WI BIO - Dane Co - BERNARD, Charles
Biographical Review of Dane County, WI. Chicago: Biographical Review Pub. Co. 
1893. Vol II, pp 456-457

Charles BERNARD, is a well known German American citizen of Madison, Dane 
County, WI, and one of the oldest of the pleasure boat men and fishers on 
Lake Mendota; having the boat "Anna," and the new boat "The Columbia," 
carrying about 100 persons. His fishing station is thoroughly equipped with 
all things essential to enjoyable indulgence in piscatorial pastime; it is 
worth a long journey to encounter so jolly, fun loving, and clever story 
telling man as Charley BERNARD. Those who know the man are not surprised 
that he should have so many patrons and so many warm friends. He established 
his station as far back as 1855, having come to Madison two years before and 
worked at his trade as a tailor, but love of the water and boats tempted him 
away from the "goose."

Mr. BERNARD may be termed a man of all trades, but he gives the lie to the 
old proverb about the jack of all trades, because he is good in all that he 
essays to do. Back in NY City he was a member of the marine band in the U. 
S. naval service, but a threatened order to the waters of China caused him to 
give up horn tooting and become a helper to a ship carpenter in the Brooklyn 
navy yard, where with is usual quickness he learned to be a boat builder. 
Later he enlisted in the 2nd U. S. Volunteer Artillery, Governor BANKHEAD, 
commanding. Going first to Fort Hamilton, and thence south to General 
TAYLOR's army, and afterward to that of General SCOTT in Mexico, where he 
took part in the battles of Palo Alto, Resaca, De la Palma and Monterey. 
Then with General SCOTT he participated in the battles (bombardment) of 
Vera Cruz, being there offered a lieutenancy which he declined; and there saw 
close and hard fighting, being himself slightly wounded in the right leg by a 
bomb shell. Under General SCOTT he also fought in the battles of Cerro 
Gordo, St. Angelo, San Antonia, [p 457] Contreras, Cherubusco, King's Mills 
and Chepultepec. In the last named battle he fought with one arm in a sling, 
using a carbine, he having been wounded by a shot through the shoulder in the 
battle of Cherubusco. In order to be present at the fight he had to give the 
hospital folks the slip. Our subject was also in the battle at the gates of 
the city of Mexico, and marched with the army into that city, he at that time 
being in command of a division of the battery. After peace was declared Mr. 
BERNARD returned with his regiment to NY City, where he was honorably 
discharged, at Governor's Island, 02 Sep 1848. He was a brave and faithful 
soldier and had he consented would have been promoted step by step to a 
considerable rank.

Mr. BERNARD spent a year in NY City and then went to Lancaster County, PA, 
remaining three years, working at the trade of a tailor, an industry he had 
learned in NY, and then he came to Madison, WI, with the purpose of going 
into the nursery business, but the partner who had preceded him with the 
object of buying the land had skipped the country, and so he fell back upon 
his trade of tailor, leaving that, as stated before, to go into his present 
business.

Charles BERNARD was born in the grand duchy of Baden, near Friedberg, 
Germany, 23 May 1824, and came to the U. S. when only eight years old, with 
an acquaintance, a man, being the first of his family to reach this country. 
He grew up in NY City, where he received schooling additional to what he had 
enjoyed in the old country. He has never been back to Germany and is 
thoroughly attached to America. His parents were Joseph and Margaret (ROTH) 
BERNARD, both of whom lived and died in their native province, passing away 
at an advanced age in 1850. They were descendants of a French family that 
was exiled in the middle of the 16th century, and settled with a number of 
other exiles at Leon, Germany. Three brothers of our subject emigrated to 
America: Benedict BERNARD, deceased; Joseph BERNARD, Street Superintendent 
of Indianapolis [IN], a position he had held for many years; and Constantine, 
the younger brother, a retail clothing merchant of Brooklyn, NY.

Charles BERNARD was married in NY to Miss Margaret CARDESS, a native of Havre 
de Grace, France, she came to this country when 15 years old, unaccompanied. 
Margaret (CARDESS) BERNARD died at her home in Madison, Dane County, WI, 28 
Apr 1887, aged 65 years. Seven children were born to her: Catharine, died 
at the age of 17; Charles, a painter, and chief engineer of the fire 
department of Madison, WI, married Miss Mary McCONNELL; Maggie, wife of H. J. 
VAN CULEN; Henry, a painter, living in Madison, WI, married Miss Nellie 
DELANEY; William P., living at home and assisting his father; Anna, wife of 
Fred PFAFF, a candy manufacturer of Cincinnati [OH]; George, at home 
attending school.

Charles BERNARD is a member of the Catholic church, in which faith his wife 
died. He is a member of the Ancient United Order of Druids, and has held 
every office in that order, and was a delegate to the last national 
convention, held at Paterson, [Passaic County] NJ, in 1892. In politics he 
is a Democrat, but by no means a bitter partisan, believing it is possible 
for a man to differ with him without being a bad man.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly