St. Clair County Civil War Soldier Descendant Project

References Christian Pressacher [sic] Pension Claim No. 1048027. . . he held the rank of Private. . . medical records show him treated as follows, “as Christ. Priesacker,” Private, Co. B, 149 Ill. Inf., Sept 21 to 23, 1865, dysentery, returned to duty. Nothing additional found. Dated 4 Sep 1893, stamped 5 Sep 1893.

Claim for Pension, Act of 11 May 1912, Certificate No. 860,758, Declaration: On 16 May 1912, Christian Priesacher appeared before Louis Grossman, Notary Public, and swore he was 69 years of age, a Belleville resident. Service information is as above, discharged at Dalton, Georgia. He was 5 feet 6 inches, fair complexion, brown hair and eyes, a farmer, born 8 October 1842 in St. Clair County, Illinois. Anton Thomas and Nick Emig attested they each knew Christian 40 years.

[Untitled document from the Bureau of Pensions, asking for more information, signed by Christian Priesacher 20 March 1915, stamped 22 March 1915]: He was born 8 October 1842 in Belleville, Illinois. Service information unchanged. Wife Elizabeth Priesacher born Gemmin, married 10 September 1867 at Millstadt, Illinois by Rev. A. Zeller. Neither were married prior, nor were they ever separated. Christian’s children and birthdates are listed as: 

Henry’s reply to questions asked by the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Pensions, dated 2 May 189 :

Wife with maiden name: Cathrine Conrad; they married 14 Nov 1867 in Waterloo, Ill by Rev. Limmacher, the record of which is at the Catholic Church there. Neither Henry nor his wife were previously married. Sedalia Briesacher aged 12 years is the only child shown living at the time.

Declaration for Invalid Pension filed under the Act of 6 February 1907, dated 21 February 1907: Henry Priesacher appeared before H.R. Heimberger, a Notary Public in St. Clair County, Illinois as a resident of Belleville. Enrollment data is as shown above, discharged at Dalton, Georgia on 27 January 1866. Henry was born 16 January 1839 at Germany, was 68 years old at time of filing. He was already a pensioner receiving $10.00 per month under the Act of 27 June 1890. Jos. Stegmeyer and Louis Metzger stated they knew Henry for one and eight years, respectively.

[Untitled document from the Bureau of Pensions, asking for more information, signed 26 March 1915, stamped 29 March 1915]: Henry and the former Catherine Conrad were married at Waterloo, Monroe County, Illinois by F. W. Lindberger, Priest.
Henry’s wife died 14 November 1908. Their children with birthdates noted were: 

Company E, 59th Regiment Illinois

Soldier: Frederick HENRY [Note: The German spelling of his surname is HEINRICH]

–Muster In: at St. Louis Arsenal, Missouri 7 Aug 1861, joined at Illinoistown

–Company Muster Roll Jan and Feb 1862: Absent. Remarks: Absent sick in Otterville in Hospt since Jan 22, 1862. [Taken from] Second Auditor’s Roll.

— Veteran Volunteer Enlistment: Whiteside, Tennessee dated 1 Jan 1864. Frederick HENRY signed these papers in German as Friederich HEINRICH.

–Muster and Descriptive Roll of Veteran Volunteers, Whiteside, Tennessee dated 12 Jan 1864: $340.00 due to soldier to be ‘credited to’ Centerville [sic], St. Clair Co., Ills. Frederick was age 27, a farmer when enlisted 1 Jan 1864. Reenlisted for 3 years. gray eyes, dark hair, fair complexion, 5 feet 9 inches tall. Birthplace noted as Hardan [or Hardau] Germany

–Detachment Muster-out: 31 Dec 1863, roll dated at White Sille [sic], Tennessee 12 Jan 1864, last paid date 31 Oct 1863 with $$14.65 due to the U.S. for clothing. Remarks: “[mustered out] by reason of reenlistment as a Vet Vol.”

–Company Muster Roll Jan and Feb 1864: Absent. Remarks: reenlisted as Veteran on 30 days furlough from Feb 18 by order Lt. Col Oaks [present thereafter until:

–Company Muster Roll July, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec 1864 absent on detached service [from Co. E, 59th Illinois Infantry], veteran

–Company Muster Rolls dated Jan through April 1865: Absent on detached service with Div Ambulance train; May through Oct 1865: Absent on Detached service in Hospital train by order of Maj Genl Stanley. [Hospital train and Ambulance train different or same?]

–Company Muster Out Roll dated 8 Dec 1865 at New Braunsfels, Tex showed he had been paid $210 through 30 Apl. 1865; he owed the U.S. $10.12 for clothing; and the U.S. owed him $190.00. He was age 27 at this time.

Declaration for Widow’s Pension dated 16 June 1898: Christiana Scheuermann was “married under the name of George Etling to said Henry Scheuermann on the 27th day of September 1856 by Pastor Wahl at St. Louis, Mo. there being no legal barrier to such marriage I was married to George Etling in 1850 by Pastor Pickert [or Fickert?] St. Louis, Mo. he died July 26th 1854 . . . .”

Susanna Freckman, age 72, stated in an Affidavit dated 19 September 1898, “George Etling the former husband of Christiana Scheuermann was a Brother of mine.”

Henry Rubeling, age 64, in an Affidavit dated 27 Sep 1898, stated he knew “Christiana Scheuermann since childhood, having been born in the same town in Germany….”

Philipine Bange, age 69, in an Affidavit dated 13 January 1899, stated she knew the claimant Christiana Scheuermann since childhood, that they were raised together, that Christiana, “got married to Geo. Etling as a girl in the year 1850 . . . married Henry Scheuermann in the year 1856 . . . .”

Lizette Diehl, age 56, in an Affidavit dated 12 September 1898, stated George Etling “died at the House of my mother Mrs. Freckman about four miles North East of Columbia, Ills in St. Clair County, Ills on the 26th day of July 1854 and was buried about six miles East of Columbia Ills on the Balz [Baltz] cemetery. I was always near his bed side from the time he got sick to his death because we had only One Room and had to stay together[.] I have seen him in his coffin and I also was present at the burriel . . . .”

State Board of Health Certificate dated 14 July 1898: Henry Scheuermann, born Darmstadt, Germany, died 25 May 1898 at Columbia, Illinois and was buried at the Evangelical Cemetery, Columbia, Ills.

Widow’s certificate no. 475,382 dated 30 September 1916 at Columbia, Illinois : Christiana Scheuermann, age 85, was “born June 7th, 1831, Sonneberg, Herzogthum Nassau, Germany”

Affidavit of Returned Check #2160740 for $75.00: Returned by the postmaster because Christiana Scheuermann [widow of Henry Scheuermann] died 15 May 1918.

–Company Muster Roll: Aug 7 to 31 1861 Absent. Remarks: Absent with expired pass Aug 31 (dated).

–Company Muster Rolls Sep through Dec 1861 and Jan through Aug 1862: Present.

–Company Muster Roll: Sep and Oct 1862. Remarks: Absent sick at Louisville Ky 25 Oct 1862.

–Company Muster Roll: Nov and Dec 1862. Remarks: Absent sick Wounded in Hand in Battle of Murfreesboro Tenn 31 Dec 1862.

–Company Muster Roll: Sep and Oct 1863. Remarks: Absent sick at Chattanooga, Tenn

–Certificate of Disability for Discharge [notations from various personnel when document received and filed]. Head Qrs Dept Cumberland Chattanooga Tenn. 23 Jan 1864 To be discharged By command of Maj Genl Thomas. Herman Smink, private, enlisted at Belleville Illinois on 2 August 1861 to serve three years; born in [blank], Germany, is thirty nine years old, five feet six inches, fair complexion, blue eyes, light brown hair, a bricklayer when enlisted. Unfit for duty the last 61 days “. . . in the hospital since January 63 and has not done one months service since then.” dated 21 Dec 1863 by Capt James M. Stookey at Whiteside Tenn.. Surgeon [WE?] Hendricks wrote Herman was incapable of performing duties of a soldier because of “Rheumatism of more than a year Standing attended for months past with Symptoms of Organic Lesion of the Heart in such a degree as wholly disqualified from any kind of duty and is not, in my opinion fit for duty in the Invalid Corps” DISCHARGED 28 Jan 1864 at Chattanooga, Tenn; “The place where the soldier desires to be addressed: Town-Millstadt, County- St. Clair, State-Illinois.”

–Casualty Sheet of Wounded: Herman Smink at battle of Murfreesboro; slight wound hand. Herman was part of 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 14th Corps, Co. E, 59th Illinois Infantry

–Casualty Sheet of Wounded: Heman Smith [sic] at battle of Murfreesboro or Stone River, Tenn. Wounded from 31 Dec 1862 to 3 Jan 1863 (nature and location of wound not stated).

–Memorandum from Prisoner of War Records. Herman Smink Captured at Murfreesboro Tenn 31 Dec 1862, confined at Richmond, Va., 16 Jan 1863; Paroled at City Point Va 26 Jan 1863; reported at Camp Parole, Md., 27 Jan 1863; sick in quarters at C.P. Md. 28 Feb 1863 with Dys [dysentery?]. Sent to BBKs Mo [Benton Barracks, Missouri], 11 Mar 1863 absent without leave from BBks Mo 30 April 1863. [Notations at top: “BB Roll 244; CP Roll vol. 7: 218; CP Roll vol. 46: Encl 4; Mis vol. 37: 268 1/2; CP vol. 1: 360; Mis Rolls 552: 10 and 404; OR Ex vol 5 [or OK Ex vol. 5]

–Company Muster Out Roll dated 8 Dec 1865 at New Braunsfels, Tex showed he had been paid nothing through 30 June 1862; and the U.S. owed him $100.00. He was age 35 at this time. “Discharged on Surg[eon’s] Cert. of Disability at Nashville Tenn Dec. 18, [18]63 by order of Maj Genl Thomas”

–Co. Muster Roll Jan/Feb 1862: absent – sick with furlough dated Feb 1, expires March 1 1862

–Casualty Sheet: Slight face wound at Mission Ridge 25 Nov 1863 at Chattanooga while in 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Corps of Company E 59th Ills at shown in “Book 10B 1863 page 7, Army of the Cumberland;” and “Book 9 – C page 460, Dept of Cumberland”

–Detachment Muster-out: 31 Dec 1863, roll dated at White Sille [sic], Tennessee 12 Jan 1864, last paid date 31 Oct 1863 with $6.97 due to soldier. Remarks: “MO [mustered out] by reason of reenlistment as a Vet Vol.”

— Veteran Volunteer Enlistment: Whiteside, Tennessee dated 1 Jan 1864. Nicolaus signed with an “X” instead of his name, and the person inscribing Nic’s name wrote it as Nicolaus Smith; Nicolaus was 26 years 11 months old at this time.

–Muster and Descriptive Roll of Veteran Volunteers, Whiteside, Tennessee dated 12 Jan 1864: $340.00 due to soldier to be ‘credited to’ Centerville [sic], St. Clair Co., Ills.

[This was followed by 30 days furlough Jan/Feb 1864.]–Company Muster Roll Mar/Apr 1865: promoted from Pvt to Corporal ‘to date’ Apl 14 [18]64 Vet. Non Commission Officer 

–Descriptive List of Deserters dated 30 June 1865 describes Nicolaus as age 26, 5 feet 7 inches, fair complexion, hazel eyes and light hair; born St. Clair County, Ills, a farmer.

–Company Muster Out Roll dated 8 Dec 1865 at New Braunsfels, Tex showed he had been paid $210 through 30 Apl 1865; deserted at Cairo 19 June 1865. He took 1 rifle (musket) valued at $19.25 and accoutrements valued at $3.68, total = $22.63 [sic]; this money due to the U.S. [no further notes about this].