Thanks to Joe Fulginiti for this image
He was born in January 1818, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His brother was an Alderman in Philadelphia in 1864. [sources: date: 40; 30 (43 in 1861), 29 (62 in 1880), 37 (32 in 1850), 38 (40 in 1860), 39 (52 in 1870), 40 (62 in 1880), 52 (82 at death in 1900). place: 29, 37, 38, 39, 40, 52. brother: 60]
In 1842/43, he married Louisa M [unknown family name]. She was born in May 1818, in Pennsylvania. They apparently had seven children, including these:
[sources: 37, 38, 39, 40 (3 alive in 1900)]
In 1850, he was living in the 5th ward of Moyamensing, in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. He was a farmer. He was living with his wife Louisa, and three children (David, Anna, and Elizabeth), along with three other people, including Joseph Rementer, who may be the Joseph Rementer who served in the 91st. [source: 37]
In 1860, he was living in the first ward of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a quarryman, and owned $25,000 in real estate and $1,000 in personal property. He was living with his wife Louisa, six children (Anna, David, Elizabeth, Emma, William, Laura), and four other people. [source: 38]
In June 1861, he was captain of the Ellsworth Guard, which was a Home Guard company from the First Ward of Philadelphia. [source: 43]
When he enlisted, he was living in Philadelphia. [source: 30]
He enlisted, was mustered in, and was appointed captain of company E on 9 September 1861, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [sources: 1, 3, 22, 30, 33 (20 Aug 61), 44, 50, 54, 59]
His (probable) son David Lentz, also served in the 91st. [source: see 38]
On 19 February 1862, he saw William S Willis (E) die in his tent, from an attack of apoplexy. [source: 62]
On 4 May 1862, Lentz and company E were ordered to report to Gilbert at Old Capital Prison, with four days cooked rations and all their camp equippage. [source: 12]
On 29 June 1862, he, along with the other commissioned officers in the regiment (except Colonel Gregory), signed a statement denying accusations that they were on the verge of open mutiny, that the regiment had been reduced to 400 men, and that Colonel Gregory was too lenient to Confederates and too harsh to men in the regiment. [source: 42]
In July 1862, he was a recruiting officer for the regiment. [source: 46]
He was Deputy Provost Martial in Alexandria, Virginia, and sent Levi Elder (69th New York) to the slave pen, on 8 August 1862 after 9 AM. [sources: 28, 36]
On 28 November 1862, as captain commanding company E, he approved the discharge for disability of John S Haines (E). [source: 61]
On 15 December 1862 he and his men were posted as pickets, replacing pickets of the 126th Pennsylvania Infantry (and temporarily under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Rowe of the 126th). Lentz and a dozen men were posted at a block-house at Fredericksburg, Virginia. They were the middle line of pickets. They were not informed when the Union Army retreated across the river, because Lieutenant Bonsall of the 126th Pennsylvania Infantry mistook Acting 2nd Lieutenant Baker as the commander of the company, and gave the order to retire only to Baker. Nevertheless, Lentz and his men escaped the Confederates, and returned safely to camp, with only eleven men missing. [sources: 6, 7, 8, 51]
He was promoted (on 2 April 1863) effective 20 December 1862 to major, after Major Todd's death. [sources: 1, 3, 4, 22, 27, 30, 49, 54]
On 7 February 1863, he was a captain, and was acting major. [source: 24]
He was commanding the regiment on 17 March 1863, while Captain Joseph Sinex was on an eight-day leave. [source: 26]
On 3 May 1863, he was present at the Battle of Chancellorsville. He learned from General Tyler's aide Lieutenant Diehl that Colonel Gregory had been wounded. He then went to the right of the regiment, found Lieutenant Colonel Sinex, and told him that the Brigade commander, General Tyler, wanted the regiment to advance. [source: 56]
On 26 May 1863, he testified at the trial of Benjamin Tayman. [source: 56]
He was present at the Battle of Gettysburg, as major. [source: 14]
On 22 July 1863, the War Department detached him to Philadelphia to collect conscripts. He was still there on 14 November 1863, and 7 March 1864, when Lieutenant Colonel Sinex asked that he be returned. [sources: 15, 16]
On 5 August 1863, he was appointed President of a General Court Martial, which met at 1105 Girard Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [source: 48]
On 12 October 1863, the Philadelphia Press published a letter signed by men on duty at Camp Cadwalader, including John Lentz, asking Pennsylvanians to re-elect Governor Curtin. [source: 13]
On 24 November 1863, he certified facts about William Willis (E)'s death, supporting Willis's mother's pension application. He was then the regiment's Major, and was in Philadelphia, detailed to conduct drafted men to the regiment. [source: 62]
In January 1864, he was the 91st's major. [source: 55]
He was reported returned from detached service on 17 April 1864. [source: 32]
He took command of the regiment on 12 May 1864, after Lieutenant Colonel Sinex was wounded, and was still in command on 8 June 1864. [sources: 1 (p.191), 5, 17, 19]
Walter describes him as usually 'good-natured', but upset that Walter had missed the attack on the Myers' or Galt house. [source: 11]
He was in command on 31 May 1864 (organization table).
On 20 June 1864, William McGlencey was detailed as a private servant for him. [source: 13]
He was not in command on 3 July, 4 July, or 5 July 1864, but was on 10, 21, 22, and 24 July 1864. (But the consolidated morning reports from 3 July 1864 through 18 July 1864 have him as commanding the regiment.) [sources: 18, various orders]
He was commissioned, but not mustered in as, lieutenant colonel, on 12 July 1864. On 3 August 1864, he received orders to take position in the fort where Lt Walcott's battery was stationed. On 9 August 1864, he wrote a report of the 91st's actions from 4 May to 30 July 1864. Sellers assumed command on 9 August 1864, because Lentz was absent sick. [sources: 20, 21, 30]
On 10 August 1864, he was in the Division Hospital, sick. [source: 35]
By October 1864, he and Colonel Gregory certified that Alexander Baird was mustered in on 20 August 1861. [source: 57]
Having resigned, he was discharged by special order 323, War Department, on 28 September 1864 ). He was the regiment's major. [sources: 1, 2, 4, 22, 23, 30, 33 (9 Sep 64), 41, 59]
On 1 July 1869, he testified support the pension application of William Willis's mother. [source: 62]
On 11 September 1869, he affirmed that William Jeffries (E) was reliable, supporting the use of Jeffries' testimony in the pension application by Hannah Blake, widow of Martin Blake (E). [source: 58]
In 1870, he was living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a grocer, and owned $1,000 in personal property. He was living with his wife Louisa, and three children. [source: 39]
In 1880, John D Lentz was a farmer, living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was living with his wife Louisa and children William and Laura, along with one servant and five farm laborers. [source: 29]
He attended the 1884 meeting of the 91st's Survivor's Association. [source: 10]
In 1890, he was living at 1850 North 23rd Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (The city directory does not list an occupation for him.) [sources: 33, 34]
He applied successfully from Pennsylvania for a pension on 15 August 1899. [sources: 4, 31, 54]
In 1900, he was living at 3808 Aspen Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was retired. He was living in his daughter and son-in-law's house. [source: 40]
He died of valvular disease of heart, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 7 August 1900. He was a gent[leman] (i.e., retired). He was living at, or died at, 3808 Aspen Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was buried on 10 August 1900, in Lafayette Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [sources: 4, 52, 54, 63]
1 Bates, Samuel Penniman. History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5. Harrisburg: B. Singerly, state printer, 1869-71. 5 volumes. 'Ninety-first regiment', volume 3, pages 186-233. (In the roster, and pp.188, 191)
3 List of commissioned officers, company E
4 pension index, by regiment (John D Lentz)
5 Joseph Welch, in Pennsylvania at Gettysburg, volume 1 (1914), pp.500-507, at page 505.
6 report by Lentz about Frederickburg
7 report by Gregory (regimental commander) about Frederickburg
8 report by Butterfield (corps commander) about Frederickburg
9 newspaper accounts of the 91st's arrival in Philadelphia on veterans' furlough
10 newspaper account of survivor's meeting, 1884, Grand Army Scout and Soldiers' Mail, 20 December 1884, page 6 column 2
11 Thomas F Walter, 'Personal recollections and experiences of an obscure soldier', Grand Army Scout and Soldiers' Mail v.3, #47, p.1.
12 special order 31, 91st PA Infantry, 4 May 1862.
13 special order 47, headquarters, 91st Pennsylvania Infantry, 20 June 1864
14 Pennsylvania Memorial, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
15 letter, Gregory to Marvin, 14 November 1863
16 letter, Sinex to Marvin, 7 March 1864
17 special order 41, HQ 91st PA (John D Lentz commanding), 8 June 1864
18 letters, Eli Sellers, commanding 91st PA, 4 July 1864
19 letter, Lentz, 22 July 1864
20 report, Lentz, 9 August 1864. An edited version was printed in Report of Major John D Lentz, Ninety-first Pennsylvania Infantry, 9 August 1864. Official Reports series 1 volume 36 part 1 pages 555-557, at page 557.
21 letter, Sellers to Scott, 30 August 1864
22 Regimental descriptive book
23 special order 323, War Department Adjutant General's Office, 28 September 1864
24 consolidated morning report, 7 February 1863
25 picture of company E chest, with Lentz's name inscribed
26 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 17 March 1863 (John D. Lentz)
27 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 2 April 1863 (John D Lentz)
28 general order 27, HQ Military District of Washington, 12 September 1862 (Captain John D Lentz)
29 1880 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Falls of Schuylkill, supervisor's district 1, enumeration district 607, microfilm series T9, film 1187, page 589 = 27D handwritten (John D Lentz)
30 Civil War Veterans' Card File, available at the Pennsylvania State Archives, searched 5 May 2004 (John D Lentz)
31 pension index, by name, searched on Ancestry, 21 May 2004 (John D Lentz)
32 consolidated morning report, 91st Pennsylvania, 17 April 1864 (Major Lentz)
33 1890 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, supervisor's district 1, enumeration district 775, page 1, line 8 (John D Lentz)
34 1890 Gopsill's Philadelphia directory, transcribed at Ancestry (searched Dec 2004) (John D Lentz)
35 consolidated morning report, 91st Pennsylvania, 10 August 1864 (Major Lentz)
36 court martial record, E Carroll Brewster, including testimony by Lentz (John D Lentz)
37 1850 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia County, 5th ward of Moyamensing, microfilm series M432, film 809, page 481 verso (John Lutz [sic])
38 1860 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, ward 1, precinct 5, microfilm series M653, film 1151, page 345 = 247 handwritten (John D Lentz)
39 1870 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, microfilm series M593, film 1413, page 232 = 160 handwritten (John D Lentz)
40 1900 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 24th ward, supervisor's district 1, enumeration district 556, microfilm series T623, film 1466, page 67-68 = 5B-6A handwritten (John D Lentz)
41 consolidated morning report, 91st Pennsylvania, 9 October 1864 (John D Lentz)
42 'Ninety-first Pennsylvania Regiment'. Philadelphia Inquirer, 11 July 1862, page 2 (John D Lentz)
43 'The Home Guard organization', Philadelphia Inquirer, 29 June 1861, page 2 (John D Lentz)
44 'Camp Chase at Gray's Ferry' Philadelphia Inquirer 19 October 1861 page 8 (John D Lentz)
45 'Camp Chase', Philadelphia Inquirer 30 November 1861 (JD Lentz)
46 '$100 bounty', Philadelphia Inquirer 15 July 1862 page 5 (John D Lentz)
47 'Departure of Col. Gregory's regiment', Philadelphia Inquirer 22 January 1862 page 2 (JD Lentz)
48 'General court martial', Philadelphia Inquirer 5 August 1863 page 8 (John D Lentz)
49 'Promotion in the Ninety-first Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers', 'Promotion in the Ninety-first regiment ...', Philadelphia Inquirer 15 May 1863 page 8 (John D Lentz)
50 'Local intelligence', Philadelphia Inquirer 19 September 1862 page 8 (John D Lentz)
51 court-martial record, trial of James B Bonsall, 3 January 1863, and trial of D B Baker, 3 January 1863, National Archives, Record Group 153 (Judge Advocate General, Army), file KK691; and court-martial record, trial of James B Bonsall, 12 January 1863, and trial of D B Baker, 12 January 1863, National Archives, Record Group 153 (Judge Advocate General, Army), file KK664 (John D Lentz)
52 death certificate, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 7 August 1900, #3526 (John D Lentz)
53 'An urgent appeal from the soldiers', Philadelphia Press, 12 October 1863, page 2 (John Lents [sic])
54 pension index, by regiment, 91st PA Infantry, company E (John D Lentz)
55 'Arrival of the 91st regiment Pennsylvania volunteers' (Philadelphia Press 9 January 1864, page 2) (Major Lentz)
56 National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 153: Records of the Office of the Judge Advocate General (Army), 1792-1982, general court martial, 25 May 1863 (Jno D Lentz)
57 widow's pension certificate file, National Archives and Records Administration, record group 15, certificate WC 44,751 (Andrew Baird for Charlotte Baird et al. minor children of Alexander Baird) (John D Lentz)
58 widow's pension certificate file, National Archives and Records Administration, record group 15, widow's certificate 106,758, Hannah Clemons widow of Martin Blake (John D Lentz)
59 index to compiled service records of volunteer Union soldiers who served in organizations from the state of Pennsylvania (John D Lentz)
60 dependent's pension certificate file, WC 98,917 (Frederica Mathers mother of Henry George Mathers (90th Pennsylania)) (see the testimony by Joseph H Budd on 23 October 1864) (John D Lentz)
61 dependent's pension certificate file, WC 144,827, Catharine Kenney (guardian of minor dependents of John S Haines) (John D Lentz)
62 dependent's pension certificate file, National Archives and Records Administration, record group 15, Eliza Willis mother of William S Willis, WC 146,647 (John D Lentz)
63 Find a grave, memorial 44663791, created 22 Nov 2009, by pat callahan, accessed 1 Jan 2015 (John D Lentz)
64 * muster-out roll, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, record group 19, series 19.11, records of the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs (John D Lentz)
65 * death notice, Philadelphia Inquirer Thursday 9 August 1900, page 14 (John D Lentz)
| NUMBER OF EACH GRADE. | 1 | ||
| NAMES. PRESENT AND ABSENT. | John D Lentz | ||
| RANK. | Maj | ||
| AGE. | |||
| JOINED FOR SERVICE AND ENROLLED AT GENERAL RENDEZVOUS--COMMENCEMENT OF FIRST PAYMENT BY TIME. | WHEN. | Sept 9 /61 | |
| WHERE. | Phila Pa | ||
| BY WHOM. | Lt Col Ruff | ||
| PERIOD. | 3 yrs | ||
| MUSTERED INTO SERVICE. | WHEN. | Dec 20 /62 | |
| WHERE. | Falmouth Va | ||
| BY WHOM. | Lt Alcolt | ||
| LAST PAID. | BY PAYMASTER. | ||
| TO WHAT TIME. | |||
| TRAVELING. | To place of rendezvous, No. of miles. | ||
| From place of discharge home, No. of miles. | |||
| Clothing Act | Due U.S | ||
| Due Soldier | |||
| AMOUNT for clothing in kind, or in money advanced. | |||
| VALUE OF equipments, arms &c., received from the United States, to be paid for if lost or destroyed. | |||
| Bounty | Paid | ||
| Due | |||
| REMARKS | |||
| Promoted from Capt Compy E vice Todd killed[.] discharged Sept 28 /64 by SO 123 War Dept | |||
| line | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Dwellings visited | 334 | |||||||
| Families visited | 504 | |||||||
| Name | John Lutz | Louisa " | David " | Anna " | Eliz " | Jos Rementer | Jas McZilany [?] | Marg. Carson |
| [Is Jos Rementer the Joseph Rementer who joined company E in 1862?] | ||||||||
| Age | 32 | 31 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 35 | 28 | 24 |
| Sex | M | F | M | F | F | M | M | F |
| Color | ||||||||
| Occupation of males over 15 years | " [sc. Farmer] | Laborer | " | |||||
| Real estate owned | ||||||||
| Birthplace | Penna | " | " | " | " | " | Ireland | " |
| Married within year | ||||||||
| Attended school within year | ||||||||
| Over 20 & can't read/write | ||||||||
| Deaf, dumb, blind, etc. | ||||||||
| line | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| Dwelling number | 1727 | |||||||||||
| Family number | 1967 | |||||||||||
| Name | John D Lentz | Louisa " | Anna " | David " | Elizabeth | Emma | William | Laura | George Cox | Margaret Gravin [?] | Margaret Mills | Letitia Smith |
| Age | 40 | 40 | 15 [?] | 17 | 11 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 13 | 28 [?] | 16 | 30 |
| Sex | m | f | f | m | f | f | m | f | m | f | f | f |
| Color | ||||||||||||
| Occupation | Quarryman | Clerk | Servant | Servant | School Teacher | |||||||
| Value of real estate owned | 25,000 | |||||||||||
| Value of personal estate | 1000 | |||||||||||
| Place of birth | Penn | " | " | " | " | " | " | " | " | Ireland [?] | " | Penn |
| Married within year | ||||||||||||
| Attended school within year | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| Cannot read & write | 1 | |||||||||||
| Deaf, dumb, blind, etc. |
| line | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| Dwelling-house number | 155 | ||||
| Family number | 169 | ||||
| Name | Lentz John D. | - Louisa | - Emma | - William | - Laura V. |
| Age | 52 | 50 | 19 | 15 | 11 |
| Sex | M | F | F | M | F |
| Color | W | W | W | W | W |
| Occupation | Grocer | Keep house | At house | In Grocery Store | At School |
| Real estate value | |||||
| Personal estate value | $1,000 | ||||
| Birthplace | Penn | Penna | Penn | Penn | Penn |
| Father foreign born | |||||
| Mother foreign born | |||||
| Birth month if born within year | |||||
| Marriage month if married within year | |||||
| Attended school past year | 1 | ||||
| Can't read | |||||
| Can't write | |||||
| Deaf, dumb, blind, etc. | |||||
| Male US citizen at least 21 years old | 1 | ||||
| Male US citizen at least 21 years old who can't vote ... |
| line | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| street name | Farms | ||||
| house number | |||||
| dwelling visit # | 217 | ||||
| family visit # | 231 | ||||
| name | Lentz John D. | - Lousia [sic] | William D | Laura D | Penn [? Emma E. |
| color | W | W | W | W | W |
| sex | M | F | M | F | F |
| age | 62 | 54 | 25 | 19 | 17 |
| month born if born in year | |||||
| relationship | Wife | Son | Daughter | ||
| single | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| married | 1 | 1 | |||
| widowed/divorced | |||||
| married during year | |||||
| occupation | Farmer | Keeps house | Farmer | At home | Servant |
| months unemployed | |||||
| currently ill? | |||||
| blind | |||||
| deaf/dumb | |||||
| idiotic | |||||
| insane | |||||
| disabled | |||||
| school this year | |||||
| can't read | |||||
| can't write | |||||
| birthplace | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| father's birthplace | Penna | Wales | Penna | Penna | Germany |
| mother's birthplace | Penna | Wales [sic] | Wales [sic] | Wales [sic] | Germany |
| line | 99 | 100 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| street | Aspen Street | Aspen Street | ||||||
| house number | 3808 | |||||||
| dwelling number | 86 | |||||||
| family number | 93 | |||||||
| name | Quay [?] John B. | Laura V [?] | Quay Raymond T | - Royd B | - Emma L | Lentz John D | - Louisa M | Ford Ida |
| relationship | Head | Wife | Son | Son | Daughter | F in law | M in law | Servant |
| color | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W |
| sex | M | F | M | M | F | M | F | F |
| birth date | May 1865 | Mar 1865 | Jan 1892 | July 1894 | Nov 1897 | Jan 1818 | May 1818 | May 1879 |
| age | 35 | 35 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 82 | 82 | 21 |
| married? | M | M | S | S | S | M | M | S |
| # years married | 12 | 12 | 57 | 57 | ||||
| mother of how many children? | 3 | 7 | ||||||
| # of children living | 3 | 3 | ||||||
| birthplace | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| father's birthplace | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Wales | England |
| mother's birthplace | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Wales | Pennsylvania |
| immigration year | ||||||||
| # years in USA | ||||||||
| naturalized citizen? | ||||||||
| occupation | R.R. Operator | Retired | Servant | |||||
| # months not employed | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| # months in school | ||||||||
| can read | yes | yes | yes | no | no | yes | yes | yes |
| can write | yes | yes | yes | no | no | yes | yes | yes |
| speaks English | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | yes | yes | yes |
| owned/rented | O | |||||||
| free or mortgaged | M [?] | |||||||
| farm/house | H | |||||||
| # of farm schedule | ||||||||
LENTZ.--On August 7, 1900, John D. Lentz, in the 83d year of his age. Funeral from the residence of his son-in-law, J. B. Quay, No. 3808 Aspen street, on Friday afternoon, August 10, at 2 o'clock. Post No. 2, G.A.R., and the survivors of the Ninety-first Regiment P.V., are invited. Interment at Lafayette Cemetery.