growing a tree

 I've been thinking about my ancestors lately. The first one, on my fathers side of the family, was Christian Reichart. He arrived at Castle Garden, New York aboard the steamship William V Moses. This was before Ellis Island, before an immigrant had to endure that process. There was a requirement that someone meet the immigrant at the port of entry and vouch for them. Christian was met by the man that was going to employ him, a fellow German and friend to the family. Christian had left Germany in 1857 after the death of his father. His mother, Maria, wife Mary Susan. and son Christian Jr, was with him. I have much to learn about him, his life and times. I do know that his Mom is buried in Sterling Cemetery in Greenport New York. That is the location of the family plot. His wife Mary Susan, never married, is there also. On his immigration papers he listed his occupation as farmer. That may be the reason he decided to come to America in the first place. In 1857 Germany was switching from a feudal system of government to a more centralized form. Land, essential to a farmer, was owned by the wealthy Barons and such and was almost impossible for a commoner to obtain. A farmer could work the land, like the share cropper system in the United States, but never own the land. America was the land of wide open spaces, the possibilities were endless here. I suspect it was the American dream that fueled his desire to come to America! Whatever the motivation, he did so, becoming an American citizen as fast as the law would allow.

 He would be here only four years before the civil war broke out. Living in New York state he was surely a Yankee. I have no record, no idea of his actual thoughts on all of that but know he did serve in the Union forces. Now he wasn't a naturalized citizen at this point and so could not serve in a combat role. In fact, he couldn't be anything official as far as that went, but he did serve. His job during the war was as a torpedo maker! Yes, a torpedo maker. During that time in history torpedo's aren't what we think of today. They were what we would call a contact mine. They were either anchored to the bottom at the mouth of harbors and inlets or set adrift in the hopes on contacting an enemy ship. These torpedoes were quite unstable devices subject to detonation with the slightest touch. It was quite the hazardous job, the reason I suspect it was given to immigrants. Yes, it was probably like that. racist perhaps, more likely it was just a dangerous job and I can make someone else do it. The better you than me  attitude. He survived that and later became a cigar maker. At least that is what it says on his naturalization papers. 

 His son, Christian became my great grandfather. He lived a long life and was a waterman. His life, what I know of it was a bit tragic. He married Catherine Gaffga  and had two children with her. Sadly Catherine passed at an early age and Christian seems to begin drifting at that point. I know little about that. I believe his children were raised by Catherine's family. He would outlive his son but pass away of stomach cancer in the Alms house at Yapank, New York. He was still alive during my fathers youth although I do not believe my father was ever aware of that. My grandfather Elwood, son of Christian, also died young, he died due to sepsis caused by a ruptured appendix. My own father was ten at the time, 1934. His wife Clara had passed a few days after giving birth to my dad in 1924. I'm the last male in the line from Christian the immigrant. There are plenty of other Reicharts though, spread across the land. I have been following those lines on and off for years now. I'll continue to do so. Funny thing is, Christian came to America a farmer, near as I can tell, he never farmed any ground here. But the search isn't over and maybe I'll turn something over, turn it over  like tilling the ground,  like a farmer. The seed has been planted. I'm growing a tree. Okay, I'll quit with the bad puns.