BIO: Christian SEILER, Dauphin County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Bookwalter

Copyright 2008.  All rights reserved.
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Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, 
Containing Sketches of Representative Citizens, and Many of the 
Early Scotch-Irish and German Settlers.  Chambersburg, Pa.: 
J. M. Runk & Company, 1896, pages 362-363.
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  SEILER, CHRISTIAN, M.D., the second son of Christian Seiler and 
Elizabeth Wolfarth, was born November 24, 1804, in South Hanover 
township, within a few miles of Hummelstown, Dauphin county, Pa.  He 
received the rudiments of education, principally German, at the village 
school in Hummelstown, the English language at that date being spoken 
by few families of the neighborhood.  His father removing to Harrisburg 
in 1821, the son was sent to the Harrisburg Academy, while that 
institution was under the care of Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Todd.  He was of 
an inquiring turn of mind, an attentive student, and received not only 
a good English education, but acquired a knowledge of Latin and Greek.  
At an early day he had a predilection for military life, and in the 
year 1823 was elected captain of a juvenile infantry company in 
Harrisburg.  He commenced the study of medicine with Dr. Cornelius 
Luther, a young physician of great prominence, who died at Harrisburg 
in 1827, afterwards completing his studies with Dr. Samuel Agnew. He 
then attended the lectures at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, 
where he graduated in March, 1828. Shortly after he commenced the 
practice of his profession at Halifax and vicinity, where his knowledge 
of the German language gave him great advantage.  His practice extended 
through Upper Paxtang and Mifflin townships, in fact through all that 
section of country lying west of Peter's mountain.  He was succeeding 
well, but having married about this time, he concluded to remove to 
Williamsport, and for a while abandoned his profession for the 
mercantile business.  The former had more charms for him, and after 
practicing a year or two at Williamsport he returned to Harrisburg, 
where he soon secured an extensive practice, which he retained until 
his death.  In 1844 he was elected brigadier general of the militia, 
after which he was more familiarly addressed. At the outset of the war 
with Mexico he offered his services, and was within a few votes of 
obtaining the command of a regiment of volunteers.
  In politics Dr. Seiler was a Democrat, and was several times 
nominated for the Legislature, and thrice for Congress, but although 
his party was in a hopeless minority, it was only through strenuous 
exertions that he was defeated.  For nearly a quarter of a century he 
served as a director of the public schools of the borough of 
Harrisburg, and took a warm interest in educational matters.  Up to 
about 1859 Dr. Seiler enjoyed excellent health, but at that time 
symptoms of disease of the heart manifested themselves, and he was 
obliged to forego much of the fatigue incident to his large country 
practice, in which he was greatly relieved by his son, Robert H., who 
had studied medicine under his father, and graduated at Jefferson 
College in 1860.  He was a man of uncommon endurance, and too 
frequently he yielded to the requests of his patients.  In February, 
1873, after a long ride in the country, where he was detained longer 
than perhaps prudent, he was seized with a chill, and pneumonia 
developed itself.  From this attack he never recovered, dying on the 
11th of February, 1873, at the age of sixty-nine.  Dr. Seiler married, 
on the 26th of March, 1833, Mary Hayes, daughter of William Hayes, 
Esq., of Lewisburg, Pa.  She survived her husband only five years, 
dying at Harrisburg in 1878.  They had two children who reached 
maturity - Dr. Robert H., who died in 1876, and Frank S., died December 
20, 1879.