The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-02-08

JOnn ID. MuSSer; second neutenunI, oTlH
II. Vaughn. At the organization of the
regiment Lieutenant Musser was promot-
ed to major, Vaughn to first lieutenant
and Benjamin f. Walters to second leu-
tenant. Lieutenant Walters served as
aid on brigade staff. leaving captain Lit
tie and Lieutenant Vaughn with the COM
pany. on Nov. Z, 1862, the one Hundred
and Forty-third regiment broke camp and
started for Washington, where 1t went INTO
camp near Arlington Heights. They soon
moved across to the northern defence5 OF
the capital and helped build Fort Slocum;
and in February moved to Bell Plans, va,
and were brigaded with the Bucktails ana
| formed part of the Third division, First
Army corps, Army of the Potomac.
At the battle of Chancellorsville, Cap
| tain Little being left behind sick, the COM
! mand of the company devolved upon Lieu
| tenant Vaughn. While holding the front
| line at Charlottesville an incident oc-
| Cured which the survivors Will distinctly
| remember Just before evening on the
| last day of the battle the one Hundred
| and Forty-third regiment received orders
| to move out in front of our lines just be-
! yond the videttes and approach as closely
! to the enemy's works as possible, securing
| as much information as could be gathered
! of the enemy's position and strength.
The ground over which the regiment
! passed was a dense wood nterspersed with
| paths and abandoned wood-roads. After
! passing the vdettes every officer and man
was ordered to roll up the left sleeve of
! the coat above the elbow. All orders Were
| given in whispers, and the officers, with
| drawn swords and men with fixed bayon-
| cts and pieces loaded, moved silently for
| ward to accomplish the task assigned
! them. They succeeded in securing the de-
| sired information and returned to the
| Union line without receiving or firing a
| shot
! Upon returning from Charlottesville
and before settling again in Camp the reg
| iment became separated from the balance
of the command and marched back to its
former camp near Bell Plain where they
| found themselves outside the lines of the
army. Night coming on, they posted
Videttes and remained over night in the
! old camp, where they had spent so many
| pleasant weeks during the winter ana
spring of G3 Next morning an unlocked
| for dilemma confronted the officers and
| men of the regiment alike. Their rations
| were nearly exhausted. the supply tram
| was not at hand and the prospect oil a
very light breakfast and possibly no dih-
ner confronted them. The officers were
| gloomy and the men disposed to censure
| them for the condition of things, but be-
| fore noon rations We're forthcoming, the
| regiment found the army and settled down
| in its new camp to routine drill and picket
| duty. Soon after the return from Chan
cellorsville Captain Little returned and as
sumed command of Company X, which he
|
While Captain Little held nominal COM
mand, Lieutenant Vaughn drilled and dis
| cipllned the company, thereby preparing
it for the terrible struggle at Gettysburg,
| the marches and battles following in 1868
and the fearful ordeal through which 1t
passed in the campaign of "a and so from
| the Wilderness to Petersburg, and was its
| real commander. From the battle of
Charlottesville until June l, 1863, the reg
iment remained in Camp. on the above
| date began the memorable campaign
| which reached high water mark at the bat
| tie of Gettysburg, where the one Hun
| dred and Forty-third regiment won rep
utation for bravery which will last as long
as deeds of valor in defense of justice and
| right are recognized and applauded. Com
pany X performed well its part in that
| memorable battle with the regiment at
| Gettysburg and here Lieutenant Vaughn
received his first wound in action while
many of the company We're killed and
wounded.
In July, 1863 after the regiment had re-
turned to Virginia and while at Warren
ton junction. Lieutenants Stout, Vaughn
| and Ceilings, with six enlisted men, We're
detached from the regiment and sent first
to Philadelphia and later to Carlisle Pa,
where they remained until October follow
ing engaged in recruiting and forwarding
to the regiment men to again fill its de-
pleted ranks. An incident is related by
Lieutenant Vaughn, who is now the only
surviving officer of that detail. After re-
ceiving orders to report at Philadelphia
the three officers held a council mot of
war. but of finance) to ascertain how
much money they could muster to start on
the trip. The regiment not having been
paid for several months, their funds We're
rather low. The three found they could
just muster $1.50. They appealed to Lieu
tenant Colonel Musser, who was in COM
mand of the regiment at the time, and
he very generously gave them all he had,
which amounted to $50 more. They then
left by rail, arriving the same evening at
Alexandria, Va. After providing for the
enlisted men al the barracks, they went
to the best hotel in town. where they took
rooms, after paying for which and break
fast next morning their available funds
We're used up to the last cent. The de-
tail proceeded from thence to Washing
ton, where the officers We're allowed to
draw one months pay on account of spe-
cal service, which helped them out of
their dilemma.
After the campaign of 1863 was over, the
regiment went into winter quarters at
Paoli Mills, Va, where huts We're built.
but just as they We're completed and the
, command was comfortably settled, an or
, der came to break camp and proceed to
, Culpepper, Va, where the regiment spent
, the remainder of the winter and spring
until May t. 1864, when 1t broke camp and
! started out on that memorable campaign
of 1864. The march from Paoli Mills to
Culpepper was made on the 2ith of De-
cember, 1868. the ground being frozen hard
enough to bear G-mule team and wagon
with its load. ARRIVING at Culpeppei
| Christmas eve, the men of the regiment
lay on the frozen ground that night with
out cover except their blankets. During
u the night snow fell to the depth of about
three inches. \ sorry night for the boys
in camp was this, while their friends il
f their comfortable homes and warm beds
: Were dreaming of Christmas cheer anJ
!, turkey dinners.
+ While the regiment was encamped a.
= Paoli Mills, Lieutenant Vaughn received
= an order from Lieutenant Colonel Musser
i who was in command of the regiment a
- the time to report forthwith to his head
g quarters. Upon doing so he was Informed
e that an order had just been received fol
d am officer and thirty picked men from The
!, regiment for special duty. He was alsC
e ordered to assume command of the detail
j. Thirty of the most daring men of the regi
d ment We're detailed They reported at bri
i gade headquarters, not knowing what tn,
! duty would be, but expected something
S hazardous. Upon reporting to Genera
t, Osborne, who was then inspector genera
It of the brigade, the lieutenant was told tina
= the duty he and his men would be calle,
9, upon to perform, was to search the on
II Hundred and Forty-ninth regiment, Penn
3 sylVania Volunteers, commanded by Lieu
e tenant Colonel Dwight Cwho, by the way
If had a voice like a fog horn and woul,
n swear terribly when provoked for pick
e and ShoVelS contiscatcd from division head
l. quarters. The reception of the detail cal
o better be imagined than described. Tn
and taken to brigade headquarters. o.
Il MAY 8. 1864, camp broke after midnigh