Lookup, JOHN A. STEINBECK, b. 1832 Germany served in Civil war presumably for Fl. Conscripted against will.
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Lookup, JOHN A. STEINBECK, b. 1832 Germany served in Civil war presumably for Fl. Conscripted against will.
I am doing research on the ancestry of Author JOHN E. STEINBECK, b. 1902 Salinas, CA. JOHN A. STEINBECK was his grandfather. Wondering if there might be records of his service. See item below.
From website: http://www.gilroydispatch.com/lifestyles/contentview.asp?c=1...
(excerpt)
The South Valley-Steinbeck connection begins with Johann Adolph Grosssteinbeck's birth in Germany in 1832. At 17, he journeyed with his brother Frederick to Palestine to manufacture olive wood souvenirs for tourists. There in 1855, Johann met Almira Dickson, the daughter of an American missionary. They married and moved to Jerusalem to start a farm. The following year, the couple had a child they named Charles.
One night, Arab tribesmen attacked the Grosssteinbeck farm, killing Frederick and raping his wife Mary. The devastation of the raid made Johann decide to sail to the United States. On the arduous six-month voyage to Massachusetts, Johann took on an anglicized name -- John A. Steinbeck.
The Steinbecks faced one harsh New England winter, then decided to move to Florida's much warmer clime. In St. Augustine, the family grew with the addition of two more boys: Herbert and Frankie.
The Civil War began in 1861 and Almira took her three sons to safety in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, John - who was no Southern sympathizer - found himself conscripted against his will into the Confederate Army. He eventually used a ruse to get out by swapping his uniform for the suit of a dead man.
John walked all the way north to Massachusetts. Upon arriving at the family home's back door, Almira answered his knocked with an astonished cry, "John Steinbeck, how you look!"
The couple had three more sons: John Ernst, Wilhelm Peta and Harry Eugene. For 10 years, John worked as a mechanic making pianos in Massachusetts. Growing tired of the cold weather, in 1873 he headed west by train to find a new home for his family.
On the West Coast, John learned about a new farming community being constructed in San Benito County. The town of Hollister desperately needed carpenters, and so John easily found a job. He sent a telegram back to Almira telling her to come out west to California. On Nov. 25, 1874, he met his family at Hollister's train depot.
Four years later, the Steinbeck family bought a Victorian home and 10 acres bordering South and Line streets in Hollister. John started a dairy ranch there and built a successful business.
Grown up, John's son Ernst settled in the Salinas Valley where in King City he met a lovely schoolteacher named Olive Hamilton. The couple married and on Feb. 27, 1902, they had a baby they named "John Steinbeck" in honor of the child's adventurous grandfather. The boy grew up to become a Noble Prize-winning writer.
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From website: http://www.gilroydispatch.com/lifestyles/contentview.asp?c=1...
(excerpt)
The South Valley-Steinbeck connection begins with Johann Adolph Grosssteinbeck's birth in Germany in 1832. At 17, he journeyed with his brother Frederick to Palestine to manufacture olive wood souvenirs for tourists. There in 1855, Johann met Almira Dickson, the daughter of an American missionary. They married and moved to Jerusalem to start a farm. The following year, the couple had a child they named Charles.
One night, Arab tribesmen attacked the Grosssteinbeck farm, killing Frederick and raping his wife Mary. The devastation of the raid made Johann decide to sail to the United States. On the arduous six-month voyage to Massachusetts, Johann took on an anglicized name -- John A. Steinbeck.
The Steinbecks faced one harsh New England winter, then decided to move to Florida's much warmer clime. In St. Augustine, the family grew with the addition of two more boys: Herbert and Frankie.
The Civil War began in 1861 and Almira took her three sons to safety in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, John - who was no Southern sympathizer - found himself conscripted against his will into the Confederate Army. He eventually used a ruse to get out by swapping his uniform for the suit of a dead man.
John walked all the way north to Massachusetts. Upon arriving at the family home's back door, Almira answered his knocked with an astonished cry, "John Steinbeck, how you look!"
The couple had three more sons: John Ernst, Wilhelm Peta and Harry Eugene. For 10 years, John worked as a mechanic making pianos in Massachusetts. Growing tired of the cold weather, in 1873 he headed west by train to find a new home for his family.
On the West Coast, John learned about a new farming community being constructed in San Benito County. The town of Hollister desperately needed carpenters, and so John easily found a job. He sent a telegram back to Almira telling her to come out west to California. On Nov. 25, 1874, he met his family at Hollister's train depot.
Four years later, the Steinbeck family bought a Victorian home and 10 acres bordering South and Line streets in Hollister. John started a dairy ranch there and built a successful business.
Grown up, John's son Ernst settled in the Salinas Valley where in King City he met a lovely schoolteacher named Olive Hamilton. The couple married and on Feb. 27, 1902, they had a baby they named "John Steinbeck" in honor of the child's adventurous grandfather. The boy grew up to become a Noble Prize-winning writer.
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