Charles Nassig was born "Carl Nassig" in Dresden, Germany in 1819. In 1839, he left his homeland for America. When he reached New York he traveled first to Buffalo, then down Lake Erie by boat, eventually stopping at St Louis. There he found work as a stone mason; a trade he had learned in Germany. He heard of the wild country to the north that was opening up and offering land to settlers. He decided to go and see this new area called Minnesota. Once there, his initial impression was not that good. He was quoted as saying, "This is just a wilderness, only fit for savages." He headed back to the civilization of St Louis and remained until 1850. In that year he gave Minnesota another try and his time found it habitated by more settlers. After making friends with some of the families in Eden Prairie he decided to take a claim of his own. He built a cabin and started to clear his land. Unfortunately Charles co-signed a note for a neighbor who defaulted sometime in 1860 or early 1861. The result was that the neighbor and Charles both lost their farms. This was at the time the war was beginning. As volunteers where sought his comment was, "I've had nothing but bad luck in this country so I might as well go in the army and get killed.". He was mustered into Company I on May 29, 1861. The enrolling clerk spelled his name "Charles", which is the English version of "Carl". He probably changed his name at some time after he arrived in America. Charles was 41 years old when he enlisted, though he claimed to be "only" 38. He was wounded at Antietam on Sept 17, 1862, and discharged for disability on Jan 30, 1863. Charles returned to Minnesota but wasn't ready to settle down yet. At this time several forts had been established on the western Minnesota frontier. These were important outposts, especially during the Indian conflict of 1862-63. Supplies for the garrisons were provided by ox cart trains. The trips could take up to four weeks to travel each way. He signed on to drive one of these carts. He worked for awhile traveling from Ft. Snelling to Ft. Sisseton in the Dakota Territory. Many men from the Golden Valley area joined the 8th Minnesota Infantry. This unit served in the state during the Indian conflict of 1862-63. Records indicate that he served with the 8th though his name is not listed on the muster rolls. He may have acted as a civilian and contracted to drive one of the supply carts. In 1866, he settled down in Golden Valley, located in Hennepin County and just west of the city of Minneapolis. He bought 40 acres of land for $500. He married Johanna Cristina Bies, who had also been born in Germany. Her father, David Bies, had served as a corporal in Company K of the 8th Minnesota Infantry during the Civil War. The 8th was stationed in Minnesota during the 1862-63 Indian conflict. Charles and Hannah raised three daughters and one son. They ran a truck farm, meaning that their crops were vegetables and food items to be sold to the townspeople for their eating needs. Charles was never completely healthy after his military service. His hard war experiences and perhaps the hard travel on the ox cart trails took a toll on his health. He died in 1881 at the age of 62. The headstone at his grave in the Golden Valley Cemetery in Golden Valley identifies him by his birth name. It reads: Carl Nassig 1819 - 1881 1st MINN., CO. I. G.A.R. Sources; Golden Valley Minnesota 1886-1986,Golden Valley Historical Society, 1986, pp 10, 12, 15-16. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
