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L. E. Koninszeski
Ladislaus Koninszeski Diary 2/16/1862 - 7/4/1862 Ladislaus Koninszeski was born in Ztoczow in what is now the Ukraine Republic. His parents, Johann & Theofilae Koninszeski were members of the noble class. Johann was born in May 7, 1807, in Mikotajow, District of Ztoczow in Galicia, and baptized in the Catholic faith in April 8, 1808. Johann's parents were Joseph and Victoria (Szumski) Koninszeski. Theophilous Sophia was born December 2, 1813 to Johann and Maria (Pankowska) Dajewski. She was baptized on May 15, 1814 In 1830, Johann participated in the unsuccessful Polish attempt to throw off Russian control of Poland and Polish provinces in western Russia. His participation in what is often called the November Insurrection, earned Johann the Order of the Virtuti Militari 5th class4 for bravery. The original document written in Polish, loosely translates as the following: 14 Mar. 1831
Johann married Theofilae Sophia Dajewski. Theofilae Sophia, whose parents were Johann and Maria (Pankowska) Dajewski, She was born December 2, 1813. To their marriage, including Ladislaus, were born the following children:
The Koninszeski family was a well respected and educated family of the nobility. In 1842, while serving as city treasurer of his hometown of Ztoczow, Johann completed a 2 year course in Polish at the Imperial Royal Trade and Commerce Academy in Lemberg, Galicia. His professor, Johann Szizepanski, noted that Johann passed the final exam on March 20, 1842, with a rating of excellent. In 1846 at the age of 12, Ladislaus received a "very good" rating in moral conduct when he completed his winter semester as a III grade student from the Kuczaczer Intermediate School. Listed below are the courses he completed and ratings he received:
As a result, Ladislaus was promoted on Feb. 21, 1846 to the "First Advanced Class with Preverance" by the Intermediate School Director, Narcys Proskorniski. In 1848, Johann began obtaining personal records in anticipation of moving to America. These records included baptismal, educational and health records. One of those records was a certificate stating that Edmund was vaccinated for the chickenpox on January 29, 1848, even though he had survived the real disease. As mentioned earlier, Johann had been an officer in the Polish army's unsuccessful effort to liberate their homeland from Russia and Austria. It may have been this activity, or possibly the lure of political freedom in another land, that caused Johann to take his family to America around 1849. (Ladislaus' obituary stated that he had lived in St. Louis since that date.) Johann and his family had been living in St. Louis, Missouri, for a short time, when in 1852, he began a correspondence with the Austrian Embassy in New York to request permission to return to his native country. He was granted permission to return, but no record has been found to indicate whether he ever made the trip or for what purpose. On February 11, 1854, Johann became a member of the St. Louis Grays, Company C, of the First Battalion St. Louis Legion. These pre-Civil War militia units were like a military social club in which its members gathered together to march and socialize with each other. Johann served one year until February 11, 1855. During that time, the Grays helped to quell a an anti-immigrant riot instigated by the "Know-Nothing" movement in St. Louis in August, 1854. Later, both of Johann's sons, Ladislaus and Edmund, would also serve with the Grays prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. In the summer of 1859, Johann died in St. Louis. Diedrich Wilhelm Krebs, a close friend of Johann, gave the grave side eulogy on July 21, 1859. Two days later, Krebs sent the widow a letter of condolence. On January 10, 1862, Ladislaus accepted a commission as major of the 26th Missouri Volunteer Infantry. He participated in the capture of New Madrid, Island No. 10, and Tiptonville. Participated in operations against Fort Pillow and Corinth, Mississippi under Halleck shortly after the battle of Shiloh. His brother Edmund contracted typhoid fever during the advance on Corinth and was left at Farmington, Miss., where he later died on June 3, 1862 1. Ladislaus participated in the battle of Iuka, where his commanding officer, Col. George Boomer, ordered him to take charge of the left wing of the regiment composing of 4 companies, F, E, H, and C, and move forward to the support of the 11th Light Ohio Battery, then under pressure by the enemy. Boomer reported that he was dissatisfied with Ladislaus' enthusiasm for the job, so he took over command and personally led his men to the relief of the battery. Of the nearly 162 men he led into combat, nearly half were either wounded or killed. Boomer also took a serious wound to the chest and was carried from the battlefield. His after action report, written 2 days later from his hospital bed was critical of Ladislaus' performance.
Ladislaus' diary ends before this battle and no record of his response to Boomer's claims are available. Lt. Col. John Holman took command in Boomer's absence and led the regiment at the battle of Corinth, October 3rd & 4th, 1862. Shortly afterwards on October 21, 1862, Ladislaus tendered his resignation. On August 14, 1863, Ladislaus married Annie Henry in St. Louis.2 Ladislaus' mother died in 1888 of "apoplexy." Her burial permit appeared on February 9 in the St. Louis Post Dispatch. She was living at 3538 Ohio Avenue at the time of her death. In 1890, Ladislaus was living in St. Louis at 3538 Ohio Ave. He was employed by the company of D. J. Blanke as a bookkeeper.3 According to a unknown newspaper clipping 1, Ladislaus died in 1904. The obituary reads:
1. The Konenszewski Family Papers, 1816-1862 2. Marriage record of Ladislaus Koniuszewski and Annie
Henry 3. Record of L. E. Koniuszeskl 4. Prof. Dr. Zdzislaw P. Wesolowski 5. Report of Col. George Boomer, O.R.
Series I, Volume XVII/1 6. Death Notice Theophila Koninzeski
Death Notice Western Historical Manuscript Collection L. E. Konenszewski February 16th 1862 Febr 17th Febr 18th Remained in barracks until the 31st March lst Saturday Cavalry scouts fired at from Ambush 1 killed several wounded. 26th marched 5 miles on N. Madrid and No. 10 Road in pursuit of rebels--found none and returned about midnight. Remained in Charlestown until Tuesday. March 4th Tuesday March 9th March 10th March 11th March 12th 13th Our forces in line of battle at day light, First gun at dawn and terrible bombardments all day. Several killed and wounded brought in--result unknown--Our troops partly withdrawn, ordered to cook two days rations. Our Rgt has orders to march at 3 a.m. in to the entrenchments. 14th Flag of truce came in, reporting the place evacuated. Reconoisance. Forts abandoned. Our Company 26th Mo. ordered to occupy the upper fort--hoisted the flag of the 26th. On the 17th Hamiltons Division marched through the town and fortification in honor of their participation. Two st. boats appeared from No. 10 with a flag of truce, desiring to pass with sick and wounded--no permission granted. Remained at N. Madrid listening to the bombardment of No. 10, watching the blaze of each discharge of mortar during the nights until the channel was cut through St Johns bayou and our transports got through. April 7th 8th 4000 or upwards 5000 prisoners taken. 14 pieces of light artillery. small arms etc. (Heavy rain) 10th 12th 13th landed below Ashport April 17th 18th 19th April 22d
28 30 Lt. Col Adams Bissells Rgt while going to the rear, immediately after we left, was taken prisoner. May 2d May 3d 6th 7th 8th 9th May 13th 17th 19th 22d May 23d 24th 27th May 28th 29th 30th May 31st June lst 2d June 3d 4th 5th 6th June 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th June 12th 13th June 14th Saturday June 15th 16th 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 26 evening June 27 28th Sunday June 29th Monday June 30th Tuesday July lst Wednesday July 2d Thursday July 3d Friday July 4th Courtesy of the University of Missouri Western Historical Manuscript Collection, Rolla 1890 U. S. Census, Family Quest Archives CDROM, National Archives Microfilm M-123, Roll 27. Koniuszeski, Ladislaus
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Ladislaus Erasmus Koninszeski
Maj.
L. E. Koniuszeski. Ransom post. G. A. R., conducted the
funeral yesterday afternoon of Maj. Ladislaus E. Koniuszeski at his
late residence 3538 Ohio avenud. The pallbearers were wartime
comrades of Maj. Koniuszeski and about thirty members of the post
attended. Rev. T. H. Hagerty, the post chaplain, had charge of
the service. The remains were cremated at the Missouri
crematory. Maj. Koniuszeski died Friday from pneumonia, after a
short illness. He was 69 years old and had lived in St. Louis
since 1849. His services in the civil war as an officer in the
26th Missouri volunteers made him well known to his older generation
of citizens, and he counted among his friends a large number of
prominent men.