Joseph Freiburg

Joseph Freiburg was born May 11, 1840 at Allendorf, Westphalia, learned furniture making in the old country. He participated in 1864 in the war against Denmark as a private in the 4th Company of the Westphalian Fortress Artillery Regiment Number 7. He accomplished excellent work in the attack on the Duppler entrenchments; his battery held a position on a height opposite the Danish entrenchments. The Danes fired repeatedly on the Prussians, but they had no order to reply to it, because the shells mainly flew over their heads. Finally, the business got too hot for the battery captain and he said: "Cannoneer Freiburg, aim your gun at the wooden barracks in from the Danish entrenchments." Freiburg obeyed the command, fired, and the first shot reduced the barracks to a pile of rubble. But now the commanding general came rushing up to find out why the shot had been fired from his side. But when he saw the effect of the shot, he ordered the bombardment of the Danish position to continue until it was captured. Because of his skill as a cannoneer, Joseph was awarded four different honor badges, along with accompanying documents. One of the documents is signed by Caspary, Lieutenant Colonel and Regimental Commander of the Army Corps. One of the commemorative medals bears the inscription "Military Merit," another "To Our Brave Warriors, 1864," the third is the "Duppel Storming Cross, April 18, 1864" and the fourth the "Alsten Cross, June 29, 1864." Joseph Freiburg married Elisabeth Quinkert in the old country. In 1866 the couple came to Quincy and the husband was employed here as a furniture maker in Friedrich W. Jansen's factory where he worked until 1876. Then, in partnership with his brother Friedrich, he opened a furniture factory; the firm existed until 1892, when his brother sold out to Joseph Freiburg, Jr. The firm was now Joseph Freiburg and Sons. Three years later the furniture business was discontinued and since then has become a funeral business. Joseph Freiburg, Sr. died February 8, 1906. His wife resides in Quincy, as do four sons, Joseph, Heinrich, Benjamin, and Hermann as well as two daughters, Mrs. Franz Wachtel in Quincy and Mrs. Joseph Tushaus in Kansas City, Missouri. This is also my husband's direct line. If you would like further information on this family or have any information you would like to share, please email me. Transcribed by: Mindy Source: Bornmann's Sketches of Early Germans of Quincy and Adams County Volume 7; Chapter 2; page 164.