USA > Pennsylvania > Dauphin County > Commemorative biographical encyclopedia of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania : containing sketches of prominent and representative citizens and many of the early Scotch-Irish and German settlers. Pt. 1 > Part 59
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leading subjects of information, a natural scholar, and, throughont his whole life, was recognized by his fellow-townsmen as in the front rank of generous knowledge, and a man of very general powers. Ilis special field of usefulness, however, was that of medicine. In his preparation for his profession his pre- ceptors were his father, Dr. Samuel C. Wiest- ling, Sr., and an elder brother, Dr. Samuel C. Wiestling, Jr., both thoroughly educated physicians of skill and wide experience. Ile attended the course of medical lectures of the University of Pennsylvania. His father becoming disabled to continue in active practice by reason of a paralytic stroke in the year 1817, he succeeded him in his pro- fession, first in partnership with his brother, Dr. Samuel C. Wiestling, Jr., which con- tinned for a few years, and subsequently alone. This was about the year 1821 or 1822. Acquiring a large and extensive practice, both in town and country, he prose- cuted the duties of his profession with a de- gree of faithful devotion and judicious skill, which won for him the admiration and high regard of the medical fraternity and the un- limited confidenee of the whole community until his death. In stature he was about six fect in height, broad shouldered, of large head, erect in carriage, full chested, rather stout in figure and person, and dignified in appearance. He was of a cheerful disposi- tion, affable in his manners, generous in his impulses, of sympathetic and benevolent habits, unselfish and forbearing, and, as a consequence, he was popular throughout his life. Dr. Wiestling married, January 22, 1824, Catharine Youse, born March 24, 1800 ; d. March 4, 1851, at Harrisburg, Pa. ; daugh- ter of George and Mary Youse.
WITMAN, JOIIN OTTO, was born January 11, 1802, in Reading, Pa .; died April 12, 1884, in Halifax, Dauphin county, Pa .; son of Benjamin Witman and Margaret Otto. He was educated at private schools and the Reading Academy. He was a clerk in the surveyor general's office under Gabriel Hies- ter, during Governor Shulze's administra- tion; studied medicine under Dr. Luther Reily, attended lectures at University of Pennsylvania in 1826-27; was physician to the Dauphin county almshouse in 1827-28; received the honorary degree of M. D. from the University of Maryland in 1843; com- menced the practice of medicine in Ilarris- burg in 1827, and continued till 1832, when
he removed to Gratz, Dauphin county, Pa., where he practiced till 1837, when he ro- turned to Harrisburg and associated himself with Doctors Luther Reily and E. L. Orth, which continued until 1840; then removed to Halifax, Dauphin county, Pa., where he continued in an active and extensive prac- tice till the fall of 1870, when bodily in- firmity compelled him to relinquish all ex- cept office work. Dr. Witman married, April 17, 1828, Caroline Orth, daughter of Henry Orth, born 1810, in Harrisburg, and died there January 10, 1848. They left several children.
FAGER, JOHN HENRY, M. D., was born March 31, 1806, at Ilarrisburg, Pa .; died Au- gust 18, 1872, at Harrisburg, Pa., and there buried. He received careful training and a good education ; read medicine with Dr. Martin Luther, one of the more prominent of the early physicians at Harrisburg, and attended medical lectures at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1829 he began the prac- tice of his profession at Harrisburg, which he continued until his death, a period of forty-three years. In 1840 his attention being called to homeopathy, the Doctor commenced the study of that theory and afterwards adopted it in his practice. He was quite a successful physician, and enjoyed the confis dence of the community. Apart from hi- professional life Dr. Fager was a valued citi- zen. For thirty-three years he was a member of the school board, during most of which period he was secretary or treasurer; for several terms a member of the borough coun- cil and for fifty years an active worker in the Sunday-school of the First Lutheran church. Dr. Fager was twice married. He married Eliza Jones, born 1810; died October 17, 1834; daughter of James and Mary Jones, and had Albert J., who served as first lieu- tenant of company B, One Hundred and Twenty-seventh regiment, Pennsylvania vol- unteers, and now an alderman of the city of Harrisburg. He married, secondly, March 29, 1836, Mary Hayes Buffington, born No- vember 3, 1816, in Harrisburg, Pa., and died there December 4, 1893. They had a large family.
- ROBERTS, EDMUND WILSON, M. D., young- est son of John Roberts, was born about 1806, at Washington, Pa. He was a graduate of Yale College. His brother, Dr. James Roberts, born in 1780, at Washington, first
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located at Harrisburg, subsequently remov- ing to Peoria, Ill., where he died about 1834. While at Harrisburg, his younger brother, Edmund W., came there and studied medi- cine under his care, subsequently graduating from the medieal department of the Univer- sity of Pennsylvania. He afterwards located at Harrisburg, and entered upon a succesful career in the practice of his profession. Hc died at Harrisburg, November 10, 1865, at the age of fifty-eight years. Dr. Roberts mar- ried Caroline Ross, daughter of Andrew Ross and Hannah Templin, of Washington City, and a sister of Robert J. Ross, of Harrisburg; she died January 23, 1877, at Newburg, N. Y .; buried at Harrisburg. They had two children : Mary, died in 1867, at Harrisburg, married Rev. B. B. Leaeoek, D. D., of the Episcopal Church; Dr. Robert Ross, died April 4, 1875, at Harrisburg, at the age of thirty-seven, who rose to eminenee in his pro- fession, married Miss Foote, daughter of Judge Foote, of the State of New York, and they left two children.
-SHOPE, DAVID, M. D., son of Jacob Shope and Hart, was born July 25, 1808, in Lower Paxton township, Dauphin county, Pa. His grandfather, Andrew Sehopp (or Shope), emigrated from the Palatinate, Ger- many, to America, arriving at Philadelphia October 22, 1754, on the ship "Halifax " from Rotterdam. He settled in then Lan- caster county, married, and was in service during the French and Indian war, after- wards permanently locating in what is now Lower Paxton township, Dauphin county, Pa., on a tract of land in possession of his great-grandson. He had sons Bernhard, Jacob, and Adam. The first married, re- mnoved to Centre county, Pa., where his de- scendants now reside. Jacob and Adam divided the farm, the former of whom sub- sequently disposed of his, the latter dying on the old homestead at the age of ninety-one years. Jacob Shope, who lived to the age of eighty-seven, married a Miss Hart, and they had issue: Abraham, Jacob, Bernhard, David, Barbara, Mary, Elizabeth, and Catharine. David, the subject of our sketeh, worked on his father's farm until the age of sixteen, re- ceiving sueh educational advantages as the the country schools then afforded. He was afterwards sent to a select school in Cumber- land county, and also that taught by Mr. Cummings at Brown's school house on the Jonestown road. Ile taught school several
times, and at the age of nineteen began the study of medieine with Dr. Markley, of Man- heim, Lancaster county, Pa., and after the latter's death with his successor, Dr. Veasy. In October, 1832, he located in Hummels- town, where he continued in the successful practice of his profession until his decease. which occurred December 2, 1842, at the age of thirty-four years, and is buried in the Hummelstown cemetery. Few practitioners stood higher in the confidence and esteem of the community in which he lived than Dr. David Shope. Ile never married.
KEMBLE, DR. GEORGE S., died at Mifflin- burg, Union county, Pa., March 9, 1884. IIe was the eldest son of George S. and Catha- rine Kemble, born in this city about the year 1825. His father was quite prominent in public affairs during the period of the in- troduction of the water supply, and was a successful merchant tailor. He died during the Rebellion, his widow surviving him un- til a few years since. Their children were Dr. George S., Capt. James R., of the United States army, who died while in the service, Henry B., also deceased, and Charles C., who resides near Wheeling, W. Va. Dr. Kemble was edueated in the public schools and at the old Harrisburg Academy. He studied medicine and graduated at Jefferson College. He practiced medicine at Philadelphia and Harrisburg, and at one time had charge of the Jewish Hospital in the former city. Dur- ing the war for the Union Dr. Kemble served in the medical department of the United States army with distinguished credit. Ile served as brigade surgeon on the staff of Gen. Isaae I. Stevens and at the battle of Chantilly the General fell mortally wounded and died in the Doctor's arms. After the battle of Antietam he was in charge of Pleas- ant Valley Hospital, near Frederick, Md., and subsequently was on duty in the south- ern department. At the elose of the Rebel- lion he returned to the active duties of his profession, chiefly at Mifflinburg, where he was highly esteemed and appreciated. He was a genial, generous and noble-hearted man, and few there be in the home of his adoption who had more friends and who will be so severely missed. In his boyhood, early manhood and mature years he was the same delightful companion, and those of his con- freres in early years will deeply regret his passing away. Dr. Kemble left a wife and several children,
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DEWITT, DR. WILLIAM RADCLIFFE, son of the Rov. William R. De Witt, D. D., and his wife Mary Elizabeth Wallace, was born De- cember 5, 1827, at Harrisburg, Pa., and died May 31, 1891, at St. Augustine, Fla. He was educated at the Harrisburg Academy, and graduated in medicine from the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania. After graduating he was immediately appointed assistant phy- sician of the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Asylum, which position he held for about seven years. He then traveled in Europe studying his profession. He returned to Ilarrisburg with the intention of practicing medicine, when he was appointed by Presi- dent Buchanan to the charge of the marine hospital in the Sandwich Islands at Hono- lulu, the capital, and here he remained a number of years, when, upon the breaking out of the Civil war, he tendered his services. He held the rank of major, and was surgeon- in-chief of the First division, Fifth army corps, of the Army of the Potomac. Here he became the intimate friend of many of the most noted officers in the Northern army. General Warren was one of his best and most intimate friends. He was breveted lieutenant colonel for meritorious services and bravery on the field of battle. After the war he was chief medical officer of Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina, stationed at Charleston. He afterwards held a similar position at Louisville, Ky. In 1869 he re- signed his commission and took up his resi- dence in Harrisburg, and was engaged in the successful practice of medicine, when in 1871 he was compelled to abandon his pro- fession and go to Florida on account of his ill health, caused by exposure in the army. That year he traveled through the State and returned in 1875, taking up his residence at San Mateo. In his new home he became quite prominent, was at one time chairman of the board of public instruction for Put- nam county, and a Florida newspaper stated at the time of his death that it was largely due to his exertions that the school system was what it then was. Dr. De Witt was in poli- tics a Democrat and always a strong sup- porter of his party. In religious faith he was an Episcopalian, and in later years was a hard student of theology, in which he took great pleasure. In 1889 he was a delegate to the General Episcopal Convention, An active member of his church, his views and opinions in religious matters were always held in great esteem and of weight by all.
Ile was a man of high intellectuality, of strong but just opinions, a strong and faithful friend, a pure and devoted Chris- tian, and having all those attributes to make him honored, loved and respected. Dr. DeWitt married, in 1865, Susan E. Spangler, of York, who with one son sur- vived him.
WITMAN, HENRY ORTH, M. D., was born January 22, 1830, in Harrisburg, Pa, He was the oldest son of John Otto Witman and his wife Caroline Orth. His father was a native of Reading, and came to Harrisburg as a clerk, under Surveyor General Hiester, subsequently studying medicine under Dr. Luther Reily, whose wife's sister he married. And he was for upwards of forty years a successful practitioner, thirty years of which were in Halifax, Dauphin county. The son Henry Orth was educated in Harrisburg at Partridge's military academy, studying med- icine with his father and attending medical lectures at Castleton, Vt., graduating after- wards from the Jefferson Medical College, of Philadelphia. Until the war for the Union he practiced his profession at Halifax, in connection with his father. During the Rebellion he served as lieutenant of com- pany E, Sixth regiment, Pennsylvania vol- unteer militia, and captain of company IS, Thirty-sixth volunteer militia. In 1866 he removed to Harrisburg, where he continued in the active practice of his profession, until his appointment in 1890 as medical examiner in the pension office at Washington. IIe died in that city on the 13th of February, 1892. Dr. Witman was a learned and con- scientious physician, was perfectly reliable- could always be depended upon in any emergency. His natural modesty and re- serve operated somewhat against him as a physician, but it can be said of him that he was perfectly free from charlatanism in what- over form it may appear. He married, Oc- tober 11, 1866, Frederica Krause, daughter of Judge David Krause, of Norristown, Pa. They had four children.
PITCAIRN, HUGn, M. D., son of John and Agnes (MeEwing) Pitcairn, was born in John- ston, Scotland, in August, 1845. While in his infancy his parents came to the United States and settled in Allegheny City, Pa. Ilis early education was acquired in the common and high schools of that city. In 1859 he entered the office of the Pennsylva-
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nia railroad in Pittsburgh to learn telegraphy. In less than six months he was directed to take charge of the telegraph office situated at the end of the double track, Mill Creek, Huntingdon county, where he continued one year, when he was appointed operator in the general office at Altoona. In this place he fulfilled the duties of clerk and operator until 1865, when he was called to Harrisburg as assistant trainmaster, and two months later received the appointment of acting assistant superintendent and superintendent of the Susquehanna division, while the directors at their ensuing meeting confirmed him as as- sistant general superintendent, and in this capacity he served two years. He was offered the position of superintendent of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company, with the office at Mauch Chunk, Carbon county, Pa., but later was sent by the president of the Pennsylvania railroad to Kentucky for the purpose of completing and taking charge of the Evansville, Henderson and Nashville road. After the completion of this road he was appointed general superintendent and assisted in the purchase of the Edgefield and Kentucky railroad, thus making a through line from Nashville, Tenn., to Evansville, Ind. He continued in charge of this road until its sale to the St. Louis and Southeast- ern railroad, when he accepted the position as superintendent of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis railroad (Pan-Handle route) at Pittsburgh, where he continued until the early part of 1875, when failing health con- pelled him to resign. He then went.to Eu- rope, attending clinical lectures in the hos- pitals of London, subsequently graduating from Hahnemann Medical College, Philadel- phia. In JSSO he located at Harrisburg in the practice of his profession. Prior to leav- ing for Europe he associated with H. C. Dean, of Altoona, as proprietor and editor of the Daily and Weekly Tribune, one of the largest and best inland papers in the State, and has continued to hold the same until the present time, though taking very little part in its ac- tive management since he entered the prac- tice of medicine.
-AGNEW, SAMUEL, M. D., the son of James Agnew and Mary Ramsey, was born in 1777, near Millerstown, Adams county, Pa. His parents were Scotch-Irish Presbyterians. Ile received a classical education and was des- stined for the ministry, but on his gradua- tion at Dickinson College in 179S, he chose
medicine for his life mission. He studied with Dr. MeClellan, of Greencastle, and graduated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1801. He first commenced the practice at Gettysburg, but in 1804 came to Harrisburg, where he remained until 1835. While at Harrisburg he became quite distinguished in his profession by his " Treatise on the Etji- cacy of Kine Pock Innoculation as a Preventa- tive of the Contagion of the Small-Por." He originated a plan for the general distribution of Kine Pox by the establishment of a lottery, and which proved successful. In the war of 1812 he was one of the first, perhaps the first officer who offered his services and that of a company comprising the very best men of Harrisburg, one hundred and twelvestrong. to Goveruor Snyder. Asthere was no call for men this company dissolved in 1813. In 1835 Dr. Agnew went to Missouri, where he remained a year. From thence to Pittsburgh, Phila- delphia, and finally Butler, where he resided with a daughter. In 1849, while on his way to Temperanceville, near Pittsburgh, he was violently thrown from a packet-boat into the canal, from which injury or shock he did not recover, dying November 25, 1849. Dr. Ag- new was a ruling elder of the Presbyterian church, Harrisburg, fifteen years. and Rev. Dr. Robinson, thus summarizes his charac- ter: "He was a man of notable qualities . . both in social and professional life, as well as in the church, he was promptly accorded a place as a leader. Possessed of a sound, clear and vigorous mind, well disciplined and pol- ished by a thorough course of collegiate and professional studies, a man of great activity, of fine bearing and a cultivated gentleman, who by his courtesy made his presence always welcome, it was but natural that he should stand at the head of his profession and exert in every sphere where he moved a controll- ing influence."
- BROWN, MERCER, M. D., was born near West- chester, Chester county, Pa., April 22, 1795. After receiving a thorough academic educa- tion, he began the study of medicine under Dr. King, of Columbia. He graduated in 1816, and located at MeCall's Ferry, at which point many persons at that time were being employed in the erection of the bridge over the Susquehanna, numbers of whom had been attacked by severe sickness. lle sub- sequently removed to Wrightsville, where he remained several years, when he located in Middletown, and until his death, which
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took place February 19, 1871, he was ro- garded as the head of the medical profession there. Dr. Brown was long a prominent actor in local and State politics. He was a candidate for Congress at one time, but his party being in the minority in the district, he was defeated. As a citizen he was Inghly respected and beloved. Dr. Brown married Rebecca Wolfly, daughter of Jacob Wolfly, an carly settler at Middletown. She died April 2, 1861.
-HAMMOND, JOHN WESLEY, M. D., son of Rezin Hammond and Naney Lee, was born in Anne Arundel county, Md., in 1804. His grandfather, Maj. Gen. John Hammond, of the British army, came to Maryland in 1764 and purchased a large tract of land in Anne Arundel, and there the father, Col. Rezin Hammond, was born. Young Hammond received his education mainly from private tutors up to the time of studying medicine. Hle graduated in medicine at the University of Maryland in 1825. In 1832 Dr. IIam- mond located in Somerset county, Pa., but in 1834 removed to Williamsport (now Mononga- hela (ity) Washington county, Pa., where he continued the practice of his profession. On the election of Governor Ritner he was ap- pointed, in 1836, chief clerk in the auditor general's office, and removed to Harrisburg. He held the position thr ugh several admin- istrations, and was afterwards for a number of years cashier of the State treasury. In 1853 he removed to Philadelphia, where he died in 1879, at the age of seventy-five. Dr. Hammond married, in 1826, Sarah, daugh- ter of Jonathan Pinkney, Esq., of Annapolis, Md., and a niece of William Pinkney, the distinguished lawyer, senator and diplo- matist. They had children: Rev. J. Pink- ney, Dr. William A., formerly surgeon gen- eral, United States army, now of New York City ; Elizabeth Pinkney, Charles Elliot, and Nathaniel Hobart ; of these, the first two and last named are living. Dr. Hammond is held in the highest esteem by his fellow-citizens for his urbanity, integrity and intellectual ability.
WIESTLING, BENJAMIN JOSEPH, M. D., son of Samuel Christopher and Anna Maria (Bucher) Wiestling, was born September 16, 1805, in Middle Paxtang, Dauphin county, Pa. He was educated in the public schools of Harrisburg, whither his father removed in 1811, and also the old Harrisburg Aca-
demy. He began the study of medicine with his father, and subsequently continued under the instruction of his elder brothers, Drs. Samuel C. and Joshua M. Heattended lectures at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating from the medieal department of that institution in March, 1827. He located at Middletown, Pa., where for a period of over fifty years he practiced his profession. Dr. Wiestling married, June 23, 1831, Matilda Eveline, daughter of Andrew and Hannah (Templin) Ross, of Georgetown, D. C.
SEILER, CHRISTIAN, M. D., the second son of Christian Seiler and Elizabeth Wol- farth, was born November 24, 1804, in South Hanover township, within a few miles of Hummelstown, Dauphin county, Pa. He received the rudiments of education, princi- pally German, at the village school in Ium- melstown. the English language at that date being spoken by few families of the neigh- borhood. His father removing to Harris- burg in 1821, the son was sent to the Harris- burg Academy, while that institution was under the care of Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Todd. He was of an inquiring turn of mind, an attentive student, and received not only a good English education, but acquired a knowledge of Latin and Greek. At an early day he had a predileetion for military life, and in the year 1823 was elected captain of of a juvenile infantry company in Harris- burg. He commenced the study of medi- cine with Dr. Cornelius Luther, a young physician of great prominence, who died at Harrisburg in 1827, afterwards completing his studies with Dr. Samuel Agnew. He then attended the lectures at Jefferson Medi- cal College, Philadelphia, where he gradu- ated in March, 1828. Shortly after he com- menced the practice of his profession at Hali- fax and vicinity, where his knowledge of the German language gave him great advantage. His practice extended through Upper Pax- tang and Mifflin townships, in fact through all that section of country lying west of Peter's mountain. He was succeeding well, but having married about this time, he con- cluded to remove to Williamsport, and for a while abandoned his profession for the mer- cantile business. The former had more charms for him, and after practicing a year or two at Williamsport he returned to HIar- risburg, where he soon secured an extensive practice, which he retained until his death. In 1844 he was elected brigadier general of
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the militia, after which he was more famil- iarly addressed. At the outset of the war with Mexico he offered his services, and was within a few votes of obtaining the command of a regiment of volunteers.
In politics Dr. Seiler was a Demoerat, and was several times nominated for the Legisla- ture, and thrice for Congress, but although his party was in a hopeless minority, it was only through strenuous exertions that he was defeated. For nearly a quarter of a century he served as a director of the public schools of the borough of Harrisburg, and took a warm interest in educational matters. Up to about 1859 Dr. Seiler enjoyed excellent health, but at that time symptoms of disease of the heart manifested themselves, and he was obliged to forego much of the fatigue in- cident to his large country practice, in which he was greatly relieved by his son, Robert H., who had studied medicine under his father, and graduated at Jefferson College in 1860. He was a man of uncommon endur- anee, and too frequently he yielded to the requests of his patients. In February, 1873, after a long ride in the country, where he was detained longer than perhaps prudent, he was seized with a chill, and pneumonia developed itself. From this attack he never recovered, dying on the 11th of February, 1873, at the age of sixty-nine. Dr. Seiler married, on the 26th of March, 1833, Mary Hayes, daughter of William Hayes, Esq., of Lewisburg, Pa. She survived her husband only five years, dying at Harrisburg in 1878. They had two children who reached ma- turity-Dr. Robert H., who died' in 1876, and Frank S., died December 20, 1879.
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