John Nicholas Erhart was born in Bavaria, Germany on July 19, 1831. He was the son of Georg Adolph Ehrhardt and Susanna Margaretha Schrepfer. Georg was from Bavaria, Germany and Susanna was a native of Saxony, Germany. The family left Germany from the port of Bremen, traveled across the Atlantic Ocean in Steerage on a ship named Argonaut, and landed in Philadelphia in 1844. As shown on the Manifest, they were bound for Missouri. On the way across Pennsylvania, Susanna died at Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Nicholas, his father and the rest of the family continued on to Missouri, and settled in Cole County, near Jefferson City.
Nicholas was the third oldest of nine children. He had at least seven brothers and, perhaps, one sister. On the Manifest one name appears to be for a female, but it shows that name followed by a notation for son. In any case, seven of the young men, including Nicholas, were named Johann, and the children ranged in age from twenty down to six months.
When the war with Mexico came along, Nicholas enlisted in Company A of Easton’s Battalion Missouri Infantry on May 10, 1847 at St. Louis, and mustered out on October 19, 1848 at Independence. After his discharge, he was involved in the freighting business to Santa Fe for awhile. By 1850, Nicholas was living in Cole, County, Missouri with his father who had remarried, and eight brothers and one sister. He must have lost a sibling at some point as the youngest brother was two years old and the sister was only 6 months old; both were born in Missouri. Like his father and two of his brothers, he was listed as a farmer.
In 1852 he went to California and remained there a couple of years. In 1855 he returned to Missouri and acquired some land in Henry County which he had earned for his service in the war with Mexico. On July 11, 1855, Nicholas married Malvina Coffelt. Malvina was born in Knox Co., Kentucky on March 11, 1832. She was the daughter of Philip Coffelt and Nellie Vickans. The Coffelt family had moved to Cole Co., Missouri sometime prior to the wedding.
On January 3, 1856 their first child, Frances Cleorah was born into the family, and on January 15, Nicholas acquired “the West half of the South East quarter of Section Thirty three in Township Forty one of Range Twenty seven” in Henry County which contained eighty acres. On November 15, 1858, a son, William Willie, came into their lives, but he died on December 21, 1858. On May 6, 1860, Melvina Viola arrived. By the 1860 Census Nicholas, Malvina, Frances C., and a one month old infant daughter (soon to be called Melvina Viola) were living in Deep Water Township, in Henry County. Nicholas was a farmer with a Real Estate Value of $2,800 and a Personal Estate Value of $1,869.
With the coming of the Civil War Nicholas enlisted on February 14, 1862 at Georgetown in Captain Slocum’s Co., Missouri State Militia, which subsequently became Co. H, 7th Missouri State Militia Cavalry. At that time he was five feet nine inches tall, with brown eyes, black hair and a fair complexion. Probably because of his previous military experience, he was appointed as 4th Sergeant on April 21.
On August 16, 1862, Nicholas, as a member of Company H, went into the fighting at Lone Jack on his own horse valued at $65, with $32.40 worth of government horse equipment. He was severely wounded on the left side near the shoulder and lost the horse. On August 24, Nicholas was sent to the hospital in Jefferson City and the ball that wounded him was removed from a site near his spine. I found a story that includes Cole Younger, but I cannot varify the story. As the story goes, Cole recognized the wounded Nicholas Erhart as someone who had helped the Youngers fight off jayhawkers at some time in the past, and he had Nicholas taken to a nearby home where he would receive better care. He then sent for Mrs. Erhart to come and get Nicholas. Although some supporting information leads one to believe this as possibly a true store, there is not enough information to make it a sure thing. It just remains an interesting story for now.
By the November–December time frame, Nicholas was back with the company and had provided another horse. The Regimental Surgeon, C. C. Tebbetts, determined that he was totally disabled and had little use of his shoulder and arm. Therefore, he was discharged on January 9, 1863 at Elk Horn Tavern, Arkansas. I found it somewhat interesting that by the time Nicholas was discharged, his Certificate of Disability listed him as five feet ten inches tall, with hazel eyes, brown hair and a fair complexion.
Nicholas went back to civilian life, and the family experienced both loss and gain. On April 30, 1866, their daughter Frances died, and in March 1868, a new daughter, Georgia G., was born. According to the 1870 Census, Nicholas, Malvina, Viola and Georgia were living in Deep Water Township, Henry Co., Missouri. Nicholas was still a farmer and he had a Real Estate Value of $6,000 and a Personal Estate Value of $7,000.
The family continued to grow as Ida Belle was born in 1871 and Nellie P. arrived on October 2, 1875.
By the 1880 Census, the family was living in Bear Creek Township, Henry County. The family included Nicholas, Malvina, Viola, Georgia, Ida and Nellie. According to the 1883 History of Henry County, Nicholas had 1,300 acres in Henry Co. and he was one of the largest stock feeders and dealers in his township. In 1890, Nicholas listed his residence as Montrose, Missouri. The 1895 Plat map of Bear Creek Township shows that Nicholas held quite a bit of land on each side of the Bear Creek which ran through the township.
The 1900 Census listed Nicholas and Malvina in Bear Creek Township on a farm which they owned but was mortgaged; Nicholas was listed as a farmer. They had eight children with four still alive, but none were living with them. They did have three farm laborers and one house servant living with them. All of them could read, write and speak English.
On February 5, 1901 Nicholas filed for a Veteran’s Pension and received Certificate No. 1.039.744 and he refiled or renewed it in 1907. By the 1910 Census, Nicholas and Malvina were still living on a farm, but they own it free and clear. They had been married to each other for 55 years. He still listed himself as a farmer, with a 68 year old Virginia-born farm laborer and a 45 year old Indiana-born house servant living with them. Malvina died on October 1, 1910 according to her death certificate, although her tomb stone shows October 2. She was buried in the Bear Creek Cemetery. Nicholas died on July 18, 1915 one day before his 84th birthday and was buried along side his wife on July 22 in Bear Creek Cemetery.