NICHOLAS KOLNGEN, of Dale, Wis., and formerly a soldier of the
Union army in the war of the rebellion, was born in France, Jan.
18, 1834, and came to America in 1857 with his parents,
proceeding from the port of New York to Milwaukee. There he was
brought up and when he was 17 years old, he was made an
apprentice to learn the business of a carpenter. He resided in
the vicinity of Milwaukee at Granville Station, when the war
commenced and, he enlisted Aug. 20, 1862, at Milwaukee for three
years in Company C, 26th Wisconsin Infantry and received
honorable discharge June 13, 1865, at Washington. He fought in
all the battles in which his regiment was involved until his
capture by the rebels and, after his release, until the end of
the conflict. The data collected by the local historian was
written with a pen carried by Mr. Kolngen through the entire
period of his service and through all the vicissitudes to which
he was exposed. The 26th was the 2nd German regiment of
Wisconsin, and was recruited in two weeks. Mr. Kolngen fought
in 16 battles and skirmishes, among which were Fredericksburg,
Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, on the Rappahannock, Chattanooga,
Resaca, Dallas, Kenesaw Mountain and others. On the 1st day of
July, 1863, he was in the battle of Gettysburg, was wounded and
captured by the rebels. He was conveyed to Richmond, Va., where
he was confined in Libby and afterwards to Belle Isle, and was
held a prisoner of war until Aug. 1, 1863, when he was exchanged
and reached his regiment the night before the battle of
Chattanooga. The command had been transferred to the department
of the West and he went info the fight mentioned on tile next
day. He was also in the battle at Lookout Mountain, his regiment
having been assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division 20th Army
Corps, and he went to the sea with Sherman, fighting in all the
battles of the campaign through Georgia and the Carolinas, among
which was Atlanta, where he was injured. While. the command was
carrying logs to build breastworks, he was detailed for the
labor, overworked, became heated and was sent to the surgeon for
treatment. He was in the battles of North and South Edisto, at
the burning of Columbia, S. C., and at Bentonville witnessing
the surrender of Johnston. He was a participant in the Grand
Review at Washington and discharged as stated. He returned to
Granville, Wis, and was employed as a railroad assistant until
his removal to tile town of Dale, March 22, 1868, and located on
his farm on which he has Sill resided. At that time it was
unimproved but is now in prosperous and profitable condition.
The place has 50 acres in tillage and is supplied with good and
suitable buildings. He is a Republican in political principle.
Mr. K. still suffers from his wounds. During his imprisonment he
had a taste of all which those confided longer in the dens of
the South endured. He was starved, unsheltered and suffering
until he found a friend who assisted him in obtaining release or
he would have passed months in confinement and, probably have
lost his life. He belonged to a command which" knew not
defeat." The regiment left Milwaukee with 1,022 men, received
275 recruits and returned with 260 men in 1865. The others were
dead, sick, wounded or prisoners.
His marriage to Maggie Bouch
occurred June 18, 1865, and they have six children; Maggie
married Sebastian Krohner and resides at Bessemer Mich., they
have one child. Emma, Nicholas, Bernard, Gilford, and Laura live
with the parents.
Soldier's and Citizen's Album of Biographical Records, Grand Army Publishing Co. 1888 (Wisconsin Edition) pg. 623, 624