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Civil War Veterans & Descendants, Town of Berlin, Marathon County, Wisconsin

PVCW Member, Larry Lee Anklam, has done an extensive study and has researched the archives gathering information of local men who served in the Civil War.  Many of these men had just emigrated from Pomerania and had arrived in the United States with the intent to establish a new life, with freedom, when they were faced with more hardship.  Following is a listing of 40 of our ancestors from the Mother Township (Town of Berlin – Marathon County) who fought for the Union Cause during the Civil War:

  1. Arndt, Ferdinand 1840-1888 

  2. Aschbrenner, Frederick 1839-1935 

  3. Baerwald, Charles 1841-1917 

  4. Braatz, William 1831-1877 

  5. Brunow, August 1819-1863 

  6. Christian, Ernst 1827-1878 

  7. Dannenfelser, John Jr. 1826-1865

  8. Drost, William 1829-1882 

  9. Ebert, William 1837-1928

  10. Fenhaus, Casper 1841-1927

  11. Fischer, William 1831-1908

  12. Gliebkie, August 1837-1916

  13. Hoff, August 1830-1910

  14. Jahns, Samuel 1822-1913

  15. Knorr, Edward 1843-1924

  16. Krause, John 1822-1912

  17. Krenz, Frederick 1830-1905

  18. Kufahl, Charles 1832-1877

  19. Kufahl, John 1837-1913

  20. Miller, John 1837-1921

  21. Muelling, Ernst 1820-1901

  22. Mullendorf, Joseph 1834-1906

  23. Nass, August 1839-1886

  24. Nass, Edward 1842-1917

  25. Neumann, Charles 1831-1896

  26. Plautz, William 1842-1918

  27. Plisch, Oswald 1842-1923

  28. Prechel, August 1826-1893

  29. Riemer, Charles 1826-1919

  30. Ristow, Daniel 1820-1864

  31. Rollenhagen, August 1836-1913

  32. Rollenhagen, Fred 1836-1924 

  33. Seefeld, August 1837-1916

  34. Staege, Charles 1820-1904

  35. Steidtmann, William 1833-1900

  36. Rohloff, Friedrich 1832-1916

  37. Sabatke, John A. 1844-1863

  38. Schmidt, Frederick 1841-1916

  39. Trantow, Friedrich 1831- 1901

  40. Woller, Gottlieb 1838-1902

The following PVCW members are direct descendents of these early Pomeranian pioneer/farmer/soldier Town of Berlin residents:

  1. AUGUST BRUNOW (1819-1863) Elvira Saeger
  2. CASPER FENHAUS (1841-1927) Donald Anklam, Joyce Brown
  3. AUGUT HOFF (1830-1910) Robert “Bob” Hoff
  4. SAMUEL JAHNS (1822-1913) Ray Jahns
  5. FRIEDRICH KRENZ(1830-1904) Bill Krenz, Norma Krenz
  6. CHARLES KUFAHL(1832-1877) Davie Radtke
  7. EDWARD KNORR (1843-1924) Marlene Kort
  8. JOSEPH MULLENDORF (1834-1906) Gary Zumann
  9. AUGUST NASS (1839-1886) Bonnie Radtke, Bob Nass
  10. WILLIAM PLAUTZ (1842-1918) Carol Duwe
  11. AUGUST PRECHEL (1826-1893) Anklam, Leila Heise, Gilbert Koehler
  12. AUGUST SEEFELD (1837-1916) Robert “Bob” Hoff
  13. CHARLES STAEGE (1820-1904) Larry Anklam, Marlene Pruss, Tim Pruss, Elaine Oelke, LouAnn Zamzow, Michael Zamzow, Jayne Theo, Lorraine Wilde, Leila Heise 
  14. FREDERICK TRANTOW (1831-1901) LouAnn Hoff, Suzanne Zastrow
  15. GOTTLIEB WOLLER (1836-1902) Earl Woller, Jan Hanke, Maggie Becker, Eugene Woller, Gladys Zamzow, Amy Williamson

Larry states, “I believe there are many more names that I have either missed or members who did not come forward for this project.  Familiar surnames from our membership who may have a Civil War ancestor include the following veterans”:  

  • WILLIAM FISCHER (1831-1908) FREDERICK ROHLOFF (1832-1916)
  • JOHN KRAUSE (1822-1912) FREDERICH SCHMIDT (1841-1916)
  • JOHN KUFAHL (1837-1913) FERDINAND ARNDT (1838-1888)
  • CARL NEUMANN (1831-1896) CHARLES REIMER (1826-1919)

PVCW member, Larry Anklam, a great great-grandson of both August Prechel and Charles Staege , found some interesting facts about our Civil War soldier ancestors that resided in the Mother Town (Town of Berlin – Marathon County):

The first ancestors to join the service and leave their families and friends:

  • August Rollenhagen 1861  8th Wisconsin Infantry
  • William Plautz 1862 20th Wisconsin Infantry
  • John A. Sabatke 1862 20th Wisconsin Infantry

Ancestors who volunteered for 10 months of service time in late 1862 (Nov. of 1862 through September 1863): August Brunow, John Kufahl & Edward Knorr 34th Wisconsin Infantry

Five ancestors who fought with the Union cavalry during the war: Fred Aschbrenner, Casper Fenhaus, Wm Steidtman, 1st Reg. Cav. Wis. Charles Baerwald and Oswald Plisch, 4th Reg. Cav. Wis.

The last two Town of Berlin ancestors to join the service shortly before the war’s end, the spring of 1865: August Seefeld and Fred Rollenhagen 53rd Wisconsin Infantry

Ancestors who came to the Town of Berlin directly after the close of the war in 1865: William Braatz, Casper Fenhaus and August Gliebtke

Original ancestors who moved from the Town of Berlin after the close of the war:

  • Fred Aschbrenner to Stratford, Wisconsin
  • William Ebert to Merrill, WI  and then to Santa Crus, CA
  • Samuel Jahns to Crystal Lake, Marquette County, then to Princeton, WI and then to Cook County, Chicago, IL.
  • William Fischer to Lake County, South Dakota
  • John Miller to Neenah, WI
  • Joseph Mullendorf to Martin, North Dakota
  • August Rolenhagen to St. Louis County, MN, then to Milwaukee, WI and then to National Home for Veterans, Fox Lake, WI
  • Charles Reimer to Fairwater, WI Town of Fond du Lac
  • Frederich Schmidt to Marysville, Washington, and then Merrill, WI

The Youngest and oldest ancestors who fought in the Civil War: John A. Sabatke: Joined at 18 years of age, and August Brunow, Ernst Muelling, Daniel Ristow and Charles Staege were all 43 years of age when they entered service.

Ancestors who are credited with being in the most battles and engagements during the war: Fred Aschbrenner, Casper Fenhaus, Wm Steidtman, 1st Reg. Cav. Wis.

During the draft of September 22, 1864 twenty-four (24) of our ancestors entered service in the following regiments:

  • 17th WI Infantry: Braatz, Christian, Dannenfelser, Jahns, C. Kufahl, Hoff, Miller, Neumann, Ristow, Reimer, Rohloff, Trantow, Arndt, Ebert and Schmidt.
  • 3rd WI Infantry: Krause, Krenz, Muelling, E. Nass, Staege, Fischer & Woller
  • 18th WI Infantry: Mollendorf
  • 19th WI Infantry: Prechel

Ancestors who died while in service during the Civil War:

  • August Brunow Disease.  Milwaukee Hospital, Milw., WI in 1863
  • John Dannenfelser Jr. Disease.  De Camp General Hospital, Davids Island, N.Y. Harbor in 1865
  • Daniel Ristow Disease.  Near the Augechee River , Georgia, during Sherman’s March to the Sea in 1864
  • John A. Sabatke Disease.  General Hospital, New Orleans, LA in 1863

Ancestors who later moved to Wausau and are buried at Pine Grove Cemetery in Wausau: Charles Baerwald, William Drost, Casper Fenhaus, August Gleibtke, John Kufahl, Edward Knorr, Oswald Plisch & Charles Staege.

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PVCW member, Larry Anklam, is a Great Great Grandson of soldiers August Prechel and Charles Staege who fought in the Civil War. Following is a listing of some interesting facts about some of these soldiers:

MARRIAGE CONNECTIONS-SOLDIER WIFE RELATION TO CIVIL WAR SOLDIER

  • Brunow, August Woller, Augusta Gottlieb Woller
  • Christian, Ernst Trantow, Pauline Frederick Trantow
  • Fenhaus, Casper Aschbrenner, Mathilda Frederick Aschbrenner
  • Jahns, Samuel Krenz, Dorothea Frederick Krenz
  • Knorr, Edward Prechel, Johanna August Prechel
  • Mollendorf, Joseph Fischer, Louise William Fischer
  • Nass, Edward Rollenhagen, Friedericke Frederick Rollenhagen
  • Neuman, Charles Nass, Wilhelmina Edward Nass
  • Steidtmann, William Mollendorf, Maria Joseph Mollendof

LARGEST CIVIL WAR FAMILIES

  • William and Albertina Plautz 18 Children
  • William and Emelia Ebert 13 Children
  • Charles and Albertina Riemer 12 Children
  • John and Emilie Kufahl 10 children

RELATIONSHIPS

  • Casper Fenhaus and Frederick Aschbrenner fought in the same cavalry regiment during the Civil War and became great friends.  Fenhaus, of Granville, WI, visited Aschbrenner shortly after the war and in due time married Fred’s sister, Mathilde, and thus became a lifelong citizen of Marathon County.
  • August Gliebtke of Milwaukee, WI came to the Town of Berlin directly after the war and worked as a farm hand for John Steffen.  After buying his own farm, he married Maria Heinz on November 8, 1866 at St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church, Town of Berlin.  He farmed until the year 1884, when he sold his farm and moved to the City of Wausau.