Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on March 12, 2018

Jacob Wilt, who served in the Civil War in the 1st Pennsylvania Infantry, Company E, as a Private, from 20 April 1861 through 24 July 1861, and again in the 11th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Companies C and D, as a Private, from 27 August 1861 through the end of the war, is honored on the Lykens G.A.R. Monument.

His death on 16 November 1913 was reported in a Harrisburg newspaper and in the Lykens newspaper.

The Harrisburg Patriot of 17 November 1913 stated:

Death of War Veteran Caused by Swallowing Bone

Piketown, Pennsylvania, 17 November 1913 — Jacob Wilt, a veteran of the Civil War, died at the home of his brother, Hiram Wilt, yesterday morning.  Several weeks ago he swallowed a bone while eating and as a result took blood poisoning, and also had a stroke of paralysis last week.  He was 82 years old.  The funeral services will be held at the home of his brother on Thursday.

The Lykens Standard also published an obituary, but on 28 November 1913:

JACOB WILT

Jacob Wilt for many years a resident of Wiconisco, died at the home of his brother Hiram Wilt at Piketown, Sunday morning, 16 November, aged 80 years, 5 months and 6 days.  He had gone to his brother’s home to spend the winter as usual.  Seven days before his death he swallowed a small bone while eating quail which could not be removed and as a result blood poisoning set in.  He was a veteran of the Civil War, having served an enlistment of four years and six months.  Short funeral services were held at his brother’s home Thursday afternoon at 1 o’clock, which were continued at the Wenrich Church, Linglestown, of which he was a faithful member.  Interment was made in the adjoining cemetery.

Deceased is survived by two sons:  George Wilt of Lykens, and William Wilt of Allentown; and one daughter, Mrs. William Gratz, of Philadelphia.  Also, one brother and one sister, Hiram Wilt, of Piketown, and Mrs. Samuel Maurer of Lykens.

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News clippings from Newspapers.com.

Category: Research, Stories | Comments Off on Obituary of Jacob Wilt – Dies from Swallowing Quail Bone
Tags: Lykens Borough, Wiconisco

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on March 9, 2018

Thaddeus S. Williamson is buried at the Salem Lutheran Church Cemetery at Killinger, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.  His grave is marked with a G.A.R. Star and Flag Holder and his stone indicates service in a Maryland Civil War regiment – Company A, Purnell Legion of the Maryland Volunteer Cavalry.  His service dates were from 8 February 1862 to 8 February 1865, and his rank was Bugler.

The Pension Index Card, shown above from Fold 3, notes his service in the Purnell Legion, and gives his initial date for pension benefits application as 28 September 1875.  The death date of 16 December 1913 is consistent with what is carved on his grave marker.  The widow, Sarah L. Williamson, as noted on the second Pension Index Card, shown above from Ancestry.com, applied for benefits on 31 December 1913, from Pennsylvania.  Both Thaddeus and Sarah received the pension benefits which they collected until their respective deaths.

While the pension application files for this individual are not yet available on Fold 3, the military records are available.  Shown above is the folder-jacket for the records. Images of the twenty-one cards housed, each representing reference to a specific muster roll or equipment issue are are all pictured on Fold 3.

The wife of Thaddeus S. Williamson was the former Sarah Louisa Rush and she too is buried at the Salem Lutheran Church Cemetery at Killinger.

More research needs to be done to determine why this Maryland soldier ended up being buried in Upper Paxton Township and what his relationship was to the Millersburg area.  Also, Thaddeus S. Williamson is not named on the Millersburg Soldier Monument – still another person with a connection to the area who is missing from that memorial.

Category: Research, Stories | Comments Off on Thaddeus S. Williamson – Served in Maryland Regiment, Buried at Killinger
Tags: G.A.R., Killinger, Millersburg, Upper Paxton Township

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on March 7, 2018

A listing of the February 2018 posts on The Civil War Blog with direct links:

William Martz – Did He Have a Connection to Millersburg?

William Romberger – Drowned in Susquehanna River Near Harrisburg, 1862

Obituary of John H. Wert of Coaldale

Statement on Election of 1928 by Imperial Wizard of Ku Klux Klan

Monster Ku Klux Klan Demonstration at Island Park, Harrisburg, 1925

The Mystery of Frederick Summers of Hegins Township?

Sarah Jane [Zerby] Machamer Buried with Full Ku Klux Klan Rites, 1926

Obituary of William Whitman of Fisherville

Surviving Civil War Veterans of Girardville

Ku Klux Klan Protests Sunday Sporting Events in Lykens, 1930

Civil War Patriotism of Girardville, Schuylkill County

Category: Overviews | Comments Off on February 2018 Posts
Tags: Table of Contents

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on March 5, 2018

The name William Williams appears on the Lykens G.A.R. Monument as a Private in the Civil War who joined the Heilner G.A.R. Post there after its organization.

From the 1890 Veterans’ Census of Wiconisco, Dauphin County, there is a William Williams who claimed service in the 6th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company E, as a Private, with no dates of service given.  Note:  Click on above document to enlarge.

The Pennsylvania Veterans’ File Card for this William Williams, shows that this service was in an Emergency of 1862 Militia Regiment, from 13 September 1862 to 27 September 1862, a discharge at the end of the emergency.  The age at the time of enrollment at Halifax was 20, suggesting a birth year of about 1842, and the residence at the time was Millersburg. Is this the same person found in the 1890 Census of Wiconisco?  Perhaps.

Also on the Lykens G.A.R Monument is the name William R. Williams.  This individual appears as a Private who did not join the Heilner G.A.R. Post.  In searching the file at the Pennsylvania Archives, no good match has been found for this individual.

In searching the Findagrave site, a close match is found in Odd Fellow’s (I.O.O.F.) Cemetery in Lykens.  There is no indication though that this was a Civil War soldier.  However, the birth and death years, namely 1839 and 1915, would seem to place him in the eligible years.  This William P. Williams was married to a Sarah Williams whose dates were 1840-1917.

Still another William Williams was located in the 1890 Veterans’ Census for Artz, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.  This William Williams was deceased and his widow Molly Williams reported that she “could not obtain the desired information” regarding his military service.  Note:  Click on above document to enlarge.

Previously published on this blog was the following:

William D. Williams (1830-1864) died at White House, Virginia, on 9 June 1864, of wounds received at Cold Harbor on 3 June 1864.  He was serving with the 184th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company F, as a 1st Lieutenant.  A letter to his brother was published in the Citizen Standard, 25 June 1993, telling how he was killed.  The letter was first published in the Miner’s Journal of Pottsville, July 1864.  His brother was David Williams of Schuylkill County.

More information is sought about each of these individuals.  Clearly, there is more than one person with this common name.

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1890 Census images are from Ancestry.com.

Category: Queries, Research | 1 Comment »
Tags: G.A.R., Halifax, Lykens Borough, Millersburg, Wiconisco

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on February 28, 2018

Girardville is a small community in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, on Route 54, just east of Ashland.  While it is not within the area specifically covered by the Civil War Research Project, the efforts of Schuylkill County researchers and historians to compile a list of those who served in the Civil War who had some connection to Girardville should be mentioned here because some of the same problems occur regardless of the community being researched.  Coming up with a comprehensive list of all participants has been one of the most difficult tasks.

In his compilation of articles on the History of Pottsville and Schuylkill County, Joseph H. Zerbey provided the following about the Girardville volunteers:

TOWN’S PATRIOTISM

Records of a complete story pf Girardville’s part in the Civil War are not available.  The contacts with the War Department, Washington, D.C., the Adjutant General of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and The History of Patriotism in Schuylkill County, contributed little.

From the lips of an old resident, however, a few facts were gathered.  The town’s population at this time was approximately 100 people.   Accordingly a large supply of soldiers was not obtainable.  Yet approximately eight persons (actual residents) volunteered for service.

The first contingent from Girardville included:  David Levan; Charles Hower (a young boy of 17 years); Bill Klingerman; and Thomas Williams, a mulatto.

They were accepted as members of the 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry, under the command of Major Thompson.  They were driven to Pottsville to enlist by John Hower.

The Civil War history must be grouped into two divisions, “Pre-Residential” and “Post-Residential.”  A survey shows that the following person fought in the Civil War and migrated to Girardville upon their return.  Their names are submitted because the town makes claim upon them.

The following list of names are those of men who volunteered their services:

John Barron; Alex Bennie; James Bennie; Albert Bordy; Thomas Burns; James Brazil; John Butler; John Burke; Martin Brennan; W. J. Carrol; John Maley; James McGuire; John Malloy; Dennie Murphy; Patrick Murphy; James McGrew; Col P. H. Monaghan; Frank McColough; Thomas Purcell; Mark Purcell; Michael Roach; James Sweeney; Elias Wagner; Fred Witmayer; Patrick Whalen; Michael Thompson; William Timmins; Crawford Bennie; Private in Company H, 48th Pennsylvania Infantry; Franklin Bensinger, Sixth Corporal in Company G, 129th Pennsylvania Infantry; Andrew Arnold, Second Corporal, Company E, 6th Pennsylvania Infantry; John P. Brennan, Private, Company E, 96th Pennsylvania Infantry; John A. Brennan, Private, 6th Pennsylvania Infantry.

Joshua Caul; John Duffy, Private, 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Company L; Patrick Dolan; Michael Delaney, Private, Company K, 48th Pennsylvania Infantry; James Durren; James Edwards; A. Dennery; Adam Gilbert; Robert Green; Joseph Glick; Thomas Gwyther, Private, 6th Pennsylvania Infantry; James Gorman; Malachi Gorman; David Hopkins; Patrick Haley; John Holzer; William Hartnett; Thomas Joyce; Patrick Horan; Daniel Kohler; Walter Kinney; Harvey Kohler; James Kelly; Thomas Kelly; Thomas Lafferty; Adam Metz; HIram Michael; Marry Miller.

Category: Research, Resources | Comments Off on Civil War Patriotism of Girardville, Schuylkill County
Tags: African American