Philip Strack, USS 'Potomac.'

by Terry Foenander.

The original image of Philip Strack, a sailor who had served during the Civil War aboard the USS Potomac, is in the possession of his great grandson, Allen C. Lahey, of Duxbury, Massachusetts. The copy reproduced below was sent, together with some biographical information, by Allen's wife, Joanne, and clearly shows the name of the vessel on his hat band. Additional information was obtained from Strack's pension file, available from the National Archives, Washington, D.C., a copy of which is in the possession of Allen and Joanne Lahey.

Philip Strack, shown in his uniform of the Union Navy.
(The original image measures about 11.5 cm. by 17 cm,
the size of a Cabinet Card, and includes the photographer's imprint of:
W.L. Mitchell,
Middletown, N.Y.)

Philip Johan Strack was born January 2, 1840, at Steinbuckenheim Darmstadt, Germany, and came to America in March, 1859. His pre-war occupation is shown as a barber. On August 12, 1861 he volunteered his services to fight for his adopted country, enlisting in the Union Navy at the Naval recruiting station on Cherry Street, New York. He did his naval apprenticeship aboard the USS North Carolina until August 20, 1861, when he was transferred, as Landsman, to the USS Potomac, a frigate of just over 1700 tons, with a usual complement of about 480 personnel. She served in the West Gulf Blockade Squadron as stores ship, and then at the Pensacola Navy Yard as receiving ship till after the war was over. Strack served on this vessel till August 31, 1864, after which he was transferred to the USS Savannah, until his discharge on September 28, 1864, at New York.

On April 16, 1865, he married Charlotte Kallmann at Brooklyn, New York, and eventually moved to Lindenhurst, where he opened a dry goods and hardware store. The couple had seven children, one of whom died in infancy. His obituary states that he was a very able businessman, and was also quite involved in church activities within the community. His wife preceded him in death, and Strack continued living in Lindenhurst until his demise of heart failure on April 25, 1912.

Details of his naval service during the Civil War are sparse, and his descendants welcome any additional data. Please contact Joanne Lahey.

© Terry Foenander.

April, 2001. [Updated November, 2002.]