| Personal |
| birthdate: |
August 17, 1843 |
place: |
Milton Township, Wayne County, Ohio |
| father: |
Solomon Kiefer |
birthdate: |
July 23, 1818 |
died: |
November 11, 1893 |
place: |
Smithville, Ohio |
| mother: |
Martha Kiefer nee Fauble |
birthdate: |
August 2, 1817 |
died: |
November 4, 1897 |
place: |
Smithville, Ohio |
| pre-war occupation: |
farmer |
place: |
Wayne County, Ohio |
| post-war occupation: |
farmer |
place: |
Wayne County, Ohio |
| married: |
|
to: |
Adeline Hoffman |
| birthdate (wife): |
October 15, 1850 |
died (wife): | August 11, 1946 |
place: |
Smithville, Ohio |
children: |
Gail Kiefer Smith | born: |
March 26, 1891 |
died: |
June 12, 1946 |
|
Grace Ella Kiefer | born: |
|
died: |
|
| died: |
February 1, 1934 |
place: |
Smithville, Ohio |
cause of death: |
brief illness |
| Military Career |
| enlisted 9-month service: |
October 8, 1862 |
Private | Company I |
| captured: |
December 28 or 29, 1862 |
Battle of Chickasaw Bayou, Vicksburg, Mississippi |
|
| imprisoned: |
December 29, 1862 thru January 30, 1863 |
"Negro Jail', Vicksburg, Mississippi |
|
imprisoned: |
January 30, 1863 thru March 10, 1863 |
Pearl River Bridge, Jackson, Ms |
|
imprisoned: |
March 10, 1863 thru April, 1863 |
unknown - in transit to Parole and exchange |
|
paroled: |
April/May, 1863 |
Vicksburg, Mississippi |
* assumed |
| mustered out: |
August 12, 1863 |
. |
| re-enlisted: |
May 2, 1864 |
Private | Company A, 169th Ohio Infantry |
| mustered out: |
September 4, 1864 |
Camp Cleveland, Ohio |
 |
| This is a drawing of the remains of a covered bridge over the Pearl
River, near Jackson, Ms., which the Confederates converted into a prison. Pvt.
Keifer was held here after being captured at the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou, on
December 28 or 29, 1862. Internet research can provide no other image of
this interesting "prison" other than that provided by the donor, Michele
Krause. See more details on the "bridge prison".
Update 5/31/2012: Thanks to information provided by Mike Dooley, it is now known that several, if not many 16th Ohio soldiers captured at Chickasaw Bayou were held in this "prison". This includes the web author's great great grandfather, Milton Mills, Captain of Company D, who was there for a few days before they moved him, being an officer, to other "accomodations". |
 |
This is an image of the parole document issued by the Confederate
authorities granting Pvt. Henry Kiefer a parole, a standard practice
during the first half of the Civil War. Note that although the
date at the top indicates Dec. 31, 1862, just a few days after his
capture, according to his letter (transcription below) he was not
actually exchanged for several months.
|
 |
This is am image of the transcription of a letter sent
home by Pvt. Henry Kiefer, on March 17, 1863, to his sister, describing
his participation in the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou, capture,
imprisonment and parole. As the transcriber mentions, the last
page of his original letter was lost.
|
 |
This is am image of a letter sent by Henry Kiefer, on December 19, 1932, to his granddaughter, telling her what it was like in the Civil War. See a typed version of the letter, below, for easier reading.
|
 |
Typed version of a letter sent by Henry Kiefer, on December 19, 1932, to his granddaughter, telling her what it was like in the Civil War.
|
 |
Image of the envelope containing the above letter from Henry Kiefer to his niece, December 19, 1932.
|
 |
| Henry Michael Kiefer at age 90, seated next to wife Adeline Hoffman Kiefer and five grandchildren: From top left, Walter Kiefer Smith, Grace Marcia Smith Roth, Charolotte Gail Smith Boris; next to Henry are Jean Smith LaPierre, mother of the contributor of these images, and Wendell Roy Smith. |
