Contacting Civil War Societies

I have begun to contact different Civil War Societies and sharing my blog in hopes of sharing information about Cist history. I am more interested in finding human connections and stories rather than finding material relics about Cist history, but I will look at material findings to help make more connections. I recently found a pistol that belonged to Henry M. Cist on the internet.

I am contacting War Between the States, P. O. Box 267, Lady Lake, FL 32158.

Response from Dr. Wulf von Restorff

In June of 2013 I emailed a request for information at the genealogy department in Germany about Charles Cist. This is my response.

Good Afternoon,
The DAGV is Academic Council of German Genealogical Association. Its purpose is the lobby work for the German family researchers and the coordination of genealogical research. It has no resources; no own library , data files or collections of charters, and it executes no research by order. The support given by the organization is very restricted and consists only as and advice to direct enquirers.
So, I can recommend to search Google, Family Search, Ancestry, My Heritage, or GedBas.

Dr. Wulf von Restorff

I interpret this as though I am at a dead end on this, but I will keep trying different avenues. I replied with a follow up email to Dr. Wulf von Restorff to keep Charles Cist in mind when networking. I wish him well.
I continue to network and find different avenues to pursue. I have signed up for the December 4th American History Conference of the Smithsonian Museum at the Warner Bros. Theater in Washington D.C.

It is acceptable to find artifacts on the Cist family. I am more interested in photographs taken and letters written by Cist family members than finding material items that belonged to Cist members.
I have written War Between the States at P.O. Box 267, Lady Lake, FL  32158. Perhaps, this company may have photos of Cist members that are unidentified. If they look at this blog they may match photos to names.

Letter to the American History Department at the Smithsonian Museum

Charles Cist, Philadelphia printer, was involved with the American Revolution. His descendants were involved with the American Civil War. I find myself involved with the digital revolution. Here is a letter written to Mr. John A. Fleckner, senior archivist, at the Smithsonian Museum. It is an intention to network and involve myself with a continuation movement of  combining and finding lost Cist family papers to bring about an added view point to American history. It is my belief that by finding the lost Cist family papers it will add to the American experience.

November 4, 2013

Mr. John A. Fleckner
Senior Archivist
Smithsonian Museum
National Museum of American History
Kenneth E. Behring Center
14th Street and Constitutional Avenue NW
Washington, DC 2001

Dear Mr. Fleckner,
I have signed up for the December 4th conference to network and get involved with the Society of American Archivists.

In the daily course of life, reading articles, networking, and applying an interdisciplinary approach to adding to the American experience, I am asking that you take note of Charles Cist, a Philadelphia printer during the American Revolutionary War period. I have done  research on Mr. Cist and my findings have concluded that the history books have omitted the fact that Mr. Cist was not only a printer of the Continental Congress, but he was also a treasurer of the Continental Congress. As a direct descendant of Charles Cist, I wish to share with your department my documentation of Continental currency signed by Charles Cist

Oral history is a valid form of communication. If your department is interested in my oral presentation about the life of Charles Cist, I am at your disposal.

Thank you for your time. Perhaps we can met on December 4th at the conference.
Sincerely Yours,
Andrew C. Allen

This next blog entry illustrates new knowledge for me that Charles Cist printed a journal of an early balloonist in Philadelphia in 1793. Please look at this link.

Thanks to Mr. David K. Frasier at the Lilly Library.

Henry M Cist portraits

 Civil War era photos of Henry M Cist.

Henry M Cist as Colonel in Nashville, July 1865.

Bible given as gift to Henry M Cist from his mother as he went to war.

Henry M Cist taken later in life as he authored The Army of the Cumberland.

Henry M. Cist carried on a tradition of contributing and recording American history during his generation. This was a family trait that was passed down from Charles Cist, Philadelphia printer.

Portrait of Henry M Cist circa 1880

Henry M Cist was a Brigadier General  in Civil War and author of Army of the Cumberland, and served as director of the Chickamauga Memorial Association in 1889. Photo from private collection.

Additionally, Mr. Cist returned from the American Civil War and returned to his homestead in College Hill, Cincinnati, OH in 1866. In 1869 he was elected corresponding secretary of the Society of the Army of the Cumberland (Army of the Cumberland New York: Scribner's Sons). It was among the first written accounts of that battle. He also wrote about his other friends who were in the Civil War with him. He wrote a biography of The Life of General George H. Thomas.


Finally, as the later part of his life took place, he was instrumental in preserving Civil War battlefields. Congress authorized the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park in 1890. Mr. Cist was a director in 1889. In 1892 he served as president of the Ohio Society, Sons of American Revolution.

Mr. Henry M. Cist died of pneumonia while touring Italy at age 63. He was buried at Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, OH, 1902.
born February 20, 1839  Died December 16, 1902.
Based on family stories. It is my conclusion that when the Cist family went to Europe at the turn of the century, they were visiting cultural institutions that placed winning bids on the Lewis J. Cist autograph collection. Henry Cist was making further connections to the causes of freedom and the fact that he died in Italy is a clue for me to do continued research. He died before he could write down his findings.

The Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America Part III

     An additional note on early government printing seems in order here. The one obvious point is that government printing was done in cities other than first Philadelphia and later Washington. For example, in 1798, the majority of the 147 assigned government imprints belonged to Philadelphia firms-William Ross, John Fenno, Joseph Gates, and Way and Groff. But in New York (Louis Jones), Baltimore (William Pechin), Boston (John Russell), and Providence (Carter and Wilkinson), government contract printing was done.
     Cist's government printing was more than likely in the same vain as his earlier work with Steiner for the Pennsylvania assembly-paper, forms, and other miscellaneous printing. Since his imprint appeared on two editions of postal regulations, it may be safe to assume the same would be true for any of his other federal publications, although he may have done job printing for the Post Office Department. Another reason to suspect the level of Cist's government printing is the number of competitors who began to flood the new capital, including the aforementioned Way and Groff, Samuel Harrison Smith, and William Duane.  If imprints appeared on government publications, it was usually the imprint of Duane after 1800. McMurtrie concludes that as of 1802, "there was no one government printer."19 Finally, the DAB entry for Jacob Cist mentions only that Jacob managed his father's Washington office, which "was forced to close by reason of the change in federal administration,"20 when Adams left office in 1801. Thus, we can conclude that, lacking concrete evidence, the DAB entry on Cist is incorrect.
     There are other sources which help to fill in gaps on the printing career of Charles Cist. The 1790 census sheds some significant light on the extent of his business.21 His household consisted of two males over age sixteen (one was Cist), six males under age sixteen (one was his older son), and eight females (one of whom was his wife). Simple mathematics leaves at least fifteen unidentified individuals living in the Cist household-six of whom were males. From McCulloch's Additions we find that Conrad Zentler was an apprentice to Cist. Certainly, some of the six males living under Cist's roof were also apprentices; thus, we have an idea that Cist ran a sizable printing operation. The 1800 census shows the Cist household consisted of two males in the fifteen to twenty-six age range and seven females, not counting his wife. Since Jacob was probably in Washington City and young  Charles was only eight, this too probably represents apprentice printers.22 We can also find some idea of what the printer charged for his work. His proposal to print Congressional journals (1785) was for 1000 copies at 610 shillings and 5 shillings for binding per volume.23 a 1784 bill shows Cist charged 53 shillings 8 pence for printing blank bills (1,728 large bills or 3,456 smaller bills). These few examples also help to illustrate that Cist's margin of profit did not depend on book printing-instead , like most others of his trade, Cist made money on printing paper, blank forms, stationery, and assorted printing assignments. In contrast, the Congressional Commissioners of Accounts had earlier cited Steiner and Cist as being extravagant in their charges. In question was a L200 charge in 1779 for printing a broadside (Evans 15966) in German for the call of a constitutional convention. Five thousand copies of the circular were printed in 1778. Congress also registered its dissatisfaction with the charges of another Philadelphia printer, David Claypoole. This perhaps was one of the factors considered in 1785 when the Continental Congress did not select Cist to print its journals. We also know that Cist did not operate a book store at his printing shop as many other early printers did. No single Evans entry indicates Cist sold what he printed.24
     We do know Cist moved some aspect of his business to Washington by 1800, although , according to McCulloch, Cist printed for the post office before the government moved to the new capital city. McCulloch says Cist moved the English part of his printing to Washington. Cist must have had considerable work: McCulloch reports that the printer built two or three houses there. Cist sold his presses and much of the rest of his office in Washington. This is borne out by the scattered Cist imprints after 1800-only two other than the almanac. All of his printing after 1800 carried a Philadelphia imprint.25