3rd great grandfather of Sheri Szymczyk

Private    Co. E    48th WI Infantry

Dates of Service:  24 Feb 1865 - 30 Dec 1865

Andreas Dressen was born January 25, 1830 in Germany, the third of thirteen children born to Theodor Dressen and Anna Catharina Schach.  In 1854, at the age of 24, Andreas came to America and settled in Milwaukee, WI.  Theodor Dressen (Andreas' father) was a tailor and Andreas followed in his father's footsteps, working as a tailor in Milwaukee.  It is through this work Andreas was introduced to Eva Rosenthal.  Andreas and Eva married on February 4, 1856.  The couple had nine children over the next 18 years. 

On February 24, 1865 Andreas enlisted and was mustered into service in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  He was 35 years old.  One month later, on March 22, eight companies of the 48th Wisconsin were mustered into service and left for Benton Barracks in St. Louis, Missouri.  We can only speculate at Andreas' motives for enlisting at this time.  At the time Andreas enlisted in February, the couple had four children all under the age of ten.  Their fifth child was born March 8, 1865, little more than a week after Andreas joined up. 

Andreas had no way of knowing that surrender by General Lee would come less than two weeks after his regiment left Wisconsin headed for Kansas.  Throughout the months of May, June, and July 1865 detachments of the regiment were employed in cutting wood and preparing timber and other material for strengthening the fortifications, and erecting new buildings at Fort Scott.  In August, the 48th regiment was ordered to proceed to Lawrence, Kansas where they expected they would be mustered out.  Instead, they were ordered to escort the trains and mail through the hostile Indian country.  In September, the regiment received its first pay.  The regiment then commenced its march to Fort Zarah, Kansas (250 miles west of Lawrence, Kansas).  Finally, in December, Company E returned to Leavenworth and was mustered out of service on the 30th.  They arrived in Madison, Wisconsin on January 3, 1866 where they were paid and disbanded. 

Although Andreas only spent a year soldiering, it is a year that had a tremendous affect on his life thereafter.  The weather and conditions the men faced out west were some of the worst they had ever seen.  Considering these men were from Wisconsin and were used to bad weather, one can only imagine what these men dealt with.  Additionally, they dealt with these conditions knowing the war was over and that their families were waiting for them at home.  As a result of the poor weather, Andreas became ill and suffered from the effects of this illness until his death, January 26, 1877 (one day after his 47th birthday).

GRAVESITE: Holy Trinity Cemetery, Newburg, Washington County, Wisconsin

Written by Sheri Szymczyk, March 2009