From "History of La Crosse County, Wisconsin", 1881, p. 767 - 768. City of La Crosse NICHOLAS KERPEN is a native of Prussia, and came to America in 1861. Sept. 21, 1861, he enlisted at Winona, Minn., in the first company of cavalry raised in that State, and acted as body-guard for Gen. Curtis for nearly a year. In 1862, they were assigned to the 5th Iowa V. I., and remained in the serice till the 16th day of May, 1866. He was taken prisoner at Fort Donelson in 1863, paroled on the battle-field, and exchanged about a month after. He came to La Crosse in 1873, and has been engaged in buying wheat and keeping saloon since then. He was married in Bangon, La Crosse, Co., Wis., in the fall of 1866, to Miss Louisa Walker, and has six children, as follows: Amelia, Adaline, Frank, Herman, Louis and Isabell. [I am not related to this family and have no further information. I'm posting this as a service and hope it helps!]