The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-02-18
BOYS REcoLLECTIoNs.
Commander DeS.eese Became . Warrior
at Very Early Age.

BOYS RECOLLECTIONS.
Commander DeS.eese Became . Warrior
at p Very Early Age.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: One Of the
youngest men in the civil war was William
DeSteese Commander of Edwin A. Braun
Post, 100, and Captain of George D. Stanton
Post, %, of Fond du Lac, Wis.
William DeSteese was born in Burlington,
Wis, April IA, 1850, his parents being Levi
and Elizabeth DeSteese. On March II, 1864,
he enlisted. Although he was IL years old,
he was obliged to give his age as Is. Capt.
JAS. A. Woodford was recruiting men for the
3Sth Wis. at Waupun A number OF
squads came in and were sent on to Camp
Randall, at Madison, where young DeSteese
was assigned to Co. d, 3Sth Wis. He was
then 13 years and II months old.
Comrade DeSteese's story of his experience
is very interesting To the writer recently
he said:
II made three attempts at enlistment, and
twice met with rebuffs. 1 got in with
regiment at Oshkosh. secured possession OF
drum, and Thought I was solid. When the
regiment moved they told me to go back to
mama The next attempt | made was
told to crawl back into my cradle Nothing
daunted, went to Waupun, and hung
around there until st. Patrick's Day, March
II, 1864, when l was accepted. Capt Jas.
A. Woodford was recruiting men for the 3Sth
Wis, and we were sent to Camp Randall,
Madison, where was assigned to Co. d.
"Cos A, B. c and D of the 3Sth were
rushed to the front, under command OF Lieut.
COL c. K. Pier Upon arriving at Washing
ton we were taken in hand by the Sanitary
Commission, and my first army experience
was to sleep in rough board barracks. 1t was
a rough outing. Here we drew blankets and
uniforms, but no arms. The first Sunday IN
April we marched across the Long Bridge
into Virginia, on to Lees plantation, and our
first camp was near Big Springs, right an
sight of Alexandria. The next day we drew
our arms, and teams were assigned to our
regiment From Alexandria we boarded
transport-and old side-wheel tub, went
down the Potomac, to the Atlantic. we
entered the Pamunkey River, and went
ashore at White House Landing.
We were given no rest, and ordered up a
steep bank of 40 or so feet, and fought in the
battle of Cold Harbor, Gainess Mills and
| through to within five miles of Richmond.
We had been assigned at Washington to the
| First Brigade of the Third Division OF the
Ninth Corps and ordered to report in front OF
Richmond, with Gen. Burnside in command.
We got position in the First Brigade of the
! First Division which we held to the close OF
| the war.
"Our first man killed was Harkley Adams,
| of Byron The regiment had resolved to
send all our dead back home for burial, each
man to chip in to defray expenses We sent
Adams's body home, but he was the only man
we treated that way. We lost them too thick
after that to fulfill our resolve.
Grants famous swing to the south OF
Petersburg soon followed, and he uttered those
memorable words: Well fight it out on this
line, if it takes all Summer On the morn
ing of June 16, 1864, we were hustled up
early, given little coffee, and by forced
marches, most of it double-quick, we began
to hear firing at about IL a. M, the noise be-
ing the sound of cannons which our advance
guard had gotten up in front Of Petersburg.
. That evening just before dark we arrived
on the front line, coming in on the road
directly toward the rebel line. Our regi-
ment was in tours and came into line-Of-
battle by command of 'Foursleft into line by
companies We were ordered to lie down in
some small timber, and lay there for about
an hour and then ordered to charge.
"This was the first time our regiment
faced the rebels on open ground. We took
that line of works, and they retreated to the
next At 10 o'clock another order to charge
| was given At the bank of the Norfolk q
| Western Railway we got mixed up. 1t was a
steep embankment, and our boys went over
it and seemed to Just fall off the earth. We
fell into mass below, and tell you it was
exciting, and we came near turning on
each other. With man on top of man, oath
after oath went up, and cries Of Take that
gun out of my eye and Here, quit punch
ing me in the ribs, filled the air. 1t took all
night to straighten US out.
1.-THE following morning Col. Pier was
wounded by the explosion of she'll He re-
manned on the field, but the next day he was
forced to retire to the hospital, and the COM
mand of the regiment went to Maj. Hayward,
of Oshkosh. The famous horseshoe was
then formed in front of the rebel mine fort.
We were placed in the horseshoe the first OF
July and mined from the horseshoe to the
fort. We were there month, and then the
mine was sprung and the defeat followed in
which three divisions were almost entirely
wiped out.
: ITO make long story short, we supported
Sheridan's cavalry at taking Of Weldon Road
supported Romer's battery at battle of Yellow
, House; fought at PEBBLES farm, Poplar
Springs Church, and in the Fall returned tt
our old position and went into Winter quar-
tiers and stayed there all Winter. The follow
ing are brief notes from my 1865 diary: Jan
s, L. Very cold on picket-line. Rebels commence
to come in to our lines. Four Johnnies de
! serted and came to us to-day. Sent on t.
, prison. They were from the AID Ala Regu
, lars. March 25, Gen. John ID. Gordon broke
. through line and took our fort. On April
we moved up to Union Fort Hell (For
. MichaeD and at II p. m. we marched dowr
, to charge Fort Damnation fort Mahone)
: We charged at daylight in gallant style
The glorious nows comes, Petersburg cap
= tured' ~
, Comrade De Steese had been promoted t,
the rank Of Corporal at about the time of tn
, Mine disaster; but served as Sergeant through
out his career in the army.-SoN OF A VET
:. Fond du Lac, Wis
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