Ondrej Gálik was born on November 28, 1815, in Brzotín, located in present-day Roznava County, Slovakia. He was the son of Samuel Gálik and received his education in Roznava, followed by further studies at the military academy in Levoca. After a brief military stint, he became a merchant in Kosice, specializing in the trade of textiles and spices. Following the suppression of the 1848–1849 Hungarian Revolution, in which he took part, Gálik emigrated—first to France, then to the United States in 1856. In Ohio, he immersed himself in various ventures, including founding a fencing school and briefly trying his luck as a gold prospector in Australia, before returning to the U.S.

With the outbreak of the American Civil War, Gálik enlisted in October 1861 in the 58th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming Captain by January 1862. He saw action at Fort Donelson and Shiloh, where his unit sustained heavy losses. In December 1862, he was wounded and captured at Chickasaw Bayou but was later released through a prisoner exchange. Gálik was then assigned to command the ironclad gunboat USS Mound City during operations on the Mississippi River before returning to infantry service. On October 20, 1864, he was promoted to Major, the highest confirmed rank he achieved. Due to ongoing health issues from his wartime injuries, he retired from military service in January 1865.

After the war, Gálik lived first in Austin, Mississippi, and then in Kansas City, Missouri, where he worked as a veterinarian and became a U.S. citizen. Despite his successful life in America, he remained homesick, particularly for his son, whom he had left behind. In 1881, at the age of 66, he returned to Kosice, where he spent his final years living with his son at Alzbetina Street 16. He died there on June 18, 1885. Gálik was buried in the Evangelical Cemetery in Kosice.Source of information: snn.sk, Kasigarda.sk