Person talk:Frederick Luderus (1)

Post Civil War military service [8 October 2013]

Tim Harrington and I are looking for proof of post-Civil War military service, since my grandmother told me that her grandmother, Louise Hitzfeld said he was a soldier when she met him in Fredricksburg. The story is that she was 14, which would make in 1867. She was coming out of a store in Fredricksburg as a troop of soldiers passed through the town. A soldier came up to her and told her she was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen and he was going to come back and marry her. And he did.

Tim thought that he left the military after the war, due to desertion charges related to a misunderstanding, which his commanding officer refused to expunge from his record. Tim found records relating to that. But with my family story, we now think he rejoined the regular union army and was with a troop that came to Texas to fight Indians and facilitate Reconstruction. It is likely that he joined the 17th Infantry that was stationed around Austin and San Antonio (both are close to Fredricksburg, TX). Here is a website with a history of that regiment.http://www.history.army.mil/books/R&H/R&H-17IN.htm

Of interest is the following section from this site:

"Recruiting was actively carried on and by Feb. 1, 1866, the twenty-fourth company was organized. In March, Companies E, F and H, Second Battalion, were sent to Michigan and stationed, first at Detroit Barracks, then at Forts Wayne and Gratiot, until, in October, they were sent to Kansas and Missouri, from whence, in November, they went to Texas. In April, the regiment was ordered to Texas, regimental and all battalion headquarters, three companies of the first, two of the second and all of the third battalion leaving early in the month, going by sea and arriving in the latter part of the month at Galveston. The companies that remained at Hart Island were those that had been greatly reduced during their field service and not yet recruited. Early in July two of these (A and D, First Battalion) followed; the cholera broke out aboard ship and upon arrival the troops were put in quarantine on the beach at Galveston where they remained until November. This disease breaking out also at Hart Island the remaining six companies (C, G and H, First Battalion, and A, B and C, Second) were on July 20th changed to David's Island, which place they left Oct. 20, and joined at Galveston, Nov. 1st. During the epidemic the regiment lost Major Plympton and a large number of men. Soon after arrival in Texas a number of companies were sent to different points and commenced that most disagreeable work known as "Reconstruction Duty." To carry out the Act of July 28, 1866, two new companies for each battalion were organized at Newport Barracks, Ky., and sent to Galveston; the 2d Battalion was concentrated at Austin and the 3d Battalion at San Antonio, and were changed into the 26th and 35th Regiments of Infantry respectively."

Tim and I continue to search for a definitive record to prove this is why my ancestor ended up in Texas when the rest of the family moved to Wisconsin.--Tammyhensel 14:49, 7 October 2013 (UTC)

There could be more information in the Pension Files. His mother Dina filed in Illinois for pension on 15 Jan 1898 (app #669.011) --Jennifer (JBS66) 20:43, 8 October 2013 (UTC)