The Nordhoffs: A Journey Out of Prussia
"I should not do justice to my own feelings, or to Marshal Blücher and the Prussian army, if I did not attribute the successful result of this arduous day to the cordial and timely assistance I received from them. The operation of General Bülow upon the enemy's flank was a most decisive one; and, even if I had not found myself in a situation to make the attack which produced the final result, it would have forced the enemy to retire if his attacks should have failed, and would have prevented him from taking advantage of them if they should unfortunately have succeeded." |
From the memoirs of Sarah Nordhoff:
"Karl Von Nordhoff came to this country about 1830, from Prussia. Karl Von Nordhoff was with the German troops Napoleon took with him to Russia. At the crossing of the Berezina, in retreat, where Napoleon's army was practically destroyed. The Prussian Army deserted their alliance with France after the crossing at the Berezina and joined an alliance with Russia, Britain and Sweden against Napoleon. Karl Von Nordhoff was one of the German officers that volunteered to blow up the river ice upon which the French troops were crossing in order to complete the destruction of the French Army. Serving under Blucher at Waterloo he took part in Napoleon's final destruction, and probably went with him to Paris, though of this I am not certain."
"When peace came Karl Von Nordhoff founded a school at Ervitte, Westphalia, for training boys in liberal principles. This was not approved of by Conservative Reactionaries and was frowned on by the Government. Any study of the times wills that Metternick's policy prevailed - reactionary and despotic."
"Karl Von Nordhoff had to give up his school; his wife Adida quarreled with him. They separated, and each took one of their two children. Karl and Charles, his son came out to the Ohio wilderness together. Adida sent the daughter to Australia, in order to obtain complete possession of family property, and no trace of her has even been found." *
* Jan Nordhoff knows what happened to Adida after she went to Australia and got married.
"Karl Von Nordhoff, was considered a wild Socialist in the 1820's in Prussia, and was expelled for this, as was Karl Schurz in 1848. Yet the servants he brought with him, were always addressed in the third person singular, now considered a most brutal form of address. While living a trapper's life in the wilderness he was served on with the family silver and often by a kneeling man. He imported and carried with him hogsheads, little stone jugs of mineral water."
"The two travelers In Ohio, father and son, passed through Chicago, with servants, chests of soda water, silver table service, etc. As part of the present city of Chicago, 160 acres, was bought, and the titles stowed away in their chests. In Ohio a wandering trapping life began."
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* According to Biographies of Notable Americans - they came to this country in 1835. Also there is no "Von" Nordhoff mentioned. His father's name is shown as Charles - but birth records listed for Charles and Sister - the father's name is Carl Ludwig Nordhoff."