Louis Soistman, Company H ~ Headstone Memorial Fundraiser

Mr. Louis Soistman was one of our own—a Veteran of the 98th PA. He is currently buried in an unmarked grave at Lawnview Cemetery in Rockledge, PA.
Frank Jasrzembski of Shrouded Veterans is currently raising funds to cover the cost of a government-issued veteran headstone (*more specifically; the cemetery fee for foundation/installation) for Mr. Soistman, and the fund is currently most of the way toward the very-reachable $320 goal.
If you can spare $5 or more, please make a contribution through the GofundMe link.
PLEASE CONTRIBUTE TODAY
Any Amount Will Get Us Closer!
As of October 10, 2023, we’re only $140 Away!
Read Mr. Soistman’s story below:
Louis Soistman was born on October 28, 1840, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His father, Charles Joseph Soistman, a German bottle mold maker, brass founder, and turner, arrived in Philadelphia about five years before his birth. In July 1859, Louis Soistman left for Europe to visit friends in Prussia. A Catholic, the 18-year-old enlisted in the Papal Army, signing up to serve for four years. After his defeat at the Battle of Castelfidardo, General de Lamoricière surrendered the Papal Army to the Sardinians on September 29. Soistman was among the prisoners of war. The Sardinians handed him over to the Austrian military authorities at Peschiera, who gave him free passage to Trieste. Soistman arrived at the U.S. consulate in the uniform of a Papal soldier and requested aid.
Stephen S. Remak, the U.S. consul at Trieste, sent a letter to his brother, Gustavus, who lived in Philadelphia, asking him to deliver a message to the teenager’s father. “You are aware that the U.S. Government makes no provision for such cases,” Remak wrote his brother, “still I maintain him [Soistman] at my personal risk and expense, he would otherwise be left to starvation.” Remak informed his brother that he would have to send Soistman to Vienna and that “my total outlay cannot be less than $15.” He asked Charles Soistman to reimburse him the amount. “If Mr. Charles Soistmann [sic] entertain any feelings for his son at all,” Remak wrote, “he will surely promptly pay the small amount into your hands.”
He also recommended that the elder Soistman send $120 to $150 addressed to Jehu Glancy Jones, the envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Austria in Vienna, or to his son’s friends in Prussia so that he could return to the United States.
Remak transmitted a certified copy of the affidavit which provided details of the case, sworn to by Soistman, to Jones, leaving it to him to determine whether any claim could be made against the Papal government.
“I incur in this matter expenses of more than an ordinary character, but no American vessel being here, I fear this young man who appears to be of respectable parentage might be totally ruined by ill,” he declared. “His acts surely deserve no sympathy, as he has violated the laws of his country in taking up arms against a State with whom we live in peace and amity and that State promising to become the liberator of a great nation.”
SERVICE IN THE 98th PA:
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Louis Soistman did eventually make it back to Philadelphia, and on September 28, 1861, he enlisted in the 98th Pennsylvania Infantry to put down the rebellion. On July 25, 1862, he was appointed a second lieutenant. On December 26, he was promoted to first lieutenant.
On May 3, 1863, Lieutenant Soistman was wounded at Salem Heights, Virginia, when a shell pierced his right thigh. Three days after he was wounded he was admitted to the Campbell General Hospital in Washington, D.C., where a physician failed to discover that a piece shell had embedded itself in his thigh. A private physician in Philadelphia also failed to notice it. On July 8, Soistman was admitted to the Officers’ Hospital in Philadelphia where Acting Assistant Surgeon W. Hunt felt something unusual with Soistman’s thigh and used a probe to locate the shell fragment. The next day, Hunt enlarged the wound and, after considerable trouble, removed, with the assistance of forceps, a piece of shell weighing 9 ounces, which had been lodged in his thigh for 66 days. Soistman only complained of his leg feeling heavy. On November 9, he returned to duty.
On May 5, 1864, Soistman was again wounded in the right side at the Battle of the Wilderness. He returned to duty at the beginning of August and was mustered out in October. In 1870, while applying for a pension, the Philadelphia Examining Board reported that his Salem Heights wound, although healed, left a scar roughly 5 inches long and 4 inches wide, and the loss of muscular tissue caused partial paralysis in his leg.
After the war, Soistman joined his brothers, Conrad and Frederick, in the drum-making business.
He died on November 3, 1885, at the age of 45 from cirrhosis. He was first buried at Odd Fellows Cemetery in Philadelphia, but his remains were relocated, with many others, to Lawnview Cemetery in Rockledge, Pennsylvania, in 1908.
He is currently buried in an unmarked grave.
Frank Jastrzembski is raising funds to cover the cemetery foundation/installation fee for a government-issued veteran headstone.
Any Amount Will Get Us Closer!
As of October 10, 2023, we’re only $140 Away!

Hugh Francis Wilhere, Company E

Hugh Frances Wilhere (Bates: Miulkare)
• Private; September 13, 1861
– (Possibly promoted to Sergeant?)
• Wounded at Cold Harbor, VA, June 3, 1864
• Discharged; January 6, 1865, expiration of term
• b. 1844 (1845?) (Carrigart, Donegal, Ireland) ~ d. May 26, 1897
• m. Catherine Loughery; b. 1844 ~ d. December 30, 1900

• Children:
– Daniel A. Wilhere
– Mary J. Wilhere
– Catherine Wilhere
– Hugh F. Wilhere (b. December 9,1880 ~ d. January 2, 1952)
– John J. Wilhere
– Maurice J. Wilhere
– Sarah T. McGrath (b. February 24, 1882 ~ d. December 12, 1951)

• Buried at St. John the Baptist Churchyard (Manayunk, Philadelphia PA)

*A Special Thank You to John Cleary for the above document & photo.

Little Round Top Monument Images



“The prescribed fire moved safely around the 98th Pennsylvania monument as it moves across the face of Little Round Top.”

Here’s a particularly unique photo taken during a controlled burn at Gettysburg by the 98th Monument on Little Round Top in April 2021. If you’ve visited the monuments up on the hillside, you’ll know just how out of control the landscape can grow; they do these burns every couple of years but this is the first time I’ve seen pictures.

Visiting Gettysburg in 2022? Please note that Little Round Top will be closed in 2022 to traffic due to restoration. I’m not sure if visiting the 98th monument by foot will be affected since the renovation is mostly focused on the other side of the hill (i.e. the high traffic “20th Maine” side, etc.) but I’ll update when I know!

Fun Fact: My children like to call the flat rock that sits down in front of the monument “French Bread Pizza Rock”.

*Image courtesy of NPS

Jacob Fox, Company D

Jacob Fox
Company D

Sometimes you just have to honor a man who had some bad luck.
He was drafted, mustered out, then died a few days later.
I want to learn this man’s story. This is my note to self to do so.

The 98th at Second Fredericksburg

The Ninety-Sixth Regiment in the Battle of Second Fredricksburg
May 3, 1863

 

Article is Entitled: Schuylkill County in the Battle of Salem Church, Fredericksburg Va. May 3, 1863

Full Text Here

98th PVI is referenced:

Fighting with the 98th Pa. Vols at Salem church were two Pottsville residents, H.K. Seddinger, a Hospital Steward, and Lt. Col. George Wynkoop.

Seddinger wrote an interesting article to the Miners Journal on May 30th, 1863 about the battle.

“During the battle at Salem Heights, the 98th PVI and the 62d NYV, were necessarily left on the south side of the main road where they performed gallant service under the officer in charge of that portion of the line. They lost heavily and held their position to the last. Col. John J. Ballier, of the 98th, received a serious wound in the foot and was taken from the field at 5 PM.”

William Bains, Company G

William Bains
Private; Company G
Mustered in February 2, 1862 (Bates: February 5, 1862)
Mustered out with Company, June 29, 1865 (Washington, DC)
Vet

More Information:
Mustered in at the age of 44 in Philadelphia.
Born 1818 in England
Dark hair, gray eyes
Height: 5’6″
Occupation: Carpenter

“Returned to winter camp at Brandy Station, December 2, 1863”

Personal Note: The ID badge in this photo is a true favorite of mine. I was lucky enough to see this beauty freshly unearthed by Ben Simpson in the Brandy Station / Culpeper, VA area in November of 2021. My heart nearly stopped when I heard about the find and I’m pretty sure I cried real tears. I couldn’t have been happier to see a 98th PA artifact rescued.

*Photo courtesy of Ben Simpson
**Detailed information provided by Dale Long

Herman Doering, Company B

Herman G. Doering
Private, Company B
• Enlisted April 29, 1861 in the 21st PA (3 month regiment)
• Re-enlisted with Company B; January 5, 1864
• Missing in Action at Wilderness, VA; May 6, 1864

This photo is a Christian songbook written in old German belonging to Mr. Doering.
It was being sold online for $275.00.