Civil War Veteran

Peter Glasshof was born in Schleigawig Holstein, Germany, on March 19, 1844. He came to the USA to New Holstein, Rantoul Township, Calumet County, Wisconsin, when he was five years old.

He enlisted at Calumet County on August 20, 1862 and served with Co. E, 2l Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry.

He was wounded on October 8, 1862 at Chaplin Hill, Kentucky and discharged at Louisville, Kentucky on August 19, 1863.
Peter married Margaret Thiessen in 1865. They moved to the Thom area in the 1870’s and lived on a farm in the Town of Warden, Section 2. There, they raised a family of fifteen children, eight boys and seven girls.

Peter died in 1897 and is buried in the Thorp Eastside Cemetery. His wife, Margaret died in 1939 and is buried in Los Angeles, California.
Many of the Glasshofs lived in the Thorp area for years. The last descendents to live in Thorp were Gerald and Maxine Glasshof, who moved to Marshfield, Wisconsin in 1996.

 His wife, Margaret died on 19 April 1939 at Suburban Hospital, City of South Gate, Los Angeles County California and her cause of death was peritonitis from a ruptured gall bladder for which surgery was performed on April 13,1939 by Dr. Mark Morgan of South Gate, CA. She was 91 years old.  She had lived in California for twenty years.  She was buried at Abbey Mausoleum, Compton, CA. (Compton is near South Gate and in the Lost Angeles area).  Funeral directors were Niel and Towne, 1751 E. 102 St. Los Angeles, CA.  Informant for her death information was Peter F. Glassoff of 9575 Grandee Ave.  Her parents were listed as Mathew Theissen born Schleswig, Germany and Louise Claussen also born at the same place.

Peter was Gerald’s grandfather.

Glasshof Research provided by Lani Bartelt

The Peter & Margaretha Glassoff Familly

Peter Glasshof fought in the Civil War as a Private in Co. E of the 21^st

WI. Inf. from 7 Sept 1862 to 19 Jan 1863 and he is listed in both the 1885 & 1890 Special Census of Surviving Soldiers, Sailors & Marines Thorp, Clark Co, WI.

The Twenty-first Regiment was organized Oshkosh, and was composed of companies enlisted in Fond du Lac, Winnebago, Outagamie, Waupaca, Calumet and Manitowoc Counties.  Its organization was perfected under the supervision of Colonel Benjamin J. Sweet, and it was mustered into the United States service on September 5, 1862, with the following roster:

Harrison C. Hobart, a Captain in the 4^th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, had been commissioned Lieutenant Colonel, but being, at the time, on duty at New Orleans, did not join the regiment at the time of its organization.  The regiment left the State on September 11, 1862, bound for Cincinnati.  Arriving there they crossed the river to Crovington, where they received their arms and were immediately assigned to duty in the trenches, where they suffered severely for the want of tents and camp equipment.  From this point they marched to the defense of Louisville, under Brigadier General Philip H. Sheridan.  Here the regiment first received their tents, became equipped for the field, and was assigned to the 28^th Brigade, in the division commanded by Brigadier General Rousseau, and marched with the Army of the Ohio into the Kentucky interior.  On the 8^th of October the regiment was engaged in the Battle of Perryville.  In this battle, Colonel Sweet was in command.   The regiment was placed, erroneously, about a hundred yards in front of the left of the main line in a position between the two armies and, in consequence, suffered from fire from both lines.  From this position the regiment was quickly driven back to the rear of our line with severe loss.  Major Frederick Schumacher, Captain Hiram M. Gibbs, Captain George Bently and Second Lieutenant David W. Mitchell were killed.  Colonel Benjamin J. Sweet, First Lieutenant Abner B. Smith, and First Lieutenant Ferdinand Ostenfeldt were wounded and Second Lieutenant Charles H. Morgan was taken prisoner

Wounded: Field Officer - Colonel Benjamin J. Sweet.  Company A - Sergeant L. F. Davis, Corporal H. S. Lee, Privates Samuel Hottaling, John Defor, A. J. Pelton, M. Lesselyoung, Joseph Grissey, O. Demsha and J. Bushaw.  Company B - Corporal M. C. Thompson, Privates Joseph D Carpenter,, Henry Hoffman, Nelson Rice, Francis Moon and Israel Welch.  Company C - Privates William C. Hubbard, Jacob B. Choate, H. T. Farrow, Christopher Coffey, Louis Antoine, William Stormmer, Benjamin Kinsley, Frederick Luck and John Lick.  Company D - First Sergeant Charles L. Fay, Sergeant Hamlin B. Williams, Corporal Richard Webb, Privates John Buholz, Charles W. Carr, Governeur Davis, Miles Haskins, Theodore W. Morse, Joel Prince, Robert Logan and S. W. Rexford.  Company E - First Lieutenant Ferdinand Ostenfeldt, Privates Christian Kruse, Peter Glassoff, Benjamin Jackson, Benjamin Barnard, Joseph Bart, Henry Shelly, Luther O. Schooner, Thomas Winters, Isaac Acker, Almanazo Robinson and James Stone. Company F - Privates Solomon Bradford, John Cater, Edgar Dick, Franklin Everett, Jno. Gilchrist, Richard Palmer and James Yarnell. Company G - First Sergeant D. Manchester, Sergeantt J. C. Little, Corporal B. F. Hall, Privates E. Thompson, W. Chady, H. Warsdale, and Francis Conrad. Company H - Private J. A. Campbell.  Company I - First Lieutenant Abner B. Smith, Privates Louis W. Bell, Jerome Pendleton, Joseph M. Stiles, John Town, Barthold Schwander, Daniel J. Ryan, Frederick W. Zeim and Jacob Erb.  Company K - Corporals Charles W. Butler and Charles Whitcomb, Privates J. Johnson, Daniel H. Davis, Peter S. Weaver, Thomas Atridge, George Jones and Thomas H. Pierson - 80 total

Since Peter is listed as not being mustered out until 1863 we can surmise that his injuries were severe enough to keep him in service recuperating for several months after he was wounded.

According to information on his burial record he was the son of  Johann and Catherine Glasshof.

There is a marriage record for Peter Glasshof and Margaretha Theisen from Manitowoc Co. WI dated 26 Oct 1866 in Vol 1

Pg 146 of the Manitowoc, WI records.

Peter Glosshoff is listed on the 1870 Federal Census for Rantoul,

Calumet Co. WI. as follows:

148/148 Glosshoff Peter age 26 Male White occupation farmer

b Holstein Prussia

Glosshoff Margret age 26 female white keeping house b Holstein

Prussia

Glosshoff Catharine age 3 female white b WI

Glosshoff Eliza age 2 female white b WI

Glosshoff Matilda age four months female white b WI

There is also a legal record as follows:

Chamberlain, George etal vs. Glasshoff, Peter etal

Financial dispute

yr. 1882; #1258; CF 37

From this we can surmise that Peter was born about 1844 in

Holstein Prussia, a northern German province and was a

farmer which he continues to be throughout his lifetime and

that he was married to Margaret Thiesen and had three daughters.

At this point in 1870 they had three daughters Catharine, Eliza, and Matilda listed.

Further research would find they have another child a son named Herman b 28 Nov 1875,and another son named William b 1875,and another son, Otto b 9 Mar 1881. There is also another daughter named Louisa b c. 1867.

I also found a marriage announcement from the Sherman Tribune for an Emma Glasshof marrying a Sherman "Sherm" Burnside on 6 Aug, 1887 with their marriage taking place in Stevens Point, WI. The groom was the

son of a J. S. Burnside of Thorp, Clark Co, WI.

From Peter’s obituary it is listed he had thirteen children but I have not found the other five children.

From his son, Herman Glassoff’s obit we can surmise that Peter & Margaretha came to Clark Co. WI   in 1883.

Peter’s own obituary states Peter was a well known farmer of the town of

Worden, Clark Co. WI.

His obituary states that he was found dead in a ditch beside the railroad track about two and a half miles west of Worden. He had according to the obit a serious drinking problem the last several years of his life and the saloon-keepers of Worden would not serve him so he went to the neighboring town of Stanley and was on his way home when he died.

His death was a mystery and a post mortem  examination was done by two Doctors, Dr. McCutcheion and Dr. McKittrick and their conclusion was that other than a broken arm between the elbow and shoulder Mr Glassoff had no apparent injuries and they believed his principal cause of death was exposure to the elements.

He was fifty-three years old at the time of his death on 27 April1 1897

and he left a widow and thirteen children.

Rev L Speers of the M.E. Church conducted the funeral and his pall bearers were Civil War veterans.

The following Glasshof family members are buried at the East Thorp Village Cemetery, Withee Tsp, Clark Co. WI:

Bertha Glasshof b 8 Feb 1888 d 5 June 1959 husband William Glassoff m about 1907  parents August & Bertha (Shuett) Sodenberg

C. Glasshof   no dates   veteran 

Chester V Glasshof b 28 April 1903 d 21 July 1990   wife Hester L m about 1928   parents Frederick & Effie (LaFlex) Glassoff

Emma Glasshof b 18 July 1885 d 31 Dec 1961 husband Otto Glassoff

Parents August & Bertha (Schuett) Sodenberg

Hester L Glasshof b 21 Dec 1904 d Mar 1986  husband Chester V Glassoff

M about 1928

Louisa Glasshof b 1867 d 4 Oct 1882   single  parents Peter & Margaretha

(Thiessen) Glasshof

Otto Glasshof b 9 Mar 1881 d Aug 1962 wife Emma Soderberg  m Jan 1902; parents   Peter & Margaretha (Thiessen) Glasshof

Peter  Glasshof b 1843?  D 22 or 29 Apr 1897 wife Margaretha Thiessen.

Lani note/Feb 2006 I think we can surmise from census records of 1870 Calumet Co. WI that Peter was born between 1843 and 1844. His Death date in his obit lists 22 April 1897

Ronald Glasshof b 15 Mar 1909 d 12 July 1995   WWII Pvt. US Army Dt 4^th   Serv.   Command   parents Otto & Emma (Sodenberg) Glasshof.

William Glasshof b 1878 d 15 Feb 1951 wife Bertha Sodenberg M about 1907   parents Peter & Margaretha Glasshof

From the obituary of Herman Glasshof:

Herman Glasshoff, son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Glasshoff died on Sunday evening last of inflammation of the bowels at the home of his parents in the town of Worden, Clark Co. WI.  About three weeks ago Herman started for the Minnesota harvest fields and was working near Lake City when taken ill. He returned home on Friday last in a precarious condition and grew constantly worse until death ended his sufferings. He was born In Calumet Co. WI on Nov 28,1875 and came here with his parents in 1883. The funeral occurred from the M.E. Church on Monday at 8 p.m. Rev JB Bachman officiating.

Lani note/ Feb 2006 The obit did not list where he was buried and he is not listed in the East Thorp Cemetery nor could I find a burial place for Margaretha  (Thiessan) Glasshof.

William & Bertha (Soderberg) Glasshof's wedding picture (circa 1907) came to us from a collection once owned by Shirley Asselin of Racine, WI. Bertha was one of ten children born to August & Bertha (Schuett) Soderberg. She was named for her mother sadly her father, August Soderberg died of stomach cancer the year before the wedding.

Contributed by Thorp Area Musuem.

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