The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1907-10-25
FFTF"'7 1'IFF Observation-Disclosures
Three Times Mayor of Norfolk
Prominent Avenue Today Bears Ills Name
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Forty.two days were consumed In the
transatlantic trip. Landing in New
York July 2, the mother went to Gin
cinnati and remained q year Later
by steamboat she went down to St
Louis and in the spring of 1855 bought
a farm in Monroe county, H., south
of st. Louis. On that farm John Kocn-
igstein worked until year before the
war. In Latin school he had learned
something of drugs and so he went to
st. Louis for work in that line. Al
most year he worked in drug store
there when the civil war was declared
and, like many another youth, young
Koenigstein enlisted in the Forty-third
Illinois infantry. That was Sept Q,
1851.
During the forepart of the war this
regiment was sent against guerrillas
in Missouri. Later 1t was taken fur
Their south to Fort Henry and John
Koenigstein participated in the battle
of Shiloh, FIT. Donaldson, Corinth, the
battle of luka and in the siege of Vivks-
burg under General Grant. The regi-
ment in which John Koenigstein
marched belonged to the sixteenth
army corps, McClernand's division,
Ross brigade. At Shiloh Netherlands
division gotin to a cross fire, supporting
battery, and every horse was killed
almost at the same instant. The bat
terry was lost, though spiked In time
to prevent confederate use of it. Many
comrades fell at that time.
After the fall of Vicksburg July 4,
1868, this regiment was transferred to
Steels army and stationed at Little
Rock till March, 1864, when they
marched, with General Thayer's army,
to tie Little Missouri river. Quite q
fierce little battle was fought at the
Prairie Quail the fight taking place
out on the open field where both
armies were in full view. About this
time the army ran out of food and a
provision train headed toward it was
cut off, For days there was little to
eat and even an ear of corn tasted
good to John Koenigstein for quite a
little while.
Badly Wounded at Jenkins Ferry.
1t was at the battle Of Jenkins Fer
ry on Saline river that John Koenig-
stein was wounded, April 80, 1864.
The fighting started at daybreak and
ran till afternoon. Toward the close
of the battle John Koenigsten was
shot in the left shoulder. The bullet
dug its way into the shoulder blade
and lodged there. The wounded were
left on the field and taken prisoners.
Prisoner Koenigstein was taken with
others to Princeton, Ark, and placed
in the Presbyterian church for hos
pital. This old church stands today
just as it stood then, Mr.. Koenigstein
having last year, with one of his sons,
revisited the old battle-ground where
he fell and the church where he lay
between life and death.
The surgeon told this wounded sol.
der that it was unsafe either to ex.
tract the bullet or amputate the arm
Good health in the patient alone stood
out for encouragement. But the sur.
geon said that it might be well to send
any messages back home which ought
to go.
After time the surgeon went into
the wound with a corkscrew arrange
ment hooked a bunch of coat-cloth
bonebits, etc, and drew out the lump
From that time on the wound healed
though for years the man had no use
of his left arm.
One day rumor came that the yam
KEGS" were about to recapture prison
ers at Princeton. Accordingly, the
prisoners, wounded and all, were load
ed into lumber wagons and driven at
terrific speed over rough roads to Cam
den, Ark. Later all prisoners who were
able to make the march. walked to
Shreveport under promise of ex
change. 1t took seven days. Al
Shreveport they merely got command
to march on to Camp Fort, near Tyler
Tex. On February it was announced q
| list of 200 prisoners would be exchang
| ed. A list of the lucky ones was read
The name of John Koenigstein was or
the list and his heart leaped as 1t never
had before. The exchanged prisoners
were taken by boat down the Red
river to New Orleans and there
dressed up. John Koenigstein SLEPT
high in the boat and one morning
awoke with his cap burned entirely
off, save the visor A spark from the
engine had struck his cap and burned
it off his head while he slept.
1t was bareheaded and barefootet
that this newly exchanged prisoner