Antoine Napolean Peltier (1846-1911)
My 2nd great-grandmother Rose Delima Peltier had 12 siblings; they all had the same father, Paul Peltier, but only her brother, my 2nd great-granduncle, Antoine Napolean Peltier shared the same mother.
Antoine was born on July 27, 1846 at Saint-Aime-de-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada.1 His father Paul Peltier was 25 years old and his mother Rosalie Deguire dite Derosiers was 21 years old.
Translation:
B132 (the 132nd baptism at St. Aime in 1846)
Antoine Peltier
On the twenty-seventh of July, eighteen hundred and forty-six, we, the undersigned priest, baptized Antoine, born on the same day of the legitimate marriage of Paul Peltier, a farmer in this parish, and Rosalie Deguire. Godfather Louis Salva, godmother Rosalie Mondor who did not sign, the father did not know how to sign.
Signed: __, A Boisseau (priest)
End of translation.
I believe the godmother Rosalie Mondor is Rosalie’s mother (Antoine’s grandmother) and the godfather is a member of Paul Peltier’s side of the family.
Antoine’s mother, Rosalie, died on August 31, 1846, just 35 days after Antoine was born. I can only assume there was some complication related to Antoine’s birth that caused her death, but there is no way to confirm it. Rosalie’s death left Paul with 2 very young children: Rose Delima who was not quite 2 years old and 1 month old Antoine.
Paul married Angele Parenteau on February 15, 1847. Angele was the mother of the 11 remaining children, a story for another time.
Paul and Angele immigrated to Centerville, Minnesota about 1854-55. Eleven year old Antoine is listed in the 1857 Minnesota state census2 and the 1860 U.S. census shows 14 year old Antoine as a member of the family as well as 4 half-siblings that were also born in Canada and 2 half-siblings that had been born in Minnesota.3
The 1890 U. S. census special schedule “Surviving Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines, and Widows, Etc.,” shows that Antoine enlisted in the 11th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Company B on August 1, 1864.
“The Eleventh Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment was formed in response to President Abraham Lincoln’s last call for troops. The officers and men were organized and mustered into service at Fort Snelling in August and September of 1864.
The men initially were issued no weapons and had to borrow muskets from the fort. By late September the regiment was full, with just over a thousand officers and men. On September 20, the regiment departed Fort Snelling and marched to St. Paul’s lower levee. Here, while waiting for the boats that would take them south, the men finally received their arms and accoutrements.
Due to the Mississippi’s low water level, the Eleventh’s officers traveled to La Crosse on a very small steamboat with a shallow draft. The enlisted men went downriver on two large, uncovered barges. At La Crosse the regiment took the railroad to Chicago. The regiment remained in Chicago for just over a week, and then headed toward Nashville.
The Nashville area became the Eleventh’s area of operations for the remainder of its time in service. The Eleventh was assigned to the Department of the Cumberland. Here, the men were tasked with guarding a thirty-mile stretch of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad from the Kentucky line to Nashville. The regiment’s largest concentration, including headquarters, was located just outside of Gallatin, about twenty-three miles northeast of Nashville.
The Louisville and Nashville was a major conduit for troops and supplies for the Union Army of the Cumberland. Therefore, the Eleventh Minnesota was tasked with the important job of guarding the railroad against attacks by Confederate guerillas. The men spent the following winter on picket, guard duty, and patrol. Occasionally, the men chased after bands of guerrillas. Usually, the chase ended with the guerrillas disappearing into the countryside.
By November of 1864 the railroad was operating at full capacity, with troop and supply trains constantly running to Nashville. During the battles of Franklin and Nashville, cannonading was distinctly heard all along the Eleventh’s section of railroad. Some curious members of the regiment even managed to witness part of the Nashville battle.On June 26, 1865, the Eleventh Minnesota started for home. The regiment arrived at St. Paul on July 5 and was mustered out of service on July 11. Throughout its service, the Eleventh lost three enlisted men killed, and one officer and twenty-one enlisted men died of disease.“5
Antoine was discharged from the Eleventh Minnesota on July 20, 1865 making him a Civil War veteran at 19 years old.4 He returned to Centerville and appears in the 1870 U. S. census as a resident in the household of his sister Rose Delima Derosier.6
I found Antoine during the 1870s into the early 1880s residing in St. Paul. There he held a variety of jobs: express (pack, manage and deliver cargo), laborer, barkeeper and lumber.7
On November 28, 1883, at 37 years old, Antoine married 21 year old Emma Brachvogel. She had been born in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin on March 28, 1862 and her family eventually moved to White Bear Lake, Minnesota. The couple was married in St. Paul by Father J. Shanley.
Antoine Peltier and Emma Brochroyel [Brachvogel]8
Antoine, Emma and their newborn son Edward Paul, born on January 12, 1885, were living in Centerville when the 1885 Minnesota state census was taken.10 Their second son, Henry Oliver was born on December 27, 1886. No more children were born to the couple.
About 1886 Antoine became a saloon keeper in St. Paul. I believe the address of the establishment was 823 Mississippi Street and that early on the family, along with an occasional boarder, lived in a rental house at 817 Mississippi Street. All records from 1886 onward place Antoine and his family on Mississippi Street.11
Emma was a little over 2 months shy of her 33rd birthday when she passed away on January 8, 1896. I don’t know her cause of death. She was buried at St. Genevieve Cemetery, Centerville, Anoka County, Minnesota.13 At the time of her death, she and Antoine had only been married for 13 years.
Antoine continued with his saloon business. His son Henry still resided with him at the time of his death. According to the obituary, “Only yesterday morning, feeling especially brisk and hearty, he took a long walk. Returning home he went to his room. Just as he attempted to sit down he fell headlong to the floor. His son Henry rushed upstairs and found him unconscious. He died in a short time. Death was due to a stroke of apoplexy (stroke symptoms that occur suddenly).” Antoine’s death occurred on Thursday, March 9, 1911 at 64 years old. The funeral was held Saturday, March 11, 1911 in Centerville. Antoine was laid to rest alongside his wife Emma at St. Genevieve Cemetery.14
Antoine did not have a will at the time of his death so his estate had to go through the probate court. The heirs were his two sons, Henry and Edward. Henry filed the necessary paperwork with the courts on March 15, 1911 stating that “the property of said deceased consists in part of a saloon business that requires immediate attention.” Less than one month later, on April 10, 1911 he was appointed as the administrator. I don’t believe it would happen as fast today. The probable value of the personal estate was given as $4,600 and the probable value of real property was $1,500. Subsequent paperwork showed that there was land located in Centerville described as the south half of lot 1, section 14, township 31 of range 22 consisting of approximately 24 acres appraised at $1,200.
Additional papers filed with the court go into more detail giving a value of $500 on the household furnishings at 823 Mississippi Street, a $50 value on his clothing and 1 gold watch, $500 ($.10/share) on 5,000 shares of mining stock in the Empire Tunnel and Transporation Company, $900 on the books for notes and outstanding debts (it seems that he was a generous and trusting person), $3,207.51 listed as cash on deposit in the bank and $400 for interest in the saloon and stock of wines, liquors and cigars at 823 Mississippi Street. The total appraised value was $6,757.51. The court ordered “Henry O. Peltier and Edward P. Peltier to share and share alike.” The estate was settled with the courts on December 11, 1911 and Henry was discharged of his duties.16 There is no record of how the 2 sons divided Antoine’s estate. However, census and draft records show that Henry took over the saloon business and continued to reside at 823 Mississippi Street.17
Thanks for visiting, come back soon,
Cindy
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