The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-12

through the head and fell inside of the
works. The charge was not entirely sue
~cessful, and for thirty-six hours the
wounded officer lay within the works. un-
conscious most of the time. Bullets whiz-
zed above and about him continually, but
in his condition no one thought that he
Was awe, and he was unmoiested. On the
afternoon of the thirteenth the works
were captured, and Haisey was taken by
the Union forces. Brought to camp, he
was laid out for dead but, as chance
would have it. a soldier near him OBJ
served a slight movement in the wounded
officer. When it was discovered that he
was still alive he was carried twelve miles
to the Rapidan River, and from there was
taken to Washington. where he was
placed In a hospital. He lay there for
three months, his left sid paralyzed from
the wounds in the head, the top of which
was almost shattered. After a number of
operations he was pronounced strong
enough to be sent to his Newark home.
The fighting was still going on. and the
young officer wanted to be in it. He was
physically unable to do field work, and his
friends looked around for a staff POSITION
for him. One of his warmest friends was
Colonel tom Egan, who wrote a letter
on August s, 1864, to General John A. Dix,
in which he said of Captain Haisey, in
indorsing him for a staff appointment
This officer joined my command early in
1861, enlisting as a private. By good con-
duct he rose to the rank which he held
at the time of his discharge. Before his
promotion he acted as my mounted order
ly through the campaigns from March,
1862, and since his promotion has COM
manded his mpan in action with dis
tinguished credit. Il has always been my
custom to rely upon him in I'M emergen-
cy, especially in this campaign"
This letter was found among General
Dix's papers by his son. Rev. DR.. Morgan
A. Dix, rector of Trinity Church, New
York. and sent by him to the Adjutant
Generals office. From there it was sent
to Captain Halsey.
Before the brilliant young soldier could
be appointed on General Dix's staff,
Colonel Egan was appointed Major Cen
eral, and he Immediately appointed Halsey
as his chief of staff. General Egan was
assigned to duty with the army of She
nandoah. There the young officer ac-
c%ompanied his chief, bait his wounds
roubleda him. again, and he stayed only
three months.
Mr.. Halsey was never awarded any med
ais from the Government, and has never
asked for any. He receives a pension for
the Wounds sustained on the field. For
the past year he has spent most of the
time in bed, and for two and three weeks
at a stretch has been unconscious. At a
reunion of the survivors of the eFortieth
New York a few weeks ago a moyelnsnt
was started fo have some recognition
made of the acts of valer of the young
officer during the war.
One of the instances when he is said to
lave saved two regiments from destruc-
ton was between Poolesviile- and Mono
cacy. Nd. when he discovered a battery
and regiment of artillery lying in wait for
his own and another regiment. which
would have swept them from the field be-
fore they could realize 1t. The battery was
stationed near the towpath of the Balti-
more and Ohio Canal. and the regiments
were coming up the towpath. In warning
IF l succeeded it. was because I had
good instructors" said Mr.. Halsey in dis
cussing his war experiences with a re-
porter. There were Tom Egan n Phi
| Kearny, than whom thege were never bet
ter instructors. l did no more than hun
dreds and thousands. about me, but il
seems hat I was the youngest of the lot