Civil War Letters of John W. Derr: March 2013

Monday, March 18, 2013

The Sad Tale of Private William Romberger

Charles Laudenschlager - 1864 (12 years old)

Applications for Civil War pensions by widows and children alike, lead the researcher to interesting facts about family and circumstances. Such is the sad tale of Private William Romberger, 172nd Pennsylvania Drafted Militia.

The ongoing research into my Civil War past where I live vicariously through my ancestors, has taken me from one great great grandfather to another. This blog has acquainted the readers with my most documented ancestor, John W. Derr (48th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry) as well as my less documented ancestor, John Z. Wagner (6th & 55th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantries). Further research lead me to another....William Romberger.

William Romberger was married to Sarah Klock on July 24, 1859. They had one child together, Franklin Lewis Romberger, who was born on October 18, 1860. Prior to his marriage to Sarah Klock, William was married to another woman, who's name and circumstances are lost to time. However, he had four children by that woman, one of which was Catherine Amanda Romberger...my great great grandmother. Catherine would eventually marry Charles Laudenschlager...a banker in the Klingerstown area of Pennsylvania. Catherine Amanda Romberger was born on July 17, 1854. So...this would make William Romberger my great great great grandfather.

Charles Laudenschlager - 1864 (12 years old)

William, having been widowed from his first wife, was raising his children on his own prior to meeting and marrying Sarah. This part of the history line comes from oral history from my father, passed down from his mother...and so on. It is known that William, a common laborer, was very poor and had few resources from which to live and raise a family. After his marriage to Sarah, this situation did not improve. As a result William elected to become a "substitute" for another local man who was drafted into the 172nd Pennsylvania Drafted Militia. So in November of 1862, William signed the paperwork as a substitute for Isaac Albert, having more than likely received a bounty for his act. The 172nd Pennsylvania Drafted Militia., organized and moved to Camp Curtin in Harrisburg, Pa. to begin the normal training and outfitting done by Pennsylvania regiments during the war. It was on November 21, 1862, that William...having received a leave/pass, decided to travel the 65 miles northwest to Jackson township in Northumberland to visit relatives over a long weekend. On the morning of November 22, 1862, William's carpet bag (suit case of the day) was found floating in the Susquehanna River between Harrisburg and Dauphin township. A search for William was conducted by the army, but to no avail. On November 25, 1862, Captain James Roney filed a missing persons notice with the City of Harrisburg on behalf of William Romberger.

Affidavit from Captain James Roney - 172nd Pennsylvania Drafted Militia

History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature, by Samuel P. Bates.

In January of 1863, the body of William Romberger was found, positively identified, and returned to his home. Later in 1863, William's wife, Sarah, applied for a pension for her dead husband. This request was denied by the War Department for the following reason: "Rejected. Soldier not in line of duty when drowned".

The result was that Sarah, being destitute, parceled out her children to friends and family who could better care for them.

Later, in 1882, after Sarah's death, the adult children filed a petition with the Pension Office, for a "Pension of Minor Children", to help recover monies lost during their childhood. This too was denied on the same grounds as the prior submission. The family never recovered the monies from the federal government.

Eventually Catherine Amanda Romberger would marry Charles Laudenschlager. They would have a number of children, one of which was a little girl named Minnie...Minnie Laudenschlager. Minnie would one day marry a George Young. In 1910 they would have a daughter, Catherine...named for her grandmother Catherine Amanda. That little girl would eventually grow up to become my grandmother, Catherine Derr when she married my grandfather James Monroe Derr...the grandson of John W. Derr. Hence the tapestry woven for my family in the sad tale of William Romberger.

Jim D.

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Welcome

With 2011 being the 150th year since the start of the American Civil War, I thought it would be appropriate for me to share letters written by my great-great grandfather, John W. Derr during the course of the war. I have completed posting each letter on the 150th anniversary of their creation (mostly!). Since Private Derr did not write his letters in a consistent pattern...sometimes there are gaps in time better one letter and the next...This blog includes gap filler with other information relevant to him and his regiment. As I posted each letter, I created a corresponding link on the right side of the webpage to provide easy access and reference as you read each posting. I hope you enjoy the history of this common soldier during the most tumultuous time in our nation's history.

Additionally, I recently completed a long anticipated project by publishing a book "A Widow's Due" in June of 2020. This book is primarily about the life of my Great-great grandmother, Magdalena Diehl Derr, the widow of John W. Derr. It is based on years of research and much documentation, and whereas it is a work of "creative non-fiction", it is accurate and true to the documents and records I was able to find. Please visit my other website relating to the book as well as other upcoming projects at: www.jamespderr.com. Thank you.

Biography of Private John W. Derr

John W. Derr (JWD) was born in Barry Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania on October 7, 1839.

He enlisted in the Union Army in September of 1861 and was mustered into the 48^th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Company D at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg Pa, in that same month. From Harrisburg, the 48^th PVI transitioned through Baltimore, MD and then down the Chesapeake Bay to Fort Monroe in Virginia. From there, the 48^th PVI was attached to the larger Burnsides Expedition to North Carolina (Hatteras/New Berne area). After the North Carolina expedition the 48^th PVI was moved north and participated in the 2^nd battle of Bull Run, where JWD was wounded on August 29^th, 1862 and taken prisoner. He was paroled by the Confederates, and was transported to Georgetown College Hospital in Washington, D.C. After staying in Washington and missing the battles of Antietam and South Mountain, he was transferred to the Cherry and Broad Street hospital in Philadelphia, Pa in December of 1863. He was subsequently furloed home for further recuperation.

His unit was then detached for guard duty in Kentucky and Tennessee, where his unit re-enlisted in December 1863 at Blains Crossroads, TN. In 1864, the 48^th PVI was involved in Grant’s campaigns of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Courthouse, Cold Harbor, etc…and eventually the Petersburg Campaign. JWD, as part of the 48^th PVI was integral in the digging of the Mine Crater. Documentation of his participation in the actual mining activities and subsequent illness from the damp/cold conditions are documented in his post mortem pension application by his widow, Magdalena Derr. Pension affidavits by his fellow soldiers indicate that his participation in the mining activities, along with his wounding at 2^nd Bull Run were the primary cause of his early death in 1876

In addition to his participation in the Petersburg Siege, JWD participated in the 1863 Army review by President Lincoln in Washington, D.C., the Grand Review of 1865 in Washington, D.C.

He was mustered out of the Army in July of 1865 and returned home to live out his remaining short life, dying on January 12, 1876 at age 37.