Posted By Norman Gasbarro on July 11, 2012
The Tower City Borough, Porter Township and Rush Township Veterans Memorial is located at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Cemetery which is located along Route 209 in Tower City, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. It was the subject of a prior post on this blog on 30 December 2010.
Within the glass cases on the monument are name plates for each of the eligible veterans who served in America’s Wars. The Civil War veterans are noted in the left case in the center section of the monument. To give due recognition to each of the Civil War veterans named on the monument, the name plates will be individually pictured followed by a brief description of the Civil War service of the veteran.
ISAAC CARL (1830-1907) was living in Tower City in 1890 and although he indicated he was a Civil War veteran, he failed to name his regiment and company. Since there are several persons with this same name, clarification is sought as to whether the Tower City area veteran served in the 187th Pennsylvania Infantry, the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry, the 172nd Pennsylvania Infantry, or some other service unit. Anyone with information is urge to contribute it.
CONRAD CASLOW (1837-1885) is also found in the records as Conrad H. Caslow. He served in the 3rd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery [3rd Pennsylvania Artillery] from 24 February 1864 through 23 December 1864 when he was discharged by Special Order. Prior to the war he lived in Juniata County but after the Civil War he is found in Tower City where he died in 1885 and is buried in Fairview Cemetery, Porter Township, Schuylkill County. He was married to a woman named Ellen who successfully claimed a widow’s pension.
BENJAMIN CHARLESWORTH (1830-1897) was a hotel keeper in Porter Township in 188 and before that, a coal miner in Frailey Township, Schuylkill County. During the Civil War he served in the 27th Pennsylvania Infantry (Emergency of 1863) Company I, as a Private. He was married to a woman named Elizabeth or “Lizzie.”
JACOB K. CLOUSER (1843-?) was one of two persons of this name who lived in Schuylkill County, The one who used a middle initial of “K” is buried in Minersville, Schuylkill County, and served in the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company K, as a Private. According to the 1890 Census for Tower City, he “served three years without discharge as a teamster.” His wife was Elizza [Hoffman] Clouser and she was a direct descendant of Johann Peter Hoffman (1709-1798) pioneer settler of the Lykens Valley.
JACOB CLOUSER (1823-?) was married to a woman named Ellen and was living in Frailey Township, Schuylkill County, in 1890. He served in the 173rd Pennsylvania Infantry, Company F, as a Private from 30 October 1862 through 16 August 1863.
CHRISTIAN CROUS (1846-1919) is also found in the records as Christian Krouse and Christian Crouse and it is possible that two persons of the same name may have co-mingled records. The one of the dates 1846-1919 possibly had service in the 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Company G, as a Private and was married to Hannah Sophia Benninger, but the the location is Luzerne County with a Philadelphia death. Clarification is needed to determine if this is the correct person for the Tower City Veterans’ Monument.
HENRY CULBERT (1848-1914) was an immigrant from England who served in the Regular Army in several regiments as a Private. He married Sarah Lehr and in 1890 was living in Joliett, Schuylkill County. When he died, he was buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Tower City.
PHILIP DIETRICH (1824-1894) is also found as Philip Deitrick, Philip Dieter, and Philip Deitrich. See: Dietrich family in the Civil War for more information on this veteran who served in the 50th Pennsylvania Infantry.
JOSEPH ERHART (1836-1900) is also found as Joseph Ehrhart. He served in the 208th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company A, as a Private. In the 1890 Census, he was living in Tower City and reported that he had been “shot in the right leg.” His wound came about during action at Fort Steadman, Virginia, 25 March 1865.
ISAIAH J. EISENHOWER (1836-1886) is found in Halifax, Dauphin County records as well as Tower City, Schuylkill County records. His widow, Catherine, was living in Wiconisco in 1890 and reported that he served in the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Company E, as a Sergeant, and in the 210th Pennsylvania, Company A, also as a Sergeant. He was discharged from his first service, that of the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry, on a Surgeon’s Certificate of Disability. Isaiah, who was more commonly known as “I. J. Eisenhower,” is buried in Porter Township, Schuylkill County. See also Eisenhower Family Civil War Veterans.
To be continued tomorrow….
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