William August Sternitzky (1839-1922)

1. Born:

Wilhelm August Sternitzky in Klein Ujeschütz, Silesia on December 16, 1839.

2. Immigrated to US:

He came to the U.S. in 1840 with his parents (Frederick and Helena Sternitzky), two brothers (Charles and James) and one sister (Susan). The Frederick Sternitzky family left Hamburg, Germany on June 24, 1840, on the sailing ship Washington. They arrived at the Port of New York on September 16, 1840. Traveled to Buffalo, New York. In the spring of 1841 the Sternitzky family moved to Milwaukee. In 1856, the Frederick Sternitzky, Frederick Yankee, and George Kleinschmidt families left Washington County and traveled to Clark County via Sparta. The Sternitzky family brought with them a four- oxen team, two cows and a few household goods. They arrived at the site of what became Lynn Village after three weeks, on June 1, 1856. The party had to cut their way through woods for the last three miles of the journey. The Sternitzkys and the Yankees settled on adjoining sections, and the Kleinschmidts settled five miles away. The Sternitzky's nearest neighbors lived two miles away by trail.

3. William served in the Union Army:

a. Enlisted on October 19, 1861 at Black River Falls, Fourteenth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Company I.

b. The 14th regiment was mustered into the U.S. service at Fond du Lac on January 30, 1862, and left Fond du Lac on March 8, 1862.

c. The 14th regiment, under the command of Colonel David E. Wood, marched to St. Louis and then to Savannah, Tennessee. The regiment was still camped at Savannah on April 6, 1862, when the battle of Shiloh began.

d. William was wounded at the Battle of Shilo (Pittsburg Landing); shot through the left forearm on April 7, 1862. William was discharged, with a disability, as a Corporal on July 24, 1862, from Hamburg, Tennessee.

e. References:

1. Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, War of Rebellion, 1861-1865. Volume 1 Printed by the State of Wisconsin in 1886. Brown County Library, R973.7475/W753r v.1
Page 799: William Sternitzky residence- Neillsville date of enlistment- October 19, 1861 Corporal, wounded at Shiloh discharged- July 24, 1862, with disability

2. Wisconsin Volunteers, War of Rebellion, 1861-1865. Madison, Wisc.: State of Wisconsin. Brown County Library R973.7475/W753ra.
Page 966: William Sternitzky Private, Company I, Regiment 14, Infantry

3. Army of the United States Certificate of Disability for Discharge.
Signed June 24, 1862. Corporal William Sternitzky of Captain C.R. Johnsons Company I of the 14th Regiment of Wisconsin Infantry.

4. Marriage:

William was married in St. Louis, Missouri on March 16, 1863. William's Army Pension Certificate (signed June 9, 1989) lists him as married in 1862 at St. Louis to Teresa Brenner, and divorced in San Francisco around 1882.

5. Residence:

William stayed in St. Louis for a few years (July 30, 1862 to 1864,SFH) and returned to Clark County in 1864. He lived in Chicago from 1866 to 1868, and then resided in California (1868-1879), Arizona and Kent County, Washington Territory (1879-1895). He lived in Oregon from 1895 to 1900. He returned to Granton to live with his brother Henry in 1901 until his death on December 22, 1922.

6. Death

William died in 1922 (TS), 22 Dec. 1922 (OB,CS), buried at Mapleworks Zion Lutheran Church Cemetery (Granton, Wisconsin). Tombstone information: William A. Sternitzky 1839-1922 Co. I, 14 th Reg't Wisc. Vol. Inf.

This Biography was supplied by James W. Sternitzky,. William Sternitzky was the brother of James' GGGF, Charles Sternitzky.