Brown County Military, Civil War

The military history of Brown county presents a chapter of unusual interest to those who fought in the Civil War, the Indian Wars and the Spanish-American War, or who, if not participating in these struggles themselves, are interested because his or her kin-folk were connected with such wars and had to do with the military movements of this state from 1861 to the commencement of the present century. The county was new and had but scattering settlements at the commencement of the War for the Union in the spring of 1861, but considering its population, but few, if indeed any, county in the commonwealth, sent forth more men to defend the flag, the home and the fire side, both on the frontier and in the far-away Southland, than did Brown. The commands well represented from this county included the First, Second and Fourth infantry regiments; also the Tenth and Eleventh infantry regiments; the First Mounted Rangers; Second cavalry and First battery of light artillery. The author has been requested to make one feature of this chapter a roster of the men who served from Brown County in the Civil War, so far as the facts are at hand at this late date. It will be remembered that that great conflict closed a little over fifty years ago this spring, and if there should be omissions found in this list of brave men who upheld "Old Glory" away back in the early sixties, the writer will certainly be excused, for the list now reproduced was made in 1880, and was believed to be correct at that time.

First Infantry - Company H
Privates
Walter Zastros, mustered April 29, 1861, discharged with regiment, and became later a captain in a Wisconsin regiment.

Francis Baasen, recruit, August, 1861, promoted to first lieutenant in 1862, later became regimental quartermaster and discharged with his regiment.

Second Infantry - Company G
Mustered July 8, 1861. Second lieutenant, Frederick A. Brandt
Sergeant, John Bennert, reduced and discharged with his regiment
Corporal, Jacob Baur, deserted at Louisville, Kentucky, October 1, 1862
Privates
Frank Bartsch
George Guetlich
Paul Magnus, discharged in 1862
Frederick Oswald, died October 13, 1861, at Ft. Snelling
Joseph Oether, transferred to veteran corps, April, 1864
Augustus Rommel, killed January 19, 1862, at Mill Spring
Gustav Schlick, promoted corporal and sergeant, discharged July, 1864
Joseph Vollmann, discharged for disability in June, 1862

Second Infantry - Company I
Privates: Benjamin Ressell, mustered July 30, 1861, re-enlisted December, 1863, discharged with his regiment
G. B. Ebilsiser, drafted January 30, 1865, discharged with regiment

Fourth Infantry - Company H - Mustered December 20, 1861
Privates
K. H. Helling, re-enlisted January 1, 1864, promoted corporal and sergeant;
E. L. Stoddard, discharged for disability, March, 1862

Tenth Infantry - Company I
Robert Baker, enlisted August 14, 1862, killed August 20, same year, in battle with the Indians
James Delaney, mustered November 12, 1862, discharged with his regiment
Charles Mitchell, mustered November, 1862, discharged for disability May, 1864
Earnest Paul, mustered November, 1862.

Eleventh Infantry - Company A - Mustered August 24, 1864
Sergeant, Frederick Foster, discharged with regiment
Sergeant, Johann Kreger, discharged with regiment
Corporal, Joseph Knoedel, discharged with regiment
Privates
George Beck, discharged with regiment
Peter Bott, discharged with regiment
John Clausen, discharged with regiment
Henry Fortwengeler, discharged with regiment
Bernhard Gantner, discharged with regiment
Christ Goetke, discharged per order June 12, 1865
Philip Gross, discharged with regiment
Robert Henton, discharged with regiment
Joseph Hillsheim, discharged with regiment
Johann Holm, discharged with regiment
B. L. Jones, discharged with regiment
Philip Kirby, discharged with regiment
Augustus Kuhne, discharged with regiment
Conrad Kleinknecht, discharged with regiment
Christian Kurn, discharged with regiment
M. Lange, discharged with regiment
Alvin Parker, died February 6, 1865, at Gallatin, Tennessee
Theobald Scheubel, discharged with regiment
Fritz Walther, discharged with regiment
Casper Zoerb, discharged with regiment

First Battalion Infantry - Company G
Private, Horace G. Eaton, mustered March 27, 1865, discharged with company.

First Heavy Artillery - Company F
Privates
August Fenske, mustered February 7, 1865, discharged with company
Charles Hoffman, mustered February 11, 1865, died August 8, 1865, at Chattanooga
Peter J. Hoffman, mustered February 11, 1865, discharged November 10, 1865, died at Nashville
Peter Hartman, mustered February 11, 1865, discharged August, 1865
Herman Miller, mustered February 11, 1865, discharged with company

First Heavy Artillery -  Company M
Privates
Henry Berg, mustered February 18, 1865, discharged with company
Henry Henton, mustered February 18, 1865, discharged with company
John Lendt, mustered February 18, 1865, discharged with company
August Quense, mustered February 18, 1865, discharged with company
Corporal, W. H. Hines, mustered December 30, 1862, discharged for disability April 14, 1865.

First Mounted Rangers
Lieutenant-colonel, William Pfaender, December 1, 1862, received his commission, mustered in January 15, 1863, discharged with Company B.
Wagoner, Henry S. Back, mustered October 26, 1862, discharged with company.

First Heavy Artillery -  Company E - Mustered October 10, 1862.
Sergeant, Sylvester A. George, discharged with company.
Privates
Frank Prokosh, discharged with company
Wenzel Zauer, discharged with company
John Turbe, discharged with company

First Heavy Artillery -  Company L
Originally commanded by Capt. Jacob Nix, mustered into the service of the United States for three years, December 28, 1862, Captain, Jacob Nix, discharged October 29, 1863, to accept promotion in Second Minnesota Cavalry.

Second Cavalry - Company G-Mustered, January 4, 1864
Lieutenant-colonel, William Pfaender, commissioned January 13, 1864, discharged December 7, 1865.  

 Company __
Corporal, Joseph Sewbrich, veteranized and promoted sergeant and discharged with company;
Corporal, Nicholas Hillesheim, veteranized, discharged with company;
Corporal, Edmund Flick, veteranized, discharged with company.

Recruits,
August Zurburg, veteranized, mustered April 2, 1864, committed suicide August 19, 1864, near Lake Anna.

First Battery Light Artillery
Senior first lieutenant, William Pfaender, enlisted October 16, 1861, resigned to accept commission in First Minnesota Mounted Rangers.
Senior second lieutenant, Richard Fischer,
Sergeant, William Vincens, died September 7, 1864, at Atlanta, Georgia.
Corporal, Eugene Gerstenhauer, enlisted October 4, 1861, discharged on expiration of term, December 17, 1864.

It will be observed that nearly all the long list of names in this roster of Civil War soldiers are German names. This county was settled by this nationality and though they had been citizens of the United States only a short time when the rebellion came on in 1861, yet they were true to their oath of allegiance and fought for the maintenance of the Union as though it was for their own native land. Their record will ever stand as a memorial to their loyalty to the United States, and a glorious example to all citizens of foreign birth. There were but few drafted men and few deserters among the soldiers from Brown County.

  Brown County |Minnesota AHGP 

Source: History of Brown County, Minnesota, L. A. Fritsche, M.D., Editor, Volume I, 1916.