Obituary: Winnebago County, Wisconsin: John BERSCH ************************************************************************ Submitted by Kathy Grace, October 2004 © All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ************************************************************************ Winneconne Local Dec. 19, 1912 p.1 Old Soldier Answers His Last Roll Call Another one of our country's brave defenders answered his last roll call on life's field of battle and has gone to join his former comrade-at-arms in the zenith above, where battles rage not and where all is peace and quietness, where the soul is undisturbed by fierce conflicts and good will reigns supreme. John Bersch was born in Germany on Jan. 11, 1827 and when a lad of fourteen years his parents removed from their native land to New York, later coming to this section of the country and settling on a farm south of the village, where Mr. Bersch passed his last days, answering his Maker's call last Thursday evening, Dec. 12, a victim of Bright's disease. Mr. Bersch enlisted May 18, 1861, at Oshkosh in a company which was being recruited for three months service and, when the order was issued from the War Department to muster no more three months men, he re-enrolled June 11th in the three years service in Company E, 2nd Wisconsin Infantry for three years or during the war. He was mustered out with the non-veterans of his regiment at the expiration of his period of service, and was discharged in October, 1864, at Philadelphia under the provisions relating to incurable cases. Mr. Bersch was in the rendezvous with his regiment and went to the front when the command was assigned to the Army of Virginia and passed about a month moving from place to place and in the performance of camp duty until the commencement of active hostilities. He was in the skirmish at Blackburn's Ford three days previous to the battle of Bull Run, and was in the fight and rout of the first Virginia battle field. In September, the organization of the Iron Brigade was completed and the services of that organization for two years forms the history of Mr. Bersch. During the winter following Bull Run, he was in quarters near Arlington and was in the vain march to Manassas in the spring. He fought in the skirmish at Beverly Ford in July and went next to Sulphur Springs where he was in a skirmish and soon after was in one of the bloodiest battles of the war, which was fought by his brigade alone at Gainesville. He was in all the movements connected with the second battle at Bull Run, fought at South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Fitzhough's Crossing and Chancellorsville,and afterward marched nearly two hundred miles to the battle of Gettysburg. He had hitherto escaped injury and on the first day of the fight, his command moved to position on the double quick, loading as they ran. In the first fire of the rebels Mr. Bersch was severely wounded and his name leads the list of privates from his company reported from that day's fight. Mr. Bersch had fired several shots to his own satisfaction, when he received a bullet which passed through his left lung and out of his body near his spine. He was carried to a house in the vicinity where he lay four days bleeding and unattended. He was then carried to the town where he remained three days and was then conveyed to Summit House hospital at Philadelphia, where he was mustered out fifteen months later. The wound he received has never healed and since remained open and discharges, and he was frequently called to experience violent hemorrhages. As owed his life to his splendid constitution and his powerful will, without which he would have died on the field. Mr. Bersch returned to the home of his parents and has since been a resident of Winneconne. He leaves to mourn his loss six brothers, Chris, Charles, Louis, Nicholas and Henry, of Winneconne, and Adam of Milwaukee, and two sisters, Mrs. Henry Marine, Clayton, Wash., and Mrs. C. Kleben of Spokane, Wash. and numerous friends and relatives. The funeral was held at the Baptist church, Sunday afternoon., Dec. 15th, at 2 o'clock. Rev. Codd officiating.