Civil War Soldiers and PTSD

Walter Penk, acclaimed Veterans Administration researcher into Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), will be the speaker at the 16 August 2015 General Membership meeting. Since this year marks the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War, I have asked him to speak to us about what he might know about PTSD and the Civil War soldier.

Until George Nielsen wrote his article entitled, “Reluctant Confederates”, few of us knew that we had ancestors involved in this bloody and catastrophic conflict. If our Civil War soldiers told their families anything about what they had endured, those stories seem to have passed into oblivion – or did they?

Walter would like to enlist our help in finding out more about the lives of these soldiers after the war. He is researching for indications of PTSD, which was more commonly known in Civil War medical terms as nostalgia, irritable heart, and DaCosta syndrome. Some medical records suggest that there were many suicides among soldiers after returning home from the war. There were no suicides that we know of among our Wendish soldiers or were there?

I have compiled a list of soldiers, when they lived, ages at death, and in most cases cause of death. We are hoping to acquire from you an idea, if possible, as to what their lives may have been like in the years following the war and up to their deaths. Did your ancestor face any challenges in adjusting to life after the war? Anything that you heard about your ancestors or relatives could open doors that were previously closed to the understanding of these men.

1. Arldt, Johann, b. 6 Nov 1842; d. 11 April 1891 Serbin; 48; pneumonia
2. Buettner, Carl August Michael, b. 29 September 1842; d. 2 Apr 1916 Weimar; 73; diabetes
3. Dube, Carl August, b. 9 March 1831; d. 4 May 1911 Fedor; 80; internal injuries from fall
4. Falke, Andreas Ernst, b.11 Oct 1841 or 27 Oct 1842; d. 19 Dec 1916 Warda; 74; heart attack
5. Gersch, Peter A., b.19 December 1827; d. 29 Sept 1900, Serbin; 72; —
6. Groeschel, August, b. 22 July 1827; d. 4 October 1905 Serbin; 79 —
7. + Handrick, Johann, b. 8 April 1844; d. unknown
8. Hohle, Matthaus B., b.11 April 1830; d. 2 August 1912 New Ulm; 82; —
9. + Iselt, Andreas, b. 10 April 1842; d. 11 August 1863
10. Iselt, August, b. 23 July 1838; d. unknown;
11. Jannasch, Johann, b. 10 May 1839; d. 1 Feb 1916 Galveston; 76; pneumonia
12. Jatzlau, Christian, b.21 Oct 1834; d. 3 April 1880 at Warda; 44; tuberculosis
13. Kappler, Andreas b. 6 Dec 1832; d. 7 July 1902 Giddings; 71;
14. + Kasper, Johann C., b. 1845; d. 25 June 1863 Yazoo City, Mississippi
15. Kieschnick, Andreas, b.13 November 1828; d. 23 February 1900, Mannheim; 71; dropsy
16. Kieschnick, John, b. 8 Jan 1834; d. 14 Feb 1916 Thorndale; 82; tuberculosis
17. Kiesling, Ernst, b.16 April 1839; d. 3 Mar 1925, Black Jack; 85;
18. Kiesling, John A., b.29 October 1832; d. 18 Apr 1898 Houston; 65; kidney disease
19. Kubitz, Christopher, b.14 Feb 1832; d. 8 April 1873 Serbin; 41; lung and liver ailment
20. Kubitz (Schkade), Johann, b.26 Apr 1841; d. 19 Apr 1913 The Grove; 71; kidney failure
21. + Kurio, John, b. 25 Mar 1843; d. 17 September 1863
22. Lehmann, [Carl] August, b. 28 November 1829; d. 18 August 1907 Lincoln; 78; chronic malaria
23. Lehmann, Johann, b.10 August 1832; d. 12 Jun 1920 Giddings; 88;
24. Lorentschk, Johann, b. 13 Mar 1838; d. 9 Jan 1932, Warda; 94; old age
25. Lorenz, Matthäus, b. 21 December 1839; d. 29 November 1876 Rabbs Creek; 37; internal inflammation/fever
26. + Lowke, Christopher, b. 27 July 1839; d. 25 June 1863 Monroe, Lousiana
27. Matthias, Andreas, b. 29 Oct 1831; d. 28 January 1908 Frelsburg; 76; influenza and asthma
28. Michalk, Johann Carl, b.15 August 1843; d. 26 May 1901 Thorndale; 57;
29. Miecksh, John E., b.1836; d. after 1890;
30. Miertschin, August, b. 8 July 1842; d. 17 May 1917 Serbin; 74; acute dilatation of heart, valvular insufficiency
31. Miertschin, John, b. 6 August 1835; d. 9 May 1899 Serbin; 63; —
32. Mikan, Michael, b. 21 January 1821; d after 1900 Fayette county
33. Mitschke, Johann, b. 25 Oct 1841; d. 12 March 1912 Serbin; 70; —
34. +Mitschke, Matthes, b.1843; d. 13 September 1863 at Quitman, Mississippi
35. Moerbe, Ferdinand Jacob, b. 6 Dec 1828; d. 13 Dec 1896 Thorndale; 68; heart attack
36. Neumann, Johann, b. 2 May 1841; d. 25 January 1893 Giddings; 51;
37. Noack, Johann, b. March 1823; d. 15 December 1907 Serbin; 84; old age
38. + Noak, John, b. 15 December 1839; d. 17 July 1863 Washington, LA
39. Pampel, Johann Traugott, b. 7 Dec 1842; d. 12 December 1899 Kerr county; 57;
40. Pillak, Andreas, d.10 Feb 1840; d. 13 Aug 1910 Fedor; 70; old age
41. Pillak, Johann, b. April 1834; d. 1 Mar 1920 Serbin; 85; general debility
42. Polnick, August, b. 12 Mar 1823; d. 25 July 1876 Fedor; 53; stomach and liver ailment
43. + Prellop, George, b. ca. 1831; d. 12 Sept 1863 Monroe, LA
44. Schatte, Johann, b. 18 November 1837; d. 10 May 1872 Serbin; 34; stroke
45. Schelnick, John, b. 9 July 1838; d. 14 December 1917 Giddings; 79;
46. Schoppe, Frederick, b. 12 July 1840; d. 1 December 1927 Caldwell; 87; old age
47. Schubert, August, b. 30 December 1842; d. May 6, 1896 La Grange; 53;
48. + Schubert, Matthäus, b. 6 July 1839; d. unknown
49. Schulze, Johann, b. 12 Dec. 1822; d. 27 February 1904 Loebau; 81; heart failure
50. Sonsel, Andreas, b. 1841; d. 14 Jul 1924 Peters, TX; 82; pneumonia, inmate of Confederate Home in Austin
51. Sonsel, August, b.29 June 1833; d. 6 Dec 1914 Colorado Co; 81; senility
52. Sonsel, Ernst, b.1839; d. 24 Aug 1867 New Orleans; 26;
53. Teinert, August, b.19 December 1837; d. 29 January 1901 Serbin; 62; —
54. Teinert, Ernst, b. 6 June 1843; d. 28 Aug 1905 Thorndale; 62; tuberculosis
55. Teinert, John, b.14 May 1841; d. 8 March 1932 Copperas Cove; 90; malignancy, senility
56. Urban, Michael, b.18 June 1830; d. appx. 1866 ? Serbin; 36;
57. Vogel, Christoph, b.24 Sep 1829; d. 2 Mar 1903 Serbin; 74; —
58. Vogel, Ernst, b. 11 August 1843; d. between 1880-1900 Houston; 37-57
59. Wagner, Carl, b. 11 June 1828; d. 26 June 1885 Fedor; 57; tuberculosis
60. Weise, Carl August, b. 31 Jan 1842; d. 19 Aug 1934 Cisco; 92; old age
61. Wuensche, Andreas Traugott, b. 20 Sept 1841; d. 1 July 1893 Serbin; 52; nervous fever and heart attack
62. Wuensche, Johann August, b. 15 Dec 1837; d. 15 November 1908 Thorndale; 70; —

+ soldier who died during the war.
— following the age indicates that no cause of death was recorded. This is generally the case with Pastor Herman Kilian of Serbin and several Thorndale pastors.

If you have any information to change or update, please contact Weldon at (512) 635-6429, Weldon@wendishresearch.org or P.O. Box 502, Walburg, TX 78673.