Family Stories - Carl Dietrich Siegfried Berg

For the last 30 odd years I've been collecting information about our ancestors - mostly facts gleaned from census records, tombstones, church histories, probate records, deeds, and information published by other genealogists. Most of what can be found using those sources are dry facts like birth, marriage, and death dates, places of residence, etc. But, occasionally a human interest story comes to light that puts a little more reality into the life of the ancestor. I've posted a few stories about our ancestors before, but thought it might be interesting to try to get them all together.

I'll start with my great grandfather Berg since this was the search that got me started on this hobby of genealogy.

Carl Dietrich Siegfried Berg, at the age of 23, completed his three year tour of duty with the Prussian army in 1853. Prospects of a good life in Germany at the time were not good. Through no fault of his own, he bore the stigma of illegitimacy. He probably never knew who his father was, though one story has it that the father was a prince from a neighboring province, who was refused permission to marry out of his class. Or, it may have been a soldier from the occupying army of Napoleon. His mother married a local laborer when Carl was four years old, but it was not a happy situation.

Before joining the Prussian army, Carl had apprenticed at cabinet and furniture making, but there was no work to be had when he was discharged. I still have a chest of drawers that he made after coming to America. Oddly, he was listed as a shoemaker on the passenger list of the vessel he came to America on. Perhaps one reason he couldn't find work had to do with something his older brother (also illegitimate) had done.

Friedrich Wilhelm Christian Berg was four years older than Carl. How much of this is true is uncertain, but the story has survived 150 years with the Berg family still in Germany. Friedrich claimed to have discovered a rich coal mine near the village of Quetzen in northern Germany. He sold shares in the mine to the villagers, then pocketed the money and set sail for America, leaving the villagers holding the bag. It was all a hoax as there was no coal. He had planted the evidence of coal. Obviously, this scandal left a bad taste in the minds of those that were hurt. Nonetheless, Friedrich had enough money to pay for first class passage on a ship bound for America. He settled in Logansport, Indiana, found a job with the railroad yards, and apparently became a model citizen there.

With prospects so poor, Carl contacted his brother in America and made the decision to join him in Logansport. He packed his meager belongings and found his way to the port of Bremen where he boarded a sailing ship - the Wieland - bound for New York. He had with him his pipe, his discharge certificate, a few items of clothing - primarily his army uniform, and a few coins, barely enough to pay for passage on the steerage deck. It was a rough crossing. The Wieland encountered a hurricane 30 days out and reported seeing several ships floundering with their riggings blown apart.

Among the 192 passengers on the Wieland was a 27 year old young lady by the name of Tiene Charlotte Lizette Busse. Tiene was an attractive servant girl headed for New York to start a new life. She and Carl met, and during the 54 day ocean passage they fell in love. She traveled with Carl from New York to Logansport, Indiana where they were married. Unfortunately, Carl only lived for a little over two years after arriving in Logansport, but that was long enough for a child to be born - my grandfather, Friedrich Christian Berg. Carl took sick and died when his son was only seven months old.

Wish I had some pictures of Carl Berg, but I don't.