Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-03-11
NJ. HENCH, ONE
OF CITY'S OLDEST
MERCHANTS, DIES
Fought in Civil War and Con-
Quoted Big Wholesale
Business

Nicholas I. Hench, aged 81, died
yesterday at the home of his daugh-
ter, Mrs. Guy |. Davies, of Carlisle
Mr.. Hench was the man who helped
finance L. w. Woolworth. when the
latter opened his first Five and Ter
Cent store in Lancaster, many years
ago. He lived at 1915 North Front
street.
Mr.. Hench was the son of Nicholas
and Katherine Hamilton Hench. He
was born in Ickesburg, Perry county
January II. 1887. He was educated
in the Perry county public schools
and later taught there. He was a
member of the 18th Pennsylvania
Reserves and took part in some OF
the most important battles of the
Civil War.
He married, February IA, 1866
Ann Ellen Weakley, of Carlisle. and
opened q general store in Blain
Perry county. Four years later he
opened a wholesale notion establish
ment with the late William z. Stuart
under the firm name of Hench and
Stuart. The firm occupied Brants
hall, where the Commonwealth Trust
Company is now located.
While in the wholesale notions
business, +. w. Woolworth appealed
to Mr.. Hench for funds to assist him
in opening a five and ten cent store
at Lancaster.
He was a member of the Market
Square Presbyterian Church. He is
survived by his wife, three daughters,
Mrs. Douglas E. Dismukes and Mrs
Wilbur F. Harris, of this city, and
Mrs. Guy II. Davies, Carlisle; two
sisters, Mrs. Elizabeth Wilson, of this
city, and Mrs. John Brickley, Ameri-
Gus, Kan; two half-brothers, Henry
j.. Hench, of this city, and Willis R
Hench, Marysville.
Funeral services will be held from
his late residence, 1915 North Front
street, Thursday afternoon at :
o'clock, the Rev. DR.. George Edward
Hawes, pastor of Market Square
Presbyterian Church, officiating.
Private burial will be made in the
East Harrisburg Cemetery,
Saw Brother Killed
Mr.. Hench was singularly reticent
about relating his war time expert
ences, but this letter was written to
one of his daughters who had made
a trip to the Gettysburg battlefield
and who asked him for the part his
regiment had taken in the battle.
I'VE were over at Arlington
Heights opposite Washington on the
last day of June, 1863, and by the
time we reached the outskirts of
Washington the sun was just rising.
We marched all that day and night
and the next morning, July l, we
stopped to make coffee and eat
breakfast. / imagine it was about six
or eight miles from Gettysburg, near
Hanover. There a messenger reach
ed us telling that General Reynolds
had been killed the day before. We
arrived at Gettysburg directly to the
rear of Little Round Top and as our
lines We're giving way just to the
right of Little Round Top, on the
peach orchard, our brigade was sent
in and drove the enemy back. After
this, our regiment, the 18th Penna.
Reserves, were filed to the left, right
in front of DEVILS Den where the
sharpshooters picked off our artil-
lerymen on Little Round Top. After
dark, we took possession of Big
Round Top where our regiments S
monument now stands, and threw up
the stone breastworks as nearly like
they are to-day as can be. The next
morning the trees were infested
with sharpshooters who succeeded in
wounding a number of our men. My
brother, Frank, went down about
fifty steps from our line and was
shot through the head. i went to him
as soon as I saw what had happen
ed and we carried his body in blan-
ket, took it to the rear of Big Round
Top and buried him in a triangular
little field, wrapping his body in a
blanket, and marking his grave.
telegraphed home to father who
made two trips before he found the