The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-12
A YOUNG CAPTAIN.
Captain W. F. Halsey of
Newark Perhaps the
Youngest officer in
the Rebellion.
ENLISTED At FIFTEEN
Joined a New York Regiment and
Was Rapidly Promoted
His Experiences.
ENLISTED At FIFTEEN

-
mere hSes ~ Ne~aih q -
CaVn war VINO hau mol chy D.eA
thlrty-three engagements oeiore =
eighteen years old, Dut VINO ehllsieo
private at nfteen, was mate seeo'u
tenant at seventeen, hrst
eishteen and was captain anu N
staH on the stan % -
before ne was hlneteen years 30
warrior is W4lliaih r naiSes'
Burnet street, VINO. mas lriehos LAIN
one of the youngest oHcers III ne etSi
War
Mr.. Halsey went to the 'front.' Win y
Fortieth New York Volunteers, IN "hich
regiment he received ms promotiohs' ~
in the service of which he fecelVeo
wounds that have; remained with hini
ever since the Battle OF Spettsylyaiaa'
when he was shot IN the heau a"o
for dead behind Gonfederaie
The oniy way tnat MT massey e'a1
get into the army IN ls6i was py sone
to New York. He was porn IN Ne"aiA :,
1916. but for some reason OF elhei' eoui1
not be enlisted in me New Jersey tes
ments.
His enlistment was with the consent u
his mother. He was one month over =
teen years of age when he was enroiea
on June IA, 1861. as Private WillaIh :.
fIalsey," In the "Fortieth New YORK
which was christened the Mozart fseg1-
ment,' just before it left for the 'front.'
by Mayor Fernando Wood, WHO gave II
that name in honor of one of the poiitlcal
factions then existing in New York City.
The regiment went to Alexandria, Va,
ana remained there in camp at Fort Lyon
dri1line and getting ready for service.
E;,allv the regiment went into winter
,artars and remained there until the
paninsu1ar campairn when it was assign
IL ~ rhira Army Germs and General
ssanu,iap,s trigaaa
M ha+t1as ~ Malvern Hin Fair Oaks,
r,;asshan,inv Disma1 swamp. White
oarr-ar,a "a NO. seven Davs' Retreat
Nn M e. ara second battles of
- foA,,.b+ under R,rn-
49, 49,, rorns WA con-
S4e ~, c.aaaa ra~ns Han
~ General
eocA was - a~auaaa. The
~ heains -. =. pa.o,s
forueth Se"
canipaisn ~ - -
at Brandy otatioh' q. "0 w@s
IN commahd OF tne Arihy . ~
Jusi before eoAaihs y =
tiers young Halsey leceiveo nis
motion, ABOUT WHICH ne nau
consulted. he was tnen in'u go
me regiment was uid"h ~ o :,
parade on the alteriioen ~ =
and orders were oeins puolisheu. :"
OF the orders was Ihe niiofi4ation tr
Sergeant william r. massey hau go
promoted TO SECOND Leu'ehanl, u ni
that the Velerah soiuiei' enen aA
three months OF seventeen years u ass
knew OF the matter ans ~
was signed py governor Hora.io oss W
OF New YORK, ana reacaea hiin ga
held.
After leaving winter quarters the
tieth New York was moved oyer 10 PehA-
syivania, where II parucipaeeu ~ lsao
Gettysburg campaign IN the Tan q 1910
Grant took OF the army ana the
Fortieth New York was actively engaged
in the Wilderness campaigns OF that ana
the following years during me iirst
Wilderness campaign the young Lieuten-
ant received a promotion on the field to
be First Lieutenant, General Hancock
making the promotion. 1t occurred at
Mine Run, Va, in November, 1863, Lieu
tenant Halsey, then in command Of his
company, the other officers being
! wounde and away, was leading ms
| Command on the Confederate works. The
| color bearer was beside him. AS the
troops moved on TOWARD the works a ter
rife fire was opened on them, and the
| first to fall was the man with the colors.
~oaIaa ovay tbe colors foil into the
| arms of Lieutenant Halsey and that Off
| Ger. with the flag in his left arm con-
| tinued on toward the works, planting the
co,ors on TOP. General Hancock survey
ing the conflict at some distance, saw
through his field glass an officer carry the
colors. Commenting on its unusual APP