This family history is from a collection of copied narratives and photos titled "FROM THE ALPS TO THE DUST BOWL" by Treva Reuszer Hancock, however the narratives may well have been written by several writers. (I would be happy to update attribution if anyone can provide it.)
The story comes from the section simply titled "WYSS" and the excerpt follows a narrative of the family's migration from Switzerland and eventual settlement in Moniteau County Missouri. It is as follows:
"The story is told that the family home [Christian and Elizabeth Steiner Wyss' home] was pillaged by local sympathizes who took the treasured swords and epaulets that Christian Wyss had worn in the Swiss Army. Also, the Wyss brothers were cutting wheat on the family farm when a battle erupted near Boonville, about thirty miles away. The noise of battle and the cannons were easily heard. All were of age, and it appeared that it was only a question of time before they would be drafted into the armed service. Accordingly, they left the harvest field and enlisted in the cause of the Union.
"John Wyss served three years in Home Guards. He then joined the First Regiment, Missouri Volunteer Infantry.
"Fred [Wyss] was a First Infantry, M.S.M. volunteer, enlisting December 21, 1861 and mustered out December 29, 1864. Christian served three enlistments. His military records are unavailable to me [the writer] but he was fatally wounded in the Battle of Jefferson City. Two sisters, Mary Rentsch and Anna Eggiman were delegated by the family to go to Jeff City to claim the body. The only land transport available, other than the horse and wagon, was a freight train. They were given permission, as females, to ride the caboose of a Missouri Pacific freight train to Jeff City and return."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Until now, research had found almost no documentation about Christian Wyss' Civil War service or his death. Information about "The Battle of Jefferson City" was almost non-existent. Finally - never say there's no serendipity in genealogy research - I discovered the following article in a newspaper that was saved for another front page article about the death of another family member - "F.P. Keil Killed At Tacoma, Wash." One day while going over the paper and reading all of the articles I was astonished to see the name of my Great Great Uncle Christian Wyss jump out, thereby, if Mr. Kirchman's account can be trusted and there's no reason to think otherwise, we have our answer to the Civil War death of Christian Wyss.
CALIFORNIA DEMOCRAT, California Missouri, Thursday, March 4, 1937 Vol 78, No. 29 "Fall Fatal to John Kirschman, Last of Civil War Veterans" paragraphs 5, 6, & 7
"In the summer of 1864, Mr. Kirschman enlisted with the Federal forces at Sedalia, along with twelve or fourteen other young men of his neighborhood about Prairie Home. The entire group went to Sedalia with a recruiting officer who visited their community.
"After about six weeks training at Sedalia, the Prairie Home boys went with their command to Jefferson City where a few days later they were under fire for the first time and where two of them were killed and others wounded.
"The engagement at Jefferson City came when Mr. Kirshman and a number of others were sent from their camp on the old fair grounds at Jefferson City as a scouting party to ascertain the whereabouts of some of the Confederate Troops of General Sterling Price. While going through some woods they were surprised by the Confederates who immediately opened fire. Conrad Dearing and Chris Wyss of Prairie Home were killed outright and Ferdinand Weber was so seriously wounded that he later died."
The story comes from the section simply titled "WYSS" and the excerpt follows a narrative of the family's migration from Switzerland and eventual settlement in Moniteau County Missouri. It is as follows:
"The story is told that the family home [Christian and Elizabeth Steiner Wyss' home] was pillaged by local sympathizes who took the treasured swords and epaulets that Christian Wyss had worn in the Swiss Army. Also, the Wyss brothers were cutting wheat on the family farm when a battle erupted near Boonville, about thirty miles away. The noise of battle and the cannons were easily heard. All were of age, and it appeared that it was only a question of time before they would be drafted into the armed service. Accordingly, they left the harvest field and enlisted in the cause of the Union.
"John Wyss served three years in Home Guards. He then joined the First Regiment, Missouri Volunteer Infantry.
"Fred [Wyss] was a First Infantry, M.S.M. volunteer, enlisting December 21, 1861 and mustered out December 29, 1864. Christian served three enlistments. His military records are unavailable to me [the writer] but he was fatally wounded in the Battle of Jefferson City. Two sisters, Mary Rentsch and Anna Eggiman were delegated by the family to go to Jeff City to claim the body. The only land transport available, other than the horse and wagon, was a freight train. They were given permission, as females, to ride the caboose of a Missouri Pacific freight train to Jeff City and return."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Until now, research had found almost no documentation about Christian Wyss' Civil War service or his death. Information about "The Battle of Jefferson City" was almost non-existent. Finally - never say there's no serendipity in genealogy research - I discovered the following article in a newspaper that was saved for another front page article about the death of another family member - "F.P. Keil Killed At Tacoma, Wash." One day while going over the paper and reading all of the articles I was astonished to see the name of my Great Great Uncle Christian Wyss jump out, thereby, if Mr. Kirchman's account can be trusted and there's no reason to think otherwise, we have our answer to the Civil War death of Christian Wyss.
CALIFORNIA DEMOCRAT, California Missouri, Thursday, March 4, 1937 Vol 78, No. 29 "Fall Fatal to John Kirschman, Last of Civil War Veterans" paragraphs 5, 6, & 7
"In the summer of 1864, Mr. Kirschman enlisted with the Federal forces at Sedalia, along with twelve or fourteen other young men of his neighborhood about Prairie Home. The entire group went to Sedalia with a recruiting officer who visited their community.
"After about six weeks training at Sedalia, the Prairie Home boys went with their command to Jefferson City where a few days later they were under fire for the first time and where two of them were killed and others wounded.
"The engagement at Jefferson City came when Mr. Kirshman and a number of others were sent from their camp on the old fair grounds at Jefferson City as a scouting party to ascertain the whereabouts of some of the Confederate Troops of General Sterling Price. While going through some woods they were surprised by the Confederates who immediately opened fire. Conrad Dearing and Chris Wyss of Prairie Home were killed outright and Ferdinand Weber was so seriously wounded that he later died."
This family history is from a collection of copied narratives and photos titled "FROM THE ALPS TO THE DUST BOWL" by Treva Reuszer Hancock, however the narratives may well have been written by several writers. (I would be happy to update attribution if anyone can provide it.)
The story comes from the section simply titled "WYSS" and the excerpt follows a narrative of the family's migration from Switzerland and eventual settlement in Moniteau County Missouri. It is as follows:
"The story is told that the family home [Christian and Elizabeth Steiner Wyss' home] was pillaged by local sympathizes who took the treasured swords and epaulets that Christian Wyss had worn in the Swiss Army. Also, the Wyss brothers were cutting wheat on the family farm when a battle erupted near Boonville, about thirty miles away. The noise of battle and the cannons were easily heard. All were of age, and it appeared that it was only a question of time before they would be drafted into the armed service. Accordingly, they left the harvest field and enlisted in the cause of the Union.
"John Wyss served three years in Home Guards. He then joined the First Regiment, Missouri Volunteer Infantry.
"Fred [Wyss] was a First Infantry, M.S.M. volunteer, enlisting December 21, 1861 and mustered out December 29, 1864. Christian served three enlistments. His military records are unavailable to me [the writer] but he was fatally wounded in the Battle of Jefferson City. Two sisters, Mary Rentsch and Anna Eggiman were delegated by the family to go to Jeff City to claim the body. The only land transport available, other than the horse and wagon, was a freight train. They were given permission, as females, to ride the caboose of a Missouri Pacific freight train to Jeff City and return."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Until now, research had found almost no documentation about Christian Wyss' Civil War service or his death. Information about "The Battle of Jefferson City" was almost non-existent. Finally - never say there's no serendipity in genealogy research - I discovered the following article in a newspaper that was saved for another front page article about the death of another family member - "F.P. Keil Killed At Tacoma, Wash." One day while going over the paper and reading all of the articles I was astonished to see the name of my Great Great Uncle Christian Wyss jump out, thereby, if Mr. Kirchman's account can be trusted and there's no reason to think otherwise, we have our answer to the Civil War death of Christian Wyss.
CALIFORNIA DEMOCRAT, California Missouri, Thursday, March 4, 1937 Vol 78, No. 29 "Fall Fatal to John Kirschman, Last of Civil War Veterans" paragraphs 5, 6, & 7
"In the summer of 1864, Mr. Kirschman enlisted with the Federal forces at Sedalia, along with twelve or fourteen other young men of his neighborhood about Prairie Home. The entire group went to Sedalia with a recruiting officer who visited their community.
"After about six weeks training at Sedalia, the Prairie Home boys went with their command to Jefferson City where a few days later they were under fire for the first time and where two of them were killed and others wounded.
"The engagement at Jefferson City came when Mr. Kirshman and a number of others were sent from their camp on the old fair grounds at Jefferson City as a scouting party to ascertain the whereabouts of some of the Confederate Troops of General Sterling Price. While going through some woods they were surprised by the Confederates who immediately opened fire. Conrad Dearing and Chris Wyss of Prairie Home were killed outright and Ferdinand Weber was so seriously wounded that he later died."
The story comes from the section simply titled "WYSS" and the excerpt follows a narrative of the family's migration from Switzerland and eventual settlement in Moniteau County Missouri. It is as follows:
"The story is told that the family home [Christian and Elizabeth Steiner Wyss' home] was pillaged by local sympathizes who took the treasured swords and epaulets that Christian Wyss had worn in the Swiss Army. Also, the Wyss brothers were cutting wheat on the family farm when a battle erupted near Boonville, about thirty miles away. The noise of battle and the cannons were easily heard. All were of age, and it appeared that it was only a question of time before they would be drafted into the armed service. Accordingly, they left the harvest field and enlisted in the cause of the Union.
"John Wyss served three years in Home Guards. He then joined the First Regiment, Missouri Volunteer Infantry.
"Fred [Wyss] was a First Infantry, M.S.M. volunteer, enlisting December 21, 1861 and mustered out December 29, 1864. Christian served three enlistments. His military records are unavailable to me [the writer] but he was fatally wounded in the Battle of Jefferson City. Two sisters, Mary Rentsch and Anna Eggiman were delegated by the family to go to Jeff City to claim the body. The only land transport available, other than the horse and wagon, was a freight train. They were given permission, as females, to ride the caboose of a Missouri Pacific freight train to Jeff City and return."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Until now, research had found almost no documentation about Christian Wyss' Civil War service or his death. Information about "The Battle of Jefferson City" was almost non-existent. Finally - never say there's no serendipity in genealogy research - I discovered the following article in a newspaper that was saved for another front page article about the death of another family member - "F.P. Keil Killed At Tacoma, Wash." One day while going over the paper and reading all of the articles I was astonished to see the name of my Great Great Uncle Christian Wyss jump out, thereby, if Mr. Kirchman's account can be trusted and there's no reason to think otherwise, we have our answer to the Civil War death of Christian Wyss.
CALIFORNIA DEMOCRAT, California Missouri, Thursday, March 4, 1937 Vol 78, No. 29 "Fall Fatal to John Kirschman, Last of Civil War Veterans" paragraphs 5, 6, & 7
"In the summer of 1864, Mr. Kirschman enlisted with the Federal forces at Sedalia, along with twelve or fourteen other young men of his neighborhood about Prairie Home. The entire group went to Sedalia with a recruiting officer who visited their community.
"After about six weeks training at Sedalia, the Prairie Home boys went with their command to Jefferson City where a few days later they were under fire for the first time and where two of them were killed and others wounded.
"The engagement at Jefferson City came when Mr. Kirshman and a number of others were sent from their camp on the old fair grounds at Jefferson City as a scouting party to ascertain the whereabouts of some of the Confederate Troops of General Sterling Price. While going through some woods they were surprised by the Confederates who immediately opened fire. Conrad Dearing and Chris Wyss of Prairie Home were killed outright and Ferdinand Weber was so seriously wounded that he later died."
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CO.I. 45 MO.INF.
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