Ernst Lorenz

 

SOURCE: "History of Champaign County, Illinois with Illustrations," 1878

SURNAMES: BOWMAN, LORENZ, REISCH

ERNST LORENZ. Esquire Lorenz, now justice of the peace and postmaster at Dewey, first came to East Bend township in December, 1865. He was born within four miles of Weimar, Saxony, March 4th, 1843. His father was Gottlieb LORENZ, and his mother, Theodora REISCH. The family came from Germany to America in the year 1849. They resided about a year in Cincinnati, and then moved across the Ohio river to Covington, Kentucky. There were then no free schools in Kentucky, and altogether he only went to school ten months, though he is now well acquainted with the fundamental branches of both an English and German education.

He was living in Kentucky when the war broke out, and was then about eighteen years of age. In April, 1861, under the first call for three months' troops, he enlisted in the 6th Ohio infantry. His regiment subsequently re-enlisted for three years, and Mr. Lorenz was mustered out June 23d, 1864. The following October he enlisted for the third time in the 11th Kentucky cavalry, and served in that regiment till the close of the war. While in the 6th Ohio he was in the engagements under Rosencranz and McClellan in West Virginia, and from there went to Kentucky and Tennessee. He took part in the battle of Shiloh. His regiment was first attached to the Twenty- third Army Corps under Gen. Crittenden, and afterward to the Fourth Corps under Gen. Howard, and did their full share of marching and fighting of that part of the army. He was present at the battles of Stone River, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, and many other minor engagements. He was wounded, though not seriously, four different times, but was not in the hospital or disabled from service during his whole army experience.

While in the 11th Kentucky he was in Stoneman's cavalry division, and served in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and North Carolina, taking part in the numerous cavalry fights brought on by the raids in which his division was engaged.

After the close of the war he returned to Covington, Kentucky, and the latter part of the year 1865 came to Champaign county, and bought land in section 4, East Bend township, and went to farming. He subsequently moved to section 31, and lived there till 1872, and then opened a store at Houstonville in section 17, where a post-office was already established. On the construction of the Havana, Rantoul and Eastern railroad, the station of Dewey was established, and in July 1876, he moved his store to this place. He rented his store to other parties in 1878, and is now postmaster and station agent at Dewey. He was elected justice of the peace in 1872, and re-elected in the spring of 1873, and again in the spring of 1877, and has discharged the duties of that office to the satisfaction of the people of the township. For three years he has also been township assessor. He was married July 5th, 1866, to Catharine BOWMAN, daughter of John BOWMAN, who moved from Ohio to East Bend township in 1863. He has six children. He has been a member of the Republican party ever since he was able to cast a vote. At Lexington, Kentucky, in 1864, while a member of the 11th Kentucky cavalry, he voted for Lincoln for President, and was the only one of the regiment who did not vote for McClellan, the opposing candidate.