Charles John

“Biographical Record of the State of Colorado,” published by Chapman Publishing Company in Chicago in 1899

Submitted by the late Martha Hennagin

Charles John, of Fort Garland, Costilla County, was born at Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany, on January 11, 1835, a son of Conrad and Agnes (Trappe) John. He received a military education in Marburg, Hesse-Nassau, Prussia. At nineteen, he entered the German army and continued in the service as a lieutenant of Hussars until 1859, when he resigned from his commission.

Coming to America that year, he joined his step-brother, pastor of a church in Lawrence County, Ohio. April 15, 1861, at the first call, made for volunteers in the Union service, he enlisted in the army, becoming a first lieutenant in the Ninth Ohio Infantry. Later he was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of the Second Mounted Militia and continued to serve for two and one-half years.

During 1865 he was connected with the provost marshal’s office in Augusta, Ga., and in October of that year, was honorably discharged from the service. He took part in several important engagements and many skirmishes of lesser importance. While he was never wounded, he suffered extremely from exposure to army life and has never recovered from its effects.

After the war, Mr. John became a street railway conductor in Cincinnati, but in 1866 he enlisted as a private in the regular army. For years afterward, he was connected with life on the frontier. He had received an appointment as captain of a colored regiment but refused to accept; later, he was given the rank of sergeant-major of the regulars.

As a member of the Eighth Wisconsin Cavalry, in 1866, he went to California, where he was stationed at different government posts for three years. In 1869 he came to Fort Garland as chief clerk of the quartermaster’s department, and here he continued with the army for five years, when he resigned from the service. Afterward for seven years he was employed in the store of Ferd Meyer.

In 1877 he was elected county superintendent of schools on the Republican ticket and was re-elected at the expiration of the term. In 1881 he was chosen county clerk and, by re-election, was continued in the office for ten years. Since then, he has been a clerk of the district court. Upon retiring from the county clerk’s office, he was appointed right-of-way agent for the Denver & Rio Grande and the Florence & Cripple Creek Railroads, which positions he still holds, his duties being to locate the right of way, examine titles, etc.

For years Mr. John has been interested in educational matters and has served as a member of the Fort Garland school board. He is largely interested in real estate in this section and has one hundred and sixty acres three-quarters of a mile from the village. He is married and has four sons.