Charles Frantz, Kenosha, Wis., member of G. A. R. Post No. 230, was born
in Minden, Westphalia, Germany, June 24, 1840, and is the son of
Frederick and Dora Frantz. His father was a teacher in the public
schools of Minden for 55 years and is now, at the age of 82 years,
living in retirement on half pay in Minden where his wife died. In 1855
Mr. Frantz and his sister Dora came to America. (His father's family
included five children. Herman, his twin brother, is the only one
deceased; Fritz is the eldest; Dora is Mrs. Henry Reinholt, of Kenosha;
Julia is the youngest.) They landed at the port of New York in February,
1855, and went directly to Kenosha. Mr. Frantz worked on a farm for a
short time, when he went to Chicago and engaged as a clerk in a grocery
and was so occupied successively at St. Louis and Davenport, Iowa, and
finally returned in 1859 to Kenosha where he engaged in the same
occupation with R. B. Winslow.
When the recruiting office for the 9th Wisconsin Infantry was opened at
Kenosha, he was appointed recruiting officer and enrolled a number of
men. On the organization of the command he was made Second Lieutenant of
Company C, his commission dating September 7, 1861. He was mustered
under it October 29th and left the State Jan. 22, 1862 for Fort
Leavenworth, Kansas, where he expected to take part in the expedition
under General Lane, and a long march to Fort Scott was experienced to
little purpose. When they moved subsequently to Baxter's Springs, they
had plenty of miscellaneous military duty in the way of fighting
guerrillas and rebel Indians. Through the difficulties with Colonel
Wier, the regiment suffered needlessly from marching and when
transferred to Salomon's management they proceeded to Fort Scott. When
the Army of the Frontier was organized, the 9th was assigned to the 1st
Brigade under Salomon. March 19, 1862, Mr. Frantz was promoted to First
Lieutenant of Company A. A part of the regiment were in the fight at
Newtonia and suffered severely. The command afterwards moved to
reinforce the troops fighting at Prairie Grove, Mo., marching on the
double-quick 55 miles in a few hours to reach there at nightfall after
the battle was over, as it proved, the rebels muffling their wheels and
retreating in the night. The command remained at Prairie Grove or Rheas'
Mills and was in various expeditions. Mr. Frantz engaged as a scout and
in foraging and skirmishing until the regiment went to St. Louis, where
they performed guard duty. They went thence to Helena and next to Little
Rock. Dec. 25, 1862, Lieutenant Frantz was commissioned Captain of
Company G. He was in an expedition to the White River, going to Duvall's
Bluff. After several raids and skirmishes through the winter, they
remained in the vicinity of Little Rock, Ark. They had been assigned to
the 7th Corps under Steele who was ordered in March to join Banks on the
Red River expedition. While endeavoring to do so, the regiment was
constantly under assault from guerrillas and fought skirmishes which
partook of the character of battles in importance. An action with the
troops of Marmaduke detained them until news was received of the failure
of Banks, when Steele set out on his return to Little Rock with every
promise of a battle on the way. The outlook was good for, April 30th at
Jenkins' Ferry, Ark., the enemy under Kirby Smith and Price, engaged the
Union troops. The fighting commenced before seven in the morning and
while the Union troops were crossing the river, Captain Frantz was shot
in his left arm by a minie ball. He was taken prisoner and with half a
hundred wounded men passed three days in a small log cabin. On the first
morning a dozen were found dead. The rest were marched to Princeton,
where Captain Frantz suffered amputation of his arm, the regimental
surgeon having been retained with the wounded. Four weeks later he went
with the others to Tyler, Texas, to the stockade prison, where they were
exchanged in February, 1865, and marched thence to the mouth of the Red
River, barefooted and under strict guard. Their prison fare was about a
pint of cornmeal daily and a small amount of meat once a week. Sometimes
they had nothing but unground corn. They went thence to New Orleans and,
four weeks later, joined their regiment at Little Rock. Captain Frantz
received a furlough, as he was very feeble and after his arrival at home
was discharged under General Order No. 15, issued May 15th for the
discharge of all officers then on furlough. He proceeded to St. Louis,
Mo., where he was mustered out. He returned to Kenosha where he resumed
the duties of civil life and gave his attention to recovering his
health. His straightforward career in private as in soldier's life
recommended him for positions of trust and, in the spring of 1866 he was
elected City Treasurer and was twice re-elected. In the fall of 1868 he
was elected Register of Deeds. He was appointed Postmaster at Kenosha,
was re-appointed successively in 1873, 1877 and 1881, and held the
position until August, 1886, when his successor was sworn in. In
January, 1887, he was appointed to a position in the land office at
Madison, in which he served until June following, when he met with an
accident which disabled him for life. He was crossing the track at
Kenosha depot when the cable of a gravel train broke and struck him in
the back, throwing his body into the air. He was taken home, remained
unconscious several weeks and did not leave his bed for seven months.
Captain Frantz has borne his misfortune with the same fortitude and
courage which characterized his career as a soldier. He has always been
an honored citizen of Kenosha, commanding respect and confidence of the
community and his name honors the page of history.
He was married Feb. 17, 1870, to Angeline, daughter of Joseph and
Angeline (Brooks) Martin and their children are named Charles G., Albert
W., Ralph H., Mamie C., Lulu B. and Dora M. The parents of the wife and
mother died in Kenosha.
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