John Baier(l) Part I

Original at Olmsted County
Historical Society

Joseph Leonard's 1910 A History of Olmsted County states 

...."John Baier, a veteran of the Civil war, and for many years engaged in farming in Haverhilll township, is one of three living children in a family of four born to the marriage of John Baier and Kunagunta (Gretch) Baier.  The father was a small farmer in Germany, where he married.  He came with his parents to the United States about the year 1846, and after a short stop in Buffalo, New York, located in Wisconsin, and there farmed for a number of years.  The later part of his life the father resided in Milwaukee, where he died about the year 1892.  John Baier, his son and the subject of this sketch, was born in Bavaria, Germany, April 2, 1844....." (1)

In 1860 John was living on the Wisconsin farm with his widowed father Johann. His brother Joseph and two sisters no longer lived at home, however, Margaret was just a few farms away, a servant in the home of a neighbor. At the age of fifteen John was probably sharing much of the work with his father.  According to the census he had not attended school within the last year.  (2)

John married Mary Delmore on 9 Nov 1863 in Mauston, Wisconsin. Father Montague the local parish priest performed the ceremony.  To date a marriage record has not been found, however, the information is given in John's pension papers.

John enlisted in the Union army in the fall of 1864 at the age of nineteen.  He stood "5'7" with brown hair and blue eyes" as he mustered into the Co E of the 1 Regiment Wisconsin Heavy Artillery as a private under Captain Shipman on Sept 8.   

Batteries E and F of the First Heavy Artillery were first organized at Camp Randall, Madison, WI, and left the State on the 3rd day of October, 1863, proceeding to Fort O'Rourke in Washington where they were assigned to duty in the defenses of that city.  They remained in the Washington DC area until they returned to Milwaukee, WI, and were discharged on the 1st of July, 1865.

While in the army John earned $11 a month and lived on salt pork and hardtack. Like so many regiments this one lost only 4 enlisted men and two officers to wounds, but a total of 77 succumbed to disease.  (3)

After returning to Wisconsin John  logged and rafted on the Yellow River for about six years.  The Yellow River flows into the Wisconsin River near New Lisbon and the Lemonweir River flows into the Wisconsin River at Lyndon Station, both are located near Mauston.  The loggers worked long hours for wages of $14 to $18 a month.  The men lived in the woods (ate and slept there) and the evenings were full of song and stories until early bed down.  It was a hard and rugged life. (4)

From a letter of Mary Baier, granddaughter of John to Ms. Bhinks of the Olmstead Historical Society, "........ I would like to make a few corrections in the accompanying article about Grandpa Baier and his gun.  First the gun in a musket - not a rifle.  At least as my father explained, because you had to make your bullet with shot, a wad of paper, powder and caps, that was pouch was for either powder or shot. When my father was allowed to hunt with it his rabbit prey would be gone by the time he loaded the musket because of all the rigmarole of making a bullet. Hence, the gun has been bored to handle a regular bullet.  I know this fact detracts from the gun, but people had to be practicale [sic] even in those days.  The gun can be used as a musket or regular bullet, as I was told by Dad - John Matthew Baier [March 27, 1874 - May 4, 1973]. (Note: while John's gun was given to the Museum, it appears it is no longer in the collections.)

Second, Grandpa came to Olmstead County after the Civil War.  I think it is a rather interesting story as to why he chose Olmstead County- But I must backtrack a bit.  Grandpa was in 1st Wisconsin - in those days you could hire someone to take your place if you were drafted. Grandpa was paid $600 to go in a draftee's place.  That was a lot of money  - since he was just married....  This would be a good start in life.  His wife Mary Delmore stayed with his sister in Milwaukee. Anna Baier Kleinhans, while he went off to war.  The story is Grandpa warned his sister to see that Mary did not go "out in the bush" which apparently is just outside of the then Milwaukee city limits...." 

1. Leonard, Joseph A, The History of Olmstead County: together with Sketches of Many of its Pioneers, Citizens, Families and Institutions (Chicago, Goodspeed Historical Association 1910), page 619.
2. Bureau of the Census RG 29 Micropublication M653 1438 rolls, Eighth Census of the United States 1860, Population Schedules (Washington, National Archives and Record Administration).Roll 1414 - Wisconsin, Juneau County, Mauston Post Office, Marion Township pg 117 Dwelling 741 Family 835 31 july 
3. US Civil War Pensions, Invalid Application 1364056 certificate 1137642 MN filed 5/10/1907, Widow Application 1220666 certificate 952028 MN filed 6/19/1924: Oliver, Philip (developer), The Civil War CD-ROM, The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (Guild press of Indiana, Inc 1997). Part III Regimental Histories Wisconsin; Estabrook, Charles E. ed, Records and Sketches of Military Organizations, Madison 1914;  May 31, 1924, p 2 c 2;  Rochester G.A.R. Personnel Skrinks to 23; Once Had 311, Rochester Daily Bulletin May 31, 1924, p 2 c 2
4. Bureau of the Census RG29 Micropublication M593 1,748rolls, Ninth Census of the United States 1870, population schedules (Washington, National Archives and Records Administration).  Roll 1720 Vol 12 (1474A) WI, Juneau, Germantown 26 July 1870 Page 13(23) John Baier 24 works in sawmill PP 100 Bavaria, parents foreign; Mary 23 F W Keeping house Ireland; Annie 3 FW WI parents foreign