George H. Walther (November 28, 1828July 30, 1895) was a

German American German Americans (german: Deutschamerikaner, ) are Americans who have full or partial German ancestry. With an estimated size of approximately 43 million in 2019, German Americans are the largest of the self-reported ancestry groups by the Unite ...

immigrant, surveyor, and politician. He served as a

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

officer in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

and later served one term in the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

, representing the north side of the city of

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

Biography

Walther was born in the village of Betzigerode, in what was then the

Electorate of Hesse The Electorate of Hesse (german: Kurfürstentum Hessen), also known as Hesse-Kassel or Kurhessen, was a landgraviate whose prince was given the right to elect the Emperor by Napoleon. When the Holy Roman Empire was abolished in 1806, its prin ...

in the

German Confederation The German Confederation (german: Deutscher Bund, ) was an association of 39 predominantly German-speaking sovereign states in Central Europe. It was created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 as a replacement of the former Holy Roman Empire, w ...

. He attended the military academy at the nearby city of

Kassel Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel and the district of the same name and had 201,048 inhabitants in December 2020 ...

and worked as a civil engineer and surveyor. In 1855, Walther emigrated to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and settled in

Theresa Teresa (also Theresa, Therese; french: Thérèse) is a feminine given name. It originates in the Iberian Peninsula in late antiquity. Its derivation is uncertain, it may be derived from Greek θερίζω (''therízō'') "to harvest or rea ...

Dodge County, Wisconsin Dodge County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 89,396. Its county seat is Juneau. The county was created from the Wisconsin Territory in 1836 and organized in 1844. Dodge County com ...

. He served as county surveyor and drainage commissioner for Dodge County. Walther was also justice of the peace and revenue inspector. During the

, Walther served as captain of Company I in the

7th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment The 7th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was a component of the famous Iron Brigade in the Army of the Potomac throughout the war. Service The 7th Wisconsin was ...

and was wounded at the

Battle of Gainesville The Battle of Gainesville was an American Civil War engagement fought on August 17, 1864, when a Confederate force defeated Union detachments from Jacksonville, Florida. The result of the battle was the Confederate occupation of Gainesville for ...

. He later returned to service as major with the

34th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment The 34th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a conscripted infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 34th Wisconsin Infantry was composed of men drafted by state authorities under General Order No. 94 ...

and was then promoted to lieutenant colonel of the 35th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment. In 1866, Walther moved to

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

. In 1876, Walther served in the

on the Reform Party ticket. Walther died at his home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as a result of the wounds he suffered during the American Civil War.'Milwaukee Matters-Colonel George H. Walther,' Milwaukee Weekly Wisconsin, August 3, 1895, pg. 16

Personal life and family

George Walther married twice. His first wife was Margaret Juneau, a daughter of the founder of Milwaukee,

Solomon Juneau Solomon Laurent Juneau, or Laurent-Salomon Juneau (August 9, 1793 – November 14, 1856) was a French Canadian fur trader, land speculator, and politician who helped found the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was born in Repentigny, Quebec, Canad ...

References

External links

* 1828 births 1895 deaths Hessian emigrants to the United States People from Theresa, Wisconsin Politicians from Milwaukee People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War American surveyors American civil engineers Wisconsin Reformers (19th century) County officials in Wisconsin Members of the Wisconsin State Assembly 19th-century American politicians {{Wisconsin-WIAssembly-stub