Frederick Fraske
Encyclopedia
Frederick W. Fraske (March 8, 1872 – June 18, 1973) was the last surviving veteran of the Indian Wars
at the time of his death.
born in the city of Posen
, which was at that time in the Province of Posen
and part of the Kingdom of Prussia
. As a young child in 1877, he migrated to the United States
with his family, including his parents and four brothers. At the age of 21, on February 22, 1894, in Chicago
, which was his home town, he enlisted in the U.S. Army to help his widowed mother support her family of seven. He was assigned to Fort D.A. Russell
, which was near Cheyenne, Wyoming
, serving as a private
with company F of the 17th infantry
as a first aid man and letter carrier. He spoke about Cheyenne of that time as a quiet but wild town, where cattle
were unloaded, and the residents were a tough breed.
His starting pay in the Army was the standard $9 a month, and then it increased $1 each year. The time that he was in the service was spent preparing for confrontation at the fort, which never occurred. Fraske commented on the fact that he was glad that he never fired a shot in battle with American Indians
, and didn't feel any ill will towards them either, and he felt he understood their difficult time. He never personally had more than peaceful encounters with them.
In that era, the Army allowed a soldier to be discharged after three years and three months of service instead of serving the full five years, if requested by a soldier with excellent character, and so Fraske took advantage of that law and left the Army in 1897, at the age of 25.
After his service ended, he returned to Chicago and worked as a building painter for nearly 40 years, at which time the union forced his retirement from painting, because they didn't allow anyone over 65 years of age to climb scaffolds. He continued working as a security guard for the Salerno-McGowan Biscuit company for the next 23 years, and then retired at age 88. At the time of his death at age 101, he was living with his daughter Lillian in Chicago, and was receiving part-time nursing assistance from the Veterans Administration
. He was buried in Niles, Illinois
.
Indian Wars
American Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...
at the time of his death.
Biography
Fraske was an ethnic GermanGermans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
born in the city of Posen
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
, which was at that time in the Province of Posen
Province of Posen
The Province of Posen was a province of Prussia from 1848–1918 and as such part of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918. The area was about 29,000 km2....
and part of the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
. As a young child in 1877, he migrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with his family, including his parents and four brothers. At the age of 21, on February 22, 1894, in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, which was his home town, he enlisted in the U.S. Army to help his widowed mother support her family of seven. He was assigned to Fort D.A. Russell
Fort D.A. Russell (Wyoming)
Fort D. A. Russell, also known as Fort Francis E. Warren, Francis E. Warren Air Force Base and Fort David A. Russell, was a post and base of operations for the United States Army, and later the Air Force, located in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The fort had been established in 1867 to protect workers for the...
, which was near Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
, serving as a private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
with company F of the 17th infantry
17th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 17th Infantry Regiment is a United States Army infantry regiment. While the 17th Infantry Regiment was organized on January 11, 1812, it was consolidated with the 3rd Infantry due to extremely heavy losses at Frenchtown, and lost its identity two years later until May 3, 1861, when it was...
as a first aid man and letter carrier. He spoke about Cheyenne of that time as a quiet but wild town, where cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
were unloaded, and the residents were a tough breed.
His starting pay in the Army was the standard $9 a month, and then it increased $1 each year. The time that he was in the service was spent preparing for confrontation at the fort, which never occurred. Fraske commented on the fact that he was glad that he never fired a shot in battle with American Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, and didn't feel any ill will towards them either, and he felt he understood their difficult time. He never personally had more than peaceful encounters with them.
In that era, the Army allowed a soldier to be discharged after three years and three months of service instead of serving the full five years, if requested by a soldier with excellent character, and so Fraske took advantage of that law and left the Army in 1897, at the age of 25.
After his service ended, he returned to Chicago and worked as a building painter for nearly 40 years, at which time the union forced his retirement from painting, because they didn't allow anyone over 65 years of age to climb scaffolds. He continued working as a security guard for the Salerno-McGowan Biscuit company for the next 23 years, and then retired at age 88. At the time of his death at age 101, he was living with his daughter Lillian in Chicago, and was receiving part-time nursing assistance from the Veterans Administration
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
. He was buried in Niles, Illinois
Niles, Illinois
Niles is a village in Maine and Niles Townships, Cook County, Illinois, United States. The 2010 population from the U.S. Census Bureau is 29,803.The current mayor of Niles is Robert M. Callero.-History:Niles was first settled in 1827....
.
See also
- Last surviving United States war veteransLast surviving United States war veteransThis is an incomplete list of the last surviving veterans of American wars. The last surviving veteran of any particular war, upon his death, marks the end of a historic era. Exactly who is the last surviving veteran is often an issue of contention, especially with records from long-ago wars...
- John DawJohn DawJohn Daw was the last surviving U.S. Army Indian Scout veteran that had served in the Indian Wars at the time of his death. He was a Navajo Indian given the Navajo name at birth...