Heinrich Gernhardt and his descendants ... online

few rods away in the shadow of the forest trying hard not to
laugh and discover themselves. Roly-poly, after several extraor-



242 The Gernhardt Family History.

dinary efforts, finally squirmed through, however, but not until
he had suffered considerable damage, and had lost a very valu-
able part of his habiliment. When the boys arrived in camp they
feasted on melons. The next day they nearly all had melon-colic^
brought on by irregularity, excessive laughing, excitement and
exertion, and' — too much melon. Thus was rendered to them their
desert.

The men in the hospital service all have their interesting remi-
niscences, pathetic and amusing, as well as the men who carried
the guns and accoutrements and fought. Frank recalls that among
the 153 Hospital Corps men who left New York on the Missouri
there was a bright and handsome young Georgian who, on ac-
count of his exceptional vivacity and light-heartedness, while the
detachment was receiving the required course of instruction in
hospital work at Fort Columbus, had become a general favorite.
As the vessel was moving out on the deep the young man who had
been so gay stood silently and sadly gazing at the fast receding
shore line, when one of the Corps approached him, and calling
him by name, kindly asked what made him so down-hearted.
Hesitating a moment, he frankly and gravely answered, "I will
tell you boys. I have left a good home, affectionate parents, loving
brothers and sisters, all because I was a little bit wayward, and
perhaps I have taken leave of that happy home forever." And
this blithe young man was the first one of the detachment to die in
the Philippine Islands. Did the youth have a presentiment of
his impending doom ?

The Missouri entered the harbor of Gibraltar very early on a
bright November morning, and was slowly steaming to a place of
anchorage near the city, when she was suddenly found to be al-
most surrounded by a number of row boats containing Spanish
fishermen.. The loving subjects of the young sovereign, Alfonso
Xni, and the Regent Queen, Maria Christina, stared intently at
the big white vessel, over the stern of which the Stars and Stripes
fluttered gently in the light breeze, and all of a sudden they be-
gan to shout, "Bad Americans ! Bad Americans," in their mother



The Gcrnhardt Family History. 243

tongue, and defiantly shook their fists at Old Glory. This was
more than the plucky American boys could stand. The cooks
had pared three bushels or more of potatoes for breakfast, and
left them in tubs outside of the galley door. Seeing them so
handy, one of the boys called out, "Hurrah, boys ! let's give 'em
cold potatoes." With one accord about 80 of the Corps made a
rush for the tubs and filled their pockets and hands with the pared
tubers, and then ran back to the railing and commenced a general
fusillade at the haughty Spaniards. For a few moments, as Frank
tells it, "the air was white with the 'Irish lemons,' and it is safe
to say that three out of every five potatoes hit either the Spaniards
or the boats. The chief cook complained to Major A., their com-
mander, and soon the ringleaders, or as many of them as could
be found — and Frank confesses that he was one of them — were
marched before the Major for trial and to receive sentence. One
of the boys who was especially blessed with the gift of gab was
chosen to act as spokesman and plead the cause of the insulted
Americans. The Major asked what they meant by thus wantonly
wasting their breakfast. The prolocutor responded in his most
persuasive and urbane manner, and concluded his clever vindica-
tion by saying, "we thought that we were inspired by the spirit of
patriotism to defend our Flag, even though we had to fire pota-
toes to do it." The Major did not visibly concur with the eloquent
advocate, and said with seeming sternness that if anything of the
kind occurred again he would order every man down in the hold,
and keep them there indefinitely on bread and water. The boys
fancied that they observed a faintly visible twinkle in his eye
while he made this appalling threat (and perhaps the Major just
then thought of the inhuman treachery by which the U. S. battle-
ship Maine was blown up in Havana harbor, and 266 of our brave
hoys killed), and as they were not punished they concluded that
they did not mistake. But all they had that morning for break-
fast was dry bread and strong black coffee.

All who have read and properly appreciated that felicitous,
heart-touching poem, "Bingen on the Rhine," can realize that
«very true soldier who dies for his country, far from home and



244 The Gernhardt Family History.

friends, has a more or less mournful story. Frank was more than
once seriously reminded of the expiring Bingen "Soldier of the
Legion" as he saw men die, with their thoughts riveted on their
native land, and the loved ones who were hoping and waiting
there. While on duty in the First Reserve Hospital at Manila,
then the largest hospital in the Philippines, a large, handsome
soldier, about twenty-two years of age, was one Saturday after-
noon brought to Frank's ward with every symptom of typhoid
fever in its very worst form. As the days passed the patient grew
weaker, and the symptoms no better, and one week later the sur-
geon gave up all hope of saving him. All day on the second Sat-
urday he raved in delirium, talking of home, kindred, friends, his
boy days, and then suddenly his mind would revert back to his
military duties. Late in the day he became so exhausted from
talking and shouting that he could no longer speak above a whis-
per. He lay in a stupor, wildly muttering, until about 7 130 P. M.,
when he became calm and once more rational. Frank was stand-
ing on the opposite side of the ward, twenty feet or more from
his cot, and noticed that he was being intently gazed at by him,
and concluded that he probably wished to say something. Step-
ping to his side and bending over him, Frank asked if there was
anything that he could do for him. He nodded affirmatively and
whispered, "What State are you from?" "From the State of New
York." "Have you ever lived in Ohio?" "No." "Are you
sure?" "Yes." "Well, that is strange!" he feebly whispered,
and as if disappointed, but soon continued : "I have a sister in
Ohio whom you wonderfully resemble. I want you to write to
her and tell her where and how I died, and that I was not afraid
to die, and give her my Good By," etc. Forty minutes later his
lifeless body was carried over to the morgue."

"Tell my sister not to weep for me, and sob with drooping head
When the troops come marching home again with glad and gallant tread ;
But to look upon them proudly, with a calm and steadfast eye,
For her brother was a soldier too, and not afraid to die."

After serving one year in the hospital at Manila Frank re-
turned to the United States, and in due time arrived at the Hos-



i



The Gernhardt Family History. 245

pital Corps School of Instruction, on Angel Island, San Francisco
Bay. January 3, 1901, he reported for duty at the Camp of Re-
cruits, at the Presidio, near San Francisco. The recruits — or
"rookies," as the medicos called them — were being enlisted
throughout the country as fast as possible to fill up the regiments
and replace the men mustered out as their terms of enlistment ex-
pired, as well as the losses by disease and battle, and these new
men arrived at the rate of 60 to 80 every day. They were exam-
ined by the Surgeon and Stewart, assisted by Frank. Frank's
special duty was to vaccinate, and he estimates that he put Uncle
Sam's "trade mark" on about 6,000 recruits. His success is not
merely to be measured by the following circumstance : In charge
of the department for a time was a new First Lieutenant Surgeon
who was not up to the ways of the rookies to escape doing duty.
At the sick call each morning he marked "quarters" nearly all
who claimed to be ailing, and they were thus excused from all
duty, and could lay at ease in their bunks the rest of the day. One
morning about 50 men stood in front of the tent, expecting to be
marked "quarters" as soon as the bugle sounded the sick call and
the Doctor appeared, but the place of the new physician was now
filled by an old army surgeon who knew all about rookies. When
the sick book was opened the wily recruits were ready to practice
their deceit on Uncle Sam. The first man called had his arm in
a sling, and a woe-be-gone expression on his face. "What is the
trouble?" said the Doctor kindly. "Oh, Doctor, I've been vacci-
nated and my arm pains me awfully. I want to be marked 'quar-
ters.' I can only raise my arm so high" — lifting his arm not half-
shoulder high as he spoke. "That's too bad," the Doctor replied
in a tone of sympathy. "Let me see your arm." The rookey
carefully slipped his sleeve up and disclosed a small red spot where
the virus was taking effect, but was certainly not very painful.
"Now, that is a bad-looking arm," and the Doctor seemed very
serious. "How high could you raise it before vaccinated?" "Oh,
so high, Doctor," and the poor fool raised his arm straight up from
his shoulder. This was too much for the Doctor, and instantly
his manner changed to unmistakable sternness as he spoke so all



246 Tlu Gernhardt Family History.

could hear : "I'll teach you chaps a lesson. Back, all of you, to
duty. Get out of here, and be lively about it too. Git." And git
they did. Every man that morning was marked "Duty" as soon
as he came in, and from that time on there was little trouble with
the rookies.

November i6th Frank was honorably discharged, having been
in the service just three years, and in the meantime had at Uncle
Sam's expense made a journey around the world. In closing the
last letter I had from him he said : "I am glad to know I was
not the only one in our long line of relations who participated in
the Spanish-American War. If the other boys feel as I do about
it they would not take a round $1,000 for what they saw, and went
through, and would not go through it again for another $1,000."

5. Lemuel H. Litchard^, b. Sept. 4, 185 1 ; unm. ; r, Waltham,

Mass. Has been in the employ of the White Sewing Ma-
chine Company since 1896.

6. Lettie L.*, b. Feb. 24, i860; m. Leroy Allen, Nov. 3, 1877;

r. Arkport, N. Y. Four children : Pearl A.^, b. Dec. 30,
187&— m. H. H. Hallock, July 25, 1896; Lynn A.^, b. Dec.
31, 1883; Fern Litchard A.^, b. Oct. 4, 1898; Iva Rosine
A.5, b. Feb. 25, 1902.

^' ' â–  '. lb. March 14, 1861. Both d. the same year.

8. Ada A.^, j

9. Dora L.^ b. Jan. 22, 1863; m. Frank Dunning, Dec. 20,

1882 ; r. Canaseraga, N. Y. Two children : George^, b.
Oct. 2, 1885 ; RossS, b. Feb. 25, 1892.

10. Roger George Litchard^, b. Oct. 19, 1864 — on the day of
Sheridan's famous ride from Winchester to Cedar Creek,
when his brothers, Almanzo and Alexander, and cousin.
Royal R. Clemens, in the afternoon helped whip the Con-
federates for their rude conduct in the battle in the morn-
ing. P. O. Arkport, N. Y., o. farming and teaching.
Occupies the Homestead, on which he was born and raised.
Is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and dur-
ing the last ten years has been either the Bible Class
Teacher or Superintendent of the Sunday School. Married
Miss Adah Curtis, of Springwater, N. Y., Oct. 12, 1892.
Has two children: Ruth Gladys^, b. March 30, 1894;
George Lewis^, b. Dec. 20, 1895.



The Gernhardt Family History. 247

V. ELIZABETH^, b. March 11, 1817; m. James Keihlex;
r. Dansville, N. Y. She d. Nov. 17, 1884, and he d. Oct.
28, 1889. Had eleven children:

I. David Litchard Keihle^ b. Feb. 7, 1837. The following
is from a sketch found in a History of Minnesota:

"Professor David Litchard Keihle spent his youth in the
graded schools of Dansville, N. Y. ; began to teach at sixteen years
of age ; attended the State Normal School at Albany, and gradu-
ated in 1856 ; taught three years in the Canandaigua Academy ;
entered the junior class of Hamilton College, Clinton, New York,
in 1859, and graduated in 1861, one of the 'honor' members of the
class. While in college, in addition to the classical course, he con-
nected himself with the laboratory and took a special Course in
chemistry. He taught a graded school in Monroe, Michigan, dur-
ing the year 1862 ; then took a full course of studies in the Union
Theological Seminary ; was graduated in 1865, and ordained to the
Presbyterian ministry. While preparing for this work he taught
in the Polytechnic and Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn, in all
nearly three years.

"In 1865 he came to Minnesota, organized a Presbyterian
Church at Preston, Fillmore County, became its pastor and re-
mained there ten years. During the last six of those years he was
County Superintendent of Schools, driven into that work on ac-
count of poor health. By riding on horseback from school to
school, and from town to town, he gradually improved, and was
able to fill the requirements of the office. During five of these
years that he was Superintendent he preached once a day on Sun-
day, simply supplying the pulpit without doing pastoral work.
The last three years that he was at Preston he was one of the di-
rectors of the State Normal Schools; in 1875 was appointed by
the board to take charge of the Normal School at Saint Cloud. Li
1 88 1 he resigned this position to accept the appointment of
State Superintendent of Public Instruction of Minnesota. In
this position he remained through six successive reappointments
until 1893, when he resigned, accepting an election as Professor



248 The Gernhardt Family History.

of Pedagogy in the University of Minnesota. In this position he
remained until his resignation in 1902.

"The subject of education seems to be the one absorbing theme
with him. His best thoughts, his time, his energies are devoted to
the questions, "What is modern education, and how can it be made
available and practical in the philosophy and theories of the
day ?"

From this sketch it is evident that Professor Keihle is not only
a zealous and devoted educator, but that he is a man of notable
ability, and that he has by his merits won the distinction he has
been favored with. When last heard from he was engaged in the
composition of a work the title of which is "A Philosophy of the
History of Education," which may be expected to embody his best
and maturest conceptions. On the 25th of July, 1864, he was mar-
ried to Miss Mary Oilman, of Dansville, N. Y. They have four
children :

/. Adelia Mary KJ>, b. Aug. 17, 1866 ; m. Dr. J. C. E. King.

May 14, 1891 ; r. Salt Lake City, Utah.
a. Louise Gilman K}, b. Aug. 31, 1868; m. Rev. Carl
Wardsworth Scovel, pastor of Babcock Memorial
Church, Baltimore, Md., May 17, 1900.
iii. Dr. Frederick Andrezvs Keihle^, b. Aug. 10, 1872 ; r.

West Jordan, Utah.
iv. Florence Keihle^, b. May 21, 1879.

2. Mary Elizabeth Keihle*, b. Sept. 15, 1839; m. Harvey A.

Fairchild, Aug. 26, 1869 ; r. Dansville, N. Y. Four chil-
dren :
i. Percy M. F.^, h. March 20, 1871 ; m. Miss Blanche Kuhn,

Jan.' 26, 1898; r. Sparta, N. Y.
a. Edward F.^, b. June 17, 1872; m. Miss Helen McCurdy

Edwards, of Dansville, June 30, 1903 ; r. Milwaukee,

Wis.
iii. Georgiana F.^, b. Aug. 26, 1878.
iv. Charlotte Louisa F.^, h. July i, 1881.

3. William P. Keihle*, b. Dec. 11, 1840; d. June 21, 1845.

4. Delia Ann Keihle*, b. Nov. 23, 1842; d. unm. Aug. 12.

1865.



i



The Gernhardt Family History. 249

5. Francis Marion Keihle^, b. March 26, 1845; d. Jan. 15,

1862.

6. Amos Augustus Keikle"*, b. March 22, 1847. The follow-

ing highly commendatory notice of our kinsman was ob-
tained from a sketch of him in "Men of Progress," a book
published in Milwaukee in 1897:

"Rev. Amos Augustus Kiehle, D. D., pastor of Calvary Presby-
terian Church, Milwaukee, was born in Dansville, N. Y. His
father, James Kiehle, was a tanner by trade and occupation, own-
ing a tannery which he carried on for years, gaining thereby a
moderate competency. He was one of those highly respected citi-
zens who form the conservative element in every prosperous com-
munity. A. A. Kiehle's mother was Elizabeth Litchard, a woman
of sterling Christian character, who impressed herself indelibly
upon her children to their lasting good. Both paternal and ma-
ternal grandfathers were residents of Pennsylvania, but removed
to New York when their children were young, settling on farms
in Livingston County, where they remained during the rest of
their lives.

"A. A. Kiehle received his early education in the district school,
which was followed by a course in the Dansville Seminary, an
institution of higher education with more than a local reputation
for the thoroughness of its instruction. He then taught for two
years in Canandaigua Academy, and in the meantime prepared
himself for a collegiate course, which he took at Hamilton College,
â– Clinton, N, Y., entering that institution in September, 1867, and
graduating therefrom in 1871. While in college he was a member
•of the Delta Upsilon Fraternity and a most faithful and successful
student, making a record for thorough scholarship and for a broad
and liberal culture. As student and teacher he paid attention to
the study of elocution, in which he won several prizes and acquired
a faculty and power as a public speaker which has proved of great
practical advantage to him. He believes that the study pf lan-
guage and elocution are not accorded the place in a liberal course
of study which their importance demands. In the fall of 1871 he



250 The Gernhardt Family History.

entered Union Theological Seminary in New York City, and grad-
tiated therefrom in the class of 1874. Soon after he received and
accepted a call to the pastorate of the Franklin Avenue Presby-
terian Church of Minneapolis, Minn., and on the 21st of October,
1874, he was ordained to the gospel ministry and installed pastor
of that church. The duties of this position he discharged with
much fidelity until February, 1878, when he accepted a cail from
the First Presbyterian Church of Stillwater, Minn., where he la-
bored with 'great ability and success until the summer of 1881,,
when he became pastor of Calvary Presbyterian Church of Mil-
waukee, which he is still most acceptably filling. During his pas-
torate the church has more than doubled its membership, a heavy
debt has been paid, and the church building has been enlarged.

"Mr. Kiehle is a Republican in politics, and, while he is in no
sense a 'political preacher,' he takes a deep interest in all public
questions, whether political, social or industrial, and never neglects
his duties as a citizen. He is eminently a preacher of the gospel^
but is fully alive to the fact that the gospel has a very close rela-
tion to daily, practical life, and he does not hesitate to point out
and emphasize that relation in a manner that leaves a lasting im-
pression. As a preacher Mr. Kiehle has a popular manner, is an
impressive reader of the Scriptures, has a voice that easily fills
the largest audience rooms and is most pleasant to the ear. His
style is' clear, direct, forcible and often most eloquent, while the
plain truths of Scripture seem to acquire a new power as they fall
from his lips. He does not unduly advance the doctrinal phase of
religion, nor does he indulge in mere theological speculation. He
is a broad, liberal-minded, growing man, and one who stands in
the front rank of his profession."

Mr. Kiehle was married to Miss Julia Reed, of Livonia, N. Y.,.
May 13, 1874, She d. Aug. i, 1878, leaving two daughters, Bes-
sie Marian^, b. Jan. 19, 1876, and Grace Julia^, b. Sept. 16, 1877.
July 28th, 1881, he married Miss Frances Decker, of South Li-
vonia, N. Y., who d. March 10, 1885, leaving a son, Ernest R.-'', b.
Dec. 10, 1883. On the 24th of June, 1890, Mr. Kiehle married
Miss Bessie Harrison, of Milwaukee.



The Gernhardt Family History. 251

7. RosETTA Keihle*, b. April 7, 1849; d. Oct. 10, 1863.

8. Harriet E. Keihle"*, b. May 7, 185 1 ; m. Edward Payson

Clark, Feb. 11, 1873; r. Dansville, N. Y. Four children:
E. Louise^, b. March 3, 1874; Harrv C.^, b. Feb. 7, 1876;
Alice B.5, b. April 20, 1878; Frederick E.s, b. Jan. 25, 1881.

9. Albert Melvin Keihle^, b. June 15, 1853; m. Mary Edith

Scott, Aug. 24, 1882; r. Minneapolis, Minn. Two chil-
dren: Edith Belle^, b. Nov. 21, 1884; James Scott^, b.
June 27, 1886.

10. Lucy Keihle*, b. Dec. 29, 1855; m. George Clark, May
29, 1879; r. Minneapolis, Minn. Six children: Walter
Kiehle^, b. April 22, 1880; Frances Mildred^, b. Nov. 2,
1883 ; Mary Elizabeth^, b. Dec. 30, 1887 ; Cora^, b. Sept. 6,
1890; Carrie^, b. Sept. 6, 1890; Marguerite^, b. Jan. 10,
1893.

11. Carrie Louise Keihle^, b. Aug. 6, 1858; r. Minneapolis,
Minn.

VL MARY3, b. April 18, 1818; m. Isaac Steffy;x She d.
June 9, 1891 ; r. Springwater, N. Y. Had four children:

1. Elizabeth Steffy*, b. about 1844; d. in infancy.

2. John Steffy*, b. Aug. 14, 1846; m.'^

3. Monroe Steffy^, b. Jan. 17, 1849; "i- Vida Curtis.x He
d. Sept. 10, 1888. Two children ^

4. Deliah Steffy^, b. May 23, 1851 ; m. Belden B. Crane; r.

Livonia, N. Y. Seven children: Mary L.^, b. Dec. 11,
1868; Scott W.5, b. Jan. 29, 1873; Vernie A.^ b. Aug. 21,
1876; Sarah M.s, b. Sept. 27, 1879; Belden B.^, b. July"28,
1883 ; NellieS, b. Aug. 11, 1885 ; Jolin^, b. Nov. 8, 1887.

VH. CATHARINE LITCHARD^, b. Dec. 20, 1820 ; m. first,
Ealtis Mosteller, about 1840; second, John Amess, of England,
Nov. 3, 1858; r. Sultphen, Kansas. She d. Aug. 25, 1893. J. A.
•d. Jan. I, 1895. She had seven children:

I. John Mosteller*, b. Oct. 10, 1841 ; m. Elizabeth Brien,
Sept. I, 1874; she d. Dec. 23, 1898, and came from Belfast,
Ireland ; r. Saginaw, Mich. Had eight children :



252 The Gcrnhardt Family History.

i. Frank C.^, b. May 27, 1875 ; m. Maud C. Pinard, Jan. 16,

1901.
a. James E.^, b. April 23, 1877.
Hi. Thomas B.^, b. Jan. 17, 1881.
iv. Mary Ross^, b. July 10, 1883.
V. William H.^, b. March 15, 1885.
vi. John P.^, h. Jan. 25, 1889.
vii. Anna I.^, b. Jan. 15, 1891.
via. Ruth^, h. April 4, 1894.

2. Harriet M.^ b. March 7, 1847; m. first, Luther Haas, July
29, 1868; he d. April 28, 1871 ; m. second, Philo Harger^
March 18, 1877; '"• Denver, Col. One child: Frederick
D. Haas^, b. Oct. i, 1870; m. Grace Leare, Sept. 19, 1900;
r. Denver, Col.

3. William Mosteller*, b. Jan. 7, 1851; m. Mary Ida Cole-

man. He d. May 20, 1888, at Harrison, Mich. She d. at

Pasadena, Cal., Jan. 13, 1893. Had five children:

i. Nellie^, b. Oct. 15, 1876; m. L. C. Miller, of Colorado

Springs, Col.x
a. Walter B.^, h. Aug. 5, 1880; d. Feb. 18, 1881.
Hi. Ray W.^, b. Feb. 23, 1882 ; r. Pasadena, Cal.
iv. Eva £.5, b. Feb. 13, 1885. After death of her father
was adopted by some wealthy family and taken to Eng-
land.
• V. Mary Ida^, b. April 20, 1888; r. Los Angeles, Cal.

â–  4. James O. Amess^ b. Oct. 8, 1854; d. April 8, 1872.

5. Samuel E. Amess^, b. Jan. 29, 1856; d. May 2, 1868.

6. George J. Amess^ b. July 13, 1858; m. Edith E. Hardy,

May 21, 1884; r. Sultphen, Kansas. Eight children:
Floyd M.5, b. March 7, 1885; James S.^, b. May 22, 1886;.
Florence E.^, b. March 26, 1889; Jennie D.^, b. April 26,,
1891 ; Theodore R.s, b. Nov. 16, 1893 ; Edna E.s, b. March
25, 1895; Ivan A.^ b. Jan. 28, 1898 — d. Jan. 29, 1898;.
Georgiana^, b. June 6, 1899.

7. Mary Amess*, b. July 13, 1858. She and George J. are
twins; m. Boyd L. Grey, of Alton, III, March i, 1887 ;r.
near Sultphen, Kansas, on the "Homestead," and near the




MKs. mar<;aket clemoxs-!,

SlU/fPHEN. KANSAS.



The Gcrnhardt Family History. 253

home of her aunt, Margaret R. demons. Four children :
Ora B.5, b. July 6, 1888 ; Charlie J.^, b. April 20, 1890; Ada
M.^ b. Oct. 30, 1891 ; Nellie J.^, b. Nov. 20, 1898.



VIII. MARGARET REBECCA^, b. Oct. 22, 1822 ; m. James-
J. demons, of Conesus, N. Y., Jan. 13, 1842. He was born Nov.
II, 1820, and died May 6, 1903.

She is the only one now living of the ten children of Margaret
and John Litchard, and is one of the five sole present survivors of
the third generation of the family of Heinrich Gernhardt. With
her husband and children she moved from Burns, N. Y., in 1870,.
to Dickinson County, Kansas, and settled, and she still lives, on a
very fertile farm of 480 acres, in a beautiful prairie country, near
Sultphen, on Chapman Creek, ten miles east of the Republican
River. The famous old "Pikes Peak Trail," around which many
memories still cluster, crossed their land, traces of the trail being
still visible. An almost constant stream of emigrants commenced
to flow over this route in the spring of 1859, and continued for sev-