Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1922-06-21
GRANT COUNTY TWIN
BOYS, 50, CLAIM HARD
WORK AS THEIR HOBBY


boys.
During the past winter John cut
four loads of wood a day charging 81
q load for his work with less grumb-
ling than the ordinary city taxpayer
makes about shoveling his walk of
snow in the winter. During the war
they worked together at cutting wood
to help alleviate the coal shortage.
Twins Well Known.
In Grant county few people are
better known than these two old men.
John and Christian Kliebenstetn
were born in Dudweiler near line OF
Alsace-LOrraine on May 8, 1910, max
ing them 81 years of age last month.
They came to this country when five
years of age coming direct to Platte
willie, with their parents Louis and
Mary, nee Hooper
Chris" as he is Familiarity known
lWho claims to be younger than john
when 16 years of age began an APP
premiership to learn the shoemaking
trade with Nicholas Stark, which
trade he completed when 10. We
worked at this trade until February,
1863, when he enlisted in the Union
army with the 25th Wisconsin infan-
Try. For a period Of 10 months, there
after he saw active service. Shortly
after enlisting he was stationed at
Vicksburg, Miss, and from there was
moved to Cairo, Ga, and later to
Chattanooga, Tenn. Then followed
the battle of Resace, Ga, after which
the army moved on toward Atlanta
with General Sherman on his march
IT. the sea- On July %, 1864, he par
1icipated in the battle of KenesaW
mountain, six miles from Atlanta. MI.
Kliebenstein's experience in this bat
tie are given in his own words, as
follows:
"On the morning Of July p, 1854,
about i o'clock we were surprised by
an attack along one side Of field o.
about 30 acres which was entirely
surrounded by a pine grove. The
forces OF General Johnson fired all
morning on our picket line and an
orderly instructed the Colonel to take
three companies Of the regiment, and
drive away the rebel pickets.
There wasn't a gun fired until we
90 lp to the end Of the field where the
Colonel gave orders Under cover with
y0ur guns. then load, Boys, shoot,
low, we don't know where they are,
1hey might be in the woods He gave
The command Aim then Fire. we
fired through the woods and the rebels
sci loose on three sides of us.
1--WE fell back and made another
charge. The rebels dashed out OF the
woods and an instant later the
Colonel shouted Every man for him
self. we are all prisoners Someone
shouted to me Chris, give yourself up,
thev are right here | answered, If
/ am not shot l will tell your parents
where | saw you last and then shot
through the apple orchard like bull
Yet out of a gun and over the railroad
track, down a high embankment and
into the Both New Jersey, where | got
a breathing spell.
.In going through the orchard a
Confederate shouted Halt, you Yam
kee-.' The 35th New Jersey i'm
mediately fired volley into the rebels
when | gave them the location.
There were so men in our COM
pany and after the battle only 10 of
MS were left. Of my companions from
home William Bribble, Tom Daugher-
tv and John Grover were killed out
right and Marian Rose and William
L0n- wounded The next day we re-
gained the lost ground and took six of
their battery guns. Our company was
SC weakened after this battle we
Joined the main army and marched
along to Atlanta and the sea. From
Iii he we proceeded up through South
Carolina and North Carolina and to
Lees surrender at AppOttomax. After
participating in the great review at
Washington | was mustered out and
returned home"
MarrieS Hannah DOeSCher.
Upon his return home Mr.. Klieben-
stein was married to Hannah DOesch-
or. He worked at the shoemaking
trade for several years and then pur-
chased a farm which he occupied
until about II years ago when he
moved to the city.
During his boyhood days John Klie
bernstein remained home with his par
ents When IA years of age and for
several years thereafter, he in COM
pany with his father, drove an OK
team from their farm through Platte
VILE and out in the vicinity of where
Ipswich Junction is now located
(abOut miles) and put up hay on
land then selling for $125 per acre.
Mr.. Kliebenstein was very anxious
to fight with his brother in the Civil
war and in fact went so far as to
come into PlatteVille to enlist on sew
eral occasions, but was dissuaded
from enlisting by his parents, who
since they had a large family were
not in the best of circumstances in
those early times.
John KIiebenstein begun mining so
early in life it took both he and Chris
to hoist the tub with a double crank
vindlass He has followed mining
for almost every year of his life. On
many of the we'll known and produc-
tive ranges on which were located
such famous mines as the St. Rose,
Klar-Piquett, East-End, ks tt err
stephens, and Enterprise
few years ago Mr.. Kliebenstein
mined and shipped to Chicago more
than 20 carloads of terra clay for
manufacture and was much surprised
shortly afterwards to see the finished
product placed in the finishing of the
Platteville United States postoffice.
When informed by the men in charge
of the work that the stuff had been
shipped from Platteville to Chicago
then back again Mr.. Kliebenstein re-
nIied. Il should know for [ am the