The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-09-20
FOUGHT AT Fl. STEADMAN
"reminiscences Of His Army Life While a
Member Of Company II, 20Sth
Regiment, in the Civil War.
BY COMRADE JOHN HANN, OF SALIVA.

some of the younger memb bers, at
least, in the big family of News
readers, to hear an old soldier
"talk" in this way about war
times.
| was a member of Company
H., 208th Pennsylvania Volun-
teers, and our good friend Har.
vey Wishart, of Wells Valley, was
our captain. In the same com
pany with myself were several
men you know very well-John
Elliott Rumel, William Stoner,
Nicholas OFT, Adam Boerner. and
h. Nixon Sinner, of McConnells-
burg; William King, Patrick Will.
son, jeremiah w. Ham, Jacob
Naugle, and Licking Creek
township; Isaiah Lehman, Esq,
Joseph Hoopengardner, Jacob
Hamm and Jacob Geinger, of
Union township. Of these, Oft,
Boerner, Sinner, Jere Ham,
Hoopengardner, Hamman and
Gelnger are dead. Pat Wilson
went away from the county sew
eral years ago, and | do not know
whether he is living or not.
We left home the first week IN
September, forty-one years ago,
went down to Camp Curtin at
Harrisburg, was mustered into
service, and on the 18th, started
with the regiment for the front
in Virginia. AT Bermuda Hun
dred the regiment was assigned
to provisional brigade, and re-
named there until the 9th of No
vember, when it was ordered to
report to the Army of the Poto.
mac. Afterward it became part
OF the 1st brigade of Hartranft's
(3d) division, 9th army corps. We
did not have much TO do during
the winter, for our division was
held in reserve, and posted in the
rear of the 9th corps line.
Early in the spring, however,
we got some fine opportunities to
smell powder, for on the 25th OF
March, 1865, the Union lines at
Fort Steadman, near Peters burg,
were broken and driven back, and
the fort and several batteries cap.
tured. Here's where we got IN
our work. Our division was hur-
riedly called into line, and advanc-
ed to the gap made by the rebel
onset. Pouring in a most de-
structlve fire, we held them in
check until other Union troops
were brought up within close
supporting distance. AT this
juncture Gen. Hartranft received
an order from his superior to re-
take the lost lines. Lieut.. Col.
Heintzelman had command of our
regiment at this time, and so anX-
ious was he to be in the lead that
without awaiting orders, gave the
signal to advance, and we advanc-
ed. Don't say we didn't have a
hot time. The enemy made a
most stu bborn resistance, but we
were too many for them, and
when the smoke had cleared away
we had possession Of the works
and IN the folds of the captured
battery we had one hundred and
fifty prisoners, and along the line
two hunered and fifty more, in
cludiLg colonel, adjutant, and
several line officers. The attack
had been so sudden, and the dis
aster so appalling, that when it
was learned that our single divis-
ion, almost unaided, had success
fully stemmed the current of mis-
fortune, and had retrieved all that !
was lost, the feelings of exulta-
ton knew no bounds.
In the brief campaign which
closed with Lees surrender at
Appomattox on the 9th of April,
we saw very active service every
day. We passed through Peters
burg close on the heels OF the re.
treating rebel army, and was at
Nottoway Court House, when tao
end came.
After this we were sent by way
of Petersburg and City Point to
Alexandra, Va, where we were
mustered out on the lst day Of. /,
June, 1865. >,f ~