BITTER TIMES



Civil War incidents noted in church records



From translated death records of Monsees (Immanuel) Lutheran Church, southeast of Cole Camp, Missouri.  
Comments are those of *Pastor Johann Michael Johannes:



1861 - On Wednesday morning the 19th of June when the confederates surprised the home guard 
with a sneak attack at dawn at the barn of one of my members the H. Heisterbergs some of our 
members were killed or wounded.  Instantly killed or wounded were 35.  Among those killed were 
Friedrich Detjen, Claus Hink, Theodor Bergman, Friedrich Kranke.  May the Lord forgive us for the 
many sins that have been going on in our land for many years.  We brought part of this on ourselves 
by many years of indifference among our people.  Many of us thought being a soldier brought on a 
life of ease and plenty. 

May the Lord let this punishment serve for our own good.

1862 - Oct 21.  Herman Sempke and Adolph Reiser were both shot while at work by bushwhackers.  
At the same time two secessionists were shot by our military near their house.  This created such 
an uproar that people came to the funeral carrying guns.  They were buried on Oct 23.


1863 - Angulus Meier and Hermann Wermann were both robbed and killed on their way home from 
Camp at Lebanon between Duroc and their home by robbers.  They took their guns, money, and clothes.  
Were shot Mar 18, buried Mar 20.


1863 - Arndt Cordes was shot by some of the rebels on the 9 of Oct in Cole Camp because he did not stop 
when ordered to halt.  Died Oct 9, buried Oct 12.



Kranke = Kracke,  Sempke = Semken, Wermann = Würdemann, Reiser = Rasa?


*Pastor Johannes' five brothers and a brother-in-law all served in the Home Guards, which probably 
tempered his remarks.  One was wounded in the battle, and two others sustained disabling accidental 
injuries. After the war, he accepted a call to Illinois, and the others moved to western Missouri and Kansas.





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