Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 30, 2016

William McClain, a farmer who was born in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, and resided in Dauphin County, enrolled in the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry on 21 February 1864, at Harrisburg.  On the same day, he was mustered into service in Company D, as a Private.  His personal information included his age of 18, his height of nearly 5 foot 6 inches, his brown hair, light complexion, and grey eyes.  The regimental records show that he served through muster out on 18 July 1865.

The Pension Index Card (shown above from Fold3) notes that William T. McLane applied for a pension in 1892, which he received.  The card also gives a death date of 27 October 1920 and a death place of Burlington, Iowa.

The Findagrave record gives the place of burial as Aspen Grove Cemetery, Burlington, Des Moines Co.unty, Iowa – and gives William’s place of birth as Millersburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.  William’s father, Enos McLane, was also born in Millersburg.

One confusing issue in researching this soldier is the variation in the spelling of the surname, sometimes found as McClain, McLain, McLane, or McClane.  However, one thing is certain:  this is another case where a veteran of the Civil War with a connection to Millersburg has been ignored on the Millersburg Soldier Monument.  Increasingly, it is becoming evident that the monument only names a small fraction of men who should have been included on it.  It is not known why the research was so poorly done at the time the monument was erected just a little over a hundred years ago. With roots in Millersburg – and having served in a regiment and company with others who are included on the monument – and with William McLane still alive at the time the monument was erected – why was he not included?

Further information is sought on this soldier who served honorably and died at the age of 75.  Comments can be added to this blog post.

Category: Research, Stories | Comments Off on William T. McLane – Born in Millersburg, Died in Iowa, Ignored on Millersburg Monument
Tags: Millersburg

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 28, 2016

Women and the Civil War” is an exhibit of photographs and stories of women who had family connections with soldiers of that war.  It was first displayed at the Gratz Fair in September 2013, where it received “first place” in a non-profit division.  Afterward, it was displayed in 2014 at the Williamtown-Williams Township Historical Society; in 2015 at the Pillow Historical Society; and in 2016 at the Elizabethville Area Historical Society.  With the “retiring” of the actual exhibit, the photographs and stories are now presented here on The Civil War Blog in a thirteen part series.

For each of the thirteen series parts, one woman is featured first along with a brief description of her connection to a Civil War soldier.  For the other women who are pictured in each part, a brief story is not provided, but blog readers are invited to add their own stories as comments to the blog post.  In some cases, the women or the soldiers have been previously featured on this blog and links are provided to those posts.

EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION

Portraits and Stories.  This portrait gallery is of women from the Lykens Valley and beyond who were influenced by or had an influence on the Civil War.  It includes mothers, wives and daughters of men of the Civil War generation.  A few of their stories have been briefly told here [in the exhibit].  As part of the Civil War Research Project, photographs and stories of these remarkable women are being collected and preserved for future generations.  Over time, much of this history has been lost because it has not been recorded and saved.  For the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War, it has been a priority to collect, record and preserve this valuable part of our heritage.

Rebecca Gratz

great aunt of

John C. Gratz

THE LETTER WRITER.  When the Civil War began, Rebecca Gratz, sister to Simon Gratz, the founder of Gratz, Pennsylvania, offered her services as a nurse, but because of her advanced age, she was rejected.  She spent the years 1861-1865 in Philadelphia corresponding with her nephews who fought on both sides of the conflict.  Because of religious differences, she was estranged from her nephew Theodore Gratz‘s family in Gratz and did not know that her grand-nephew John C. Gratz died in the war.

Caroline [Moyer] Hess

wife of

John Hess

Minnie Martz

daughter of

Cornelius C. Martz

Carrie Umholtz

daughter of

Edmon Umholtz

 Margaret [Todd] Kellogg

wife of

Charles H. Kellogg

Elizabeth Schwalm

daughter of

Samuel Schwalm

Mary Ellen [Gratz] Tyler

wife of

William Wallace Tyler

Rachel [Gratz] Moses

great aunt of

John C. Gratz

Fromena [Brown] Ramberger

wife of

Daniel K. Ramberger

Kitty [Todd] Herr

wife of

William Wallace Herr

Elizabeth [Keiser] Umholtz

mother of

Edmon Umholtz

All currently posted parts of this series may be accessed by clicking on Women&CivilWar.  Photographs are scaled for printing on 4 x 6 photo paper without further adjustment.

Category: Stories | Comments Off on Women and the Civil War (Part 10)
Tags: Elizabethville, Gratz Borough, Pillow, Williams Township, Williamstown, Women

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 26, 2016

Women and the Civil War” is an exhibit of photographs and stories of women who had family connections with soldiers of that war.  It was first displayed at the Gratz Fair in September 2013, where it received “first place” in a non-profit division.  Afterward, it was displayed in 2014 at the Williamtown-Williams Township Historical Society; in 2015 at the Pillow Historical Society; and in 2016 at the Elizabethville Area Historical Society.  With the “retiring” of the actual exhibit, the photographs and stories are now presented here on The Civil War Blog in a thirteen part series.

For each of the thirteen series parts, one woman is featured first along with a brief description of her connection to a Civil War soldier.  For the other women who are pictured in each part, a brief story is not provided, but blog readers are invited to add their own stories as comments to the blog post.  In some cases, the women or the soldiers have been previously featured on this blog and links are provided to those posts.

EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION

Portraits and Stories.  This portrait gallery is of women from the Lykens Valley and beyond who were influenced by or had an influence on the Civil War.  It includes mothers, wives and daughters of men of the Civil War generation.  A few of their stories have been briefly told here [in the exhibit].  As part of the Civil War Research Project, photographs and stories of these remarkable women are being collected and preserved for future generations.  Over time, much of this history has been lost because it has not been recorded and saved.  For the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War, it has been a priority to collect, record and preserve this valuable part of our heritage.

Elizabeth [Klinger] Schwalm

wife of

Samuel Schwalm

FARMER AND HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD.  During the war, while her husband was serving in the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry from 1861-1864, she ran the family farm in Hegins Township and cared for five young children, one of whom was born in 1862.  The family has preserved most of the correspondence between the couple – which documents the remarkable resilience she had in meeting the daily crises she encountered.

Catherine E. Row

daughter of

Adam Row

Mercy Cordelia [Moody] Clark

wife

Valentine F. Clark

Cassie [Schreffler] Good

wife of

John L. Good

Hannah [Hepler] Miller

daughter of

Isaac Hepler

Rachel [Hartman] Artz

mother of

Jonas Artz

Harriet [Workman] Holland

wife of

Isaac W. Holland

 Amanda [Williard] Kissinger

wife of

Jacob Kissinger

Mary J. [Kohler] Seachrist

wife of

Joseph R. Seachrist

Amanda S. [Klinger] Hess

wife of

Jacob Hess

Lillie [Keiper] Blanning

niece of

John Keiper Jr.

Juliet Danner [Wampler] Nace

wife of

David Benjamin Nace

Mary Agnes [Wise] Sheetz

wife of

Peter Sheetz

Christiana [Miller] Lubold

wife of

George Lubold

Emma Riegle

wife of

Lewis Riegle

Anna [Biegsler] Klinger

mother of

Elias Klinger

Matilda S. [Heiner] Wray

wife of

Alexander D. Wray

Sarah [Shoop] Warfel

wife of

William Warfel

Lydia Burkle

daughter of

George Burkle

 All currently posted parts of this series may be accessed by clicking on Women&CivilWar.  Photographs are scaled for printing on 4 x 6 photo paper without further adjustment.

Category: Stories | Comments Off on Women and the Civil War (Part 9)
Tags: Elizabethville, Hegins Township, Pillow, Williams Township, Williamstown, Women

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 23, 2016

Women and the Civil War” is an exhibit of photographs and stories of women who had family connections with soldiers of that war.  It was first displayed at the Gratz Fair in September 2013, where it received “first place” in a non-profit division.  Afterward, it was displayed in 2014 at the Williamtown-Williams Township Historical Society; in 2015 at the Pillow Historical Society; and in 2016 at the Elizabethville Area Historical Society.  With the “retiring” of the actual exhibit, the photographs and stories are now presented here on The Civil War Blog in a thirteen part series.

For each of the thirteen series parts, one woman is featured first along with a brief description of her connection to a Civil War soldier.  For the other women who are pictured in each part, a brief story is not provided, but blog readers are invited to add their own stories as comments to the blog post.  In some cases, the women or the soldiers have been previously featured on this blog and links are provided to those posts.

EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION

Portraits and Stories.  This portrait gallery is of women from the Lykens Valley and beyond who were influenced by or had an influence on the Civil War.  It includes mothers, wives and daughters of men of the Civil War generation.  A few of their stories have been briefly told here [in the exhibit].  As part of the Civil War Research Project, photographs and stories of these remarkable women are being collected and preserved for future generations.  Over time, much of this history has been lost because it has not been recorded and saved.  For the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War, it has been a priority to collect, record and preserve this valuable part of our heritage.

G.A.R. WOMEN’S RELIEF CORPS

Post 101 – Lykens and Wiconisco

A Women’s Relief Corps of the G.A.R. provided services to Civil War veterans in Lykens, Wiconisco, and the surrounding area.  In addition to many other activities, they purchased a plot for indigent veterans in the Lykens Cemetery, raised funds to erect a Civil War monument which is located on North Second Street in Lykens, and provided relief to widows and orphans.  The organization lasted into the 1950s with the support of daughters of the veterans.  The photograph is of the women from the Lykens Post and was taken late in the 19th Century.

Laura Keiper

niece of

John Keiper Jr.

Caroline [Schwalm] Klinger

wife of

Israel Klinger

Catharine Agnes Minnich

daughter of

Cyrus Minnich

Elizabeth [Jury] Woolridge

sister of

John Frederick Jury

Louise Catherine Clark

daughter of

Valentine F. Clark

Rebecca [Zartman] Longsdorf

wife of

Henry B. Longsdorf

Sally Umholtz

daughter of

Edmon Umholtz

Sarah [Faust] Ritzman

sister of

Cornelius Faust

Catherine [Koons] Ney

daughter-in-law of

Israel Ney

Nora Alice Clark

daughter of

Valentine F. Clark

Isabella [Wiest] Erdman

wife of

Sinary Erdman

Christina [Hand] Goodman

wife of

William Goodman

All currently posted parts of this series may be accessed by clicking on Women&CivilWar.  Photographs are scaled for printing on 4 x 6 photo paper without further adjustment.

Category: Stories | Comments Off on Women and the Civil War (Part 8)
Tags: Elizabethville, G.A.R., Lykens Borough, Pillow, Wiconisco, Wiconisco Township, Williams Township, Williamstown, Women

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 21, 2016

Previously, on 9 February 2013, Jonathan Miller was profiled as art of a blog post on Civil War burials at the St. Paul’s Cemetery, Tower City, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania:

Very little is known about Jonathan Miller (c. 1824-1890) except that he served in the 39th Pennsylvania Infantry (Emergency of 1863), Company H, as a Private, from 1 July 1863 to 2 August 1863.  The application for “government issue” headstone (above) gives his date of death as 9 February 1890.  A handwritten notation on his Pennsylvania Veterans’ Index Card (from Pennsylvania Archives, card not shown) states that he was 49 years old at time of his muster-in at Harrisburg, which would give an approximate birth year of 1824.  No Miller widow was found in the 1890 census for the area of and around Tower City and his service was too short to expect that a pension application will be discovered.  One of the difficulties in researching this veteran is that he could have gone by the name of John, and there are quite a few John Miller‘s in the Project who have yet to be completely identified.

See also:  Tower City, Porter and Rush Township Civil War Veterans – Part 13 and Tower City – Porter Township Centennial – Civil War Veterans List.

Based on additional research, it is now believed that this Jonathan Miller is the one who was named in “Part 13” above, describing the Tower City, Porter and Rush Township Veterans’ Memorial.  The plate is shown below:

Also, knowing that his service was in the 39th Pennsylvania Infantry (Emergency of 1863), a Pennsylvania Veterans’ File Card was located at the Pennsylvania Archives:

The information scrawled on the card is difficult to decipher.

Little else is known about him.

If any reader can provide additional information about him, please do so by adding a comment to his post.

Category: Queries, Resources | 1 Comment »
Tags: Porter Township, Rush Township, Tower City