Gustavus Zesch
Gustavus Zesch (1832 – February 13, 1926) was a captain in the Union Army during the American Civil War and commanded a company from Leavenworth, Kansas that included German immigrants. Zesch served from August 10, 1861[1] until June 16, 1864. Zesch commanded 1st Regiment Kansas Volunteer Infantry Company I, known as the Steuben Guards. He also commanded a company referred to as Zesch's Battery that was part of the 9th Kansas Militia Infantry Regiment.
Zesch and many of his men were Turnverein (Turners), a society of veterans of the German States Army.[2] He served at the rank of captain.[3]
Early in the Civil War, Zesch commanded at the Battle of Wilson's Creek, the first major battle of the Trans-Mississippi Theater, where his company sustained heavy losses.[4] Late in the war his company saw action in Louisiana[5] as the Union Army closed in on Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Steuben Guards was named for Baron von Steuben of Revolutionary War fame. The unit included German-American volunteers from Leavenworth, Kansas.[6] It was the first company mustered in Leavenworth and drew from the population of Leavenworth, Kansas, then state's largest city and by Fort Leavenworth.[7] Leading up to Vicksburg, Zesch commanded his troops in Bayou Macon, Louisiana. He earned plaudits from his commanding general.
Military service
Zesch was appointed May 27, 1861. He was from Leavenworth, Kansas. He was discharged June 16, 1864, filed for a pension October 14, 1892, and died February 13, 1926 in St. Louis, Missouri.
Legacy
Joseph Taggart presented accolades to Zesch and other German-American troops in a presentation to the U.S. Congress in 1916.[1] The Kansas state historical society has a silk flag from Zesch's company that was made by the ladies of the Leavenworth Turners Society and presented in 1861.[8]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Congress, United States (14 May 2018). "Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the ... Congress". U.S. Government Printing Office – via Google Books.
- ↑ EARLY LEAVENWORTH-- Post Survives Abandonment Attempts--Civil War Thrills by Harry H. Seckler Leavenworth Times, Sunday, April 27, 1947
- ↑ Grabau, Warren (14 May 2018). "Ninety-eight Days: A Geographer's View of the Vicksburg Campaign". Univ. of Tennessee Press – via Google Books.
- ↑ Hall, Jesse A.; Hand, LeRoy T. (14 May 2018). "History of Leavenworth County Kansas". Historical Publishing Company – via Google Books.
- ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=Xq13AAAAMAAJ&q="Gustavus+Zesch"&dq="Gustavus+Zesch"&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj58My1voXbAhVE7oMKHbIxC4A4ChDoAQhKMAY
- ↑ Piston, William Garrett; III, Richard W. Hatcher (1 August 2004). "Wilson's Creek: The Second Battle of the Civil War and the Men Who Fought It". Univ of North Carolina Press – via Google Books.
- ↑ Hall, Jesse A.; Hand, LeRoy T. (14 May 2018). "History of Leavenworth County Kansas". Historical Publishing Company – via Google Books.
- ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=zHFLAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA32&lpg=PA32&dq=Gustavus+zesch&source=bl&ots=2EOh5guAkF&sig=_QQmSD_ScMWpUKW6p5aTct3PSy8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiItLay2IXbAhWl5YMKHW31BTEQ6AEISTAJ#v=onepage&q=Gustavus%20zesch&f=false
External links
- Gustavus Zesch at Find a GraveLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 23: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- Findagrave entry for Gustav Zesch including purported photo in uniform
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