There and Back Again: The Journey of the Dunker Bible

By Rachel Dworkin, Archivist

 

On September 17, 1862, the Battle of Antietam raged near Sharpsburg, Maryland, between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E. Lee and the Union Army of the Potomac under General George B. McClellan. At the southern tip of the Confederate line was a small Dunker church. At the end of the battle, the church was badly scarred from bullet holes and an artillery shell had done serious damage to the walls and roof. The day after the battle, a truce was arranged there for the collecting of the wounded and dead. While searching for the missing men of his regiment, Corporal Nathan Dykeman of the 107^th New York Volunteers ventured inside. There, he helped himself to the large bible resting on the lectern, setting off a 40-year odyssey that would take the bible from Sharpsburg to Elmira and back again.

Truce at Dunker Church by Alfred Waud (Courtesy of National Park Service) 

The Dunkers, also known as the Schwarzenau Brethren or the German Baptists, are a Christian sect founded in Germany in 1708. Their nickname comes from their practice of triple full-body immersion adult baptism. After suffering religious prosecution, a group settled in Pennsylvania in 1720 and soon spread into Maryland, Ohio, and Virginia. They eschew drinking, swearing, war, slavery, and, today, certain aspects of modern technology. The church in Sharpsburg was established in 1852 on land donated by local farmer Samuel Mumma. At the time of the battle, the congregation consisted of a half-dozen local farm families. It would take them several years to repair the battle damaged church and many more to recover their stolen bible.

Its thief, Nathan Dykeman enlisted in the 107^th New York Volunteers at age 24 in July 1862 along with his younger brother James. They both joined Company H in Havana (now Montour Falls), Nathan as a corporal and James as a private. Both fought with the regiment for the rest of the war with Nathan being promoted to sergeant in 1863. He was killed on May 29, 1865 when he was struck by a train just outside Washington, D.C. following a victory celebration. His comrades saw to it that his personal effects made it home to his sister, including the stolen bible.

The bible remained with the Dykeman family until 1903 when Nathan’s sister gave it to James H. Arnold, one of her brothers’ former comrades in arms. He presented it to his fellow former soldiers at the annual reunion of the 107^th New York Volunteers on September 17, 1903 at the Elmira Armory and they agreed to pay the sister $10 for it. The original plan was to add the bible to the records of the regimental association, but it was ultimately decided that someone would contact the church in Sharpsburg instead. But who?

Enter John T. Lewis of Elmira. Mark Twain buffs might better know him as the man who saved Twain’s sister-in-law and niece from an almost certain death by runaway carriage in 1877. Lewis was a Black man who was born free in Carroll County, Maryland on January 10, 1835. He was baptized as Dunker at a church in Pipe Creek, Maryland in 1853. He first came to Elmira in 1862 where he owned a 64-acre farm and occasionally worked as a coachman for the Langdon family. Although he had long been separated from his religious brethren, he kept in touch via church publications and personal correspondence. Lewis used his contacts in the wider Dunker church to track down the pastor John E. Otto of the Sharpsburg church and arrange the return of the bible. It was officially returned to its proper place in the church by the hands of Elder Daniel Miller on December 4, 1903.

 

Mark Twain and John Lewis, ca. 1900

The bible still resides in the church today…after a fashion. After the war, souvenir hunters kept taking bricks off of the building. Fearing that someone might try to take the bible again, it was placed in a vault for safe keeping in 1917. In 1921, the church collapsed following a particularly violent storm. By then, the congregation had built a new church in town and the land and ruins we sold to new owners. In 1951, the site was donated to the National Park Service to be part of the larger Antietam battlefield historic site. In 1962, a restored church was built atop the original foundation using as much original material as possible. The bible was also donated to the Park Service where it rests on display at the Antietam National Battlefield visitor center…in a case so it can’t be stolen again. 

Dunker bible (Courtesy of National Park Service)

 

Seal of Approval

by Erin Doane, Senior Curator 

There are nearly three dozen embossing seals in the museum’s collection and each one is a unique piece of history. Their purpose was to impress seals on official documents. Government agencies, businesses, organizations, and individuals used embossing seals as their signatures to establish authority and prevent fraud. They are fairly simple machines that were often made to be beautiful as well as functional.

Just a few of the embossing seals in CCHS’s collection

Stamp seals were first used around the 6^th millennium BCE in Mesopotamia. They were carved stone dies used to press symbols into the soft clay of business records at the time. Thousands of years later, the basic concept of the stamp seal remains with some added mechanical technology. The embosser holds a custom die set that produces a raised image on paper when pressure is applied to the handle. The embossing seals in our collection range from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s. Most are heavy cast iron with long handles to create enough force to leave an impression. Later seals are lighter metal with mechanical leverage to make embossing easier.

My favorite embossing seals are those made to look like a lion’s head. That seemed to be very popular in the late 1800s. Other examples have decorative floral and geometric patterns painted on the sides. New designs appeared in the early 20^th century offering improvements that made them easier and more comfortable to use but their essential function was still the same. I think they’re all wonderful little machines and want to share some of them with you.

Star Gazette Building Company

Star Gazette Building Company embossing seal

The Star-Gazette Building Company was incorporated in Elmira in 1910. It was created to oversee the purchase of property at the Corner of Baldwin and Market Streets and the creation of a building on the site “to be occupied for publishing purposes” according to the incorporation papers. I’m sure the company’s beautiful embossing seal shaped like a lion’s head, which was patented in 1904, came in handy for all its official business dealings. In 1919, after the building was completed, the Star Gazette Building Company and the Star Gazette Company (publisher of newspapers for whom the building was constructed) consolidated to form the Elmira Star-Gazette, Inc. and the seal became obsolete. 

Elmira Consolidated Ice Company, Inc.

Elmira Consolidated Ice. Co., Inc. embossing seal

In 1924, the Elmira Ice Company, the Crystal Ice Company, and Fell’s Ice Company merged to become the Elmira Consolidated Ice Company, Inc. The company’s embossing seal was simple and functional. It was only used until 1930 when the company merged Hygeia Ice to become the Elmira Hygeia Company. 

Fort Hill Land Company

Fort Hill Land Company embossing seal

W. Charles Smith, who was among the organizers of the Bohemia Land Company in 1902, formed the Fort Hill Land Company five years later for the purpose of developing a summer village along the Chemung River near Rorick’s Glen. I was not able to find out much about the company in my research. I didn’t find mention of it in newspapers after 1907. Smith passed away in 1910 but the company must have continued at least through 1912. That’s when the embosser holding its official seal was patented. I plan on doing some more intensive research about the Fort Hill Land Company in the future.

L.J. Houck & Sons, Inc.

L.J. Houck & Sons, Inc. embossing seal

The embosser used for L.J. Houck & Sons’ official corporate seal has a real industrial look to it with its green paint. It was patented in 1920 and included a latch to hold the handle down when it wasn’t in use. L.J. Houck & Sons Dairy began in 1904 and was incorporated in 1926. They delivered milk on routes through Elmira, Horseheads, Elmira Heights, Big Flats, and Breeseport using horses and wagons up until 1965 when the company was purchased by the Dairymen’s League.

First United Church of Christ

First United Church of Christ

One of our most modern embossing seals, patented in 1955, was used by an old institution. The First United Church of Christ was established in Elmira in 1874. It served German American population in the city and was also called Erste Deutsche Evangelische Kirche. The large stone church constructed at 160 Madison Avenue starting in 1898 still stands but the last service was held there on July 10, 2022.

1955 embossing seal patent

 
Notaries Public

A selection of notary public embossing seals in CCHS’s collection

An important subset of embossing seals are those used by notaries public. A notary public is an official appointed by the state government who witnesses and verifies the signing of important documents to prevent fraud. Anyone interested in taking on the duties of a notary public can do so by applying to the Department of the State, passing the official exam, and paying all necessary fees. New York State does not require the use of a notary seal but a notary public is required to print, typewrite, or stamp certain information on every single document they notarize. Embossing seals speed up this process and are thus still available to purchase (with proof of official status). We have several notary public seals used by local residents in the museum’s collection. 

W.S. Gerity

Notary Public embossing seal of W.S. Gerity

William S. Gerity (b.1847-d.1912) had a decades-long career in the drugstore business. He began as a clerk and went on to be the co-owner and operator of the Gerity Bros. drugstore at 126 Lake Street in Elmira. From as early as 1906, he also served as a notary public. His embossing seal is interesting because it reads “Elmira, N.Y.” All of the other notary seals in our collection read “Chemung County, N.Y.” I wasn’t able to find out why his was different. 

J. Raymond Shoemaker

Notary Public embossing seal of J. Raymond Shoemaker

J. Raymond Shoemaker (b.1882-d.1973) worked for many years for the Hygeia Refrigerating Company. He started with the company in 1906 and was vice president and general manager by 1920. He later became chairman of the board of Hygeia and also served as the director of the Elmira Bank and Trust Company. His notary public seal with a beautiful inscribed leaf or feather design was patented in 1900. 

Anna O. McTiernan

Notary Public embossing seal of Anna O. McTiernan

Anna T. O’Hern McTiernan (b.1880-d.1965) came to Elmira to take courses at Meeker’s Business Institute. After completing her studies in 1904, she went to work in the bookkeeping department at the Star-Gazette. She retired in 1950 after 46 years with the newspaper. She served as a notary public from as early as 1910 through at least 1948. She was Anna T. O’Hern when she began as a notary public. In 1924, she wed Bill McTiernan and had a brand new embossing seal made with her married name.  

Ralph E. Fudge

Notary Public embossing seal of Ralph E. Fudge

Ralph E. Fudge (b.1908-d.2000) holds a special place in our institutional history as he was a longtime member and former president of the Chemung County Historical Society. He worked as a funeral director at Smith-Fudge Funeral home at 1058 W. Church Street in Elmira until retiring in 1972. His embossing seal was patented in 1924. It has a spring-type mechanism in the handle that makes it easier to use, requiring much less strength to emboss paper than earlier models.