Many immigrants with ties to Campbell County fought in the Civil War. Among these was Ferdinand Frommholz (whose name, like many others, appeared in various forms, such as Fromholz and Fromholtz.)
Born in Prussia on January 9, 1821, Ferdinand married Frances Hoffman on September 19, 1860, in Hamilton County, Ohio. He had two sons from a previous marriage, and Frances helped raise them, but the new couple did not produce any more children.
After the coming of the Civil War, he was drafted into company I of the 16th Kentucky Infantry on June 23, 1864. At that time, he stood 5 feet, 6 inches tall, had gray eyes, light hair, and a light complexion. His occupation was either a sailor or, more likely, a saddler, as records differ on this detail.
The 16th was a busy regiment while Ferdinand was an active soldier, taking part in William T. Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign, and then marching and fighting in Tennessee, including in important Union victories at the battles of Franklin and Nashville.
Soon after these contests in November and December of 1864, Ferdinand was listed as being sick in Tennessee in early January of 1865, and then in a general hospital in Covington starting January 5.
Unfortunately, he never was able to return to his regiment as an active soldier, as records in his file explain
One letter, from a surgeon of the 30th Wisconsin Infantry on July 3, 1865, noted that Ferdinand: “is suffering from chronic diarrhea, and that in consequence thereof, he is, in my opinion, incapacitated for duty, and will be for the period of sixty days from this date.”
The military soon thereafter received a message about Ferdinand.
Alexandria, Campbell County, August 15, 1865
Major General (John M.) Palmer,
Comdg. Ky.
“Respectfully forwarded statement of death Ferdinand Fromholz of Co. I 16th Ky Infty., who was furloughed July 3, 1865 for 15 days and was at the time suffering from chronic diarrhea, and statement as such forwarded by his physician at this place attending him for not reporting at expiration of time. Mr. Fromholz died at this place on Saturday August 12th, 1865 of chronic diarrhea.”
“You will please forward statement of same to the proper office that his descriptive roll may be forwarded his wife at this place. She is in very destitute circumstances. Mr. Fromholz has never drawn any pay yet. Any and all attention will be thankfully appreciated by his wife.”
Respectfully,
Thomas Jones,
Campbell County Court
A notation on the side of the page reads: “W. B. Harland, assistant adjt. General. Please forward all necessary steps to be taken…and oblige Mrs. Fromholz.”
A Campbell County physician, Hugh Knox Rachford, also recorded his observations: “I examined and rendered medical attendance to Ferdinand from July 6th, 1865 until the time of his death.”
Ferdinand “was laboring under chronic diarrhea in an advanced form with some affliction of the lungs.” His condition was so bad that “he was not at any time able to leave his room from the time I saw him until the time of his death.”
Ferdinand’s body was interred in what is now known as St. Paul’s Church Cemetery in Alexandria, also called St. Paul Evangelical Reform Church Cemetery.
His widow Frances had been born in Germany around 1825 or 1826. She filed for her widow’s pension in May of 1866 and did receive $8 per month, plus $2 per month for each child until they turned age 16, one in 1866 and the other in 1869. Her pension was effective August 13, 1865, the day after Ferdinand’s demise.
Frances remained in Campbell County for years, per the 1870 and 1880 census records.
Details of her death and burial information remain unknown, though her widow’s pension file shows that she was dropped from the pension rolls as of October 8, 1900 due to her death, and an administrator’s bond of her estate is dated April 2, 1900, with son Otto as the administrator. She may have been buried in an unmarked grave next to her husband.
Photo from findagrave memorial id 139012693
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