Last Modified 2/23/2001
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The Strahl Brothers

We have found that the Strahl family from Perry County Indiana arrived in the US from Derendingen, Switzerland in 1853. They journeyed to Leopold, Indiana. 8 years latter four of the 6 sons (from 2 marriages) joined the 35th Indiana Volunteer Regiment in the Civil War. The four sons were Philip, John, Francis and William. They spelled their last name either Strahl or Strehl. Each of the sons is discussed below. When they left home there father was 70 years old. The four boys were the only children left at home. Their two older brothers had moved to Owensboro, KY prior to the 1860 census (more than 45 miles over back roads and across the Ohio River). Their younger sister Anna Maria died in 1856 at age 21.

Their father and step mother died before the 1880 census.

Leopold was a town settled by Catholics trying to establish a settlement.

All of the Kasper Strahl's children were born in Derendingen, Switzerland. Kasper brought his third wife with him when he immigrated.

Father Mother Child Born Died Comment
Kasper Strahl
(Born: May 26, 1793, Died: Before 1880 Census)
Maria Ursula Schweingruber
(Born: Mar. 4, 1796, Died: Nov. 2, 1835)
Catharina 18 Oct. 1819 Infant Did not come to US.
Anna Maria 11 June 1821 Infant Did not come to US.
Ursus Josephus 7 Jan 1824 Infant Did not come to US.
Eusebius (Avis) 22 Mar 1826 14 Aug. 1891 Died in Owensboro Kentucky.
Did not serve in the CW.
Victor Aloysius 21 May 1828 22 April 1909 Died in Owensboro Kentucky.
Did not serve in the CW.
Johann Josephus Victor 7 Feb. 1830 Infant Did not come to US.
Johann Josef Ignatius 14 Oct. 1831 26 May 1884 Died in Leopold Indiana.
Oldest to serve in the Civil War.
Anna Maria 8 June 1835 20 Mar 1856 Died in Leopold Indiana.
Maria Anna ??? Infant Did not come to US.
AnnnaMaria Hofstetter
(Born: Feb. 29, 1810, Died: April 24, 1842)
Born at Bolken, Switzerland
Urs Philip Mar 6 1837 Dec 9 1863 Wounded at Lookout Mountain.
Died at Nashville.
Wilhelm Lukas 1839 June 13 1919 Died at National Home for Union Veterans
Francis Xaver Nov. 5 1840 Feb. 29, 1920 Died in Magnet Indiana
Anna Maria Mar 6, 1842 Infant
Maria Anna Schraier
(Born at Zuckwil, Switz, July 29, 1795, died before 1870 census) Died at Leopold.
No Children


I found a letter in the Indiana Archives that was written in late 1861 that discusses the captain of company D.

One of their fellow soldiers in the 35th was Christian Saalman. His story is presented at the linked web site. He was a sergeant in company D with the four Strahl boys. Christian meets Eugene Devillez at Andersonville who is from Leopold. Devillez helps Saalman die in a respectful manner and then takes his memory back to Leopold. He donated a statue to Saint Augustine Catholic Church in memory of the men who died at Andersonville.

All four brothers inlisted in the 30th Indiana in November 1861. The 30th remained at Camp Morton until January 1862. They then moved

  Philip Strahl

Philip who was born Mar 6, 1837, died from wounds suffered at Look Out Mountain, Tennessee on Dec 9, 1863. He was buried at Murfreesboro Tennessee.

  John Strahl

John and Philomina Strahl (and son Philip)                                                                       
John and Philomina Strahl (and son Philip, age 8)     Philip Strahl and Family (1926, on Leopold farm)  Philip and Beatrice in Front Yard

John was the oldest of the brothers that went to war. He ended up becoming the first to go home. On a forced march in the rain in February 1862, in his fourth month of service, John came down with a paralysis in his right side. He struggled with this the rest of the year and was discharged in October 1862, before their first battle, He returned home to Leopold. He married in 1871. His wife had two miscarriages and died. John then remarried in 1875. He had one daughter and one son, Phillip (named after John's brother). John died in 1884 as result of his paralysis.

Phillip went on to inherit the old home place. He married Beatrice Jarboe in 1898. He farmed the farm his grandfather had purchased when he had settled in Leopold in 1854.

                                  
Beatrice Jarboe at age 16    Philip and Friend               Philip and Beatrice Strahl        Philip and Beatrice Strahl in cabin.
(future wife of Philip)               (he is 20)

               
Beatrice and Philip        Beatrice and Philip on their Mules
Strahl by Cabin

In 1945, 92 years after the Strahls arrived in Leopold, one of Phillip's sons (Ernest) became a Catholic priest. About the same time, another son (James) was returning from the Pacific after fighting in W.W.II. How could they have know what would transpire after their deaths.

  Francis Strahl

Francis Xavier Strahl was the youngest of four brothers. He was born Nov 5, 1840. He was the only one of the four sons that returned from the war without any ailments (that we know of). He settled in Magnet, Indiana. He raised a family and lived until 1920 (age 79).


Francis Xavier Strahl


  William Strahl

William was born on October 14, 1839 in Switzerland. He was mustered in on August ??, 1861 as a Private in Co. D 35th. He was honorably discharged in Pulaski Tennessee on December 14, 1864. He applied for a disability pension on March 26th, 1881 from Perry County Indiana for an injury he suffered while moving a railroad car on March 20, 1862 in Nashville Tennessee. They rejected his first application. He had witnesses testify that he could not work due to his injury and could not do clerical work. He asked for a pension or a place to stay. In 1893 he reapplied for the pension. By 1907 he is listed as living at the National Soldiers Home in Washington County Tennessee. He applied for his pension on February 18, 1907 and received it on May 14, 1912. His pension was increased to $40 in 1918. He was listed at 5 foot 4 inches, dark complexion, gray eyes and dark hair. Occupation was listed as a farmer. He was listed as never married. He spent his last years in the National Soldiers Home in Washington County Tennessee. His name was spelled Strehl on his pension form. He died on June 13, 1919 of acute gastritis.

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