Wordless Wednesday: Frank's Civil War Diary

I've been writing off and on about cousin Frank C DORRINGTON from Allegheny Co, PA.  His picture taken in Washington, DC, just before his regiment moved out after protecting our Nation's Capital during a time of great strife, inspired a mini-series of blogs.  Check out the You, 149th PA Bucktail You tidbits posted previously on Frank and his messmates.  They eventually made their way as they served the Union to a small town in PA called Gettysburg.

Today, I was looking around and found mention of his Civil War Diary.  His diary!  Now comes the hard part.

It was donated to Penn State in 1968 by an Ernest FREY of Pittsburgh.  Hmmm, who is he and why did he have the diary?

As far as I know, old Frank had only the three daughters born after the Civil War and all who died before 1907.  I have also found grandchildren.  But so far, no connection to FREY.  The Ernest FREY I have located did reside close by, but I see no connection yet.  Hmmm, what is that connection?

FREY was an attorney.  Hmmm, what is that connection to the diary?  Looking at his immediate family offers no clues.

I contacted the Penn State Library to see if I could access the diary from far away.  Suffice it to say, no.

I won't give up.  I will find a way to access that diary.  Who knows what tidbits of information I can glean from it?

Ahh, genealogy.  With a rebel yell, I cry more, more, more.  Even if I am wordless on this diary.  It's calling to me and I must answer.

Read more of cousin Frank and his friends:

Part 1 of the series:  Frank?  Is That You?  You 149th Bucktail You
Part 2 of the series:  Ustick?  Is That You?  You, PA 149th You
Part 3 of the series:  Dave? Is That You? You, PA 149th You
Part 4 of the series:   Boy? Is That You? You, 149th PA Bucktail You

Sources:
https://journals.psu.edu/wph/article/viewFile/2979/2810

©2017 ASEldredge

Tombstone Tuesday: Ustick? Is That You? You, PA 149th You

Part 2 in the series You, PA 149th You

Ustick ROTHROCK, Lewistown, Mifflin, PA

Ustick ROTHROCK.  Now, that's a name not to forget.  Ustick caught my attention when it was first seen in the February 1863 letter written by Frank C DORRINGTON of Co. D of the PA 149th.  In the letter, cousin Frank encloses a picture taken with some buds in Washington, DC, as the regiment was on duty in defense of Washington, DC.

ROTHROCK b. 1836 was son of Joseph and Mary ROTHROCK.  His father, Joseph, was a stage driver and is found in the 1850 in Lewistown, Mifflin, PA.  Life carried on and then war broke out in America.  Ustick, a blacksmith at the time of his enlistment in August 1862, according to his wife's pension application in his name, volunteered.

ROTHROCK was the bugler for Co. D of the PA 149th Bucktails.  In addition, he was a sharpshooter who performed his duty well.  In the history of the regiment by John Nesbit, ROTHROCK escaped the war without wounds or sickness.

From Nesbit's book on the History of the Regiment

After he mustered out with the regiment in 1865, he settle into normal life.  He married Margaret SMITH and had three children; Cora b. 1875, Florence b. 1879 and Grace b. 1884.

Somehow, I am convinced the injuries he suffered were unseen by the general public.  As we of today know, the atrocities of war can lead to lasting issues such as depression, nightmares and end in suicide.  ROTHROCK was at Gettyburg for that fateful battle as well as all the other battles the regiment saw action.  He witnessed many of his friends fall and perish on the battlefield.  Some estimates say up to around 75% of the regiment fell in battle.  Did he have survivor's guilt?  Could he just not shake the images of the past when Americans fought and killed Americans?  He had a good job.  He had a home.  He had his demons of the past.

Did his demons lead to the label of lunatic for the last 26 years of his life?  After a two month complaint of acting insane, he was declared insane and confined to the Hospital for the Insane at his inquisition.  Even in the inquisition papers, it refers to ROTHROCK as "the lunatic."  It saddens me that we won't know the truth, although I suspect he had PTSD.

Corporal Ustick ROTHROCK passed away November 29, 1916.  While he appears to have had a sudden stroke, he also had the official diagnosis of manic depressive psychosis.

Why am I looking at him?  The 1863 letter of cousin Frank states he had a picture made with him and four others.  Looking at the picture, I see the bugle in the hands of PA 149th soldier number one.  It corresponds with Frank's words  " No 1 Ustic ROTHROCK, our bugler, No 2 Dave PHILLIPS, No 3 Boy MAY, 4 I.B. MOMYER, 5 Sam PHILLIPS, No 6 your humble servant."

Is this the picture of these men?  Look at the features of man number one and the later picture of Ustick.  The eyebrows, cheeks and nose are similar.  Could it be?

Ahh, genealogy.  The sands of time pass after war, but the memories are forever.  Would he have been able to live with his demons if he had stayed in Pittsburgh after the war and been able to talk with his comrades?  Rest in peace, Ustick.
And thanks to all veterans of America.





Part 1 of the series:  Military Monday: Frank?  Is That You? You 149th Bucktail You 

 Sources:
http://genitalesga.blogspot.com/search/label/dorrington
http://civilwartalk.com/threads/149th-pa-at-gettysburg.90596/
Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.

Original data: Seventh Census of the United States, 1850; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M432, 1009 rolls); Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
http://mv.ancestry.com/viewer/e834e51f-974c-4d4f-87a1-1435be2fadf4/28945733/12351776261
Nesbit, John W. General history of Company D, 149th Pennsylvania volunteers: and personal sketches of the members University of Pittsburgh, University Library System., Digital Research Library.
http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?type=simple;c=pitttext;cc=pitttext;idno=00hc08553m;q1=rothrock;submit=Go;didno=00hc08553m;rgn=full%20text;view=image;seq=0001;node=00hc08553m%3A1
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=rothrock&GSfn=ustick&GSby=1836&GSbyrel=in&GSdy=1916&GSdyrel=in&GSst=40&GScnty=2284&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=52104503&df=all&

©2016 ASEldredge

Military Monday: Frank? Is That You? You 149th Bucktail You

Reading the history of our great nation and of the men who fought for our freedom is fascinating.  Take, for instance, one of my cousins, Frank C DORRINGTON, of the famous PA 149th Bucktails.

I have mentioned Frank before and have even posted a letter he wrote in February 1863 to his brother, Joe. The letter in itself is fascinating as it details the life in Washington, DC, as the unit awaited its orders, which were received at the end of the letter.

In looking at the letter again for more clues from the past, I was struck by the mention of a picture he included in the letter.  There are six men in the picture:  " No 1 Ustic ROTHROCK, our bugler, No 2 Dave PHILLIPS, No 3 Boy MAY, 4 I.B. MOMYER, 5 Sam PHILLIPS, No 6 your humble servant."

Just this weekend, I stumbled across a photo of six men of the PA 149th.  Was this taken at Gettysburg?  It seems unlikely as the men were up to their buck tails in fighting. Is this picture the one mentioned in Frank's letter?

Captain James GLENN (l) and his cousin, Frank C DORRINGTON

Frank's appearance changed over the time he was in the Bucktails.  He had been severely injured in 1864 with a gunshot which entered the breast on the left side and exited through the left arm. He did return to duty while the company was near Petersburg and fought until the end of the war.

Ahh, genealogy.  Is it in the eyes? Or is it the bugle seen in number one mention in Frank's letter?  You tell me.

2 Aug 2016 Update:  The men mentioned in Frank Dorrington's letter have inspired a mini-series.  This is now Part 1 of You 149th Bucktail You.

Sources:
http://genitalesga.blogspot.com/search/label/dorrington
http://civilwartalk.com/threads/149th-pa-at-gettysburg.90596/
https://books.google.com/books?id=mnw3AQAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA206&lpg=RA1-PA206&dq=frank+c+dorrington&source=bl&ots=zSwroAHs-1&sig=J99UjmdGJa1Yd6Vow6lX6PN8yLE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjkgumBy6DOAhWCOyYKHR8XB6cQ6AEIITAB#v=onepage&q=frank%20c%20dorrington&f=false
http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/allegheny/military/149th_1.txt

©2016 ASEldredge