THE ZIMMERMANN FAMILY
by Arthur W. Cleaver, grandson of Carl F. Zimmermann
Early Zimmerman family history is shrouded in mystery. Charles Frederick Zimmermann lived for many years as a teacher of languages in the college of Basle, Switzerland. He confided to his family that he had been an officer of Queen Louisa's Royal Guard and was her special guard when she fled into Poland to escape her deadliest enemy, Napoleon l. All officers of the Royal Guard were related in some way to the Royal Family Hohenzollern. Herr Zimmerman would never tell who he was. However, after escorting Queen Louisa to Poland, he returned to Germany and was engaged in a small rebellion against Napoleon and in one of the battles in the city of Strahlsund he was severely wounded. Dragging himself to a nearby doorway, he was taken inside the home of a sympathizing family and hidden until nursed back to health. However, his benefactors had recognized him and sent word to General Von Blucher of the wounded man's whereabouts. The general caused him to be secretlly smuggled into Poland. Here he married a German girl, Madeleine, a relative of Von Humboldt, the noted astronomer. They had several children among whom Sophia Charlotte born in 1826.
Sometime in the 1840's they moved to Basle, Switzerland and Herr Zimmermann became a teacher of languages in the college. His children were all highly educated and were fluent linguists. Many incidents have been recalled by Sophia which would seem to prove the supposition that her father was a member of the Hohenzollern family. The family was never allowed to go into Germany. But upon one occasion when the Emperor was to review his troops close by, Herr Zimmerman took his children to see the manoevers. He was recognized by one of the Emperors aides and the Emperor sent a attache to follow the family home. Herr Zimmerman's residence was thus made known and at frequent intervals after this he was visited by dignitaries of the German Court. Sophia, with childlike curiosity, would listen at the door and often heard her father's answer to their requests, "Nein, nein, alles oder nichts!" (No, no all or nothing!) That he was an important personage in his own country, she was sure; but he died without disclosing his true identity.
Sophia Zimmermann went to America in 1854 with one of her brothers to visit cousins in Chicago and St. Paul. In Chicago she became a tutor of French and German to the children of an Englishman, Charles Cleaver. In 1856 she married William Cleaver, brother of Charles, and settled in Chicago. Five children were born of this marriage. Madeleine Sophie, Elizabeth Mary, Arthur von Wedell, Charlotte Annie, and Herbert Edward.