Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on November 25, 2016

John D. Manning of Llewellyn, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, son of John Manning and Elizabeth Manning, was mustered into the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company A, as a Private, on 9 September 1861.  The records of that regiment show that he was about 27 years old at the time and was working as a laborer.

The Pennsylvania Veterans’ File Card from the Pennsylvania Archives also notes that John D. Manning was “murdered 14 April 1964 at Annapolis, Maryland,” without giving further details.

The Baltimore Sun of 16 April 1861, gave the following correspondence.

A soldier named John D. Manning, belonging to Company A, Fiftieth Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers, quartered near Camp Parole, was shot at a late hour last night, by a lieutenant (name unknown), in the rear of the Enterprise House, on State House Circle.  The ball effect in the region of the heart, and the unfortunate man immediately expired.  The lieutenant made his escape.

Captain Alexander H. Clements, Commissioner of Subsistence United States Volunteers at this military post has been relieved from duty, and Captain James A. Doyle, filling a similar position at Camp Parole, near this city, supersedes him.  Captain Clements is awaiting orders.

The newspaper does not make it clear if the replacing of Captain Clements had anything to do with the murder of Private Manning.

According to information on Findagrave, John D. Manning is buried at Frieden’s Lutheran Church Cemetery, Minersville, Schuylkill County.  His grave marker, pictured above, states he lived 29 years, 3 months, and 24 days.

A Pension Index Card has been located on Fold3 which gives the death date and place for John D. Manning, notes that his mother applied for pension benefits on 17 November 1875, which she received, and mentions that he also served in the 6th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company G.

After carefully checking both the Pennsylvania Archives and regimental rosters, the only possible match is the card shown above – i.e., John D. Manning served in the 6th Pennsylvania Infantry under the name of Daniel Manning.  The age, residence, occupation and place of enrollment is the same.  His full name was most likely John Daniel Manning.  In that regiment, he was mustered in on 22 April 1861 and was mustered out in August 1861.  Thus, with the exception of about one month, Private Manning served from the beginning of the war in April 1861 to his death in April 1864.

No other information has been located to explain the his murder, whether the lieutenant who allegedly killed him was ever brought to justice.

It is possible that additional information about the circumstances of his death can be found in the pension application file, but that has not been consulted for this blog post.

Can any reader provide more about this?  Please add comments to this blog post!

The news clipping is from Newspapers.com.

Category: Research, Stories | Comments Off on John D. Manning – Murdered at Annapolis, 1864
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Posted By Norman Gasbarro on November 23, 2016

A number of the most stirring songs popular in the Civil War period originated in or were identified with Philadelphia.  One of the most prolific lyricists of the time was Sep Winner, who gave to the camps “The Arms of Abraham,” “Give Us Back Our Old Commander,” “Baxter’s March” and the “Zouave Quickstep.,”

The author of “When Johnny Comes Marching Home,” Thomas Brigham Bishop, of Wayne, Maine, lived in his later years… [in Philadelphia] where he died on 15 May 1905….

Many versions have been printed with regard to the “John Brown Song.”  The score is included in a collection published by Oliver Ditson and Company, of Boston, in 1861, under the title “John Brown’s Ghost.”  In 1863, the Supervisory Committee for recruiting Colored Regiments printed the words with the statement that the author of the original version was H. H. Brownell, of Hartford, Connecticut.  [But] the facts concerning this, the most popular of all songs of the camp and march… [were] compiled by Gen. Oliver C. Bosbyshell… [who] says:

“Mr. William Steffe, who resided many years [in Philadelphia before the Civil War] wrote the music to which the “John Brown Song” was attached….  The Methodists afterward applied the catchy tune to “Say, Brothers, Won’t You Meet Us,” adding the chorus, “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!”

“In 1861, while Col. Fletcher Webster‘s 12th Massachusetts Regiment was encamped at Fort Warren, it included the Brockton Military Band.  Four members of the regiment formed an excellent quartette.  One of them named John Brown was the butt of much wit, due to the similarity of his name to the famous abolitionist.  From this circumstance were evolved the ringing words which were fitted to Steffe’s music and included the Methodist “Glory, Hallelujah!”  The Brockton band adopted the song, and when superseded by Patrick Gilmore and his band, the latter took it up and played it on all occasions.  Gilmore afterward published the march….

“With Gilmore and his band in the lead, the 12th Massachusetts regiment marched down Broadway, New York City, every one of its thousand men singing the great song thus strangely evolved.  They sang it through Philadelphia and the length of Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, and its echo was heard wherever loyal citizens gathered…. Thus the music written in Philadelphia… became an inspiration, a paen of victory for the loyal North.”

It was a Philadelphian, Private A. D. Frankenberry, of the 15th Cavalry, who, with the Signal Corps on Kenesaw Mountain, sent Sherman’s message by flag over the heads of the Confederates to Corse’s defenders at the supply depot of Allatoona Pass, which inspired P. P. Bliss to thrill the nation with “Hold the Fort, for I am Coming.”

The story above is adapted from Philadelphia in the Civil War, 1861-1865, A Complete History, by Frank H. Taylor, published in 1913,  pages 314-315. The photograph of the “John Brown” sheet music is from the Library of Congress.

Category: Culture | Comments Off on The Philadelphia Connection to Famous War Songs
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Posted By Norman Gasbarro on November 21, 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.

Anne Ellen [Carson] Gratz

mother of

John C. Gratz

Her son, while serving with the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry, died of typhoid fever at Camp Northumberland, Virginia, in January 1862, and her husband, Theodore Gratz, former mayor of Gratz, Pennsylvania, died in Harrisburg in September 1863, leaving her with four young children.  With no means of support other than her older children, she decided to apply for pension benefits because her son John died in the war.   The record from the National Archives shows that she did not receive a Civil War pension.

Sarah [Rubendall] Schwalm

wife of

Frederick S. Schwalm

Sarah Ann [Yeager] Evitts

wife of

Benjamin J. Evitts

Sarah [Rough] Thomas

wife of

Elias Thomas

Sarah [Kocher] Hawk

wife of

William Hawk

Matilda [Bickel] Kembel

wife of

Isaac Kembel

Becky Rickert

sister-in-law of

Harrison Riegle

Matilda [Bickel] Kembel

wife of

Isaac Kembel

Eliza Thomas

daughter of

Elias Thomas

Agnes [Hoffman] Sheetz

daughter of

Cornelius Hoffman

Eliza Thomas

wife of

John L. Williard

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 2)
Tags: Elizabethville, Gratz Borough, Pillow, Williams Township, Williamstown, Women

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on November 18, 2016

The Harrisburg Daily Independent, 17 February 1905, printed a brief notice of the death of Isaac E. Marks of Tremont:

—Isaac Marks, a prominent Tremont, Schuylkill County, citizen and retired merchant, is dead of pneumonia at his home, aged 62 years.  He was a veteran of the civil war.

As shown by the Pennsylvania Veterans’ File Card (above from the Pennsylvania Archives), Isaac Marks enrolled on 27 August 1861 at Harrisburg, and was mustered into the 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Company I, as a Private, on 3 September 1861.  He was 21 years old at the time, stood 5 foot 9 inches tall, had light complexion and light hair, grey eyes, and was employed as a watchmaker.  His residence was Tremont, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, where he also was born.

On 28 November 1863, Isaac re-enlisted in the same regiment and company at Huntsville, Alabama, and on 9 June 1865, he was promoted to the rank of Corporal.   On 23 August 1865, he was honorably mustered out with his company.

On 30 June 1880, Isaac Marks applied for a Civil War pension, which he received and collected until his death, and afterward, his widow Caroline applied and received benefits until her death. The Pension Index Card, shown above, is from Ancestry.com.

In 1890, Isaac Marks was living in Tremont.  He reported his service in the 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry and did not report any disabilities as a result of that service.

From all presently known information, other than the Civil War, Isaac spent his entire life in Tremont.

Any readers who can offer additional information can do so by adding a comment to this post.

Category: Research, Stories | Comments Off on Isaac E. Marks – Merchant of Tremont
Tags: Tremont

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on November 16, 2016

The photograph shows Dr. William C. Lebo working on a cadaver while a student at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, some time after the Civil War.  In the 1870 census of Gratz Borough, Dauphin County, he indicated he was a medical student and was living in the household of his brother-in-law, Henry R. Lehr, who was a store clerk at the time.  Dr. Lebo is second from the right in the photograph.

William C. Lebo was the son of Daniel Lebo (1812-1871), a carpenter, and Sarah [Schoffstall] Lebo (1824-1883), and was born 1 October 1847 in Lykens Township, Dauphin County.

Dr. Lebo died on 10 November 1920 and is buried at St. Andrew’s Methodist Cemetery in Valley View, Schuylkill County.  At his grave is a G.A.R. Star-Flag Holder.

What specifically was his Civil War service?

The following is presented as a possible match for the William Lebo who is buried at Valley View:

On 29 October 1862, a William Lebo enrolled in the 16th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Company M, as a Private.  He claimed he was 18 years old. One day later, at Camp Curtin, he was mustered into service.  At some time during the war, he transferred to Company G of the same regiment, and it was from that company that he received an honorable discharge on 11 August 1865.

For his service at Gettysburg in July 1863, he is named on the Pennsylvania Memorial (Company M).

At this time, not much else is known about his military service.

In 1882, the William Lebo who served in the 16th Pennsylvania Cavalry applied for an invalid pension based on his Civil War service.  He received the pension and collected until his death, but it appears from the card (shown above from Ancestry.com) that a widow, Sarah Lebo, applied on 4 June 1910.  So, if the information on the Pension Index Card is correct, this service record could not be for the Dr. William Lebo who died in 1920 and is buried at Valley View.

Please add comments to this post.

Category: Queries, Research, Stories | Comments Off on William Lebo – Medical Doctor at Hegins
Tags: Gratz Borough, Hegins, Valley View