Biographical Sketch of Henry Zeis, Franklin County, Missouri
>From "History of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford and
Gasconade Counties", Biographical Appendix, Goodspeed Publishing
Company, 1888.
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Henry Zeis, farmer and stock raiser near Pacific, was born in Bavaria,
Germany, in 1825. He received an academical education, and in 1840
entered the military school at Munich, Germany, graduating therefrom
in August, 1843, as second lieutenant, serving in the army until 1848.
He took an active part in the revolution against the king, and, by
degrees, was promoted to the office of major. In 1849 he immigrated
to the United States, and settled first near Belleville, Ill., and en-
gaged in school teaching. Later he traveled through several States,
and about 1855 settled near Troy, Ill., where he was elected police
justice, serving until about the time the late war broke out. He or-
ganized a battalion, but refused the majority of the same, but was
appointed captain of Company B, Third Missouri Infantry. His first
action was at Camp Jackson, near St. Louis, and the next near Carthage,
July 5, 1861. Just before the battle of Wilson's Creek he was sent to
St. Louis by Gen. Lyon, to bring out an ammunition train, having an
escort of only ninety-two men, two of whom died from prostration by
the heat, all of whom had been collected by Maj. Zeis, in less than
three days. With this small body of men he successfully defended the
train from all guerrillas, bushwhackers, etc. At the battle of Wilsons
Creek he assumed command of the Third Missouri Infantry, and afterward
returned to St. Louis, with his regiment, and resigned his commission
in December, 1861. He then went to Troy, Ill, and organized Company C,
Eightieth Illinois Regiment, and was the only German captain in that
organization. So great was his knowledge of military tactics that he
was engaged to drill the officers of the whole regiment. After this
the first battle in which he engaged was at Perryville, Ky., in October
1862. Later he moved to Murfreesboro, Tenn., and while en route, skir-
mished several times with the forces of the rebel general, Morgan. He
did not take an active part in the battle of Murfreesboro. March 19,
1863, Maj. Zeis, with a force of four regiments, supported by two
pieces of artillery, was ordered out on a foraging expedition, and
while thus engaged was attacked, March 20, near Milton, by about 6,000
rebels, fifteen miles distant from the main army, and checked the ad-
vance of the enemy until reinforcements arrived the next day. So
efficient was this service that the regiments were mounted. These
regiments were the Eightieth Illinois, Third Ohio, Fifty-first Indiana,
and Seventy-third Indiana. April 7, 1863 these four regiments raided
as far as Eastport, Ala., which town they destroyed, thence moved to
Tuscumbia, and while Gen. dodge was engaging the rebels there moved to
Rome, Ga., to destroy the arsenal at that place, but when within twenty
two miles of Rome the entire brigade was captured, and taken to Libby
prison. On the 6th of July, Maj. Zeis was among the number from whom
two captains were selected to be hung in retaliation for two rebel
captains who had been hung by Gen. Burnside. The captains selected
were named Sire and Flint. Maj. Zeis was retained in Libby prison
about eleven months, when he and many others were transferred to Macon,
Ga.; then to Charleston, S. C., where they remained two months; then to
Columbia, S. C., and then to Camp Sorghum, near the latter place. From
this camp about 500 of the Union prisoners escaped, among whom was Maj.
Zeis, in company with nine other men, who were followed by bloodhounds
110 miles, when they were recaptured and transferred back to Camp Sor-
ghum, where they were retained until January, 1865 when they were re-
moved to Charlotte, N. C.; thence to Goldsboro; thence to Wilmington,
at which latter place they were paroled. He was acting major before
his capture and was commissioned major April 4, 1865, but was not
mustered as such; he was discharged May 15, 1865 and mustered out as
captain. He was mustered again and was finally discharged as major,
by Gen. Sheridan, and is entitled to back pay as major. About the year
1851 he was united in marriage to Miss Caroline Libel, who came to the
United States with Gen. Osterhaus. This lady died in 1873, and October
8, 1874, Maj. Zeis was married to Miss Mary Oswald, who died September
7, 1884. October 13, 1884, Mr. Zeis was again married to Miss Mary
Nesselbush. Mr. Zeis has served as notary public six years, and as
justice of the peace four years.
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