John S. Hessenflow

[GayleH]

John S. Hessenflow, 42 years old from Gosport, Iowa. Enlistment date of 8 Feb. 1862 to Company I, Iowa, 33rd Infantry Regiment on 11 Sept 1862; Rank at enlistment 4th Sergeant. Promoted to Full 3rd sergeant on 21 Apr. 1863. He was mortally wounded and did not survive the war. I'm interested in anything that can be found on him! His brother William McKenzie Hessenflow enlisted 1861 and did survive the war. He later moved to Excelsior Springs, MO with his family and became a minister and built a church that is still in use to this day.

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

John S. Hessenflow, 42 years old from Gosport, Iowa. Enlistment date of 8 Feb. 1862 to Company I, Iowa, 33rd Infantry Regiment on 11 Sept 1862; Rank at enlistment 4th Sergeant. Promoted to Full 3rd sergeant on 21 Apr. 1863. He was mortally wounded and did not survive the war. I'm interested in anything that can be found on him! His brother William McKenzie Hessenflow enlisted 1861 and did survive the war. He later moved to Excelsior Springs, MO with his family and became a minister and built a church that is still in use to this day.

Welcome ! There was a 13 year-old Drummer in the same company and regiment named John F. Hessenflow. John S. was wounded on 7/4/1863 at Helena, Arkansas. He died of wounds at Memphis, Tennessee On 7/6/1863.

Buried: Mississippi River National Cemetery, Memphis, TN
Grave-site: 2-477.

Here's the after-action report on the fight at Helena.

Helena, AR after action report:

Report of Lieut. Col. Cyrus H. Mackey, Thirty-third Iowa Infantry.

HELENA, ARK., July 6, 1863.
COL.: I have the honor to make the following report of the part taken by
the Thirty-third Regt. Iowa Infantry in the battle at this post on the 4th
instant:

On the morning of the 4th of July, in compliance with orders issued
from brigade headquarters, I formed the regiment in line and marched
them to Fort Curtis, arriving there at 2.30 a. m. Shortly after 3 o'clock
firing commenced on the part of the picket line occupied by my
regiment, it being to the right and left of the Little Rock road.; At 4 a.
m. I received orders from Brig.-Gen. Salomon to move my
regiment to the foot of the hill on the said road, and from that place to
re-enforce Batteries C and D when attacked. I had no sooner arrived at
this point with my regiment, when the enemy, in strong force, attacked
Battery D. I immediately detached Companies B and G, under command
of Maj. H. D. Gibson, to the assistance of this battery. Discovering at
the same time that the enemy were making preparations to assault
Battery C, I send forward Companies A and F to the support of this battery.
Finding that the force I had sent to Battery D was not sufficient to cope
with the enemy, I ordered Companies H, E, I, and K forward, and occupied
the rifle-pits on the Little Rock road; at the same time ordered Company D
into the rifle-pits on the left of Battery C. I then occupied the ravine
between the batteries with Company C. The assault on Battery D lasted about
thirty minutes, when the enemy was repulsed and driven back in confusion.
By this time the position of the enemy was concealed by a heavy fog, which
did not rise until 8 a. m. During the time the enemy sent forward heavy
bodies of skirmishers and sharpshooters, and once attempted to charge the
battery, but did not succeed in bringing their forces forward.

At 8 a. m. they charged Batteries D and C, bringing forward Gen.'s
Fagan's and Parsons' brigade. They succeeded in carrying Battery C,
but not until they had many of their men and officers killed and
wounded; but their superiority in numbers was so great that they
completely overpowered our force at the battery. The three companies
from my own regiment and two from the Thirty-third Missouri
constituted the entire force at this battery. The men retired from the
battery in the direction of Fort Curtis, about 250 yards. By this time we
had completely routed the enemy in front of Battery D. They succeeded
here only sufficiently to get possession of the extreme left of the
rifle-pits. Our force at this battery consisted of six companies of my
own regiment six of the Thirty-third Missouri, and two of the
Forty-third Indiana. I now withdrew Companies I and K, and formed a
new line with them, and Companies A, F, D, and C, to the rear of
Battery C 250 yards, which succeeded completely in stopping any
further progress of the enemy. Finding themselves repulsed at all points,
they commenced to fall back to the timber. Things at this battery
remained in this condition for some time. Many of them, instead of
falling back to the timber, took refuge in the woods around the battery,
and kept up a desultory fire therefrom. Finding that the enemy was not
going to attempt anything more in this direction, I withdrew the two
companies I had brought here, and returned to the Little Rock road, in
from of Battery D; arriving there I ordered the whole force to charge
forward on this road. The entire force advanced with a will that carried
everything before them, and in ten minutes I had complete possession
of the entire battle-ground on this road, and obtained several
hundred prisoners and two stand of colors. As soon as I had completed this
movement, I ordered a flank movement from this road on the enemy who were
in front of Battery C. I selected Companies B and K for this purpose, and
ordered them forward. I then ordered my right wing to attack the enemy in
front, in conjunction with a party of the First Indiana Cavalry, dismounted
under the command of Lieut. Col. [T. N.] Pace. This movement only partially
succeeded, caused, as I suppose, by misapprehension by Col. Pace of an
order of Gen. Prentiss. We succeeded so far, however, as to capture about
100 prisoners. This last movement terminated the battle. It was now 10
a. m. The men were very much exhausted, having been constantly engaged for
six hours. From 80 to 100 rounds of ammunition had been expended to the
men. The loss of my own regiment was-killed on the field, 17, wounded, 52;
taken prisoners, 17.* (There men were taken at Battery C.) Eighth of the
wounded have since died from their wounds. I went into the engagement with
500 men. The officers and men of the entire command behaved themselves
splendidly. The force we had to contend with was at least five to one, and
I feel perfectly safe in saying that the regiment took as many prisoners as
we had men in action. They all did so well that it is a difficult matter
for me to attempt to particularize who did best. I take particular pleasure
in mentioning the names of Maj. H. D. Gibson, Capt. John P. Yerger, Capt.
John Lofland, Lieut. Cheney Prouty, and Capt. L. W. Whipple. The manner in
which these officers conducted themselves is deserving of the highest
praise. I would also call your attention to the good conduct of Second
Lieut. [C. H.] Sharman, of Company G, who had command of the picket guard.
He succeeded in holding the enemy in check until we were fully prepared to
receive them, brought his guard all off (except a number that were killed
and wounded) in good order, and joined the regiment. He was wounded in the
head very severely, but I think not dangerously.

The foregoing report, hastily written, and not so complete as I should
have wished, is most respectfully submitted.

CYRUS H. MACKEY,
Lieut.-Col., Cmdg. Thirty-third Iowa.

Col. SAMUEL A. RICE, Cmdg. Second Brigade.


Source: Official Records
CHAP. XXXIV.] ATTACK ON HELENA, ARK. PAGE 398-32
[Series I. Vol. 22. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 32.]

***************************************************************************************

 

[BrianB]

John Francis Hessenflow was the son of John and Margeret Hessenflow. Born 9/14/49; enlisted 8/2/62 in I, 33 Iowa Infantry. Discharged 7/17/65. Died in Colorado 6/6/18 - he is buried in Home Lake Cemetery, Rio Grande County, Colorado.

 

[GayleH]

Hey wow! I will definitely document this!!! Y'all are awesome. I had some info but I was not sure how accurate it was since the handwriting was not legible. This helps out a great deal

 

[ErnieMac]

A couple of documents for you copied from Ancestry. The first is a Pension Index card, the second a page from the Burial Records of the Memphis National Cemetery. 1860 Census records show John Hessenflow with wife, Elizabeth, and son, John F.

 

[JOHN42768]

The folks here can be simply amazing

 

[5fish]

Here is a link to the 33rd Iowa Regiment history... written in 1866

https://books.google.com/books?id=T...ved=0ahUKEwj0r5KBn5LgAhVJ64MKHZXUDdMQ6AEIMjAB

https://books.google.com/books?id=U...low+in+the+Iowa+33infantry+regiment+company+I

 

[5fish]

I found this it reverses your order... tells where is he buried... whichever one did pass...

Hessenflow, John S. Age 13. Residence Gosport, nativity Iowa. Enlisted Aug. 2, 1862, as Drummer. Mustered Sept. 11, 1862. Mustered out July 17, 1865, New Orleans, La.

Hesenflow, John F. Age 42. Residence Gosport, nativity Indiana. Enlisted Aug. 2, 1862, as Fourth Sergeant. Mustered Sept. 11, 1862. Promoted Third Sergeant April 21, 1863. Reduced to ranks at his own request April 28, 1863. Wounded fatally July 4, 1863, Helena, Ark. Died of wounds July 16, 1863, Memphis, Tenn. Buried in Mississippi National Cemetery, Memphis, Tenn. Section 2, grave 477.

http://iagenweb.org/civilwar/books/logan/mil702.htm

 

[GayleH]

Thank yall! Sorry I haven't been on. My computer was down. I will look over all the info and document this. I've been searching and wasn't finding a ton but this does help.

 

[GayleH]

I found this it reverses your order... tells where is he buried... whichever one did pass...

Hessenflow, John S. Age 13. Residence Gosport, nativity Iowa. Enlisted Aug. 2, 1862, as Drummer. Mustered Sept. 11, 1862. Mustered out July 17, 1865, New Orleans, La.

Hesenflow, John F. Age 42. Residence Gosport, nativity Indiana. Enlisted Aug. 2, 1862, as Fourth Sergeant. Mustered Sept. 11, 1862. Promoted Third Sergeant April 21, 1863. Reduced to ranks at his own request April 28, 1863. Wounded fatally July 4, 1863, Helena, Ark. Died of wounds July 16, 1863, Memphis, Tenn. Buried in Mississippi National Cemetery, Memphis, Tenn. Section 2, grave 477.

http://iagenweb.org/civilwar/books/logan/mil702.htm

I'm going based off family handwriting lol. I'm related to both. Father and son thing. Thank You so much

 

[GayleH]

A couple of documents for you copied from Ancestry. The first is a Pension Index card, the second a page from the Burial Records of the Memphis National Cemetery. 1860 Census records show John Hessenflow with wife, Elizabeth, and son, John F.
View attachment 260269

View attachment 260270

WOW!! This is amazing to see!!! Thank you so much! I knew of the father and son link but it doesn't give initials for middle name in what I have. So this all helps too