Louis Alvin Londrosh (1839 - 1880)

Born 1839 in Crawford, Wisconsin Territory, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Mary St. Cyr — married 12 Apr 1865 (to 28 Jul 1880) in St. Clair, McPherson Township, Blue Earth, Minnesota, United States

Descendants

Died 28 Jul 1880 at about age 41 in Sherburn, Martin, Minnesota, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Melissa Londroche [send private message]

Louis was Ho-Chunk.

Biography

Birth

Louis was born in 1839. He was the son of John-Baptiste Londroche and Josette Manaigre.

Residence

In July of 1861, he was living at the Winnebago Agency in Blue Earth, Minnesota, which shows some identification with the Winnebago tribe through his mother Josette, who had received an award as part of the 1837 treaty with the Winnebago tribe. (Annual Report)

Occupation

The 1880 census shows that he was a farmer.

Military Service

His tombstone records that he served in Company H, 2nd Minnesota Infantry in the Civil War. He enlisted when Co. H was formed on 15 July, 1861, and was at the time living at the Winnebago Agency at Blue Earth, Minnesota. He re-enlisted on 17 December 1863, and mustered out with the company on 22 July 1865, having served for the entire duration of the war. (Annual Report) They saw action at the Battle of Mill Springs, January 19–20, 1862; the Siege of Corinth, Miss., April 29-May 30, 1862; the Battle of Perryville, Ky., October 8, 1862; the Battle of Chickamauga, September 19–20, 1863; Rossville Gap, September 21, 1863; Missionary Ridge, November 24–25, 1864; the Siege of Chattanooga, Tenn., September 24-November 23; the Battle of Resaca, May 13–15, 1864; the Assault on Kennesaw Mountain, June 27, 1864; the Siege of Atlanta, August 20–25, 1864; and participated in the Grand Review of the Armies May 24, 1865, in Washington, D.C. He was made a prisoner of war on August 27, 1864. The regiment lost a total of 281 men during its service: 2 officers and 91 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, as well as 2 officers and 186 enlisted men who died of disease.

The Corn Crib Party

On 15 Feb 1863, while camped in Tennessee, Louis Londrosh and a party of other soldiers from Co. H, 2d Minnesota Inf., embarked on a detail to forage for feed for the mules. They set out with a 10 wagon train. This small group split up, and a 4 wagon train headed towards a small hill where there was a small corn crib. As they were loading, a force from the Sixth Alabama Cavalry approached. Seeing that they were few in number, the Confederates demanded that the forage party surrender, but were greeted with insults and gunfire instead. Sgt. Holmes, in charge of the little expedition, shouted, "We can die, but we’ll never surrender!” The small crib in which they were holed up received a hail of lead from the 125 enemy cavalrymen. Miraculously, only three were wounded. The regiment, hearing the noise, quickly dispatched to the scene, and the enemy cavalry retreated, but not before the men dashed out of the crib killing two rebels and their horses, and wounding several more. Three were taken prisoners and three of their horses were rounded up. At the time of their relief, the men had only 8 rounds left apiece. This incident received quite a bit of attention at the time.

Due to government oversight, it wasn’t until 1897 that the men from

the Corn Crib Party were given a Congressional Medal of Honor for

most distinguished gallantry in action during the Civil War. Eight men

received the award were Joseph Burger, William Clark, James Flannigan,

Milton Hanna, Lovilo Holmes, Byron Pay, John Vale and Samuel Wright.

Others who were entitled to the award, but did not receive it because

they had died before 1897 or not able to be located were: Homer Barnard

died in 1864, Nelson Crandall and Charles Kraus died at Chattanooga

in 1864, and Samuel Louden was killed at Missionary Ridge in 1863.

Louis Loundrosh died at St. Clair, MN after the war, Charles Liscom

and Samuel Leslie were unable to be located. (Schrader, pt 1)

Children

Louis Londrosh had the following children with Mary St. Cyr:

1. Ashley Alvin Londrosh, b. Mar. 22, 1866 in St. Clair, MN; d. Dec. 25, 1943

2. Nellie Sarah Londrosh, b. Feb. 26, 1868 Alma City, Waseca Co., MN ; d. Nov. 8, 1953, Thurston, Douglas Co., NE; buried in the Winnebago Cemetery in Thurston Co., NE; m. John William Nunn (1851–1910)

3. John M. Londrosh, b. May 1869, Jay Twsp., Martin Co., MN; d. Nov. 26, 1888, Carlisle Indian School, Carlisle, PA

4. Cecelia Londrosh, b. Jan. 1872, Blue Earth, MN; d. 1944 Sioux City, IA

5. Joseph Londrosh, b. Jan. 1, 1872, Alton, Waseca, MN. (The date of birth is impossible, and the city unlikely.)

6. Edgar Londrosh, b. Aug. 1, 1877, St. Clair, MN; d. May 26, 1880 Blue Earth, MN

Death

He passed away on 28 July 1880 of tuberculosis (1880 census, Report of Deaths, Shrader, pt. 2), and is buried at Lone Cedar Cemetery, Sherburn, Martin County, Minnesota, USA. (Find a Grave)

Sources

• United States Census, 1880; Enumeration District 155, page 24; Martin County, Minnesota, 25 June 1880.
• Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 20 August 2020), memorial page for Louis Londrosh (1839–31 Jul 1880), Find a Grave Memorial no. 156490862, citing Lone Cedar Cemetery, Sherburn, Martin County, Minnesota, USA ; Maintained by Barbara (Kirsch) Day (contributor 46794901) .
• Claude Jutras, Site de données généalogiques > Index général des mariages: répertoire des Patronyme > Benoit, Jean-Baptiste > Benoit, Jean-Baptiste-Hillaire.
• Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Minnesota for the Year Ending December 31, 1866, and of the Military Forces of the State from 1861 to 1866 (St. Paul: Pioneer Printing Co., 1866) 100, sub nom. "Louis Londrosh."
• Julie Schrader, "The Corn Crib Party – Civil War Heroes from Blue Earth County, Part 1," MankatoLife ( March 5, 2020).
• Julie Schrader, "The Corn Crib Party – Civil War Heroes from Blue Earth County, Part 2," MankatoLife ( March 25, 2020) sub nom. "Louis Londrosh."
• Report of Deaths Registered in the County of Martin (Minnesota), p. 40.