By Walt Larson The Missourian

Henry Boeger was a member of the Union town council in 1864. He operated a grocery store on the west side of the public square in Union.

He was born at Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, in 1819 and his wife, Salome Boeger, was born in Switzerland in 1829. They had five children, in order of birth, Margaret, Philip, Louis, Louise and Anna.

Henry, who had not been in the United States long, did not hesitate to support his new country when the Civil War began.

Henry was called to active military duty for 11 days in September of 1862 and 28 days in April of 1863 with the 55th Enrolled Missouri Militia (EMM).

On Sept. 4, 1863, Henry Boeger was directed to report for duty along with several other members of the EMM. He reported for duty around 8 p.m. that evening and was led by Lt. Arnold Renner on a special mission that would result in a significant change to Pvt. Boeger’s life.

The testimony of Col. John T. Vitt of the 55th EMM before the “Committee of the House of Representatives . . . Appointed to Investigate the Conduct and Management of the Militia” tells the beginning of the event.

“I on that day (Sept. 4, 1863) received information that (James H.) Barnes had received provisions at his home from several persons, especially one of his sons-in-law. Barnes had always been known as a bitter rebel, had three sons in the rebel army, had harbored bushwhackers . . . I came to the conclusion that those extra stores were intended for subsisting bushwhackers.

“At the same time I got information that some returned rebels were staying east of Union . . . and I thought it my duty to investigate. I ordered Capt. Dress of Co. B, and Capt. Fink of Co. C (55th Enrolled Missouri Militia), to report with a detail of 20 men from their companies, at 9 o’clock p.m. . . . at Union, Sept. 4, 1863. . . . Capt. Fink, being stationed about five miles from Union, had not yet reported at the time specified. . . . it was agreed to take part of Capt. Dress’ men, under Lt. Renner, and send them south to arrest Barnes . . . after they were gone, Capt. Fink reported with his detail.

“I ordered him to proceed south and cooperate with Lt. Renner. . . . Capt. Fink reported that he had met Renner with Barnes as prisoner; had put a guard over Barnes . . . bring him to Union. Capt. Fink had rode in advance . . . heard a report of firearms; went back to ascertain the cause, and was told by the guard that Barnes had attempted to escape, and was shot.”

Pvt. Henry Boeger had ridden south with Lt. Renner. He was said to be a special friend of Barnes and is reported to have been the best friend that Barnes had in the town of Union.

Helen Barnes protested strongly against the taking of her father. It was only after the personal promise to her of Henry Boeger that he would see that her father was not harmed that she consented without physical resistance on her part to let her father go.

As her father was afterward killed, she appears to have blamed Boeger for the death. Most of the people of the county believed that Boeger made the promises to Helen Barnes in good faith, but was powerless to prevent the death.

William Terry was in the crowd that arrested Barnes. He stated that he and Henry Boeger were in the lead on the way back to Union and were both in the Bourbeuse River letting their horses drink when the shots that killed Barnes were fired.

Michael Leitwein rode with Lt. Renner and Pvt.Boeger to arrested Barnes. In his testimony he states, “We then started back toward Union, and after crossing the Bourbeuse River . . . heard the report of guns, and Capt. Fink ordered us to halt, and said he would go back and see what had happened . . . returned and said Barnes had tried to run away and was shot. Among those who had crossed the Bourbeuse before we heard the firing was . . . Renner, Boeger . . .”

Lt. Renner in his sworn statement said, “I started with the prisoner toward Union . . . met Capt. Fink with his men and turned Barnes over to him. . . . Capt. Fink placed a new guard over Barnes, and relieved those of my men who had him in charge. I and my men, including Boeger and Leitwein . . . started on toward Union . . . heard the report of some eight or nine guns . . . did not go back to inquire . . .”

On Sept. 22, 1863, Henry Boeger, Andreas Fink, Arnold Renner and David Murphy were arrested on the charge of murder and jailed in the Myrtle Street Prison in St. Louis. All were released on bond March 14, 1864, after a confinement of almost six months.

On July 1, 1864, Boeger and the others were released from their paroles. No one was ever convicted in connection with the death of Barnes.

Henry Boeger was called to duty with the EMM again on Sept. 29, 1864, to defend against the invasion of Franklin County by Confederates under the command of Gen. Sterling Price. On Oct. 1, 1864, Henry Boeger and many others were taken prisoner by Confederate forces under the command of Gen. Sterling Price during the skirmish at Union.

On Oct. 3, 1864, Henry Boeger was shot and killed by the Confederates, about 10 miles west of Union.

It was widely believed that Frank Brackett Barnes, son of James Barnes, was guilty of the murder of Boeger. Helen Barnes gave her brother a list of the men who she knew were in the party who arrested her father.

Frank Barnes threatened to kill Boeger and others in revenge for his father’s death. On Dec. 10, 1913, Frank Barnes, in answer to a question on the death of Boeger, stated, “I saw him killed, but had no hand in the murder.”

On Sept. 1, 1864, it is believed that Frank Barnes shot and killed in Union, Mority Greifield, a case of mistaken identity as Barnes thought he was Christian Hermann, one of those who had taken part in the capture of his father.

Beginning in June 2011, the Franklin County Cemetery Society began working to restore the old cemetery at St. John’s United Church of Christ, or “Mantels Church,” on Highway A, north of Union.

On one Saturday afternoon, members of the society were probing the ground searching for pieces of broken headstones in the wooded area immediately west of the cemetery. Unfortunately, at many cemeteries, broken pieces of headstones are casually deposited away from their original site to ease the maintenance of the graves.

Several headstones had been discovered and the members felt it was doubtful that additional pieces would be found. However, one member loudly shouted that he thought he had found something.

Digging quickly, the members uncovered a portion of marble that appeared to be the middle third of a headstone. Still standing in the cemetery, there was a third of a stone still attached firmly to its limestone base.

A quick review revealed that the piece found fitted to the portion still on its base. Continuing to probe in the area of the piece just found, another piece was discovered. It fitted to the other two pieces.

Brushing off the years of dirt, the name of Henry Boeger met the light of day for the first time in perhaps 50 years. Below the death date of Oct. 3, 1864, were inscribed the German words, “Gefallen durch Rebellen Hand.” Translated it reads, “Felled by the Hands of the Rebels.”

The headstone has been cleaned, glued, fitted with a metal bracket and replaced where it belongs — on the grave of a Civil War soldier.