THE QUEST By Tommy Hammerbeck
I think I have always been fascinated with history. The Civil War has been a favorite
ubject of mine. Boyhood memories of Gettysburg seem to remain fresh, though distant.
My first memory was seeing my great-great grandfather’s name on the Pennsylvania
Monument at about age ten. Somehow the emotion has stuck with me, and at times
over my life, I have had some very strong feelings when Civil War era songs were heard.
Over the last few years , I realized that maybe there is a connection somewhere.
It all started at my aunt’s funeral when I was talking to my Uncle Don , who is the last
of my mother’s siblings, and by the way , a direct descendent of my great-great
grandfather, George W. Edinger.
I had asked him what he knew about George W. Edinger and I thought I had remembered,
as a child, seeing a picture that his mother, (my grandmother) had shown me of George
Edinger. At that time he had told me that he had that picture and if I wanted to come
to his house some time he would show it to me.
Some time went by and it began to cross my mind more often, so one day I gave him a call
and he invited me over to see the picture, which I promptly did.
As I looked at the photo ( a group picture), I picked out my great-great grandfather without a
moments hesitation. I asked my uncle if I could have it reproduced and he let me take it.
After looking for a time to find someone to reproduce the photo, my sister Karen found that
Sears could do reproductions at about $40 a print and she wondered if I wanted to spend that much.
She also stated she could not afford it at that time. I informed her to go ahead and have it done
and to get two copies made, one for each of us and to put it on my Sears card for now because
I didn’t have the cash to give her at the time.
Well, that does not sound strange for a person to put something on a charge card if cash is
low, but with what had transpired over the last couple of years, would fit into the
pattern of events. I have to ask, wasn’t it ironic that I have not dealt with Sears over the
years, but on a whim a few months prior, filled out a credit card application ???
In the mean time, I was divorced and being that the trip back to Gettysburg had not been in
the cards for me over the years, I had decided to take a couple of days and go back to
Gettysburg with my son Tommy.
We spent the day on the battlefield and found George W. Edinger’s name on the Pennsylvania
Monument and also found the monument of the 155th Pa. Vol. Which is on Little Round
Top where the group picture was taken. The emotions that I felt at Little Round Top were
teary eyed to say the least. I also felt much the same as I did when I was a child at the
Pennsylvania Monument.
Well, being that we didn’t have much time, we came back home. Things slowed down for awhile,
then George W. Edinger began to cross my mind more and more. I went to the library and was able
to copy some things on the 155th Pa. and also a list of the men in my great-great grandfather’s
company (Company-G) and made copies for the family.
All was quiet for the winter and the next summer on a whim, I was talking to Ruthie, my lady
friend, at her place of employment and she expressed a desire to go to Gettysburg . I suggested
that we take some time and go. Her boss was with us when we were talking and she said that if
she needed her vacation, she had better make it soon for she would be needed in a couple of
weeks. We decided to go the next week.
We arrived at Gettysburg and spent time going over the battlefield. Still, I had the same
emotions at Little Round Top and the Pennsylvania Monument.
I looked around at several bookstores looking for something about the 155th Pa., but to no
avail. After several days, we decided to head back home, although we had time to stay.
We checked out of the motel and headed home. We went about twenty miles or so and I felt like I
should go back even though I didn’t express those thoughts to Ruthie. As we rode, I looked
over at her and she had a sad look on her face. I then said to her, “Lets go back!”.
She cheered up and said, “ Thats what she was also thinking .” I turned around and back
we went and got a room at the same motel.
We unpacked and decided to walk the streets and do some shopping. We stopped at a store
and I asked about the 155th and the search came up empty. It was recommended that I
ask at the visitor center. It was late so the quest would have to wait until morning.
The next morning I went to the center and I looked around and after not finding the 155th,
I asked the clerk. She pointed out a section that had a book on the Pennsylvania
Regimental Monument at the park, so I bought it and in it was a descriptions of the
movement of the 155th on the 2nd of July 1863 .
I asked Ruthie to drive me out to the battlefield so I could walk where George W. Edinger
had marched. It was a very emotional walk with some weeping, but it some how felt, for some
odd reason, like a reunion. I had to ask myself, “ Why such emotion?” I started questioning ,
“Is someone helping me or have I been here in the past?” I didn’t quite know what to think.
I met up with Ruthie and we went back into town. In an inquiry, I was told that I could
find out more information on George W. Edinger by going to the ranger station and obtaining
a form to send to the National Archives.
When I got home and things got back to normal, I filled out the form and sent it in. About three
weeks went by and I received George’s army record in the mail and although it didn’t tell us
a whole lot, it was information with dates and a hospital record.
I called my sister Karen to let her know that I had received this record and told her some
information I felt interesting. She then told me of the last weekends trip to Virginia to
see her son John at his marine base which is outside of Washington D. C.. Karen told me John had
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been helping his captain with some digging on some property he had bought that was once a
defense structure used to defend Washington during the Civil War. It was interesting to note that
the captain was a civil war buff, and was very knowledgeable of units and events of that era..
My sister told him that her great-great grandfather was in the 155th Pennsylvania Vol.
He told her that, “ He was camped somewhere in this area and Old Edinger could very well
had been right here where we are standing.” (Small world!)
After I hung up from talking with Karen, I then called my Uncle Don to inform him of my
new found information. It was on a Tuesday at about 5:30 P.M. when I dialed my Uncle’s
number and he picked it up and said “ Hello.” I replied, “Hello Uncle!” At that point he asked
me , “How did I know?” I replied, “How did I know what?” He stated, “That he had been
on the phone with my cousin Betty Lou and she had asked if I had found out any more
on George W. Edinger? And that he was just getting ready to call me.”
I made a copy and took it up to him and we talked about taking some time to find out where
he lived. He then told of his grandfather George W. Edingers’s son John, as told to him
by his mother, that John was born in Germany. This was interesting news, so we took
several Fridays and went record hunting.
George W. Edinger’s records show that he joined in Clarion, so we started there.
A note before I forget. George W. Edinger’s records show him in the hospital, it was
hen scratching as most doctors write. While taking a walk by Warren General Hospital,
I thought I would stop in and ask a doctor in the emergency room what it said. The
reason I asked an emergency room doctor was I knew most of them from working as
a Medic on an ambulance. George W. Edinger spent some time in the ambulance corp
also. The doctor told me what it said. The treatment was for stomach problems. It was
interesting to note, as I have been plaqued with stomach problems off and on over the
years. Also the doctor who read it to me was from the Clarion area.
We went to the library in Clarion and asked how we could find records on George W Edinger.
The lady we asked said the courthouse was the place to start. She also offered to help us
if we were going to go there. She left the library and met us at the court house.
We found some land transactions, but that was about it. We called it a day and went home by way of Cooks Forest.
Don took me to the cemetery where his grandfather John was buried ( G.W.E.’s son)
and then home. We had talked about finding G.W.E. grave and decided to take another day and
search again.
Where would we go next? It was agreed upon to look in Elk County the following Friday
and that Don would pick me up.
When I got in the car, Don told me that before he left the house, he thought of an old Bible.
He got it out and in the inside cover was written Elma Edinger, Emelton, Pa. Now, as Don was
told, Elma was Johns sister and daughter of George W. Edinger.
Don asked what I thought of Elk County. I said to him, “That Venango County is where we have to go.”
I felt very drawn to this location in my search for more information about George W. Edinger.
Our first stop was at the Franklin Library. (Franklin is the county seat) We didn’t find much
on GWE, but found that Elma was the principal of the Franklin 9th Street School. We also
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found her mother, Kate Umstead Edinger, had lived with her on Elk Street after George W.
Edinger died in 1910, moving to Franklin from Emelton.
We were given the suggestion to check with the local Veterans Administration as they might
be able to help. Our next stop was at the VA office. We asked about George W. Edinger,
and they told us they did have a record of him being buried at Emelton, Pa. But the records
were bad and that information could be wrong. Somehow I felt they were right.
Before we got too far, I would point out that most of the Edinger records we found were from
around St. Petersburg, Pa. I knew at that point Emelton Pa.is where he was and even though the
record could be bogus , again somehow I knew.
We started for Emelton and somewhere along the line we missed a turn and ended up on
an old dirt road. Don suggested that we should turn around and I told him we would be ok.
He asked me if I was sure. I felt very confident, I don’t know why, but I did.
After several dusty miles, we came out on a paved road and wondered which way should we turn?
I told Don, “ I thought right was the way to turn.”
Just after the turn, we came across a cemetery with a couple of entrances. The last entrance was where I
felt we should enter. As we approached a circle, we took the right side and a man and women were mowing.
I asked them if they could help me find a grave. They took us beyond the circle about 150 yards
to a garage. The man looked through a card index for George W. Edinger, but did not see his name.
I had a strong feeling he was wrong, so I approached him with, “are there any Edingers buried here?”
He again looked and pulled out a card with Elma Edinger. Looking at the card, there were other names crossed out, one was George W. Edinger.
I asked him where this grave would be and he pointed to the opposite side of the circle and said somewhere over in that area. Don and I set out in
that direction and as we got to within about 75 feet, I pointed at a stone and said, “Thats it!” I will comment here that the names on the stones were not
visible from my side and it was not the only grave in that area with a Veterans flag.
As we came close enough to see the names, it became obvious I pointed to the right headstone,
I just knew! There was George, Kate, Sam, and Elma.
We asked the man who helped us if someone might have a better record and was given the name of a
woman named Peg along with her address and phone number. We went to her house but she was not at
home, so we decided to call it quits for now and go home. Later that evening, I gave Peg a call and
told her of my search. She told me the first chance she got that she would go through records and get
back to me. A few weeks later, I received in the mail, records of several Edingers along with George W. Edinger’s history.
It seems he was buried in St. Petersburg, Pa in 1910 and Elma had him moved to Emelton in 1923.
I called Peg and thanked her and she confirmed the names of George and Kate. She told me that her
mother and father had leased a farm from Kate after George W. Edinger died. She made a copy of the
lease agreement and a receipt and sent it to me. I called her once again and asked her where the farm was?
I t turned out it was on the corner of the dirt road we had traveled the day we found the graves. Strange!
I asked my sister Karen if she and her husband John would like to take a ride some weekend with Ruthie
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and me to see the graves. Which we did. We agreed, as we departed Emelton, to go to St. Petersburg ,
just per chance, to see where George was interred originally and to see the other Edingers that might be
buried there. We felt at least one of the other Edinger in the regiment was probably a brother. Also a
son of George’s who had died at the age of 3 years was moved from St. Petersburg to Emelton.
I was driving and we came upon an intersection in St. Petersburg and wondered which way we should turn, right or left?
It was clear that the right one was the most used, so I turned left.
We went about a quarter of a mile when we saw a church on the right with a very large cemetery.
I pulled in the first road in front of the church and then into its parking lot. .We all got out and started to search.
I went straight and my sister went to the right.
It was a warm day with sunshine and no wind. As I searched, I noticed a cold spot on my right arm, and as I turned left it went away.
I didn’t think much about it, but when I turned again in the same direction, I once again felt the cold sensation on my arm.
As I turned and headed in that direction, my sister was about 50-75 feet ahead of me and walking toward me saying to me that it was probably here.
As we walked over , we saw Andrew Edinger’s grave with two missing graves close by.
We wondered if these were the graves of George W. Edinger and his son.
Soon after, I got a tip that the 155th Regiment book was named, “UNDER THE MALTESE CROSS.
” went to the Warren Library and they were able to get the book on loan. It was a happy day when they called me and said it was in.
I rushed down and picked it up and came home and began to look through it for a picture of George W. Edinger.
While looking at a group picture, I got a funny feeling as I examined each face and suddenly got cold chills as there was a man who would pass for my double.
I jumped up and got a magnifying glass and there was no doubt.
I took the book up to my sisters house and opened the book to the page and I asked her to look at the picture.
She studied it for a moment and exclaimed, “Oh my God, thats you!”
I also had some of my co-workers look and everyone picked me out of that picture.
Nothing happened for awhile after that until the first of this year, 1997. While on the internet looking
for information on Civil War genealogy, I ran across an article suggesting the best way to find out about
Civil War vets and family was to get pension records from the National Archives. There was an E-mail
address to obtain forms to request these records which I responded to .
A few weeks went by and I received these forms in the mail which I instantly filled out and sent in.
This was in February. Also at the same time I sent E-mail to two people who were listed as individuals to contact about the 155th Pa.
As I awaited, I resented it because no reply came from either E-mailed contacts.
At the end of March, my work schedule changed to the 11-7 shift.
During the first week of April, I awoke talking out loud. I was dreaming I was asked by a small framed man with dark hair and a dark complexion
if I was Tommy Hammerbeck?
The voice sounded like the man had laryngitis but was very clearly understood. As I awoke, I was answering that, “ Yes, I was
Tommy Hammerbeck. ” thought that the dream was odd and mentioned it to our EMS Director, Sandee Bross, after a Board meeting.
She said jokingly that, “ maybe one of your guides was trying to tell you something!”
Later, I told Ruthie of it in passing, telling her how I thought it odd.
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A few weeks later I had a dream that I was in a field with woods to my front and to my right.
There was a blue like mist in the air and a very loud rumble type noise becoming sharp at times.
Keep the latter in mind.
As April and May had past, I was going to write to the National Archives to see if there was a problem with the form I had sent in February.
Also, around the last week of May I sent E-Mail again to the two men listed.
About the 1st week of June, I was awakened by my son. He had handed me a big envelope which contained George W. Edingers’s pension records.
I got up, and while I was trying to wake up, I checked my E-Mail and low and behold, there were two replies from the two men I spoke of earlier.
Nothing, then at the same time all three replies!
As I sat down to read the pension record, I found several references to his descriptions and also one of his voice.
5’5”, Dark hair, Dark complexion and after his stay in the hospital, he talked with a hoarse voice!
It fit the man I woke up talking to!
Memorial Day came and Ruthie, my sister and her husband, and myself took a day and put flowers
on Mom’s and Dad’s grave. Ruthie wanted to put some on her Mom’s and Dad’s grave also.
Her Mom and Dad were buried in Rockland, not far from Emelton, so we set out for Rockland. After we put flowers
on her parents grave, we went to the Cranberry Mall. Since we were so close to Emelton, we decided to get a pot of flowers and take
them to the Emelton Cemetery and put them on George W Edingers grave.
We could not find flowers anywhere.
We stopped in Emelton and inquired where we might be able to buy some flowers and were told that nothing was open around there.
We went to the cemetery anyway, and as I was getting out of the car I made mention that I felt bad because I had no flowers to put on the grave.
.As I was leaving the cemetery, I turned left to show Karen where the farm was.
Turning right would have taken us back where we had came in.
The land has a new church on it and we turned around in the parking lot and turned back to get onto the road, instead of turning right,
I felt a strong impulse to turn left.
We went a mile or so and on the left side of the road was a green house with pots for sale.
I stopped and bought a small one and returned to GWEs grave where I placed it. Then I pulled out, turned right and went home.
To parallel these events, we could never figure out how John, George W Edinger’s son, could have been born in Germany.
I found out about getting death certificates and sent for George’s and his son’s John. The certificate states George was born and died in the United States.
Johns states he was born in Germany and that the father was George W Edinger.
On Johns the information was given by Elmo. But the mother of John is listed as Sara?
Father George W Edinger, both mother and father born in Germany?
It appears we now have conflicting information. George W Edinger’s certificate states he was born in the United States of America.
According to family history, John came over here from Germany when he was a very young man.
Also, George W Edinger is his father. The odd thing is, Elma doesn’t mention John, but John mentions Elma.
Uncle Don remembers his mom and dad going to Franklin to visit Elma.
I think the pension records indicated that George W Edinger had been married before and his first wife was Sivilla Mariah Edinger
who passed away the first of April, 1869 in Lickingville, Pa and was buried in Stow Church Cemetery,
Beaver Township, Clarion County.
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The birth of John was March 29, 1869. We now feel that John was not born in Germany, but in Lickingville, Pa and the mother probably died at childbirth.
George W Edinger, we know, remarried Kate Umstead Edinger and they had two children, Samuel who died at three years of age, and Elma.
Now I think I can understand why Elma was not too knowledgeable about John. Elma was born in 1874 or 75. What we don’t know is who raised John?
I thought one day coming home from the Cranberry Mall (near Franklin) to come home via Lickingville to see if we could locate John’s mothers grave, Sivilla.
We stopped at the only cemetery we could find by Lickingville and found nothing.
So we decided to stop outside of Lickingville to get an ice cream and I asked the women who was waiting on us if she
knew where the Stow church was. She stated that she “didn’t know where it was but an older man in the other room might know.”
She pointed him out and I went over to ask him. He told me that what I was hunting for was down by Knox and he gave me directions.
Off we went, but couldn’t find it. As we stopped at a stop sign we noticed an elderly lady walking by.
Ruthie rolled down the window as I instructed her to do, and we inquired as to where the Stow church was.
She told us that it was probably Stone Church and to wait and she would go home and get her car and we could follow her as she would lead us there.
Following her we went several miles before we came to the church and then pulled into the parking lot.
I got out of the car as she did, and I thanked her. I informed her of the fact that I was trying to find my great, great, grandmothers grave.
She gave me a look as if, I Know, and told me to go down to the next drive way and turn in there and park and you should find her there. She was right!
Back to George W Edinger. This past July (‘97) Ruthie and I set out to explore some of the battles that George W Edinger was in.
We stopped at Appomatex and found that one of the four flags of truce sent by General Lee came through the 155th
and at the surrender when the Confederate army came to turn in there arms, George W Edinger’s 155th was in front of the McClain house.
(where the surrender took place.)
We next went to the Battle of the Wilderness. I asked the ranger of his knowledge of the V corps and the 155th.
He looked it up and told us to go down the road to Saunders Field. There we would find a lady ranger who would tell us about the 155th.
Now remember my second dream of the field with woods and blue mist and tremendous noise?
Well, as we were going down the road I looked at Ruthie and remarked wouldn’t it be strange to see it was the place in dream #2 ?
We pulled into the parking lot and as we got out, Ruthie noticed that I turned white and the hair on me stood up.
I also feel as everything was just flushed inside of me.
I pointed to the upper field and told Ruthie he was there. (GWE)
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We went and talked to the ranger and asked about the 155th. She pointed to the same place I did and said over there.
Ruthie mentioned to her that this was weird and told her of my dream.
The ranger asked me about it and I described what I had seen and that I also heard tremendous noise. Her face had a surprised
look on it. She then told me of the battle.
She said the 140th New York, and the 155th Pennsylvania got flanked on the right and were under heavy musket fire.
I asked her about the noise and she went on to say that at this battle the Union artillery was firing over the infantry as they advanced.
This was a rare tactic creating severe noise with the musket fire creating a blue mist.
She read a descriptions as written by one of the officers of the battle, “It was like someone took the lid off of Hell.”
As of this writting all is quit I often wounder what lies ahead and why I was picked.
I guess one goes through life with the feeling that we are logicial people but how does one explain the past events ?
I will keep this story open for I feel that my mission is not yet complete.
Tommy
11/17/97
The Quest Part Two
Reflextions
Well a few things have came to mind as of late. So I thought it time to set down again and bring every thing up to date. It is now 8/28/98 .
After reading part one, I ASK WHAT ARE THE ODD's ?
A friend that I had worked with for many years ,his name is Larry.Retired and moved to Cumberland Va.
We had a little lunch 'en for him during his last week before retirement . Before he left he expressed to me, that if I ever got down his way to be
sure and look him up.The invitation was a open one and sincere.
The summer of 97 when Ruthie and I were in Va . We made arrangement to stop and spend a little time with Larry and his wife Barb.
They live near Farmville and not to far from Appomattax Court House.When we were there they, took us to see the battle area of Sailors Creek and
Appomattax Court House.While at Appomattax Court House. I found that the 155th was Lined up in front and to the left of the McLean House during t
he surrender of Lee's Army of Northern Va. This in its self , was of no surprise.But it did ad to the knowledge of the 155th and brought to bare the fact t
hat G.W. Edinger was involved in Lee's pursuit, to which I guess, never had dawned on me.This was in July of 97.
After we returned home, one night at my friend Willards house . Willard had expressed the desire to go down and see Larry & Barb.
But did not think it would happen due to transportation . Ruthie and I informed Willard and his Wife Sandy that If they wanted, we would go back down .
And we could pick them up and take them along when ever they could get a few days free. So we all decided to pick a week end in April and go to Va.
It was my intention to skip the Civil War stuff and just enjoy the fellowship of the week end. Because it could only be a brief visit .
We had to go down on Friday and returned Sunday.We arrived Friday about dinner time and Barb had a very nice dinner waiting for us .
After we sat around talking and the "Girls" decided that they would spend the day Saturday shopping . Barb suggested to Larry he take me to Farmville to the
Confederate Cemetery while they went shopping . We asked Willard if he would care to go or did he wish to do something else .
He replied, that he would go along with what ever we wanted to do . We arrived at the cemetery and got out to look around .
Willard could not get over how cruel the war must have been . That the 600 Confederates interred in a common grave were without so much as a head stone .
With Willards interest elevated . Larry asked if he would like to go to Appomattax Court House to see were Lee surrendered. He said he would very much like to go.
We arrived at Appomattax and walked around taking in the buildings and the presentation at the visitors center. We ended up in the book store,
and as I browsed through the books hunting for something affordable that would give the troop movement to this point . I didn't find a thing that caught my eye.
So while Larry and Willard were looking around I went outside and waited .When they didn't come out after a brief wait. I walked back in to see what the hold up was .
I found them cashing out with some souvenirs. As I milled around a small paperback caught my attention .
I looked through it and realized it was just what I was looking for !
It had the roads of today marked along with the path of the Corps movements then . I would like to point out that during my "Quest " for information about G.W. Edinger
and the 155th. Providence returns me to something that I have over looked . As long as we are on the subject . I have to ask . What are the chances of working with
some one and he retire to a area of interest to my " Quest" . Also why would a weekend visit with the Civil War not part of the purpose . End up being the better part of our visit.
And it was a return back to the book store that I found the information I wanted . Ad also the trimming of his retirement and move !
After our return home Ruthie and I decided to take a weekend trip to Gettysburg . I belive it was around the later part of May .There were two events that I wish to log .
First at Little Round Top at the monument of the 155th Pa. I found that the park had cleared brush and that the battle line of the 155th the 2nd,3rd,and 4th of July 1863
was now visible, also accessible . I made my way down the line and at one point , I felt a very strange emotional feeling . As I walked further , it passed .
Upon my return I experienced the same at the same spot ! We departed Little Round Top and went to other parts of the battle field . At the Pennsylvania Monument
about 50 feet or so from the North West corner . I had the same type feeling return . The rest of the trip was uneventful .
Returning home , soon after I purchased a motor home.We went for a ride in my new (old ) motor home . With my sister and brother inlaw .
I was sort of a shakedown cruse . We were discussing how it would now be easier to travel with the motor home.Someone suggested a trip to Gettysburg
with the four of us this summer . I thought it would be a great idea because I could fill my sister Karen and brother inlaw John in on the family tie.
We agreed to shoot for the third week of August.
August rolled around and off we went to Gettysburg . I couldn't wait to show her the monument of the 155th Pa . After we found a camp ground we went to Little Round Top.
At the monument of the 155th I pondered the idea that maybe, Karen, if I could get her to make her way down the battle line of the 155th .
Just maybe she would experience the same feelings I had earlier this spring. I ask Karen, how about following me down the hill I want to show you something .
She started down with me and decided it was to tuff going and told me she did not want to go further . She ask me why I wished her to proceed further .
I explained that I wished her to find the spot I had found . She did not hesitate . Pointing to the very same spot I had found she said "There, right there "
At which time we hugged each other and both began to sob . She spoke saying "I think he's trying to tell you something."
As the emotion past we walked back to the monument . While we were standing talking to a couple about the Longstreet statue
A man walked up and began to take pictures of the monument . I ask him if he had a interest in the 155th Pa. and he replied that his G.G. Grandfather had fought in the
155th and was in Co. "G"
I ask his name he said "Paup" I recognized his name and asked if he was a corporal or a sargent. He stated he was the sargent of Co. "G " I informed him that
my G.G.Grandfather had served under him in Co."G. " He further stated that he was with a tour and had little time to talk but we did manage to exchange addresses.
We then went to the Pennsylvania Monument were I show my sister G.W.Edinger on the plaque. Remembering the spot by the monument I refered to earlier .
I managed to get everyone walking in that direction . As we past the spot , Karen got a funny look and rubbed her arm as she looked at me .
I also got the some feelings at the sametime . Ruthie did not have a clue as to what Karen And I were feeling . But as she was looking at us both when it happened ,
expressed " I Don't know what's going on with you two but I can see something is " Again, Karen did not know what I had experienced or where . Another weird one ?
We went to the visitors center and began looking at all the artifacts in the cases . I had looked through them on several occasions therefore I did not really pay close attention .
As I walked, my sister was behind me and she call out to me " come here, Look " pointing to a diary of a Markle form the 155th Pa.
Again I over looked some thing to be returned to the point of interest . Chance again ? After we walked the streets of town and I run into a re-enactor from the 5th New York.
Who I had talked with the previous year While we were there in July . I told him About meeting someone at the monument from my G.G.Grandfathers Co.
He told me of a women who he was just talking with who had also had someone in the 155th Pa. At which time he pointed her out to me and introduced us .
As we exchanged information about the 155th I told her that my G.G.Grandfather served in Co. "G". With that she informed me that her G.G.Grandfather also served in Co."G "
His name being Marsh. There are now more open ends . Also there were other "happenings" that I feel I should not comment on at this time . But if history remains on course
there will be new developments . With that I will close for now.
Quest Part Three.
It is now the 11th of Sept. I would like to report the following information.
The past 24 hrs. Have brought forth some new information. But there just might be a new twist. My old computer died about six months ago and I lost a great deal of i
nformation links etc. I asked a friend of mind the first part of the week about some help with my research. He sent me some links to genealogy sites. I was into one site and
fund that it looked like one I used before as I remused the site. I came across Women named Judy Bowman who had posted a notice of research on the Edinger line.
I remembered I had contacted her about G.W. Edinger's connection to southwest Mo. She did not have a connection to G.W.Edinger at that time, which was about one year ago.
I might state there was no way she could have known that I read her name on that site. I found the site just about 10:00pm. I work 11:00 to 7:00 so
I stopped there and got ready for work. As the night passed I had wondered if she ever found some thing about G.W. Edinger. I came home at 7:00 am and went to
bed and awoke about 2:00pm . As I got around I turned on the computer and there was a message from JUDY !! She explained she had found some information on the
Edinger's and to return the e-mail if I was still interested. Which I did. So far I have not received her return message. Strange again.
Well this is not all. I have been trying to find out something about G.W.Edinger's first wife. I had found her grave as you recall but could not find out anyone with information
on her maiden name, which I had thought to be Mariah. When I asked my friend Jim to help me. He looked at the document that I had and found a reference to her as Mariah Alt.
He asks me if I thought it to be her Maiden name, to which I replied, I thought Mariah was her maiden name.
I was under the impression that the Alt referred to her as alternate or maiden. So I made a copy on my scanner of the portion of the document that we had been looking at and sent
it to a lawyer friend of mine to make a judgement for me. He sent his reply yesterday afternoon late. In his opion he thought she might have dropped her first name because she
didn't care for it as some people do and went with her middle name. He also stated that he also felt her maiden name was Alt. I felt that if that be the case then just maybe, a" Alt "
served with G.W.E. So with that I logged on to a database that I belong to on the Civilwar and guess what I found? There was a Charles ALT who enlisted in the 155th the same
day as G.W.E. and was a corporal in Co. " G " G.W.E."s Co.
It is now Nov.8th 98 . I would like to report that there was activity in Oct. We were going to Va. on the weekend of the 17th but Ruthie changed jobs so the time off was not in her
schedule but she did have Sunday off. At her work she was talking to friend of mine's wife and they decided we should go to Clarion for a Civilwar living history that coming
Sunday.
As we took a tour it brought us to the Historical Soc. As I had been the before, about two and one half years ago I did not expect to see any thing about the 155th Pa.
As I had asked for information when there before. Everyone was in the gift shop and as I walked in I saw a book rack in the middle of the room and as I approached it
I looked and could not believe my eyes. It was a book I had been hunting for about three years. The Title "History of the 155th Regiment Company K. Although G.W.E.
was in Co. "G" As I read I found that Co. "K" and Co. "G" were together a great deal of the time, I guess you could call them sister Companies. Well during that week
I read about half of the book. "Keep this in mind ".
During the week Ruthie was told that she could have the coming Friday off if she so choose.
She informed me that she would be able to go to Va. to visit Larry and Barb if I still wanted to go. I was able to get that Friday off also and we left for Cumberland Va.
That Friday morning. We arrived at their house around suppertime and spent the evening in a nice chat. Barb suggested that her daughter, Ruthie and her self spend the day
at yard sales and shopping in general. She stated that Larry wanted someone to go with him to the Confederate White House and museum. I agreed in an instant.
So Saturday morning we went to Richmond. I hope what happened was just a fluke but I had the feeling I would receive a phone call from my son about the time we
were in the museum about the football game. So I left my cell phone on while we were in there. I remember thinking how awkward it would seem if it rang while near people.
But it didn't ring until we were just getting in the car leaving the White House and museum. The call was not a good one; it was my daughter Cathy at the hospital with my
son Tommy he broke his collarbone while playing football. I have to wonder if the Confederate visitation was not taken in the proper perspective by who ever is guiding me
in my " Quest ". I hope it to be nothing but.......
From there we went to Petersburg and I found the Crater where G.W.E. had fought I did not know it at the time but the parking lot was very close to where the 155th was during t
he mine blast . What is errie is that I received a second phone call from my son at the hospital telling me of his injury and in general not to worry he was doing fine in the
parking lot! Was there a change of heart? We returned home on Sunday with out incident. Remember the" keep in mind " from above?
Well when during the week I began reading in the book Co. "K" and wouldn't you know that within the next several pages.....Y
es it was about the battle of Petersburg and the Crater.. And were they were at the time of the blast......
And as they decried their location it puts them close to the parking lot..... TDH
The Quest Part 4
On or about the middle of January ( 99 ) I received a flier from a campground we had stayed at in Gettysbrug last year. As I looked it over I noticed it had a picture of
Little Round Top with the monument of the 155th in it. This was on a Saturday. The next morning I called my sister and ask if her and her husband would like to have
breakfast with Ruthie and myself. They agreed to meet us and as we sat talking in the restaurant. I had mentioned to her that I had gotten a Flier from the campground.
She looked at me with a surprise look an informed me that she had a dream lastnight that she had meet George and several others along a road and she ask him where
he was going. To which he states they were all coming home and he was going back to the old homestead. She told him that she lives over there and he informed her that
he knew that and had been there before.
February 17-99 I was setting in my chair when I looked up at the picture of my
GG Grandfather and for some odd reason I was compelled to get up and go over and take it down from the wall. I removed it and sat down in my chair looking at the
picture then deciding to turn on more light I arose and just then the phone rang. The conversation went something like this. Tommy? This is me I replied. It was a male voice
and he asks if I remembered him to which I replied I don’t think I do. He then stated that he was in one of the classes that I had taught last year. He went on to inform me that we
had talked briefly at a class break, about the Civil War and my GG Grandfather.
He asks if it was the 155th that he was in and I answered yes that it was. He then informed me t hat he just got a letter from his brother and that he found out that his GGG
was also in the 155th and also in Company G and his name was Swab. I looked the name up for him and he enlisted and was discharged the same times as my GGG.
I informed him that if he would like to find out more about him he could send some forms in and find out his record. He replied that he would like to do that and ask where he
could find the form. I told him I had some extra and that I was going to town tonight and would be glad to drop them off, which I did. He said he would inform me if he found
more information he would share it with me.