Om grunnen til at Christian August fikk sine fornavn fortelles at da prins Christian August av Augustenborg lå på Rakkestad i 1810 og hørte at Johan Heyerdahls hustru skulle ha et barn, sa han ble det en gutt, måtte de oppkalle barnet etter ham. I 1829 kom Christian August i kjøpmannslære hos svogeren kjøpmann Christian Bassøe i Moss og kjøpte ved skjøte av 16/5-1839 gården Gilesund i Rygge av Lorentz Mathiesen for 7000 spesiedaler. Et par år var han tollbetjent i Moss, kjøpte så gåden Vaak i Vaaler, men flyttet 1849 til Horten hvor han drev bakerforretning. Da det imidlertid gikk dårlig med forretningen, dro han i juli 1853 til USA. Han forsøkte seg først som gullgraver i Carlifornia, oppholdt seg derpå en tid i Chicago og senere i Iowa, inntil han i 1867 flyttet til La Crosse.

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Jeg arbeidet i 1833 som Kiøpmand for Kiøpmand Bastøe i Moss.

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On May 3, 1853, the good ship "Peter Tordenskjold," commanded by Captain Lugg, sailed from Christiania for Quebec, taking out some three hundred emigrants. This ship was a three-masted bark. On heaving anchor a very favorable breeze set in and good speed was made all the way out the fjord so that the farther lighthouse was made the same evening. At this point the pilot left the ship, which now stood out to sea. This vessel had a good hull and was also a good sailor, but the rigging was not considered extra. Following is a list of the cabin passengers: Fred Brön, merchant, and wife; Christ Heyerdahl, former landowner and farmer; Lauritz Heyerdahl, a brother, and Chr. Winge, the two latter printers; -------- Casperson; K. E. Erickson, a student and former clerk.

Chr. Heyerdahl was an elderly man and a widower; he lived for some time in Milwaukee, where for a while he worked under fish inspector T. J. Widvey at the fish warehouse. Later on he removed to La Crosse with his family; he had contracted a new marriage since coming west. He died there in 1882, and his remains were laid at rest on May 3, the exact twenty-ninth anniversary of the day he sailed from Christiania.