Jacob Nix (July 17, 1822 - January 13, 1897) was a German revolutionary, German Turner, assessor, and

municipal clerk A clerk (pronounced "clark" /klɑːk/ in British and Australian English) is a senior official of many municipal governments in the English-speaking world. In some communities, including most in the United States, the position is elected, but in ...

of the city of

New Ulm, Minnesota New Ulm ( ) is a city and the county seat of Brown County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 14,120 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is located on the triangle of land formed by the confluence of the Minnesota River a ...

. Nix was one of the commanders of the militia forces alongside

Charles Eugene Flandrau Charles Eugene Flandrau (July 15, 1828 – September 9, 1903) was an American lawyer who became influential in the Minnesota Territory, and later state, after moving there in 1853 from New York City. He served on the Minnesota Territorial Coun ...

during the

Battles of New Ulm The Battles of New Ulm, also known as the New Ulm Massacre, were two battles in August 1862 between Dakota men and European settlers and militia in New Ulm, Minnesota early in the Dakota War of 1862. Dakota forces attacked New Ulm on August 19 ...

during the

Dakota War of 1862 The Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux Uprising, the Dakota Uprising, the Sioux Outbreak of 1862, the Dakota Conflict, or Little Crow's War, was an armed conflict between the United States and several eastern bands of Dakota people, Da ...

where he was severely wounded.

Early life

Nix was born in

Bingen am Rhein Bingen am Rhein () is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The settlement's original name was Bingium, a Celtic languages, Celtic word that may have meant "hole in the rock", a description of the shoal behind the ...

on July 17, 1822, the history of his family before 1849 is scarce. Nix was a participant in the

Revolutions of 1848 The revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the springtime of the peoples or the springtime of nations, were a series of revolutions throughout Europe over the course of more than one year, from 1848 to 1849. It remains the most widespre ...

, specifically the Palatine uprising, where he fought in the Third Company of Franz Heinrich Zitz's

Rhenish Hesse Rhenish Hesse or Rhine HesseDickinson, Robert E (1964). ''Germany: A regional and economic geography'' (2nd ed.). London: Methuen, p. 542. . (, ) is a region and a former government district () in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is ...

Freischar against the

German Confederation The German Confederation ( ) was an association of 39 predominantly German-speaking sovereign states in Central Europe. It was created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 as a replacement of the former Holy Roman Empire, which had been dissolved ...

. Nix was captured during the failed uprising and was tried with

high treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its d ...

by the German government, however, Nix was able to escape to

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

. Like many Germans at the time, Nix fled to the United States due to what he perceived as

political persecution Political repression is the act of a state entity controlling a citizenry by force for political reasons, particularly for the purpose of restricting or preventing the citizenry's ability to take part in the political life of a society, thereby ...

from the German government becoming what German-Americans referred to as Forty-eighters. When Nix immigrated to the United States around 1852 he ended up residing in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

which, at the time, had a large German population. In 1852 Nix married Margaretha (Margaret) Schneider, together they had 4 children; Robert, William, Amalie, and Emmy. Blos 577 Kirchheimbolanden

At an 1855 meeting of the National Convention of German-American

Turners Turners (, ) are members of German-American gymnastic clubs called Turnvereine. They promoted German culture, physical culture, and liberal politics. Turners, especially Francis Lieber (1798–1872), were the leading sponsors of gymnastics as ...

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

, Nix heavily supported

William Pfaender William Pfaender Sr. (born Jakob Wilhelm Pfänder, July 6, 1826 – August 11, 1905) was a German-American politician and businessman. Biography Born in Heilbronn, Kingdom of Württemberg, Pfaender emigrated to the United States in 1848 an ...

and his proposal to establish a German Turner colony in

Minnesota Territory The Territory of Minnesota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 3, 1849, until May 11, 1858, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Minnesota and the w ...

. Pfaender eventually founded the Chicago Land Association which speculated

Dakota Dakota may refer to: * Dakota people, a sub-tribe of the Sioux ** Dakota language, their language Dakota may also refer to: Places United States * Dakota, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Dakota, Illinois, a town * Dakota, Minnesota ...

land which had been ceded to the United States Government during the

Treaty of Traverse des Sioux The Treaty of Traverse des Sioux () was signed on July 23, 1851, at Traverse des Sioux in Minnesota Territory between the United States government and the Dakota people, Upper Dakota Sioux bands. In this land cession treaty, the Sisseton and Wahpe ...

in the Minnesota River Valley in 1854 where New Ulm was eventually

platted In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bear ...

. The Chicago Land Association eventually merged with the German Land Association of Minnesota and formally started to sell land in 1857 to prospective Germans moving to

. The German Land Association was eventually dissolved in 1859 after Minnesota was granted statehood. Nix, Pfaender, and Julius Berndt among others were prominent leaders of the local Turner Hall which housed the town's first school as well as many social and athletic activities.

Role in the Dakota War

When the

occurred Nix was the operator of a local

general store A general merchant store (also known as general merchandise store, general dealer, village shop, or country store) is a rural or small-town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, someti ...

in New Ulm. Nix was one of several men who joined Sheriff Charles L. Roos in organizing the Brown County militia for the defense of New Ulm following the

Attack at the Lower Sioux Agency The Attack at the Lower Sioux Agency was the first organized attack led by Dakota people, Dakota leader Little Crow in Minnesota on August 18, 1862, and is considered the initial engagement of the Dakota War of 1862. It resulted in 13 settler de ...

. As Colonel Francis Baasen was the only militia officer available in the region Sheriff Charles L. Roos appointed Nix as the

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

and

commandant Commandant ( or ; ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ...

of the militia for his experience and service in the

Freikorps (, "Free Corps" or "Volunteer Corps") were irregular German and other European paramilitary volunteer units that existed from the 18th to the early 20th centuries. They effectively fought as mercenaries or private military companies, rega ...

as a German revolutionary. During the First Battle of New Ulm Nix and Sheriff Roos were the two commanders of the militia. During the battle Nix was severely wounded in the shoulder and had his finger shot off but continued to lead the militia alongside Roos. Nix's command was eventually replaced with the arrival of Nicollet County Judge

who was the local militia commander at

Traverse des Sioux Traverse des Sioux is a historic site in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Once part of a pre-industrial trade route, it is preserved to commemorate that route, a busy river crossing on it, and a nineteenth-century settlement, trading post, and missi ...

. The militia and civilian populace of New Ulm eventually abandoned the city and fled to

Mankato, Minnesota Mankato ( ) is a city in Blue Earth County, Minnesota, Blue Earth, Nicollet County, Minnesota, Nicollet, and Le Sueur County, Minnesota, Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is the county seat of Blue Earth County, Minnesota. The ...

where they sought refuge following the two battles which destroyed much of the city.

Military service against the Dakota

When Nix's service in the militia was ended following the defeat of the Dakota at the

Battle of Wood Lake The Battle of Wood Lake occurred on September 23, 1862, and was the final battle in the Dakota War of 1862. The two-hour battle, which actually took place at nearby Lone Tree Lake, was a decisive victory for the U.S. forces led by Colonel Henry H ...

he enlisted into the 1st Minnesota Cavalry Regiment and was made Captain of Company L on December 28, 1862. Many other prominent New Ulm citizens joined the 1st Minnesota Cavalry including John Hauenstein, a local

brewer Brewing is the production of beer by steeping a starch source (commonly cereal grains, the most popular of which is barley) in water and fermenting the resulting sweet liquid with yeast. It may be done in a brewery by a commercial brewer, ...

who served as Nix's Lieutenant.

also served in the 1st Minnesota Cavalry Regiment as the regiments Lieutenant Colonel and would fight with the regiment before being transferred to the 2nd Minnesota Cavalry Regiment. Captain Nix and the 1st Minnesota Cavalry fought at the Battle of Big Mound, the Battle of Dead Buffalo Lake, and the

Battle of Stony Lake The Battle of Stony Lake was the third and last engagement of Henry Hastings Sibley's 1863 campaign against the Sioux, Santee, Sioux, Yankton, Sioux, Yanktonai and Lakota people, Teton Sioux in Dakota Territory. Following the battle, the Ind ...

. In 1864 Nix was transferred along with many others to Company G of the 2nd Minnesota Cavalry Regiment which saw combat during the Battle of Killdeer Mountain and the Battle of the Badlands. Nix was discharged from the Army on November 4, 1864 with the rank of Captain.

Duel in St. Cloud

During his military service as the Captain of Company G, 2nd Minnesota Cavalry Nix was involved in a

bar fight Street fighting or street combat is hand-to-hand combat in public places between individuals or groups of people. The venue is usually a public place (e.g., a street), and the fight sometimes results in serious injury or even death. Some street ...

which turned into a

duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people with matched weapons. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the rapier and later the small sword), but beginning in ...

St. Cloud, Minnesota St. Cloud or Saint Cloud (; ) is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 68,881 at the 2020 census, making it Minnesota's 12th-largest city. St. Cloud is the c ...

which was started by one of the patrons after Nix called them a "damned Copperhead". The patron and Nix fought with one another until the fight was broken up by Nix's cavalry squadron who joined in the fight. The fight was stopped by Charles Lueg, a fellow

German American German Americans (, ) are Americans who have full or partial German ancestry. According to the United States Census Bureau's figures from 2022, German Americans make up roughly 41 million people in the US, which is approximately 12% of the pop ...

and the Captain of Company G, 4th Minnesota Infantry Regiment. Lueg persuaded Nix's men and the patrons of the bar to stop fighting as it was not a fair fight. The following day Nix appeared in front of Lueg's business along with 27 men and challenged Lueg to a duel with swords. During the ensuing duel Nix was cut across his forehead and Lueg received a cut on his hand. Nix later threatened to "clean out the town" which caused the local

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...

and citizen to patrol the town at night. Nix's company quietly left St. Cloud with no further threats or altercations.

Later life

Nix later served as the Assessor for the city of New Ulm from 1875 - 1876, and the Town Clerk for five consecutive terms from 1881 - 1886, he was succeeded as Town Clerk by Louis Schilling. Nix also later wrote a 76 page booklet titled ''"Der Ausbruch der Sioux-Indianer in Minnesota, im August 1862"'' (The outbreak of the Sioux Indians in Minnesota, in August 1862) which was published in 1887. In the postwar era Nix was an active member in the community. Nix was a member of the Hecker Post No. 48 of the

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (United States Navy, U.S. Navy), and the United States Marine Corps, Marines who served in the American Ci ...

in New Ulm, the local

Turnverein Turners (, ) are members of German-American gymnastic clubs called Turnvereine. They promoted German culture, physical culture, and liberal politics. Turners, especially Francis Lieber (1798–1872), were the leading sponsors of gymnastics as ...

, and reunion groups for the First and Second Minnesota Cavalry. In 1888 Nix was appointed as the head of the Turner Mutual Insurance Association of the Northwest. Nix was later a contributor and promoter of the

Hermann Heights Monument The Hermann Heights Monument is a statue erected in New Ulm, Minnesota, United States. The statue depicts Arminius (), an ancient Cheruscan, but locals refer to the statue as Hermann the German. The only National Register of Historic Places prope ...

built by local architect and sculptor Julius Berndt. Nix died on January 13, 1897 in New Ulm, he was survived by his wife Margaretha, his son Robert Peter Andrew Nix, and two daughters Amalie Nix and Emmy Steinhauser. Nix is buried in the New Ulm City Cemetery, documents about the Nix family history and Jacob Nix's role in the military are held by both the Brown County Museum and the

Minnesota Historical Society The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Educational institution, educational and cultural institution dedicated to preserving the history of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was founded by the Minnesota Terr ...

Legacy

* The "Jacob Nix Platz" in New Ulm is named in honor of Nix and his service to the city of New Ulm as a

public servant The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil service personnel hired rather than elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leadership. A civil service offic ...

. A marker for the location stands at the intersection of 2nd North Street and North Broadway on 2nd North Street in New Ulm. * Nix is listed as one of the defenders of New Ulm on the ''New Ulm Defenders'' Monument. * Nix is featured prominently throughout the exhibit "''Never Shall I Forget – A New Look At Brown County and the U.S.-Dakota War"'' at the Brown County Museum.

References

1822 births 1897 deaths {{Improve categories, date=June 2025