Joseph Martin Sudsburg

After military schooling, he joined the Austrian Army at age 17. Two years later he left to fight with the unsuccessful revolutionary Poles, fleeing to France in 1846. He served in the French Army in North Africa for three years. He then returned to Germany where he joined the "insurrection of 1849 of Baden against the monarchy, in its effort to become a republic. " On the failure of that effort, again he fled, this time to Switzerland where he lived until 1850. He then emigrated to America on a Swiss passport by way of France, arriving in New York in 1851.

In New York he became a decorative wood carver - his lifelong trade. In 1854 he moved to Baltimore, and became very successfull in his business there.

He was Captain, Company K, 2nd Maryland Volunteer Infantry, from 18 September 1861 to 6 May 1862. He then mustered as Lieutenant Colonel, 3rd Maryland Infantry (7 May 1862).

He commanded the regiment in Maryland on the Campaign.

He was promoted too Colonel of the Regiment on 28 October 1862, and was honorably discharged 24 June 1864 when the Regiment was consolidated into a Battalion.

He returned to Baltimore and "conducted one of Baltimore's first art schools in designing, drawing and modeling in clay, wood and stone carvings on Park Avenue near Fayette Street," and continued his wood carving business.

See a superb site about him from family genealogist Michael Edward Graziano for much more information. This includes images of military service documents, his Swiss passport, additional photos, and pension correspondence - the source of his portrait, the quotes, and most of the other data about him here.

3/17/1827; Nymphenburg, Bavaria, GERMANY

4/8/1901; Baltimore, MD; burial in Loudon Park National Cemetery, Baltimore, MD