I seek to avoid the mindless back breaking
work of a farmer by distilling hard spirits to sell directly to the consumer
thus avoiding the needless and foolish Federal Liquor Laws.
I was born in Indiana, in the eastern part of Marion County, in October of 1842
to a family of German Immigrants. My family had a farm near the town of
Cumberland, so I ended up working as a Farm Laborer for my father starting in
1847 when I was 5 years of age until I joined the Union Army in August of 1861.
When the Civil War broke out I enlisted as a Private in Co. G. of the 32nd
Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment (First German Regiment). The 32nd (First
German Regiment) was made up entirely of German immigrants or, like myself, the
sons of Germans that had settled in Indiana. Our Colonel was August Willich who
had served as an artillery officer in the Prussian Army for 19 years.
The 32nd (First German Regiment) fought at Rowlett's Station, Shiloh, the Siege of Corinth, the Battle of Stone's River, Chickamauga, and the Siege of Chattanooga
where the 32nd played a conspicuous part, when as part of now
General Willich's Brigade captured Orchard Knob on the 23rd, and at Missionary
Ridge on the 25th when General Willich ordered the assault on the Reb positions.
The 32nd Indiana and the 6th Ohio were the first Union troops to reach the top.
However, I didn’t make it to the top having suffered a severe leg wound during
the assault. Because of the wound I was mustered out of the service shortly
thereafter.
Upon returning to Indiana I refined and perfected the distilling process of corn
liquor while convalescing from my wound.
In the Fall of 1866 I decided to supplement my income by taking a job as a Wells
Fargo stagecoach guard. I held this position until April 1867 when I was
incarcerated as a prisoner at Michigan City State Penitentiary, for allegedly
robbing a Wells Fargo stagecoach.
Upon my release from prison in February 1870, I tried my hand a being a Hog
Merchant, and then accepted the position of Deputy Town Marshal for the Town of
Cumberland, Indiana, in May 1870. I remained in this position until October of
1873.
Since then I've taken to assisting passengers on the
Carthage-Knightstown-Shirley Railroad by “collecting” their “unwanted items”
such as watches, rings, stick pins, etc.