PA Spanish American WarThe Diary of John Henry Asendorf
The Story of a Pennsylvania Volunteer
During the Philippine-American War (1898 - 1899)
John Henry Asendorf was born Johann Heinrich Asendorf in Bremen, Germany on August 27, 1863. He was the son of Albert Heinrich Asendorf. He immigrated to the United States in roughly 1879 landing in Baltimore, MD.
After first being married to Catherine Schitz in roughly 1885, John Henry, now a widower, married Lula Jobes on January 1, 1893. Why they were married in Cumberland, MD is currently a mystery since the Jobes were from Uniontown, Pennsylvania where the couple took up residency.
In Uniontown, John Henry opened a butcher shop at 22 Race Street. One of his sons later wrote that his butcher shop burnt down three times. Of what significance this is remains veiled. His work as a butcher served him well during his time in the Army. Many of his diary notations are about preparing meat and meals.
John had a son named Albert from his first marriage, and eight children from his second marriage. One of his sons, Paul Wilson Asendorf, was my grandfather. I currently have two excellent pictures of John Henry Asendorf from around the time that he served in the Army.
John Henry served in the 10th Regiment, Company C, Pennsylvania Volunteers. He served from May 8th, 1898 until sometime shortly after August 21, 1899 (the date of his last diary entry). He kept a diary rather religiously during this time. The diary is actually four small notebooks. One of these notebooks has the word Notas on its cover.
John Asendorf
May, 1898 |
June, 1898 |
July, 1898 |
August, 1898 |
September, 1898 |
October, 1898
January, 1899 |
February, 1899 |
March, 1899 |
April, 1899
Submitted and transcribed by John P. Asendorf,
great-grandson of John Henry Asendorf
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