Hi Everyone! I am looking for information on the occupation of my family members before they left Germany. I just learned an interesting story about my 4x great grandfather who was drafted into the Prussian army against his will in 1848. According to the story, service in the Prussian army was so abhorrent at that time that it was sarcastically referred to as "becoming a Prussian." My grandfather, already unhappy to be in the army, was driven too hard by an officer and threw his gun (bayonet attached) at the man. The bayonet caused a huge gash in the officer's face. Unable to speak, the commander was taken to the hospital. My grandfather managed to convince authorities that the gun had been "fairly resulted from his grasp" but believed court-martial was eminent as soon as the officer was able to speak his side. So grandpa escaped into the German frontier, where he met a "shrewd young woman" (whatever that means) who introduced him to a mounted guard who in turn helped grandpa across the French border and then into Italy with out a pass. Grandpa then fought for the Papal Guard before immigrating to the US in 1856 where is finally settled down as a farmer in Minnesota. I have read that conscription was not universal at that time in Prussia. I know that most Junkers and their peasants were exempt from the draft. That means grandpa's family must have been some sort of free peasantry or members of some lower craft. Grandpa's name was John Pfeifer and he was born in 1828. His father was Johannes Pfeifer born in 1787. Both were from Rappweiler, Konfeld, Trier. John was christened at St. John the Baptist. Can anyone guide me as to how to find their occupation? Thanks! Angie APFEIFER@prodigy.net