Theophile Dufrene

Name: Theophile Dufrene Company: E Veteran; promoted Corporal, Sergeant.
Birth Date: November 1840 Place: France	Mustered In Date: March 25, 1862 Rank: Private Age: 21 Residence prior to military service: France; Shakopee, Scott County, Minnesota? Vocation prior to military service:
Death Date: unknown Place: unknown	Mustered Out Date: September 6, 1865 Rank: Sergeant Age: 24 Residence following military service: Little Sauk Township, Todd County, Minnesota Vocation following military service: Farmer

Theophile Dufrene Biography and Civil War Narrative

Theophile Dufrene was born November 1840 in France. He came to the United States in 1857. At age 21 he enlisted as a Private in Company E of the 5th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Company E participated in the Siege of Corinth, Mississippi (May 26-30, 1862), the Battle of Corinth (October 3-4, 1862), Grant's Central Mississippi Campaign (November 1862 to January 1863), and the Siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi (May 18-July 4, 1863), and the Meridian Campaign (February 3-March 2, 1864), and the Red River Campaign (March 10-May 22, 1864) including the Battle of Pleasant Hill (April 9, 1864). On March 25, 1864, Dufrene re-enlisted as a veteran. After a veterans furlough in the summer of 1864, Dufrene returned south, rejoining Company E for an exhaustive march through Arkansas and Missouri in pursuit of Confederate General Price (September 17-November 15, 1864), the Battle of Nashville, Tennessee (December 15-16, 1864), and the Campaign against Mobile, Alabama and its Defenses (March 7 - April 12, 1865). During his service in the 5th Minnesota, Private Dufrene was promoted to Corporal and then to Sergeant. He was mustered out with the regiment on September 6, 1865, at age 24.

Soon after the war, Theophile Dufrene married Mary, born July 1848 in Canada. By 1870, the Dufrene household lived in Little Sauk Township, Todd County, Minnesota, where 29-year-old Theophile farmed. Also in the household were Mary (age 21) and two daughters born in Minnesota: Florence (age 2) and Rosalee (age 1 month). Living next to Theophile and Mary were Edward (age 26; born in France) and Cady (age 17, born in Canada) Dufrene; Edward was likely Theophile's younger brother. On May 1, 1875, Theophile Dufrene was granted a Land Patent for 160 acres in Section 25 of Little Sauk Township.

In 1880 at age 39, Theophile continued to farm in Little Sauk Township, living with his wife Mary (age 31) and six children: Florena (age 12), Rosella (age 9), Felix (age 8), Henry (age 7), Clement (age 2), and Philip (age 3 months; born in February 1880). Twenty years later in 1900, the Dufrene household consisted of Theophile (age 59), Mary (age 51), Phillip (age 20), Alfred (age 18, born February 1882), Mable (age 12, born May 1888), Flora (age 10, born February 1890), Clement (age 22, born October 1877), daughter-in-law Ettie (age 22, born July 1877), and granddaughter Mable (age 9 months, born September 1899). Next door lived daughter Florence (age 32, born May 1868) and her husband, Frank Fester (age 36, born January 1864), and their 6 children. Also living with Frank and Florence was Theophile's son, Henry Dufrene (age 26, born April 1874). The census shows that Theophile and Mary had had 15 children, with only 9 of them living in 1900.

Ten years later at age 69, Theophile was still farming in Little Sauk Township. His wife, Mary, and three children lived in the household: Philip, Alfred, and Mabel. In 1920, just Philip (now age 39) lived with Theophile and Mary Dufrene, helping them with their farm in Little Sauk Township, Todd County, Minnesota.

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