Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on September 6, 2017

Previously on this blog, the Stites Family in the Civil War was featured.  At that time, a portrait of Dr. Samuel Stites (1816-1882), a contract surgeon during the Civil War, was featured, along with some Civil War records of his son, William D. Stites.

The portrait at the top of this post is said to be of William D. Stites and was found on a public tree on Ancestry.com.

William D. Stites died in Millersburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, and is buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery there.  During the Civil War he served as a Private in the 47th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company D.  He is recognized on the Millersburg Soldier Monument as “W. D. Stites.”

AN obituary of William D. Stites appeared in the Elizabethville Echo, 11 November 1915:

Death at Millersburg

William Stites died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. John Ream, at Millersburg, on Monday evening from the effects of a paralytic stroke about two weeks ago which left him in helpless condition.  He was an aged veteran of the Civil War.  The following children survive him:  Mrs. Ray Brubaker; Mrs. Benjamin Musser; Mrs. John Ream; Boyd Stites and Ray Stites of Millersburg; Mrs. Charles Rettinger of Sunbury; Charles Stites of near Gettysburg.

___________________________________

News clipping is from Newspapers.com.

Category: Research, Stories | Comments Off on William D. Stites – Obituary & Portrait
Tags: Elizabethville, Millersburg

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on September 4, 2017

A listing of the August 2017 posts on The Civil War Blog with direct links:

Confusion in the Records of Joseph M. Smith of Halifax

June 2017 Posts

July 2017 Posts

What Was the War Service of Aaron Snyder?

Samuel H. Sharron – 1890 Millersburg Veterans’ Census, But Not Civil War?

Some Clarifications on Franklin Speese

Was Daniel Shive Murdered in 1893?

Isaac M. Spong – Buried in Lebanon, Not Malta!

Pennsylvania Railroad Offers Excursion from Lykens to K.K.K. Rally in Washington, 1926

The Ku Klux Klan Orphanage Fire and the Fund Raising Scam of 1926

Lykens Valley Ku Klux Klan Events Needing Further Research

Who Was Jacob R. Smith Who Enrolled at Lykens?

Obituary of Daniel A. Shultz

Category: Overviews | Comments Off on August 2017 Posts
Tags: Table of Contents

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on September 1, 2017

John G. Sommers, who was found in the 1890 Veterans’ Census for Upper Paxton Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, served in the 3rd Maryland Cavalry, Company K, as a Bugler, from 27 November 1863 through his discharge on 7 September 1865.

That same John G. Sommers, applied for a disability pension on 11 February 1889 and received benefits until he died on 23 December 1908 (date on card), whereupon, according to the Pension Index Card (shown above from Fold3), a widow applied and collected benefits until her death.  The above card also shows that John G. Sommers also served in two U.S. Cavalry regiments/companies.

The above version of the Pension Index Card, available from Ancestry.com, shows that John G. Somers applied for pension benefits from Ohio the year before he appeared in the 1890 Upper Paxton Township census.  Strangely, the widow pension application does not appear on the card, but a pension on behalf of a minor (or minors) was applied for on 16 March 1909 by Joseph D. Drum, guardian.  That latter pension application was made from Pennsylvania.

The three sections of a page from the Soldier’s Home in Dayton, Ohio, are shown below (available from Ancestry.com).

Click on document to enlarge.

The military history closely matches the previously known information and adds the “muster” in place of Baltimore, Maryland, and the “muster out” place of Vicksburg, Mississippi.  A war injury, a sabre cut of the head, was deemed to be “not disabling.”

On domestic/personal history [in 1902], he was 54 years old, was 5 foot 5 inches tall, had auburn hair and was literate.  His place of residence was Akron, Ohio, and he was a widower.  And, his daughter, Mrs. Emma Brown, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was his next of kin.

Click on document to enlarge.

The home history shows that John G. Sommers entered and left three times from 1902 to his death in December 1908, which resulted from a cerebral hemorrhage.

In the final remarks, it is noted that John G. Sommers was buried in the National Cemetery at Dayton, Ohio, Section P, Row 2, Grave 11.

Other than the above information, not much more is known about this John G. Sommers at this time.  If he lived in Upper Paxton Township in 1890, he should be included in the list of men who had some connection to the Millersburg area.  It was through the census that he was initially identified.

Any reader with information about this John G. Sommers is urged to come forward.  Please add comments to this post or send to the Project by e-mail.

Category: Queries, Research, Stories | Comments Off on John G. Sommers – Upper Paxton Township, 1890
Tags: Upper Paxton Township

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on August 30, 2017

Daniel A. Shultz died on 30 December 1925 in Shamokin, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, and was buried at the I.O.O.F Cemetery, Lykens, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.  His grave marker is pictured above.  Daniel A. Shultz is recognized on the Lykens G.A.R. Monument as a member of the Heilner Post who joined after its organization.  However, on the monument plaque, his surname is name is spelled “Schultz.”

The obituary of Daniel A. Shultz appeared in the Elizabethville Echo, 7 January 1926:

DANIEL A. SHULTZ

Daniel A. Shultz who made his home with John B. Paul, his half-brother, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. D. W. Stroh at Shamokin last Thursday.

Funeral service were held at Shamokin on Friday evening by the Rev. Dr. Schnaeder of the Reformed Church there.  On Saturday the body was brought to the home of John B. Paul, Elizabethville, at which place funeral services were held at 3:45 o’clock in the afternoon by the Rev. W. Z. Artz.  Burial was made in the Odd Fellows Cemetery at Lykens.  Funeral Director, George F. Buffington.

Deceased died at the age of 78 years, 7 months and 16 days.  In 1869 he was married to Catharine Bressler who preceded him in death five years ago.  He enlisted as a private during the Civil War at the age of 16 years and served nine months after which he entered the regular army and served three years.

He is survived by one half-brother, John B. Paul, Elizabethville, one son, Robert Shultz of Columbus, Ohio, and two daughters, Mrs. D. W. Stroh, Shamokin, and Mrs. Mary Dissinger of Harrisburg, also by seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

The floral tributes given by relatives were many.  The pall bearers were:  Daniel Stroh; Clair Stroh; Lester Leichtner; Charles Warner; Frank W. Paul; Marian Paul.

Those who attended the services from a distance were: Mr. and Mrs. D. W. Stroh; Mr. and Mrs. Lester Leichtner; Daniel Stroh and Clair Stroh of Shamokin; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Warner, New York; Mrs. D. M. Dissinger and daughters Catharine Dissinger and Leona Dissinger; Mr.and Mrs. Horn and George Bressler, Tower City; Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Holtzman; Pierce Holtzman and daughter of Fisherville; Mr. and Mrs. William Reed;Mr. and Mrs. Harry Lebo, Halifax; Byron Enders; J. Henry Paul, Robert Paul, and Ruth Paul, of Enders; Israel Paul; Mrs. Earl Paul, and Mrs. Woodside of Lykens.

Category: Research, Stories | Comments Off on Obituary of Daniel A. Shultz
Tags: Elizabethville, Fisherville, Halifax, Lykens Borough

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on August 28, 2017

On 26 April 1861, Jacob R. Smith was mustered into the 10th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company F, as a Private.  At the time,he said he was 20 years old (born about 1841), was employed as a boatman, and lived at Clarks Ferry, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.  He was honorably discharged on 31 July 1861.

No record has been seen that he applied for a pension based on his service.

According to information on his Pennsylvania Veterans’ File Card, shown above from the Pennsylvania Archives, he enrolled at Lykens.  This regiment was composed of many soldiers from the Lykens area, but efforts to identify this individual have so far come up blank.

If any reader can supply more information on Jacob R. Smith, it would be welcome!

Category: Queries | Comments Off on Who Was Jacob R. Smith Who Enrolled at Lykens?
Tags: Clarks Ferry, Lykens Borough