Charles Rehberg

Charles Rehberg

Charles Rehberg was Richard White's great-great-great uncle.

Charles Rehberg was the oldest son of George Frederick ("Fred") and Sophia ("Sophie") Rehberg, Richard White's mother's father's mother's parents. Charles Rehberg was born in Germany, probably in the Kingdom of Hanover, on 1 January 1831... some 40 years before Germany became known as a unified nation under Prussia and 35 years before Prussia absorbed Hanover and Hessen-Cassel. U.S. census records identify Fred Rehberg (born on 26 December 1806) as a native of Hanover, and his wife Sophie (born on 16 January 1807) as a native of Hessen-Cassel (i.e. a "Hessian"). Fred and Sophie, and their oldest son Charles, immigrated to the United States and settled in Decatur County, Georgia, by 1850.

Charles Rehberg was enrolled as a private in Company A, 59th Georgia Infantry Regiment on 3 May 1862. He was elected Corporal on 1 March 1864. He was captured at Mine Run, Virginia, on 6 May 1864. A reference in his Compiled Confederate Service Record to Series 1, Volume 36, Part 1, Page 1060 of the "Official Records of the War of the Rebellion" merely refers to a Confederate casualty list for the time period in which he was captured. On 17 May 1864 he arrived at at Point Lookout prisoner of war camp in Maryland where his younger brother William Rehberg was later imprisoned and died. On 10 August 1864 Charles Rehberg was transferred to the prisoner of war camp at Elmira, New York, where he survived. After swearing and subscribing to an oath of allegiance to the United States, he was released from Elmira on June 14, 1865. The oath of allegiance identified his place of residence as Thomasville, Georgia. His complexion was described as "Florid", his hair "Dark", his eyes "Blue", and his height was given as five feet, five inches. His release from Elmira was under General Order no. 109 dated 6 June 1865.

Charles Rehberg died in the part of Decatur County, Georgia, that is now in Grady County, on 1 November 1898.