The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1910-02-11
MoLDENHAusR FUNERAL SUNDAY
The Story Of How He Was Wounded
Terribly in War Battle.

founders of Norfolk, who was here at
the birth of the town in 1870 and had
lived here from that day to this, died
after long illness at his home on
Norfolk avenue at $50 o'clock Tues.
day morning.
For ten years MIR. Moldenhauer was
the villages only shoemaker He took
homestead north of the August
Raasch farm, which still remains in
! the familys possession, and he also
took 40-aCre pre.emption half mile
north OF the sugar factory site, which
is still held by the family.
| Mr.. Modenhauer was elected coun-
| ty commissioner in Madison county in
1876 serving in that capacity. Other
than that. he declined ever to con-
slider political Office. Up until 1896 Mr..
| Moldenhauer was a democrat, but he
voted for Mckinley and continued a
republican from that time on.
He was a soldier in the union army
and was twice shot in the battle of
charlottesville, the wounds being
considered fatal. He survived those
bullets, however, and lived to the age
of 60.
Mr. Moldenhauer married Miss Anne
liza Ilirth at Juneau, Wis, in 1866.
Twelve children were BORN of whom
seven survive.
William August Moldenhauer was
born eight miles from Berlin, Ger
many, September 10, 1S4l. His pa.
rents came to America in 1S43 and
settled on farm near Watertown,
Wis. Mr.. Moldenhauer was the young
est of ten children, only one of whom,
the Oldest, remains alive.
He was in the Twenty-sixth Wiscon-
sin Volunteer Infantry regiment with
August Raasch, G. w. Braasch, August
Bergman, August Huebner, and Ed
Apler, all Norfolk pioneers.
And it was in the battle of Chan.
cellorsville, in Virginia, (sometimes
called the battle of the wilderness)
that Mr.. Moldenhauer fel! victim TO
two rebel balls of lead 1t was on May
., 1868, that he was shot twice in that
terrible conflict. Twenty thousand sol
I diers were slain in that fight and the
wonder was that this man who after
/ ward came to Norfolk ever recovered
The first bullet passed through Mr.
, Moldenhauer's right thigh. 1t was the
first engagement of consequence that
this regiment had participated in. The
first bullet gave its victim sting like
t the sting of a bee and, though he felt
/; the sharp twinge, this young soldier
| did not falter in the line of march.
Oh off pt.y 1Y.A hot
the second bullet struck Mr.. Modem
: hauer'S left groin and imbedded Itself
. in the flesh. To the day of his deatf
} he carried that bullet and it gave hin
5 trouble now and then. A surgeon, af
4 ter the battle, told him that he would
= carry that bullet to the grave and ad
vised him never to allow anyone t
/ attempt to take it out.
= With two bullet wounds, Private
2 Moldenhauer kept on marching ant
l carrying his gun until from loss o.
= blood he became too weak to go fur
g Their. About to fall from line, two
/ strange soldiers from another regi
: ment approached and gave him theil
0 arms. At length this union army was
= overhauled by the confederates anC
J. these two comrades were taken away
> as prisoners. Their names were neve
= learned by the man they helped. The
Il wounded MOldenhauer dropped to thu
e ground and lay there all through thu
night and until 9 o'clock the next morn
n ing. COnfederates came along ant
e kicked him, ordering him to get NJ
G and be taken away with prisoners, bu
he was too weak to go unless he wa
carried. and this none ventured.
It In his Canteen was fresh water tina
his parChed throat craved but thi
t was stripped off and taken by one o
the victorious fighters. Out on th
t field he lay all through that night witt
bullets raining all about and at mex
day he Crawled to hickory tree tina
had been severed by cannon bal
8 whitfield off a cane and crawled to
s. house half mile away that had beel
5 converted into a hospital. 1t took un
l, til o'clock that afternoon to max
the short half mile of distance. Dun
& ing that time the confederates wer
charging the union Notifications, ant
y to escape the charge, this WOUNDED
t soldier was forced to lie down fiat Of
7 the ground three different times on hi
way across that field.
y 1t was a terrible sight that he say
d along the way. The dead and wound
e ed bleeding and mangled, lay strewl
" here and there and everywhere. Thos
e dead were buried, all together, il
II trenches that were dug for the graves
e Once he had gained the hospita
r house. Mr.. MOldenhauer crawled o.
hands and knees up to the buildin
S and through the door. The sun out
e side was scorching and he lay dow
just inside the door that he might es
l. cape the tOrturing heat. In the room
II on mattress lay a wounded genera
,. No one else was in the room. Pres
emily surgeon approached saw tn
private and asked how he came there
Il just crawled in to get out of tn
e heat; I'm wounded" answered the so
S. der.
l. We'll, this is no place for privates,
It retOrted the surly surgeon. "Thi
? room, - of Cat QUIT