by Gregory Kopp
Sigel came out of the house. His horse was tied to the fence. He jumped on his horse, and shouted, “Let’s go” and he began to walk his horse in the direction of Koblenz and the men marched behind him. After several hours, the rag tag army arrived at a clearing on the road to Koblenz. Another large group of men were standing and sitting in groups. They all jumped to attention when they saw Sigel. Sigel shouted, “I told you I would bring more volunteers!” He smiled as he spoke. They all cheered. “All right, now let’s make a camp before we all starve,” Sigel said. Several of the men had already begun making fires for cooking. Sigel jumped from his horse and pointed at a wagon at the edge of the clearing and shouted, “There is your food, now grab what you need. We’ll start drilling in the morning. I will make a true army out of you.” The men rushed to the wagon. Someone inside began handing out small parcels containing some potatoes, carrots and other produce. Even a small amount of meat was inside. The men grabbed the parcels and retreated to their fires.
Chapter Four
The next day, there was excitement in the city of Karlsruhe. News had arrived that there was going to be an announcement about a new Baden Republic. Cheering was heard throughout the city and guns were heard firing in the air. News was spreading that the Grand Duke had abdicated and already left the city. This would be a new day in the Duchy of Baden! An impromptu parade started in the outlying part of the city and was making its way to the center of Karlsruhe. Stanislaus and his fellow soldiers returned to Karlsruhe and hurriedly joined the marchers as they wound down the cobblestoned streets of the city. There were young and old working men marching along with soldiers that had left the Grand Duke’s army. Leading this parade was the dashing Franz Sigel. They were waving the new black, red and gold tri-color flags. The spectators were cheering and waving as they passed by. They were headed for the center of the capital and as he joined them, Stanislaus was flushed with excitement. He saw his friend Johannes who was shouting out orders to the rag tag army, “Left, right, left; come on you,” as he stared at a young pretend soldier; “let us show them what we can do!” Johannes was wearing a bright new handmade uniform with several more ribbons to show that he was an officer. He spotted Stanislaus and smiled at him as he marched.
Later, a newspaper story published in The Sydney Morning Herald on September 6, 1849 described the revolutionary chaos in the Duchy of Baden during that time:
“A letter from Karlsruhe on the 14th May, in the Frankfurter Zeitung, states the Grand Duke of Baden has fled from his capital under escort of a troop of horse and artillery. Karlsruhe itself is asserted to be in a state bordering upon anarchy, part of the garrison having followed the example of the mutineers in Rastadt. The National Guards attempted to uphold the government but divided among themselves, and without leaders, they are not likely to prevail against a military riot. A provisional government, composed of the ultra-Radicals, Chriss, Brentano and Peters is spoken of. The wealthier among the citizens and all strangers are leaving the town. The mutiny commenced by large masses of soldiers and recruits insisting on being discharged from the service and allowed to return to their homes. They attempted to storm the arsenal but were beaten back by the National Guard, which defended that building. They were then attacked by a troop of dragoons, which they in their turn repulsed. The officer in command of the dragoons was killed. .... The mass of the insurgents were being reinforced by 20,000 troops from Meintz and all the shops and manufactories at Meintz are closed. The workmen having gone to the Palatinate. Trade is at a standstill, confusion is predominant, and more terrible dangers are impending.”
The revolution in Baden lasted only two months. Political exiles from previous attempts at a democratic revolution in Baden swarmed into the country demanding changes including universal manhood suffrage, removal of feudal dues, a national pension, and a national guard with elected officers instead of a standing army. Immediately, the 1849 Baden democratic revolution faced strategic problems. While the republic in Baden was being founded, the Prussian king had crushed a similar uprising in the kingdom of Saxony. After the suppression, the Prussian soldiers were boarding trains to suppress the revolution in other parts of the southwestern German states including Baden. The bedraggled revolutionary army led by Sigel was no match to the well trained Prussian army and was quickly defeated. Sigel was last seen on his horse galloping away to Switzerland. The revolution was over.
After the final battle, Stanislaus was tired, and had been wounded by the sword from a mounted Prussian soldier. All he wanted was to go home to his family. He grabbed his bag of tools and turned in the opposite direction away from the triumphant Prussian army and headed home. As he grew close to home, he spotted his beloved fiancé outside working in the garden.
At first, she didn’t recognize him as he was covered with mud and dried blood but soon she saw who he was and rushed to him, grabbed him, and gave him a strong embrace. He kissed her tenderly. She had tears in her eyes as she whispered to him, “I am so glad to see you. I thought I had lost you forever.” He whispered back, “Hush, I am here now. Let’s just go home.” They started walking toward the doorway of their home. He limped noticeably due to the wound in his leg and thought, “What would happen to the soldiers of the old republic as they also arrived home? Would they all be rounded up and killed?” He shuddered at the loss of life and the violence he witnessed on the battlefield. The Prussian soldiers showed no mercy. Even those revolutionary soldiers that surrendered were slaughtered by the Prussians on the battlefield.
The Grand Duke was not as harsh as he could be to the marchers and the remaining revolutionary army officers after he returned to Baden. But quietly, any remaining Baden Republic ring leaders were rounded up and taken to the Grand Duke’s castle, where their trials were quick and perfunctory. Twenty seven of the ringleaders were found guilty and ordered executed. On the day of the executions, a large crowd gathered in the square outside of the Grand Duke’s castle for the executions. Stanislaus forced his way through the crowd to the edge of the square. He watched in horror as the 27 revolutionaries were shot by Prussian soldiers. He turned his eyes way when he saw one of his former friends writhing in pain on the ground. The captain of the Prussian execution soldiers’ detail came up to his friend and shot him in the head with his pistol. The last vestiges of the glorious democratic republic of Baden were gone. Only misery and the Prussian army occupation remained. He sighed and went back home.
Chapter Five
Back in the present day, shaking his head, Stanislaus woke from his day dreams as they arrived at the train station in Antwerp in late January, 1853 after the exhausting march from Karlsruhe and the long train ride in the drafty train cars. He knew they needed a place to spend the night. Their ship, the Barque Maria Theresia was not scheduled to leave until March 1. They would need to gather food and provisions for the long voyage. They went to the wharf and talked to the Harbor Master and asked whether they could sleep on the ship while it was docked. The Harbor Master was nowhere to be seen so they gave up and walked the streets of Antwerp looking for a place to stay. They had heard during the long march that there was lodging near the harbor. They began knocking on the doors of the buildings near the harbor and inquired where the closest guest house could be found. The occupants of the buildings all spoke Dutch but did understand some of their German language. One man pointed down the street to another disheveled building. As they approached it, they realized it was already full with other refugees, and many were standing in the street. By this time, his children were hungry, and he and his wife were tired from carrying the children and walking the streets of the city. The proprietor told them they could share a room with another family from Baden if they paid full price, so they gladly accepted and retired to their room. The room only contained two beds, a few pieces of furniture and a single chair. The other family had already settled into the room so they requested them to move their belongings to the side and made do with what they could with the remainder of the living spa
ce. Karolina fed the children the remainder of the food they had carried with them from Baden. Stanislaus realized he would need to find food and drink in the shops of Antwerp tomorrow. Exhausted, the family shared the single bed and what space they could in their portion of the room and fell fast sleep.
The next morning Stanislaus rose early and went down to the Antwerp docks to find the Harbor Master. He found him in his office and inquired where to find the E.D.Hurlbut & Co.’s sailing ships. Stanislaus and his family had been given passage from the Baden government on the Barque Maria Theresia and he wondered when she was due to arrive. The Harbor Master checked his schedules and informed him she would be arriving in a few days and was scheduled to depart for America on March 1. Stanislaus realized he would need a place to stay with his family and a means to make some money until their departure for America. He asked the Harbor Master, “Is there any inexpensive lodging available? Is there any work for a stonemason in this city?”
The Harbor Master just shook his head and said, “No.” The Dutch were charging tolls to all the ships entering and leaving the harbor and there was not a lot of work as a result. Stanislaus thanked him and returned to the guest house.
He found his family awake. His wife was trying to stretch the remainder of the bread for breakfast for the children. He took out his wallet and counted the remainder of the money they had brought with them. Stanislaus managed to find work in the city as they waited to board the ship which would take them to America as craftsman like him were in short supply. Unfortunately, he was forced to register with the Antwerp police and they watched him closely as he worked around the city at various building sites. Finally, the day of their departure to America arrived.
Stanislaus and his wife and two children arrived at the dock and looked for the Barque Maria Theresia. They spotted the ship at the end of the wharf and walked towards it carrying what little belongings they had left from their journey from Karlsruhe and several useful things like pots and clothing they were able to salvage from the trash thrown out by the residents of Antwerp. Arriving at the ship, he presented the tattered boarding ticket he received from the Prussian soldiers to the sailor guarding the entrance. The sailor grabbed the ticket, handed them a small bundle of food and motioned them board. The other sailors standing on the ship pointed them to a ladder that led below deck as they walked up the gangway.
Stanislaus and his family slowly climbed down the ladder as their eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light in the hold of the ship. They saw that there was already a large group of passengers that had boarded earlier in the day. Lanterns were hung from the ships timbers and shined with a smoky glow, barely cutting through the darkness of the hold. Several of the passengers were coughing. The entire hold smelled badly from over flowing toilet buckets scattered throughout. A woman was trying to cook with a small pot over a portable make ship stove but the fire kept going out. Karolina steered the family towards what looked like a small window with a little light coming through the opening. She thought to herself that at least they would have fresh air, even though it would be cold. Stanislaus placed a small blanket over the window hole that would allow them to open and close it at will. He spread open the small bag of provisions that were given to him when he boarded the ship. It contained some dried beans and a small amount of lard and pork meat. There was a flask that they could use for drinking water. Karolina had found a pot during her scavenging in the streets of Antwerp. She slowly placed a portion of the pork meat in the pot and covered it with water. She moved the makeshift stove closer to the window in their area in the hold of the ship. She lit the pieces of burnt wood in the stove and placed the pot on the stove. She carefully unwrapped the treasure she had brought with them from Baden – salt - which she used to season the pork meat. After heating the homemade soup she took mugs she brought with her from Karlsruhe and ladled in the soup. Her family was grateful for the warm liquid and ate it ravenously. Next, she unfolded the blankets she had brought from Baden and draped them over the rough-hewn wooden bunks attached to the side of the hold. She shared one bunk with her two sons and her husband slept in the second. She held her two sons closely, huddling together for warmth as they heard the shouts of the captain and crew as it prepared to make sail for America. The Barque Maria Theresia slowly sailed out of the Antwerp harbor and headed for the North Atlantic.
Chapter Six
Small portions of dried pork and water were given to the passengers each day until the end of the ocean voyage. Several passengers, already ill from the journey from their home country died during the voyage and were buried at sea. Their bodies were thrown overboard after a few simple words were said by the captain. Respiratory illnesses began to spread like wildfire from passenger to passenger in the hold. Stanislaus’s two children continued to have chest congestion from their illnesses in Baden and Karolina would hold them close to the opening in the ship in order to receive cold fresh air to help their breathing. They all huddled next to their makeshift stove to stay warm during most of the voyage. All of the passengers traveling in steerage were rarely allowed to go up on deck for fresh air. Finally, the ship landed in New York Harbor on April 26, 1853 after a voyage of 56 days.
The ship tied up to the wharf but none of the 246 passengers were allowed to leave until the ship’s master had counted and documented each one of them on a manifest for the New York harbor master. After such a long voyage the wait for the passengers to disembark was pure agony. The Barque Maria Theresia’s master wanted to make sure it was accurate in order to sign off the document. The ship's crew rounded up the passengers and the ship’s master counted every one. When he was sure he documented them all they were released and told to gather their belongings and leave the ship.
As he walked down the gangway on April 27, 1853, Stanislaus was amazed at the sights he saw in New York City. There were hundreds of ships in the harbor and buildings under construction dotted the skyline. Meanwhile, Karolina was anxious. She was frightened that the letter she had written and given to the local priest in Karlsruhe so long ago had not been delivered and there would be no one waiting for them when they arrived in New York. She slowly walked down the gangway and anxiously scanned the waiting crowd for a familiar face.
"Karolina, over here!” she heard shouted from the mass of people at the dock. She turned quickly and saw her Ohio cousin waving a white handkerchief. She let out a sigh of relief and holding her youngest, hurried the family down the gangplank. She never wanted to see an ocean going vessel again. Stanislaus walked more slowly, not sure what this new world would have in store for him. He had little money left, only the clothes on his back and some belongings that he saved from the thieves during the ocean voyage. He had a nagging cough and his legs were stiff after being in the ship’s hold for so many days. As he reached the dock, his wife’s family reached them and began shaking their hands, and slapping him on the back. “We waited for days for you to arrive,” a plump female cousin said excitedly. “We hoped you were on this ship so we could go back home to Ohio”. His children were swept up by this friendly cousin and given big hugs.
Stanislaus realized he was in his new home country. He bent down to gather his belongings and follow the trail of family members and friends when out of the corner of his eye he saw a poster written in German attached to a timber on the dock. It was a poster encouraging anyone available to come and listen to a talk about saving the Republic of the United States of America. The speaker’s name was Franz Sigil. Karolina glanced at him and saw him staring at the poster. Her back stiffened in alarm and she reached for his hand. He turned toward her, smiled and just shook his head as they continued to walk.
Next: A journey to Ohio and the saving of the Republic!
Afterword
My father Stanley James Kopp spent several years of his life researching, without the use of modern day internet tools, our family history after his first wife (Mary, our mother) died. He published his account in the book, Our Family and inspired me to continue the
research with the help of new online genealogy tools and websites.
My own journey (and the basis of these chronicles) started in discovering where my great-great-grandfather Stanislaus “Nicholas” Kopp had settled in Ohio, and where I had also lived for a time. Stanislaus came to this country in 1853 from the Grand Duchy of Baden now known as Baden-Württemberg in Southwestern Germany. My father was named after him as was his father before him. Only their names had been shortened to Stanley in the English tradition. My children Nicholas and Robert Stanley carried on this naming tradition.
With the help of internet online tools, I was able to discover the history of my ancestors which I will share through the Kopp Chronicles.
Appendix One – Stanislaus’s birth
Stanislaus “Nicholas” Kopp was born on May 7, 1826 in Sulz a small village in the Grand Duchy of Baden which is now in modern day southwest Germany. The following is Stanislaus’ birth record:
Appendix Two – Stanislaus’s mother
His mother’s name was Apollonia Maria Theresia Kopp and she was born on February 6, 1787. But who was his father? This record shows that she was unmarried. She died on February 20, 1844.
Apollonia Maria Theresia Kopp’s death record discovered from the Freiburg archives:
Appendix Three – Stanislaus’s grand parents
Apollonia’s mother and father were Apollonia Kollmer Kopp and Fidel Kopp. Fidel lived from March 12, 1761 in Seebach, Achern, Baden, until March 29, 1835. Apollonia lived from February 8, 1763 until June 14, 1837. Fidel also had an infant sister that lived from July 11, 1841 to October 11, 1842. Fidel’s record of death from the Freiburg archives: