Norman Gasbarro | February 17, 2015
Major John W. Simpson was an African American Civil War veteran from Philadelphia who settled in Harrisburg after the war. He died on 6 April 1899 and is buried in Lincoln Cemetery in Harrisburg. The Harrisburg Patriot commemorated his life with a lengthy obituary: MAJOR J. W. SIMPSON Prominent Colored Citizen of This City Passes […]
Norman Gasbarro | February 13, 2015
From the Harrisburg Patriot, of 13 January 1917: REV. J. Q. ADAMS, ONCE SLAVE, DIES Retired Colored Preacher Was Formerly Coachman to Judge Pearson, and for Years a Conspicuous Figure Here The Rev. John Quincy Adams, retired local colored preacher of the Wesley Union connection, former slave and known to all the older families of […]
Norman Gasbarro | February 6, 2015
On 8 April 1914, the Harrisburg Patriot reported that Cassius Mars had died: WAR VETERAN DIES Cassius Mars, aged 71 years, a Civil War veteran, died Monday at his home, 1201 North Fourth Street, after a few days’ illness, of pneumonia. He was a charter member of David R. Stevens Post No. 520, Grand Army […]
Norman Gasbarro | January 22, 2015
Theodore Chester (1846-1914) served in the Civil War in the 136th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company C, as a Private from 16 August 1862 through his honorable discharge on 29 May 1863. He enrolled and was mustered in at Harrisburg claiming to be 21 years old, when in fact he was only 16. His obituary appeared […]
Norman Gasbarro | January 20, 2015
On 12 November 1912 a massive fire consumed several factories and homes in Lykens Borough, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. One of the destroyed homes was owned by Michael M. Hoffman, a Civil War veteran who had the distinction of serving in a First Defender’s infantry regiment, a emergency state militia regiment, and a cavalry regiment – […]
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