Major Stanley Caldwell, 1865

The history of Bergsteiger South traces back to Major Stan Caldwell of the South Dakota Confederate Light Cavalry. In April of 1865, the seven member Dakota contingent that had fought its way to Appomattox stood at a crossroads.

Although they lacked a reliable atlas, six members were fairly sure of the way home. Stan, however, had his own ideas based mostly on a dog-eared VIR track map. While 6/7ths of the veterans arrived back in Ft. Pierre, South Dakota in late July of 1865, Stan had arrived in the town of Macon, North Carolina by early May. Tired from war and weary from travel, Stan set up a combination cotton gin and patent medicine bottling plant outside of his adopted hometown and settled down to a quiet life. In 1866 he sent for Marta Bergsteiger, his fiance from South Dakota.

 Lt. Beau Caldwell, 1915

Beauregard Caldwell (son of Stan) was decorated with the Distinguished Order of the Cumberland Flying Cross for meritorious action during the 1915 Battle of Cumberland. After receiving an urgent telegram from Capt. Ernst Bergsteiger, Lt. Caldwell flew his home built tri-wing fighter for 36 hours straight to join in the fighting.

In the skies above Polish Mountain, Beau shot down four soaring birds and put six holes in Flintstone's water tower.  The lost water supply deprived the retreating Hanover Army of cooling water for their transporters, stranding them under the I-68 overpass where they were easy prey for local kids selling first aid kits.

Bergsteiger South prides itself in its modern field hospitals and well trained medical personnel.  

Camp life leaves plenty of time to peruse the local newspaper to make sure that our names were spelled right.