is likely that this is the same person who is buried at Lykens.  The Veterans’ File Cards, shown above and below, are from the Pennsylvania Archives.

From the Pennsylvania Archives (above), it is learned that a Levi Gable also served in Company H of the 210th Pennsylvania Infantry.  The Registers of Pennsylvania Volunteers, also from the Pennsylvania Archives, note that Levi Gable served as a Corporal in Company H, and was enrolled at Harrisburg, 15 September 1864, at age 26.  He was mustered into service the same day at Camp Curtin and was mustered out with his company on 30 May 1865.

While the dates of service in the three regiments are not overlapping, there is nothing specific to connect the Levi Gable of the 210th Pennsylvania Infantry to the soldier buried at Lykens.

Finally, there are two death notices that have been located in the Lykens Register.  The first is from the edition of 16 October 1896, in events of 1871:

Levi Gable, a former resident of this place, who removed to Newport, Perry County, about two years ago, died this week and will be buried in this place [Lykens] on Sunday by Lykens Council, No. 112, O.U.A.M., of which he was a member.  Mr. Gable was a shoemaker and worked at his trade while her, but soon after removing was attacked by a stroke of paralysis, from which he lost the use of one side and was almost helpless.  He was thirty-two years old.

The second appeared in the Lykens Register of 23 October 1896, events of 1871:

The remains of Levi Gable, whose death we announced last week, arrived at this place by rail on Saturday evening and were conveyed to the residence of F. J. Douden.  The funeral took place from the Lutheran Church, the Rev. Mr. Landis officiating.

In checking the Perry County newspapers, the following was located in the Newport News, 25 February 1871::

We are informed that Mr. Levi Gable of this place, since his last paralytic stroke, has become partially deranged, and is at time very dangerous, and has to be watched almost continually to keep him from inflicting bodily injury upon himself or some member of his family.  He is worse at night than through the day.

Mr. Gable died on Thursday night.

And from the Newport News, 11 March 1871:

BURIAL of LEVI GABLE – From the Upper Dauphin (Lykens) Register, of last week, we clip the following:

The remains of Mr. Gable (whose death in Newport, Perry County, we announced last week) arrived at this place by mail on Saturday evening, when they were taken in charge by a delegation from Lykens Council American Mechanics, and conveyed to the residence of Mr. F. J. Douden.  The funeral took place on Sunday morning from the Lutheran Church, Rev. Landis officiating, and was attended by a large number of the Senior and Junior Order of Mechanics of this place, and by the public generally.  Deceased was borne to the cemetery on the shoulders of his brother Mechanics to the solemn music of the Lykens Cornet Band, followed by mourning relatives and friends.  He was thirty-two years of age, and leaves a wife and two children.

This latter article is the first mention that there were survivors – a wife and two children.

The 1870 Census for Newport, Perry County, Pennsylvania, names Levi Gable as 32 year old head of household, a laborer, with wife Mary Gable, age 25, and two small children, George Gable, born about 1868, and Harry Gable, born about 1869,  Not much more has been located about the survivors, except that a Lutheran baptismal record has bee located for George Gable at Lykens, before the family moved to Perry County.

A check of the Pension Index Cards on Fold3 for the three regiments in which Levi Gable purportedly served, gives no evidence that the widow ever applied for benefits based on her husband’s war service – nor did anyone apply for the minors.

At the time of this writing, no further evidence has been seen to confirm or refute the idea that the Levi Gable who died in 1871 and is buried at Lykens served in the three aforementioned regiments.

Readers are invited to contribute addition information by adding comments to this post.

Category: Research, Stories | Comments Off on Levi Gable of Lykens-Wiconisco – Served in 3 Regiments?
Tags: G.A.R., Lykens, Wiconisco

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on July 9, 2018

During the Civil War, Daniel Paul served as a Private in the 130th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company H.  After the Civil War, he moved to Michigan, but kept in touch with his Lykens Valley friends and relatives via correspondence to the editor of the Lykens newspaper.

One results of that correspondence from the year 1910 is reported below:

______________________________

Big Reception for John Adam Miller

 

John H. Miller of Penbrook, gave a dinner on Thanksgiving Day, in honor of his father, John Adam Miller, who recently returned from Texas after having been mourned for dead for forty-nine years, and the occasion was in the shape of an all-day family reunion.  A few weeks ago his sons and daughters planned to fix Thanksgiving Day as an appropriate time to celebrate his return after years spent on ranches and farms in Texas and New Mexico.

Among those present at the big dinner and reunion were B. F. Clark of Academia, who was a comrade of Mr. Miller in the regular army, and also Daniel Paul, of Constantine, Michigan, who was a comrade at the outbreak of the Civil War when Mr. Miller served with a volunteer company.  Both old soldiers made fitting addresses and James Miller told of the achievements of this special branch of the Miller family and traced it back for several generations.

In the party were William H. McFadden and Mrs. McFadden, who discovered her father’s whereabouts through records of the War Department….

Lykens Standard, 2 December 1910.

_____________________________

For a more complete story on the disappearance and return of John A. Miller, see:  The Disappearance and Return of John A. Miller of Halifax.

News article from Newspapers.com.  This series will continue up through the death of Daniel Paul, which occurred in Lykens in 1911.

Special thanks to Debby Rabold, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for discovering these articles about her relative.

Category: Research, Stories | Comments Off on The Travels of Daniel Paul, 1910
Tags: Halifax, Lykens

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on July 6, 2018

The National Society of the Daughters of the Union, 1861-1865, Civil War Remembrance Award was presented to Norman Gasbarro of The Civil War Blog on Sunday, 24 June 2018, by Sue Petres, an officer of the Society, at a ceremony at the White Dog Cafe, University City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The award was given for Extraordinary Service and Commitment to the Education and Preservation of Civil War History.  It was the first such award presented by the organization.

The objectives of National Society of the Daughters of the Union are:

Membership  in the National Society is open to any woman eighteen years of age or over provided she is a direct lineal or collateral descendant of a man or woman who rendered military or civil service to the Union during the years 1861-1865.

Category: Reflections | 2 Comments »
Tags: