WI BIO - Dane Co - BARTSCH, August William
Biographical Review of Dane County, WI. Chicago: Biographical Review Pub. Co. 
1893. Vol I, pp 134-136

August William BARTSCH, now deceased, was born in Brandenburg, Prussian 
Germany, 01 Apr 1841, of good German ancestry. His father died when our 
subject was a small boy, and his mother was left with a family of four 
children, two sons and two daughters. About 1854 the family came to America, 
immediately settling upon a small farm near Ashapound, not far from 
Watertown, WI, and there the mother died, when past 70 years of age. Her 
name was Catherine BARTSCH, and both she and her husband were members of the 
Lutheran Church. [p 135]

Our subject remained with his mother until he became of age, and then came to 
Madison, Dane County, WI. His brother Fritz had died at the old home, where 
the family settled after coming to WI, leaving a family. His two sisters are 
yet living: Minnie, the wife of Mike LINDERT, a farmer of WI; and Emily, the 
widow of Jacob HEIMERL, and now lives in San Francisco, CA. Our subject was 
the youngest of the children, still young when he came to WI and learned the 
trade of blacksmith in the shop of a brother-in-law. Just about the time the 
war broke out, our subject attained his majority and he went into the army, 
in Company D, 26th WI Volunteer Infantry, and fought at Chancellorsville, 
Gettysburg, Mission Ridge, Buzzard's Roost, Resaca, Kenesaw Mountain, Peach 
Tree Creek, Atlanta and Sherman's march to the sea. A great many of the 
brave boys who went out to battle at that time never came back. Our subject 
soon won honors and was promoted, becoming 1st Lieutenant, taking part in the 
battle of Gettysburg. He was wounded in the left lobe of the lung and from 
this injury was confined to the hospital for some time, only getting back to 
his regiment just before the war closed, and was honorably discharged. He 
was brevetted Captain of Company D for bravery, as he had been in some 
serious engagements and did his duty with heroism and received other wounds, 
but none so serious as the one mentioned.

After the war August W. BARTSCH returned to Madison, WI, and for a few years 
engaged in the manufacture and wholesale cigar trade, and was successful in 
business from the start. But a cold settled upon his weak lungs and for two 
years he suffered, dying at last as much a martyr to his country's cause as 
if he had fallen on the field of battle. He was much missed, having been one 
of the leading young Germans of this city. He took great interest in all 
local enterprises. When the Governor's Guards were formed in this city he 
was made Captain and held the position until death. He was in politics a 
Republican, and was also a member of the leading German societies, and also 
belonged to the Masonic order.

In Madison, Dane County, WI, 28 May 1868, August William BARTSCH was married 
to Miss Johanna BAUS, who was born in Krefeld, near the river Rhine in 
Prussian Germany, 12 Apr 1848. She was the daughter of Richard and Sophia 
(HESS) BAUS, natives of a Rhine province, who there grew up and married, and 
there their two children were born. In 1851 they came to the U. S. in a 
sailing vessel and landed in NY, came to WI, and finally settled in Madison, 
where Mr. BAUS went into the cigar business with his son-in-law, and was thus 
engaged until his death, 08 May 1880. He was then 56 years of age. The 
mother [Sophia (HESS) BAUS] died in 1868, at the age of 67 years. They were 
members of the Lutheran Church. Mrs. BARTSCH was the younger of two 
children. Her brother Edward, who is a cigar manufacturer, married Anna 
HIPPENMEYER, and they have two children, Richard and Irma. Mrs. BARTSCH has 
one bright son, Walter E., attending school at a German seminary in 
Milwaukee, WI. He is about of age and has displayed great intelligence, and 
is a young man of whom his mother may be justly proud. Since the death of 
her husband, Mrs. BARTSCH has managed the business with skill. She owns some 
valuable property and her home at the corner of Spaight and Patterson Streets 
is a very nice one, overlooking beautiful lake Monona. She is a lady gifted 
in many ways, and her friends know her to be kind, sympathetic [p 136] and 
obliging. The death of August William BARTSCH occurred 17 Aug 1876, in 
Denver, CO, where he had gone hoping to derive benefit, but he passed away at 
the age of 35 years, after a stay of but three weeks. He was much lamented 
and is still remembered by the citizens of Madison as of the honest and 
true-hearted German citizens, whose hear was always in the right place.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly