Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-09-10
Of A STRIKER
A "REMINISCENCES OF THE
SID BATTLE OF BULL
UN, Va, 1862.
RIvATE cHAs. HAHN.

CulttIldAo LuOus OOoAuAOoS3 "AsN
rosy cks, and ofdiminutive size.
The rliting officer, afterwards
my Cain, hesitated to accept me,
but a 10 lying on my part as to
my agelped me through. | have
alwaylought they suspected me
of beia girl, for was very timid,
and bhec like maiden.
Alta tedious course of instruc-
ton lamp at New London, Conn.,,
and Tryville, Nd, and guarding
some teen thousand mules during
the towing winter, the regiment
fnallloined the Army Of the Pc
toman 1862, shortly before the
Pemmla campaign. Our brigade,
then vision, and finally corps com.
mand, was General Fitz-JOhn
Porte whom we all trusted and
teareCto the same degree.
DUNG the months of camp life
and to marches up to the seven
days fight l had a tolerably easy
time, serving as my Captains cook
and bttle washer, but not neglect
ing my drill and the requirement
Of the English language.
y Upon the morning of the 9th
day of June, when we returned from
the battlefield of Mechanicsville,
where we had shivered without
shelter during the previous night,
we burned up the camp, including
tentage and most of our personal
property.
When the first balls whistled by
the regiment at Gaines Mills, to-
ward evening of same day, l was
ordered to the rear in charge of a
gentle mule, carrying the Captains
mess outfit and provisions. sup
pose it was done to spare my young
life, but it made me very angry
After proceeding several hundred
yards l gave the mule a kick, and
stole back to the ranks of my com
pany, which soon became fiercely
engaged with the enemy. / have
never laid my eyes upon that mule
since then, and was compelled to
feed the Captain upon raw apples,
wild onions and crackers, stewed
together, during the ensuing week.
Then came the battles of Savage
Station, White Oak Swamp, Charles
City roads and Malvern Hills,
through all of which 1 escaped un-
hurt. While being mustered at
the latter place, 1t being the last
day of June, a shell burst in the
center Of our company and killed
about five men, besides wounding
others. This ended the ceremony.
One of the wounded men, my par
ticular chum, lost his right arm
above the elbow, and, pointing the
bleeding stump at nae, said $50
in, Charlie, give 'em hell; I'll be
back again after a whilew Poor
fellow, haven't seen him to this
day
The cannonading during the
evening and early part of the night
was something too terrific to de-
scribe it fairly shook the earth
The gunboats to the rear ofOur left
flank fred shells as large as barns,
and many Of them maturely ex-
ploded over our own heads.
From the camp at Harrison Land
ing, where we remained for several
weeks, menacing Lees army and
the safety Of Richmond, and where
we were visited by President Lin
coin, we were suddenly called away
TO help General John Pope out of a
bad scrape. A few days march to
Hampton Roads, where saw the
wrecks of the boats destroyed by
the Merrimac and from there, per
steamer, to Acquia Greek, thence
forward after the sound of battle.
During the Both day of June we
were kept OF the road, leisurely
marching forward, and often rest
ing. Early in the afternoon We
me upon General Sturgis, and
II after upon General Mcdowell,
with their respective stats. Upon
seeing the latter, our hearts fell, for
his presence on the Inflated battle
field in front of us was considered
a bad omen. And so it turned out
to be :
Toward evening, about one hour
after dusk, we were halted for the
night, within close proximity of
heavy cannonading and fierce mus
ket firing. The woods and under.
brush on both sides of the road
were so thick and tangled that my
regiment was obliged to bjvouack
in the roadway, which was filed
with ambulances and army wagons.
We we're sleepy and leg.weary,
and hailed the sEdden command to
"fall in" with a silent, but never
theless savage, protest. A staff
officer had just brought a verbal
order to General Porter, which
caused the commotiOn. Ny regi-
ment advanced into the woods, &C
companied by section of artillery.
Our progress at that point was
ridiculously slow, and wewere soon
returned to our old position in
the road, where we remained over
night.
The Captain desired a cup of
coffee, which l had soon prepared
for him. 1t was then dark, and the