Enlisted 04/29/61 as a private in Co. A, 1st Minnesota Infantry; discharged 11/16/63

He farmed with his brother until he enlisted in the First Minnesota Infantry Regiment in April, 1861.
John was wounded in the left ankle at the battle of Bull Run. Rheumatism eventually set in. At the battle of Savage Station in May, 1862, he suffered sunstroke. At Antietam he developed a severe cough which later in life turn into consumption. On April 22, 1863, he was sent to the hospital at Accqua Creek and on May 2nd was forwarded to a General Hospital.
The company muster rolls say that he was absent sick at the time of the battle at Gettysburg. There are some records, however, that indicate that he may have been at the battle, participated in the charge on July 2nd and later returned to the hosptital by mid-July (Natl Archives & Mpls Journal, 1897).
His health continued to decline. Eventually he was deemed to no longer be capable of continuing with the regiment and their grueling pace of front-line fighting. He was transferred to Co G of the 19th Veterans Reserve Corps on Nov 16, 1863. He was furloughed on Nov 25, 1863, for 15 days. He joined a detachment of the 19th VRC at Ft Snelling back in Minnesota, on Dec 14th. On Jan 17, 1864, he entered the post hospital, suffering from pneumonia. He was returned to duty on Feb 8, 1864. He was furloughed from may 10th to the 29th. On June 15, 1864 he was ordered to report to Washington DC. He rejoined the 19th VRC on July 1st. He served there until his three year enlistment was up. He was discharged on July 24, 1864.
On May 21, 1866, he married Marguerite Poirier.

Source: http://firstmn.phpwebhosting.com/SearchResults.php3?ID=0010∼Born in Schwanden, Switzerland. Son of Johannes and Anna Maria Feldman Blesi. He came to the United States in 1853, with his brothers and sisters and settled into the New Schwanden area (Champlin)on March 25,1855.

On April 29,1861 he enlisted as a private in the 1st Reg. Co A Minnesota Volunteer Infantry and served in 10 campaigns starting with Bull Run on July 21, 1861, through 1st Fredericksburg on Dec 13, 1862. He was mustered out of service on July 24, 1864 in Washington, D.C.

He married Margurite Poirier on May 21, 1866. During the war John became friends with Gen. U. S. Grant. After the Civil War when Grant became President, he toured Minnesota in 1882, to celebrate the opening of the Great Nothern Railroad passage route. On his return from St. Cloud, he stopped at Anoka on Sept 2, 1882 to visit some Civil War veterans, one of which was John Blesi. Pres. Grant invited John to join in the celebrations and marches with Abraham Lincoln's son and 52 Civil War veterans on Sept 10, 1882 in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

John farmed on the west side of Hayden Lake. He and his wife had 14 children. Mary 1864 (Mrs. Walter H. Gaslin), Anne 1866, John Jr. 1869, Frank 1870, Sophia 1870 (Mrs. Frederick Hennicke), Eli Dave 1871, Winnie 1872 (Mrs. Geoge Bragg), Peter John 1876, Margaret 1878 (Mrs. William Cotton), Nicholas 1880, George, Albert 1884, Michael 1886, and Walter 1888.