Will County ILGenWeb Biographies..... 
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File contributed for use by:
Dori Leekly & Margie Glenn

Author: History of Will County, Illinois; Chicago: Wm LeBaron Jr & Co, 186 Dearborn Street, 1878.

A. W. HEISE, M. D., physician and surgeon, Joliet; one of the oldest and most prominent 
physicians of Joliet, was born in Bramsche, in the Province of Hanover, Germany, Sept. 4, 
1823; he received his literary education at the Gymnasium of Osnabruck, and entered the 
University of Goettingen, where he pursued his medical course, and graduated in 1846; he 
then attended a course of medical lectures in the University of Heidelber, receiving the ad 
eundem degree of M. D. from that institution, in 1847; taking part in the revolution of 1848, 
he was compelled to leave the country, and accordingly sought a home in America; a general 
pardon of all those implicated was issued some five years later by the German Government. 
but Dr. HEISE being then so long in this country and intending to make it his permanent home, 
did not care to take advantage of it; the first year in this country he spent in traveling 
in the Eastern and Southern States, supporting himself by corresponding with some of the 
German newspapers; in 1849 he located in Du Page Co., IL, and continued the practice of 
medicine there until 1856; he then went to New York as House Surgeon in the Marine Hospital 
on Ward's Island, remaining there until September 1857, when he came to Joliet, and has been 
engaged in the practice of his profession here ever since. In 1861, he entered the army as 
Surgeon of the 11th I. V. I., and the following, spring was appointed Surgeon of the 100th 
I. V. I.; after the battle of Murfreesboro, he was promoted to Brigade Surgeon, and after 
the battle of Chickamauga, was appointed Operator of the Brigade, with the privilege of 
choosing his own assistants without regard to rank; owing to Illness, he was afterward 
obliged to retire from active service in the field, and was appointed Inspector of 
Hospitals and Consulting Surgeon of the Corps; in 1864, owing to continued IL health, 
he tendered his resignation, which was finally accepted with a great deal of reluctance, 
his ability and skill as an army surgeon were so apparent as to merit and receive 
recognition, and honorable mention in the "Medical and Surgical History of the War of 
the Rebellion;" in 1872, he was appointed Physician in Charge of the Illinois State 
Penitentiary, in this city, which position be still holds.