HENRY E. FLECKNER

CIVIL WAR SOLDIER

A MAN OF STONE

by John W. Quist

      Henry Edward Fleckner was born in Germany (1) at an unclear date. (2)  His German parents were Peter and Catherine Fleckner.  He spent his boyhood working in the ore mines of Maryland. (3)  From the “Military Record of Delaware County,” (4) two brothers were listed for Henry:  John (born c.1836) and William (1839). (5)

      Unless O.P. (died 1855) and Catherine (died 1872) Fleckner, were Henry’s parents, no record of this “Fleckner” family was found prior to Henry in Civil War records and the 1870 U.S. census for Delaware, Delaware County, Ohio. 

      In 1858, Henry Fleckner came to Delaware and engaged in farming. (6)  On September 2, 1861 at Delaware, he enlisted as a Private in Company A, 2nd Battalion, 18th U.S. Infantry Regiment. (7)  Camp Thomas was established on August 10 about four miles north of Columbus, Franklin County, and on November 30 Company A, 2nd  Btln was fully organized and ready for the field.  It was ordered to Louisville, KY on December 2 and was involved operations in southern Kentucky (December-February 1862).  It moved to Nashville, TN (February 10-March 2) and Savannah, TN (March 20-April 6).  It participated in the Battle of Shiloh, TN (April 6-7) and then advanced on and besieged Corinth, MS (April 29-May 30).  It took part in General Don Carlos Buell’s campaign in northern Alabama and middle Tennessee (June-August).  It then marched to Louisville, KY in pursuit of General Braxton Bragg (August-September 26).  On October 8, it fought in the Battle of Perryville, KY.  From there, it marched to Nashville, TN (October 22-November 7) and did duty there until December 26.  It advanced on Murfreesboro, TN (December 26-30), was involved a little south in the Battle of Stones River, TN (December 30-January 3, 1863), and then returned to Murfreesboro until June.  It was involved in the nearby Tullahoma, TN campaign (June 23-July 7), followed by occupation of middle Tennessee until August 16. (8)  Next came the Chickamauga campaign, a series of battles in northwestern Georgia, including the Second Battle of Chattanooga, TN (August 21-September 8), the Battle of Davis’ Cross Roads (September 10-11), and the Battle of Chickamauga, GA (September 19-20). (9)  It was in this battle that Henry Fleckner was wounded in the right leg below the knee. (10)  The 18th Infantry was involved in the reopening of the Tennessee River (October 26-29) and the Battles of Chattanooga (November 23-27).  It then did reconnaissance of the Dalton, GA area (February 22-27, 1864).  Next came the long and varied Atlanta, GA campaign (May 1-September 8). (11)  On May 31, Henry was severely wounded in the right wrist at Dallas, GA.  In the later battles against Atlanta and surrounding locations, Henry was wounded further and disabled.  He spent three weeks in the field hospital there.  In the next three months, he was hospitalized at Nashville, TN, Louisville, KY, Camp Chase and Camp Thomas in the Columbus area, and then was sent home.  He was discharged on September 2, 1864.  The order was dated at Atlanta, GA and received by Henry at home. (12)

      Henry’s brother, William, enlisted as a Private on April 21, 1861 for three months’ service in Delaware County’s Company I, 4th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment (4th O.V.I.) and was mustered out on August 21.  He then enlisted at Delaware in his brother’s Company A, 2nd Battalion, 18th U.S. Infantry Regiment.  He was treated in a field hospital and a convalescent camp for chronic diarrhea.  He was

discharged at Atlanta in August 1864. (13)

      Henry’s oldest brother, John, enlisted on September 8, 1862 as a Private in Company G, 126th O.V.I. (14)  Company G was raised from Tuscarawas County. (15)  He died of disease on August 20, 1864 in a hospital at New York, New York. (16)  He was buried at Cypress Hills National Cemetery, Brooklyn, N.Y. (17)

      Following the war, Henry returned to Delaware and was engaged for a time in teaming and contracting, making and grading streets. (18)

      On October 17, 1866 in Delaware County, Henry married Louisa Catherine Burrer (19) who was born in Germany on July 23, 1846. (20)  She was born to Johan Jacob Burrer, born in Germany on July 16, 1820, and Catherine Barbara (Bollinger) Burrer, (21) born in Germany in November 1820. (22)  They were married on February 6, 1844 and had nine children:  Louisa Catherine (born in 1846), Gottleib Jacob (“Jakie”) (1848), Caroline Catherine (1849), Catherine Christine (1851), Fredericka (1852), John Edward (1856), Nannie (1857), Heinrich (“Henry”) (1859), and Frank (1863). (23)  Johan and Catherine died in Sunbury, Delaware County and were buried at Sunbury Memorial Park, (24) he on April 19, 1874 and she in 1901. (25)

      Henry and Louisa had four children:  Charles R. (born in 1867), Carrie L. (1868), Julia K. (1874), and Henry Harry (1878). (26)  Only Carrie and Harry survived to adulthood.

      On December 27, 1866, Henry applied for a U.S. government pension as an “invalid” veteran of the Civil War. (27)  In 1883, he was receiving $6.00 per month for the wound to his right wrist. (28)  The 1890 Veterans’ Schedule stated that he was ­­crippled in both his right arm and leg.” (29)

      In 1857, Johan Burrer bought land along the west side of the Big Walnut Creek and south of the railroad track.  Judge Franklin B. Sprague became a partner with Johan and his son “Jackie” Burrer.  When Sprague became more interested in politics, he sold out to the Burrers.  At a later date, Henry Fleckner, who married Johan Burrer’s daughter, Louisa Catherine, became a partner in the quarry operation. (30)

      In 1845 a mill was built along the Big Walnut Creek about one half mile north of Sunbury by John Van Sickle.  After changing hands several times, Jakie Burrer was the sole owner of the mill by 1875. (31)  When the mill became the Burrers’ primary interest, Henry Fleckner bought out their interest in the quarry and named the business “Fleckner’s Stone Quarries.” (32)  When and to whom he sold the quarry was not found.

      When the Lenape Lodge of the Knights of Pythias was chartered in Delaware on February 11, 1871, Henry was one of the charter members.  He belonged to Galena Lodge, Number 404, of the I.O.O.F. (“Odd Fellows”), and was a member of Sparr Lodge, Number 400 of the A.F.&A.M. (“Masons”). (33)

      In 1877, Henry and Louisa moved to Sunbury.  They were living in Sunbury for the 1880 and 1890 U.S. censuses, Trenton Township, Delaware County for the 1900 census, Sunbury for the 1910 census, and Clinton Township, Franklin County, Ohio for the 1920 census.

      On August 28, 1882, the Lawrence A. Myers Post Number 252 of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) was organized in Sunbury.  At an unspecified date, Henry Fleckner was mustered in as a member. (34)

      Henry’s brother, William, living in Soquel, California, was a member of the W.H.L. (William Hervey Lamme) Wallace Post Number 32 of the G.A.R. of Santa Cruz County. (35)

            Henry Edward Fleckner died at Linden, Franklin County on January 2, 1920, (36) and on January 14, Louisa applied for a U.S. government pension as the widow of a Civil War veteran. (37) 

      Louisa Catherine (Burrer) Fleckner died at Columbus, Franklin County on August 31, 1928. (38)  She

was buried with Henry at the Sunbury Memorial Park. (39)

Compiled by John W. Quist
Delaware, Ohio
September 26, 2011

 

FOOTNOTES

 

1  Germany – U.S. censuses from 1870 forward
     “Edward” – Sunbury Memorial Park records, Sunbury, Ohio,
            delaohio.com/Cemetery/DelCo_cem/f.text (online)

2
  Birth dates vary:
       June 2, 1842 – Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953, FamilySearch.org (online)
       June 1844 – 1900 U.S. census for Trenton Township, Delaware County, Ohio
             1843 – Sunbury Memorial Park records,
       June 28, 1844 – “Henry Fleckner,” Memorial Record of the Counties of Delaware, Union
           and
 Morrow, The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1895, page 238 

3  “Henry Fleckner.” Memorial Record of the Counties of Delaware, Union and Morrow 

4  “Fleckner.” The Military History of Ohio. H.H. Hardesty, Publisher; New York, 1886 (with special section for Delaware County); page 307 

5  Birthdates:  John – c.1836, “John Fleckner,” U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, ancestry.com (online)
       William – 1839, “William Fleckner,” 1900 U.S. census for Soquel, Santa Cruz County,
          California
 

6  “Henry Fleckner.” Memorial Record of the Counties of Delaware, Union and Morrow 

7  “Fleckner, Henry.” The Military History of Ohio. H.H. Hardesty, Publisher; New York, 1886 (with special section for Delaware County); page 307 

8  “18th Infantry Regiment Infantry.” The Civil War Archive,
     civilwararchive.com/Unreghst/unrginf2.htm (online)

 9  “Chickamauga Campaign.” Wikipedia.com (online)

 10  Footnote 7

 11  Footnote 8

 12  Footnote 7

 13  “Fleckner, William.” The Military History of Ohio. page 307

 14  “John Fleckner.” American Civil War Soldiers, ancestry.com

 15  “126th Ohio Infantry.” ohiocivilwar.com/cw126.html (online)

 16  Footnote 14

 17  “John Fleckner.” U.S. Veterans Gravesites, ca. 1775-2006, ancestry.com

 18  Footnote 3

 19  “Henry E. Fleckner.” Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958, FamilySearch.org

 20  “Louisa Catherine Fleckner.” Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953, FamilySearch.org

 21  “Johan Jacob Burrer.” FamilyTreeMakerOnline, familytreemaker.genealogy.com (online)

 22  “Catharine Burrer.” 1900 U.S. census for Sunbury, Delaware County, Ohio 

23  Footnote 20 

24  “Burrer, Johan” and “Catherine B.” Sunbury Memorial Park records 

25  “Johan Jacob Burrer” and “Barbara Catherine Bollinger.” FamilyTreeMakerOnline 

26  Birthdates:  1867 – “H. (for Charles R.) Fleckner,” Ohio Deaths and Burials, 1854-1997, FamilySearch.org
         1868 – “Carrie L. Hennis,” Ohio Deaths and Burials, 1854-1997
         1874 – “Julia K. Fleckner,” Ohio Deaths and Burials, 1854-1997
         1878 – “Harry Henry Fleckner,” World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918,
              ancestry.com
 

27  “Henry Fleckner.” Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934, ancestry.com   

28  “Fleckner, Henry.” List of Pensioners, Ohio, Delaware County, The Executive Documents Printed by Order of the Senate of the United States for the Second Session of the Forty-Seventh Congress, 1882-’83. Vol. V-Part 3, page 85 

29  “Henry Fleckner.” 1890 Veterans Schedules, ancestry.com 

30  “Many Stone Quarries in Our Area.” Because You Asked, Big Walnut History, bigwalnuthistory.org/Local_History/quarries/stone.htm (online) 

31  “Early Mills Were Big Business.” Because You Asked, Big Walnut History, bigwalnuthistory.org/Local_History/mills/sunbury/BurrerMill.htm

 

32  Footnote 29 

33  Footnote 3 

34  The Military History of Ohio. page 326 

35  “Fleckner, Wm.” W.H.L. (William Hervey Lamme) Wallace Post, No.32, Register of the Department of California, Grand Army of the Republic 1886, Joseph L. Tharp, San Francisco, California, page 63.  (Google Books, online) 

36  “Henry E. Fleckner.” Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953 

37  Footnote 26 

38  Footnote 19 

39  “Fleckner, Henry Edward” and “Louisa C.” Sunbury Memorial Park records

         
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(09/28/2011)