Fred Eggers is the author of today’s post.  I am grateful for his contribution to our blog today for a variety of reasons.  First, Fred tells a story related to his own congregation, Salem Lutheran Church in Farrar, and it is a story very applicable to a Memorial Day weekend.  Secondly, it just so happens that I will be traveling today and do not have the time to write a blog post of my own.  Fred’s offer to submit this story today is perfectly timed.  So, thanks to Fred.  Enjoy.

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As America observes its National Memorial Day tomorrow to remember and honor persons who have died while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States, my blog today will tell what I have been able to learn about a young man who died on this date, May 26, in 1862 during the Civil War – 157 years ago today.

I will begin this history with the immigration of his father Wilhelm Eduard Flamme who came to the United States with the Gruber Group aboard the Johann Georg arriving in New Orleans on November 27, 1839.  He is listed as age 36 with the occupation of Smith and being from Merseburg.

Wilhelm Flamme next appears in the 1840 United States Census living in the Wittenberg area.  He was among the first residents of that town.  He is listed by the first arrow with the number 1.  Among his neighbors were Frederick W. Barthels (number 2), who served as the trustee for the sale of the lots in Wittenberg, and Henry C. Bimpage (number 3), who was a real estate agent and legal representative for the immigrants when they purchased their land in Perry County.

On August 20, 1843 Flamme married Anna Maria Mueller at Altenburg.  He was listed as a blacksmith the son of the late Ch. Friedr. Aug. Flamme from Lutzon (Lützen) in Prussia Saxon.  This is a few miles from Merseburg and around 20 miles from Leipzig.  Here is a copy of that marriage record from the records of Trinity, Altenburg.

Anna Marie Mueller Flamme died less than a month later on September 14, 1843 in Wittenberg of a high fever and was buried in Altenburg.  This funeral is in the records of Concordia, Frohna.  Wilhlem is listed as a Hufschmidt, that is, a Farrier who shoes horses.

Flamme then married Johanna Louise Amalia Hornemann on August 11, 1844 at Paitzdorf.  Pastor Gruber recorded that he was a widower, resident of Altenburg, MO, a Blacksmith and transferred membership to Paitzdorf.

There were three children born to this marriage, Elisabeth Maria (Born 19 June 1845, Died 20 February 1846); Johann Christian (Born 18 December 1846), who is the subject of this blog; and Wilhelm Edward (Born 25 January 1849), who apparently died as an infant as no other records are found for him.  The Mortality Schedule for the 1850 United States Census for Perry County tells us that Wilhem “Flenema”, the Blacksmith, age 46, died of cholera in July of 1849.  It likely also shows the death of his son Wilhelm, age 6 months.

Flamme’s widow then married Friedrich Bernhard Mueller, only son of the late Friedrich Mueller from Eichenberg on Wednesday, 17 Apr 1850 at Altenburg.

The 1850 United States Census lists Bernard Miller, a Shoemaker, with his wife Hannah, and John Flamme, age 4, living in Altenburg.

In 1857 Mueller and Christian Magwitz, who was married to his wife’s sister, purchased 200 acres just west of what is now Farrar, and divided it into two equal parcels.  These two men were among the eleven that founded Salem Congregation in May of 1859.  Johann Flamme was the first member of Salem to be confirmed as shown in the KircheBuch.  He was confirmed at Frankenberg (later the Friedenberg Congregation) on Palm Sunday, April 1, 1860.  His step sisters were the third and fourth Salem members to be confirmed.  They were confirmed at Paitzdorf in 1865 and 1868.

Mueller is listed as F. V. Miller in the 1860 United States Census with his family including John Flamme listed as John Miller, age 14.  The family listed just before them is that of Christian Magwitz, who is listed as Christian Market.

Soon after the outbreak of the Civil War in April 1861, Mueller enrolled in Simpson’s Regiment of the Missouri Six Months Militia on September 30, 1861.  It was named for its Commander, Colonel Samuel P. Simpson.  This unit was also known as the 4^th Regiment of Infantry, Missouri State Militia.  On October 14, 1861 Mueller was promoted to Sergeant.  This was the earliest Union Army unit that was organized in Perry County.  There were a total of 639 soldiers in this regiment and most of them were from Perry County.  They were mustered out at the completion of their duty on February 25, 1862.

During the time that his stepfather was serving in the militia, Johann Flamme enlisted in the Union Army on December 19, 1861.  His record in the Company Descriptive Book describes him as being 18 years old, 5’ 7” tall with hazel complexion, dark eyes, and dark hair.  He was assigned to Company G of 12^th Regiment of the Missouri State Militia Cavalry on April 29, 1862 and was stationed at Greenville in Wayne County, Missouri.  Here is a description of the unit and its service:

Organized in Missouri at large December 5, 1861, to May 8, 1862. Attached to Dept. of Missouri and participated in the following service: Expedition from Greenville February 23-25, 1862 (Co. “B”). Mingo Creek, near St. Francisville, February 24 (Co. “B”). Cherry Grove July 1. Greenville July 20 (Cos. “B” and “G”). Greenville July 26. Scout in Southeastern Missouri July 26-29 (Detachment). Bolinger’s Mills July 28 (Detachment). Dallas August 24. Crooked Creek, near Dallas, August 24 (1st Battalion). Van Buren October 22. Near Pike Creek and Eleven Points October 25. Pittman’s Ferry, Ark., October 27 (Detachment). Scouts about Mingo Swamp February 2-14, 1863. Mingo Swamp February 3.  Consolidated with the Tenth and 13^th Regiments of the Missouri State Militia Cavalry on orders dated February 4, 1863.

Unfortunately, Flamme died of Typhoid Fever in the Camp Hospital at Greenville on May 26, 1862, 157 years ago today.  His true age calculated from the date of his birth was 15 years, 5 months, and 8 days.  Ruth Schrieber Hecht of Uniontown, who is a descendent of Friedrich and Johanna Hornemann Mueller told me that the family history is that his mother did not learn of the death until sometime later because he had left for the Army and his parents were distraught because they did not know where he was or what had happened to him.  There is no known record of where Flamme is buried, but it was likely in the vicinity of the Union camp in Greenville.

The following information on Civil War deaths from the National Park Service tells of the magnitude of deaths from illnesses and diseases during that war:

The number of soldiers who died between 1861 and 1865, generally estimated at 620,000.  Twice as many Civil War soldiers died from disease as from battle wounds, the result in considerable measure of poor sanitation in an era that created mass armies that did not yet understand the transmission of infectious diseases like typhoid, typhus, and dysentery.

Several years ago I studied the Civil War service records and found documentation that ten of the eleven founders of Salem Congregation served for the Union in the Civil War and that several other early members, including the first school teacher, were also veterans of that war.  However, it was some time later that I discovered that Salem did have a casualty of the war and that he was Salem’s first confirmand.  To my knowledge, Johann Flamme is the only death during service to the country that the Salem Congregation his suffered.  On this Memorial Day weekend we should all pray that God would protect all those in the military services of our country and we should all take the time to remember and honor all of those who have died serving the United States of America.