Westphalia Pioneer Passes Away in Auto

Was on way home from Detroit taken sick there

From Westphalia Correspondent: The community was shocked Thursday evening by the sudden death of Peter Pohl, a lifelong citizen. He had been visiting his children in Detroit, accompanied by his wife, and while there experienced trouble with his heart, which has bothered him more or less for some time. He wished to return home and the trip was undertaken Thursday. He was helped from the train at Fowler to an automobile driven by his son Anthony, and, sitting in the rear seat, he was supported by his wife. The machine as scarcely a mile out of Fowler, on the way to Westphalia when Mr. Pohl failed to reply to a question from his wife, and was found to be dead. The journey was continued and the remains taken to his home the same evening. Funeral services were held Monday morning at St. Mary’s Church Rev. Chas F. Hofsted officiating.

Mr Pohl was one of the few remaining veterans oof the civil war. He was born in Westphalia, December 4, 1842, and at the time of the outbreak of the war was working in Kalamazoo. It was there that e enlisted with the 2nd Mich. Inf. serving his country for three years.

In 1869 he was married to Miss Mary Hanses of Westphalia, who survives him. The surviving children are Mrs. Joseph Kraus, Joseph, Mrs. Ralph Shultz, Detroit; Mrs. Joseph Keusch, Mrs. Wm. Curtain, Lansing; Peter Pohl, Eagle; Mrs. Frank Bishop, Troy City; Bernard, Mrs. Wm. Arens, and Anthony of Westphalia.

...At the age of 18, [Peter Joseph Pohl] was working in Schoolcraft, MI. It was from here at the outbreak of the Civil War that he enlisted in the Second Michigan Infantry in Kalamazoo, on 22 April 1861. Unofficially, it appears that Peter was the first resident of the Westphalia area to enlist in the Union Army.

Peter was assigned to Company C and traveled with the rest of his unit to Fort Monroe in Detroit for basic training. After several weeks the unit traveled to Washington DC where it became part of the Grand Army of the Republic. Approximately one year later, 1 July 1862 he was wounded in the left foot and leg by shrapnel from a Confederate cannonball defending Malvern Hill in Virginia during the Seven Days War. While recovering from his wounds, Peter was temporarily assigned to Company I of the Twenty-Seventh Michigan Infantry located at Fort Hamilton, New York. This was the same unit his brother John was assigned to. Later, Peter transferred back to his old unit and was stationed in the Washington DC area. He was discharged, 21 July 1864 in Detroit, MI and returned to the family farm.