September 22, 2011 at 4:47 p.m.
Civil War Scrapbook
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LaVerne Draves shares the story of his great grandfather. Born in Prussia as Andreas Drews, he immigrated to Iowa County in 1855 and settled near Highland, Wisconsin. According to his death record he was born April 18, 1828 and died January 6, 1911 of pneumonia. The tombstone in the cemetery in Highland shows 1829-1911. His wife, Caroline Timm whom he married on Feb 12, 1854 in Mogilno, Germany before coming to the United States was born in 1836 and died February 20, 1911 .
In September 1864 Andreas Drews was mustered into Co. F of the 17th Regiment of the Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry as a private. The event as told by my father, Andreas was recruited right out of the straw pile while threshing. In those days grain bundles were stacked in large round stacks to "sweat" and threshed later which could run into September. Military records describe Andreas as six feet tall with a fair complexion and gray eyes. He participated in Sherman's March to the Sea which was to change the events of his life. No one has said what these changes were but he was reported to be very stern, anti-sociable and not one to share so whether he acquired these traits in the war to survive or not, no one knows.
In his military file there is a personal account of his duties in the service. It describes how he was responsible for destroying the Confederate railroads. This was done by tearing up timbers, ruining the rail. One night during a raid, his comrades were killed by the Confederate soldiers. While trying to escape Andreas fell on a stump and was injured. He was in and out of a number of hospitals after his injury. According to a signed affidavit by one of Andreas' comrades he checked on Andreas' condition at one point and thought Andreas had died. The final surrender of the South took place May 26, 1865. Andreas was discharged from the Army in June of 1865. He never really recovered from the injury.
His wife received no word of any kind while he was in service until one night a knock came on the door, "This is Andrew". She heard that some blacks were being sent to help war women on farms so she wasn't about to let him in. Finally after much pleading and her refusal to open the door he said "Caroline, if I ask you something that no one else but you and me know, then will you let me in?" She said "yes" so here he was all ragged, dirty, lousy and hungry but it was Andrew. This was their reunion but no one knows what he said.
One can't help but wonder what kind of a life great-graandmother Caroline must have had during the winter of 1864-1865. She was left with 5 children; Augusta 8 yrs, Anstena 7 yrs, John 6 yrs, Charles 3 yrs, and Henry 1 yr. Evidently dependents meant nothing when it came to calling a man to fight in the Civil War. No doubt the three older children were of help caring for the two younger children and doing chores but I would guess they might have also attended a rural school in the neighborhood. Think of the shock, coming home from school one fall day in September to find their father had been taken off to fight the Civil War and their mother trying to console them. They had no daily mail delivery and as we found out earlier there was no news about their father until he came home unannounced.
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To share your story, write it up and drop it off at the Iowa County Historical Society Museum 1-4 p.m. any weekday or E-MAIL it to IowaCountyScrapbook@gmail.com. If you would rather, you can call the Iowa County Historical Society at 935-7694.
