Hirlinger
Anton Hirlinger
Closing on letter from Anton Hirlinger to the
Honorable V. Warner, Commissioner of Pensions, Washington, DC (February 21,
1907).
Nothing is currently known about Anton’s
siblings or his early life in Prussia.
He emigrated from Prussia and left Le Havre, France, on the ship Lemuel
Dyer. Along with Silver (Sylvester)
Hirlinger (age 34), Barbra Hirlinger (age 34), and Teodora Hirlinger (age 7),
Anton (age 15) arrived in the port of New Orleans on 27 April 1854. We now know, thanks to John Dietz's research, that Silver is actually his maternal uncle.
From 1854 to about 16 April 1873, Anton
lived in various places along the Mississippi River. He worked as a sailor during this
time. Based on his application
for military pension, Anton lived in New Orleans, Louisiana; Cincinnati,
Ohio; and St. Louis, Missouri. Later
when he attempted to prove his former nationality, Anton related in an
affidavit that his Prussian "passport was destroyed in a fire which consumed the house at
which he boarded in New Orleans Louisiana in the autumn of 1858." When war broke out, Anton was in New
Orleans. On 4 September 1862, he
decided to enlist in the Union Army and was mustered into Company K, 2nd Regiment Louisiana Infantry for a
period of three years. He remained
attached to Company K for the entire war and saw action in various skirmishes
and battles in the Louisiana area including Port Hudson, Sabine Pass, Red
River Campaign and Natchitoches.
Anton received a promotion to Corporal on 1 February 1864 and was
appointed and warranted promotion on 1 March 1864. Prior to his mustering out, Corporal
Hirlinger was due $26.66 for his clothing account and $75.00 for his bounty. These accounts were “Last Settled” on
14 October 1864, many months before he was actually released from
service. His last pay was issued
on 28 February 1865. An
interesting item of note: although he performed well during his time, Anton
owed the US Government $0.20 for loss of ordnance! Anton was mustered out of the 2nd
Louisiana on 11 September 1865. On his muster-out roll, Anton was listed as a
corporal, age 20. Clearly, the
age is wrong as he was also listed as age 20 when he mustered in! But also, as Anton was born in 1839,
he should have been 23 years old when he enlisted. This discrepancy will come back to haunt Anton later in
life when he petitions for his pension. (The Commissioner of Pensions stated,
“Respectfully
return to the Military Secretary, War Dept. With the request that he state
whether the soldier’s age at date of enlistment is correctly given in his
report of June 4, 1904. Claimant alleges that he was 23 years old at that
date.” The War Department’s Military Secretary replied, “Respectfully returned to
the Commissioner of Pensions, Jul 28 1904, with the information that in case
of Anton Hirlinger Co. K 2 La Inft (Mtd) M.I Roll of Co. dated Oct 23/62
shows age 20 years.”) After leaving the Army, Anton continued
plying his trade as a sailor. On one of his stays in New Orleans, he met a
young, newly arrived immigrant from Germany. In 1870, Anton married
Catherina Margarethe Christina Finke in New Orleans. Catherine is listed
as immigrating to the United States on 16 November 1868. She arrived on the
ship Hermine from Bremen, Germany, and was listed as a servant. There
appears to be no other Finkes listed on that ship's manifest. Even though he was married, Anton continued
following the sea. Between 1870
and 1873, he was a captain of a vessel (its name has been lost). During this period, Catherina blessed
Anton with the birth of Rosina Christina (10 May 1871) and John (5 March
1873). Unfortunately, John died just one week later. Evidently, Anton tired of the separation
from Catherina and his child so they decided to take advantage of his Union
Army service and apply for a land grant in Colorado. Anton and Catherina tried their hand at
ranching. According to the Bureau
of Land Management records, Anton purchased 152.6 acres of land on 10
November 1882. This land was bought under the Sale-Cash Entry authority (3
Stat 566) of 24 April 1820. Their land was just south of the Arkansas River,
northeast of Granada, Colorado. Anton
would stay in Colorado until about 8 July 1890. While there, Anton and Catherina’s family grew by another seven
children: John Joseph (10 March 1874), Helena (29 September 1875), Anton
Dennis (22 February 1877), Flora (3 August 1878), Matilda (27 April 1881),
Ida (2 March 1883) and Mary Elizabeth (26 August 1887). There have been no reasons stated as to why
Anton and Catherina decided to sell their land in Colorado and move to Cambridge,
Clay County, Texas. But in 1890,
they relocated the entire family to this small town near Henrietta. In 1904, Anton applied for his pension to
the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Pensions. He obviously applied for
a pension due to his health – "That he is in part incapacitated for
earning a support by manual labor by reason of age, and Rheumatism."
The Bureau of Pensions also asked him
to complete a form to help them identify him. When asked if there were any
permanent marks or scars on his person, Anton replied, "Scar over left
Eye, one on left side top of head and one on right leg." During these attempts, we find that Anton cannot
have access to his records at Salmendingen since he “failed to report himself
for Military Service as required by the laws of Prussia.”
However, his lawyers contacted the mayor of Salmendingen on his behalf
and received certification of Anton’s birth. After several letters and sworn statements,
he received his $30 per month pension. Later, in 1909, after extensive
requests and affidavits, his pension was increased to $40 per month. On his
Declaration of Pension, Anton is described as: “... his personal description at
enlistment was as follows: Height, 5 feet 7 inches; complexion, Fair; color
of eyes, Brown; color of hair, Black; that his occupation was Laborer; that
he was born January, 19th, 1839, at Salmendingen, Prussia,
Germany.” Sometime in 1908, Anton moved to Corpus
Christie, Texas (possibly to see the ocean once again). However, he returned to Clay County
in early 1910. As he grew older, Anton took up a new
career – vinyardist (according to the 1910 Clay County census). Several contemporary sources indicate
that his wine was ‘of excellent quality’ and ‘very worthy of
drinking’. When Catherina died (12 January 1911, aged
64, in Woodward, Oklahoma), Anton wrote a beautiful poem for her headstone
that showed his love for his wife of 41 years. In January 1915, well after
Catherina died, Anton received a questionnaire from the Bureau of Pensions.
Question 8 asked, “Are you now living with your wife, or has there been a
separation?” Clearly showing how much he loved Catharina, Anton’s response
was “Death
was our only Seperation, and I am living from Place to Place among my
Children, all Married.” Anton died at age 79 on 24 June 1918. Both
Anton and Catherina are buried at Hope Cemetery, Henrietta, Texas. Anton was a life-long Catholic
and Catherina was a member of the German Lutheran Church. Here are the obituaries for Anton and Catherine. And, although not a very good reproduction, this is a picture of Anton and Catherine taken just after the turn of the century. Mathilda
Hirlinger Tillie died on 21 January 1952 of possible coronary thrombosis with diabetes as a contributing factor. She is buried at Hope Cemetery, Henrietta, Texas. Here is her obituary. Matilda Spangler, a resident of Wichita Falls 22 years, died at the home of her son, Willard Spangler, 1305 Burnett, Monday night. She was 70 years old. She was born in Granada Colorado, April 27 1881 and lived in Henrietta for many years prior to moving here. She resided at 1606 Burnett. Funeral services will be held from the Hampton-Vaughan-Merkle Funeral Chapel Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. followed by burial in Hope Cemetery of Henrietta. Reverand James Delaney Pastor of the First Christian Church of Henrietta, will fficiate. Survivors include three sons, Charles Spangler of Henrietta, Theodore Spangler and Willard Spangler of Wichita Falls; four daughters, Mrs. Ellen Goehring of Henrietta, Mrs. R.L. Moody of Wichita Falls, Mrs. Katherine Wirtz of Beaumont and Miss Genevieve Spangler of Wichita Falls; four sisters, Mrs. G.F. Campbell of Wichita Falls, Mrs. Mary Spangler of Wichita Falls, Mrs. Rose Mabry of Wichita Falls, and Mrs. Flora Huber of Dallas; and one brother, John Hirlinger of Olney. |
Sources (not necessarily a
complete listing):
Obituary, Anton Hirlinger,
Henrietta Independent.
Obituary, Catherine
Hirlinger, Henrietta Independent.
Obituary, Mathilda Spangler,
Henrietta Independent.
US Geologic Survey
topographic map.
Land Patent #2356, US
Department of the Interior.
Passenger Manifest, Lemuel
Dyer, Port of New Orleans.
Passenger Manifest, Hermine,
Port of New Orleans.
Marriage Consent, New
Orleans, between Anton Hirlinger and Catherina Finke.
Marriage Obligation, New
Orleans, between Anton Hirlinger and Catherina Finke.
Birth Certificate, Anton
Hirlinger, Quakenbruck, Germany.
Military Pension Papers,
Anton Hirlinger.
Correspondence concerning
Anton Hirlinger between Commissioner of Pensions and Wm. Fletcher & Co,
Attorneys.
Application Forms, Anton
Hirlinger to Department of the Interior, Bureau of Pensions.
US Army, muster sheets (1862
to 1865).
War Department, Records of
Pensioners.
Declaration for Pension.
Claimants Affidavit and
Additional Evidence for Pension request.
US Federal Census.