WILLIAM SCHAPP.
William Schapp, a Civil war veteran and an Atchison county pioneer, is a native of Germany. He was born in Wyler, Germany, January 26, 1840, and is a son of Peter and Margaret (Bonns) Schapp. The Schapp family immigrated to America in 1854, landing at New Orleans, La. They remained there but a short time, however, when they came up the Mississippi and Missouri rivers by boat and located at Weston, Platte county, Missouri, where a brother of Mrs. Schapp had located some time previously. Here the father entered the dairy business and prospered and the parents moved to Atchison, Kan., in 1868 and died in Atchison.
William Schapp received a common school education and grew to manhood in Platte county. He entered the employ of James Steele, an extensive land owner, as overseer of his estate, and was thus employed when the Civil war broke out and soon after the beginning of hostilities, Mr. Schapp was drafted into the Confederate service. Four days after he became a Confederate soldier, his company was encamped on the banks of the Missouri river near Iatam, Mo. Young Schapp began to lay plans to escape, as he was a Union man at heart, and he had made up his mind that if he was going to serve in the army that he would serve under the stars and stripes. On the night he escaped the lieutenant of the company was killed accidentally while showing the men how to use a gun, and during the excitement incident to the killing, Mr. Schapp made his escape. During the night he secured a boat with one oar and drifted down the river, landing at Ft. Leavenworth. Here he lost no time in enlisting in Captain Black’s company which afterwards became a part of Company B, Eighth Kansas regiment. The following night he piloted this company across the river to Iatum where they surprised and captured the Confederate company of which he had been a member the day before. This act won from him the intense hatred of the members of the Confederate company, and even after the close of the war members of that company attempted to take his life. After serving about a month in Captain Black’s company, he joined Company H, Eighteenth Missouri regiment and participated in a number of important engagements. After the battle of Shiloh he was promoted to sergeant major. He was with Sherman on his march to the sea, and during that campaign, while at Decatur, Ala., his term of enlistment expired and he received special permission to accompany General Sherman’s army through the campaign. On arriving at Savannah, Ga., he was placed in charge of fourteen soldiers whose term of enlistment had expired and was the first to arrive in New York City, where they were met by bands of music and were treated royally by the people. He then returned to his former home in Platte county, but the secession spirit was so strong and so much antipathy was shown him on account of his loyalty to the Union that he decided not to remain, and accordingly, came to Atchison. The second night after arriving home he was warned by a friendly member of the Confederate company he had deserted to leave at once, as plans had been made to hang him. He left at once on the next train. He had saved about $800 during the war and loaned it to his uncle, John Bonns, who was engaged in the brewery business, and through a failure, Mr. Schapp lost every dollar of his savings. He then entered the employ of Julius Holthaus, who conducted a saloon and a grocery store. About a year later he engaged in the manufacture of brick in partnership with Jacob Nash. About five years later he engaged in the ice business, which he conducted about six years. He then bought a farm north of where the orphans’ home is located, where he remained for twelve years, when he sold his farm and removed to Atchison, and engaged in the real estate business and has since been engaged in that business. Mr. Schapp has been very successful and has accumulated considerable property.
He was married in February, 1865, to Miss Margaret, a daughter of Gearhardt Kunders, a pioneer settler of Weston, Mo. Eight children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Schapp, as follows: Peter P. resides in California; Dora F. resides at home; Mrs. Theodore Geritz, Atchison county; Mrs. Theodora Arensberg, Atchison; Mrs. Henry Wersling, Atchison county, and Albert A.; William H., deceased; Maggie, deceased.
Mr. Schapp is one of the old timers of Atchison, and has seen that town develop from a little settlement on the bank of the Missouri river to the great prosperous commercial center that it is today. He has taken an active part in the political life of Atchison, and for seven years was a member of the city council, and served two years on the Atchison school board. Mr. Schapp cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln for President, and has been a stanch adherent to the policies and principles of the Republican party since that day. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.