Henry Pins and The Civil War
Heinrich Pinz, a 17 year old black smith, arrived in New Orleans from Bremen, Germany on 7 Nov 1857. He was born 19 Sep 1840, in Halle a town of about 20,000 located in North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany. His parents were Friedrich Adolph Pinz (1809 - 1843) and Charlotte Wilhelmine Hardwich (1805 - 1892). Friedrich's father was Peter Pinns (sic) and Peter appears to have served for a time in the Prussian army during the wars with Napoleon. Peter's father was Johannes Ruthgeri Breyhorst, who changed his surname to Pins or Pinns. The reason for this name change is lost to history. Other members of Heinrich's family would immigrate to America, including his widowed mother, Wilhelmina. In the 1860 US Census, a Henry Bints (sic) appears in St. Louis, MO. His occupation was listed as tinner apprentice, which would become Henry Pins' lifelong occupation. And his address in the 8th Ward of St. Louis lines up with the later location of his first tinner shop near Washington avenue. But before he could embark on his occupational journey, the Civil War would occupy more than three years of his life. |