January 2004 Volume 6, Issue 5 Inside this Issue January Speaker Web Site Address Changed Relic of the War The story of a small flag 2 Meetings 3 Insignia Contest 3 ns Zook Post Election CWRT of Montco Pa C/o Charles J Kelly 253 Spring Mill Ave Conshohocken, Pa 9428-2037 January Speaker Herb Kaufman A PERFECT SHOWER OF BULLETS, SOLDIER S LETTERS FROM THE CIVIL WAR Monday, January 2, 2004 Historical Society of Montgomery County 7:30 PM WEB SITE ADDRESS HAS CHANGED If you have tried to access the wed site you may have found that the site is not accessible under the old address Pam Adzima our webmaster had to make changes to the space provided to us The site has somewhat of a new look and we are currently updating it as well The new address is WWWTHELASERLINKCOM/CIVIL WAR/WELCOMEHTM RELIC OF THE WAR A Flag That Survived Even the Horrors of Andersonville In 86, James R Griffith, (now residing in Bridgeport), Samuel Akins and Harry Shainline were all at work upon the farm of William H Holstein, Upper Merion, for Captain George W Bisbing Griffith was first enrolled in Captain Rueben Schall s Company (D) Fourth Penna Vols where he continued until the expiration of his time, 27 th of July, 86 The afternoon preceding their leaving, Mrs Bisbing was wondering what she could give the boys as a memento of their home, when the thought occurred to her that a little flag would be most suitable She hastened to Norristown to procure the red, white and blue ribbon, and after tea commenced the work of making them At two in the morning her task was accomplished, the tiny stars Continued page 2
January 2004 Continued from page embroidered on the blue ground all done as she had designed They were presented to them on April 20 th, 86 When Griffith received his, he remarked, If I come home alive I will have this flag with me After his first term of service expired, he enlisted in Captain George W Guss Company (C), 38 th Penna Vols, 0 th of August, 862, to serve three years, or during the war Corporal When the war ended, discharged, 2 th of June, 865 During the battle of the Wilderness, 6 th of May, 864, Griffith was wounded on his let leg, above the ankle, captured by the rebels and taken to Andersonville At that time, 8,000 men were packed in this wretched prison pen of 8 acres In August of the same year, 32,000 were in the same place, and so on He was discharged from there 25 th of December, 864, and forwarded with returned prisoners to Annapolis, Md But amid all the horrors and starvation and untold cruelties, it still survived Only recently I saw the little flag and learned its history, that it had been carried all through the war, secreted while at Andersonville, and brought home; looking as might be expected old, faded and worn, but still remains as the most valued treasure in the veteran s home Mrs H The above was published in the Norristown Weekly Herald on August 9, 897 As for those men mentioned in the article Samuel Aikens (Akins) was 27 years old residing in Upper Merion Township and a farmer when he mustered into the 4 th Pennsylvania Volunteers After his service in the 4 th, he mustered in as a Sergeant of Company C, 38 th Pennsylvania Volunteers on August 20, 862 He was discharged on May 30, 865 for wounds received at Wilderness, Virginia on May 6, 864 In 870 the census taker found him married residing in Bridgeport, Pa Henry H Shainline also served in Company A of the 4 th Pennsylvania Volunteers He went onto to serve as a Corporal in Company C of the 38 th Pennsylvania Volunteers In 870 he resided in Bridgeport with his wife and daughter At that time he was employed as an engineer in an ore mine Following his death his widow Abbie collected a pension in February 95 George W Bisbing went onto to serve as a Lieutenant in Company I of the 5 st Pennsylvania Volunteers He was promoted to Captain on June 23, 862 He was wounded at Jackson, Mississippi on July 6, 863 He was wounded twice at Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia on May 2, 864 He died from his wounds on June 7, 864 He is buried in Old Continued on page 3 UPCOMING MEETINGS Date February 2, 2004 Date March, 2004 Charles Blockson The Underground Railroad in Montgomery County Date APRIL5, 2004 Thomas J Reed Abraham Lincoln and the Simple Minded Soldier Boy Date May 3, 2004 Date JUNE 7, 2004 UPCOMING EVENTS Montgomery Cemetery April 2-4 Scout Outing October2004 Civil War Encampment Montgomery Cemetery 2
,849 Pennsylvanians gave their lives in the stockade at Andersonville, Georgia On December 7, 2005 at 2:00 PM a memorial service will be held at the Pennsylvania Monument at Andersonville commemorating the 00 th anniversary of the monuments dedication The National POW Museum is located on the grounds of the Andersonville Prison Of 3,74 graves at Andersonville only 92 are marked unknown Of over 5,000 burials at the Fredericksburg National Cemetery only about 2400 are known Continued form page 3 Swede s Cemetery in Upper Merion Township just outside Bridgeport His wife Elizabeth collected a widow s pension George Guss, age 29, served as First Sergeant of Company A of the 4 th Pennsylvania Volunteers and then as Captain of Company C of the 38 th Pennsylvania Volunteers from August 26, 862 until discharged by General Order on May 5, 865 He was wounded at Monocacy, MD on June 9, 864 His wife Lizzie collected a widow s pension in February of 875 Guss may have died in Phoenixville, Pa in 87 Rueben T Schall served in the 4 th Pennsylvania Volunteers as Captain of Company D Following his service in the 4 th he retired to civilian life He operated a business at Lafayette and Mill Streets in Norristown where he sold coal, wood and ice Married he died on July 6, 92 at the age of 78 He is buried in the Schall family plot in Montgomery Cemetery James R Griffith served in Company D of the 4 th Pennsylvania Volunteers and mustered into Company C of the 38 th Pennsylvania Volunteers as a Corporal on August 20, 862 He was a prisoner from May 6 to December 23, 864 and was discharged by General Order on June 2, 865 A James R Griffith resided in Bridgeport until at least 90 He was employed as a laborer and a lime burner ZOOK POST ELECTION The members of Zook Post, No, GAR, held a meeting Monday evening in the Post rooms and elected the following officers, who will serve during the ensuing year; Commander, MJ McCarter; S Vice Commander, George F Bailey; J Vice Commander, I C Famous; Surgeon, Chas W Gumbes; Quartermaster, S E Nyee; Chaplain, Martin Hansberger; Officer of the Day, George W Heffelfinger; Officer of the Guard, Charles Earl; Ordnance Surgeon, Daniel Linker; Trustee, I C Famous; Delegates, H F Hansell, L D Shearer, C W Gumbes, John W Schall Norristown Weekly Herald December 9, 895 Quick Step News JUST A REMINDER The round table meetings are held on the first Monday of the month from September through June with 2 exceptions September and January s meetings are held on the second Monday of the month because of the Labor Day and New Year Holidays Design an Insignia for Our Roundtable Rules Must be a member 2 Can t utilize any other group s design 3 More than one color is ok 4 Using the likeness of an individual is limited to a civil war personality from Montgomery County 5 Decision of the Judges is final 6 Clip art etc is ok so long as it isn t plagiarized 7 First Prize Civil War Art Work 8 Second Prize Books 9 Third Prize free dues for a year 0 Submit no later than May, 2004 3
January 2004 ACROSTICS by William Anderson Ellis Farewell, dear, young friends; though parting is painful, A sad separation approaches at last Revilers may spurn me, lost friends may chide me; Even then with much pleasure I'll think on the past When rivers divide us and hills rise between us, Even then I'll remember your childhood bright days Let not sad reflections a moment beguile you; Look forward with hope on future's bright rays When young I began my own fortune to seek In the morning of life so fresh and so gay Long on the future looked forward so meek Long, long I expected a happier day, I looked but in vain for that happier day And thought I'd most reached the long looked for prize My hopes and effects were both taken away And I sank down; alas, unexpecting to rise No more then did hope for a time on me bloom Doomed ever it seemed for innocent blame Even friends had proved false; I must sink to the tomb Repugnantly last like the dressed priest's fame, Sweet mate of some promise at length seemed to say On literature pages I yet had a charm; No friends save a few to look on with pity Eternally blest may they yet rise to fame Laborious efforts I made full of wages Long lessons I learned by mind to I soon became noted on literature's pages Since then I've been teaching young ideas to shoot Civil War Roundtable of Montgomery County, Pa 253 Spring Mill Ave Conshohocken, Pa 9428 ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED BULK RATE US POSTAGE PAID CITY, STATE PERMIT NO 000 Subscriber Name Number Street Address City, State Postal Code Country 4
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