George Casper UNFUG was born around 1829 in Wildenthierbach, Wuttenberg,Germany. I am not sure when he arrived in Charleston, but on December 27, 1858, Casper married Wilhelmina Friedrick Maria BENK at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church. Wilhelminia was born around 1837 in Cantnitz, Mecklenburg, Germany.
During the War for Southern Independence, Casper enlisted as a Private in Captain Gilchrist’s Company (Gist Guard), SC Heavy Artillery on May 17, 1862. On August 10, 1863, now as a Sargent, Casper was injured at Battery Wagner, on Morris Island, SC when he was hit by shrapnel that tore into his hip, an injury which left him with a limp for the rest of his life. He served until March 18, 1865.
Casper’s wife Wilhelmina passed away on December 12, 1873, her death record states from Consumption. I have found no record of the two having any children.
Casper married his second wife, Catherine Wrefey O’Connell on May 16, 1876 in Charleston at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Catherine was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England. She had arrived in the US on September 27, 1848 aboard the SS Louisiana at New York.
The marriage of George and Catherine bore six children,
Marie Marguerita Elizabeth Unfug (7/5/1877-7/31/1961)
Cecile Antoinette Unfug (7/19/1878-11/18/1956)
George Casper Unfug Jr (8/6/1879-8/11/1879)
Catherine Magdalen Unfug (7/27/1880-12/28/1967)
George Clement Unfug (11/13/1882-11/11/1883)
Dorothy Unfug (1/9/1887-11/1/1979)
Neither of his male children survived childhood.
After the war, Casper worked as a Tailor in Charleston. Directories from Charleston having him listed as a tailor working on Queen and Church Streets from 1875 until his death.
Casper was last seen alive on March 10, 1895 by some workers at the Pacific Guano Works docks who had waved to him as he passed on a boat in the Cooper River. Nothing was heard from him until March 29th when the captain of the river boat, Bull River, towing a raft of lumber along the shore of Daniel’s Island saw his body lying in the marsh. After notifying the Coroner, the boat returned and picked up the body and brought it back to the city. The identity of the body was determined by his clothes and the billheads (calling cards) in his pocket. An inquest was held and it was determined that the cause of death was “suicide by drowning during a temporary aberration of the mind.”
In the news article in the Charleston Newspaper of Saturday, March 30, 1895 it was stated, “Many will remember that Mr Unfug was during the war a faithful Confederate Soldier in the Gist Guard Artillery, Capt.(now the Rev) C.E.Chichester, and was wounded by a shell at Battery Wagner, by which he was disabled for sometime.”
Casper was buried here at Bethany where he has laid for over 100 years without a marker except this coping with the family name.
During the War for Southern Independence, Casper enlisted as a Private in Captain Gilchrist’s Company (Gist Guard), SC Heavy Artillery on May 17, 1862. On August 10, 1863, now as a Sargent, Casper was injured at Battery Wagner, on Morris Island, SC when he was hit by shrapnel that tore into his hip, an injury which left him with a limp for the rest of his life. He served until March 18, 1865.
Casper’s wife Wilhelmina passed away on December 12, 1873, her death record states from Consumption. I have found no record of the two having any children.
Casper married his second wife, Catherine Wrefey O’Connell on May 16, 1876 in Charleston at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Catherine was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England. She had arrived in the US on September 27, 1848 aboard the SS Louisiana at New York.
The marriage of George and Catherine bore six children,
Marie Marguerita Elizabeth Unfug (7/5/1877-7/31/1961)
Cecile Antoinette Unfug (7/19/1878-11/18/1956)
George Casper Unfug Jr (8/6/1879-8/11/1879)
Catherine Magdalen Unfug (7/27/1880-12/28/1967)
George Clement Unfug (11/13/1882-11/11/1883)
Dorothy Unfug (1/9/1887-11/1/1979)
Neither of his male children survived childhood.
After the war, Casper worked as a Tailor in Charleston. Directories from Charleston having him listed as a tailor working on Queen and Church Streets from 1875 until his death.
Casper was last seen alive on March 10, 1895 by some workers at the Pacific Guano Works docks who had waved to him as he passed on a boat in the Cooper River. Nothing was heard from him until March 29th when the captain of the river boat, Bull River, towing a raft of lumber along the shore of Daniel’s Island saw his body lying in the marsh. After notifying the Coroner, the boat returned and picked up the body and brought it back to the city. The identity of the body was determined by his clothes and the billheads (calling cards) in his pocket. An inquest was held and it was determined that the cause of death was “suicide by drowning during a temporary aberration of the mind.”
In the news article in the Charleston Newspaper of Saturday, March 30, 1895 it was stated, “Many will remember that Mr Unfug was during the war a faithful Confederate Soldier in the Gist Guard Artillery, Capt.(now the Rev) C.E.Chichester, and was wounded by a shell at Battery Wagner, by which he was disabled for sometime.”
Casper was buried here at Bethany where he has laid for over 100 years without a marker except this coping with the family name.
