Born 3 Dec 1846 in Königsbach, Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Rheinland-Pfalz, Deutschland

Ancestors

Died 15 May 1916 in Cincinnati, Ohio

Profile manager: Mark Swanson [send private message]

Biography

Wilhelm Fischer was born 1846 in Königsbach, the 9th child, the 3rd Wilhelm, and the first son to survive infancy, of Johannes Fischer and Agnes Köhr . In order to keep him out of the German military, his parents sent him to New York City in 1864 where he became a butcher and changed his name to William.

Ironically, in 1871, after the death of his parents, William joined the US Army, served and fought in the Indian Wars from Texas to North Dakota. He became a sergeant, and was wounded in 1886 by a fellow soldier in an accident while he was tending the targets on the firing range. He later had periods of illness due to exposure to the elements while in the field. William retired from the US Army upon the completion of 20 years service in 1891.

Two months after his discharge from the military, he married Sarah A. Trisler in Ripley, Ohio, and had 3 daughters with her between 1892 and 1898. The youngest and oldest daughters were born in Cincinnati, Ohio. The middle daughter was born in Chicago, where the family went while William was working at the World's Fair of 1893. In 1898, William could no longer work due to the cumulative effect of his Army injuries. He applied for and received a disability pension until his 1916 death in Cincinnati. His death certificate gave his cause of death as Bright's disease, a kidney disease, attributed to his Army service.

Summary of US Army Service

William joined the US Army 20 Nov 1871 in New York City. He fought in several battles with the 4th Cavalry Regiment during the Indian Wars.

Nov 1871 Enlisted at New York, New York as a private

Nov 1871 to St. Louis Depot, St. Louis, Missouri, assigned to:

4th Cavalry Regiment, Company M - 20 Nov 1871-20 Nov 1876

Jan 1872 to Fort Griffin, Albany, Texas

Sep 1872 Battle of North Fork

Apr 1873 to Fort Clark, Bracketville, Texas

May 1873 Battle of Remolino

Jan 1874 promoted to corporal 26 Jan

Sep 1874 promoted to sergeant 1 Sep

Aug 1874 to Fort Concho, San Antonio, Texas

Sep 1874 Battle of Palo Duro Canyon

Dec 1874 to Fort Griffin, Albany, Texas

Mar 1875 to Fort Sill, Lawton, Indian Territory (Oklahoma)

May 1875 to Cantonment Sweetwater, Mobeetie, Texas

Jun 1875 reduced to private at his own request 1 Jun due to illness

Jul 1876 to Fort Laramie, Goshen County, Wyoming Territory

Sep 1876 to Camp Robinson, Harrison, Nebraska, discharged 20 Nov 1876

Dec 1876 Re-enlisted at St. Louis, Missouri, assigned to:

8th Cavalry, Company C – 6 Dec 1876-3 Jan 1881

Dec 1876 to Fort Brown, Brownsville, Texas

Dec 1879 to Fort Clark, Bracketville, Texas

Dec 1880 to Fort Duncan, Eagle Pass, Texas, discharged 3 Jan 1881 (sgt.)

Jan 1881 Re-enlisted at San Antonio, Texas as a private, assigned to:

22nd Infantry Regiment, Company E - 13 Jan 1881-12 Jan 1891

Aug 1882 promoted to corporal 1 Aug

Nov 1882 to Fort Marcy, Santa Fe, New Mexico Territory

Jun 1883 promoted to sergeant 19 Jun

Sep 1885 to Camp Datil Creek, Datil, New Mexico Territory

Jan 1886 discharged and re-enlisted at Camp Datil Creek

Apr 1886 to Fort Marcy, Santa Fe, New Mexico Territory

Nov 1886 wounded by friendly fire at target practice

May 1888 to Fort Totten, Dakota Territory/North Dakota

Jul 1890 to Fort Buford, Williston, North Dakota, discharged 12 Jan 1891 (sgt)

Sources

• WikiTree profile Fischer-924 created on 17 Feb 2013 by Mark Swanson.

• Family History Library Film # 0367718, Königsbach Catholic Church, acquired by Mark Swanson at the Family History Center, Plantation, FL, 28 May 2008.
• Germans to America, Series I: 1850-1893; Glazier & Filby, editors; Scholarly Resources, Wilmington, DE, publisher: Vol. 16: Nov 1864 - Nov 1865, pages 9, 10.
• Ancestry.com - 1870, 1880,1900, 1910 United States Federal Censuses.
• National Archives, Register of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798-1914; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M233, 81 rolls); Records of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1780’s-1917, Record Group 94; Washington, D.C., acquired by Mark Swanson 8 Apr 1979.
• National Archives, Dept. of Interior, Bureau of Pensions, Record Group 15, 1773-1985, acquired by Mark Swanson 8 Apr 1979.
• History of the Twenty-second United States Infantry, 1866-1922, Oskaloosa Minnewande Smith, William Hudspeth Wassell, Daniel Sidney Appleton, John McAuley Palmer, William R. Smith, 22nd Infantry, United States Army, 1922.

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