Herman (Heinrich) Roesch, my 2nd great uncle was born in Baden, Germany on July 8, 1845. He sailed to America with his parents and sibling in1857 on the William Nelson. They settled in Potosi, Wisconsin. He was one of four brothers who served as union soldiers in the Civil War.
Herman
was paid $600 as a substitute soldier and entered into service on October 15, 1864 at
the age of 19.The Twelfth, known as “The Marching Twelfth”, was formed under
the command of Colonel George E. Bryant of the 1st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment.
Herman joined General Sherman when Sherman took his army along with the now
‘Fighting Twelfth, ‘to march to the sea in November of 1864.
The12th Wisconsin participated in the occupation of Savannah. The Twelfth's last battle was at Bentonville, N. C. in March of 1865 to end their participation of the War. Herman was in the March from Atlanta to the Sea and attended the Grand Review in Washington, D.C. He mustered out of service in Louisville, Kentucky on June 16th, 1865 serving for a total of eight months.
In 1910, when he was 65 years of age, he entered the United States National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers suffering from asthma and bronchitis. On the 23rd of August 1919 at the age of 74, he died from Interstitial Nephritis, a kidney disorder in which the kidneys become unable to filter waste materials and fluid properly, which brought on acute cholecystitis, a sudden inflammation of the gallbladder that causes severe abdominal pain. Acute cholecystitis causes bile to become trapped in the gallbladder. The build up of bile causes irritation and pressure in the gallbladder. This lead to bacterial infection and perforation of the organ.
Herman was described as five feet five inches tall, having gray eyes and gray hair, a farmer by trade. Nine years later on August 23 1919 he died of renal failure. Herman was collecting a pension of $32 a month at the time of his death. His personal effects totaled $590.25. He bequeathed this money to his youngest brother, John who was living in Potosi, Wisconsin with his wife Susan Taylor, son Lake and daughter Iona
