The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1922-08-15

Of CIVIL WARTIME
The following is a story writer
by Waldo C. Van Vain, father Of
DIR. A. B. Van Vain of this city
a veteran of the late world war
the story covering the actual per.
sonal experiences of the writer dur.
ing the great civil war, he being
LIST Lieutenant of co. A, 45th Pa
Vet. Vols, the story having been
written several years after the wal
was ended. Lieutenant Van Valir
passed away in the state of New
York in 1909.
A Story of the Battle of the
Wilderness
being the personal experience
Of Waldo C. Van Vain, LIST, Lieut.
Co. A, 45th Pa. Vet. Vols, as re.
lated by himself several years after
the war;
When, in the spring of 1854
General Grant took command of the
armies of the U. s. the people be.
lieved that something substantial
was going to be accomplished in the
way Of putting down the rebellion
His headquarters was with the
Army of the Potomac, although he
had given the command of that
army to Maj. Gen. Meade, still, as
Commander in Chief of all of the
armies he, of course, had a general
supervision of the Army Of the
Potomac and issued orders to Gen.
eral Meade as the exegencies of the
service seemed to require. During
the winter of 1863 and '64, the old
regiments had been recruited up
to the maximum standard and now
in the spring Of ga, with an irwin
chile General at our head we felt
that another year would surely end
the war-the backbone of the slave
holders rebellion, be broken, if in
deed, not cut lose and pulled out.
Our Corps, the 9th, was under the
immediate command of Maj. Gen
Burnside of whom we were proud
for while we knew that he was also
proud of us and strongly attached
to our Corps, we regarded him as
an unselfish an incompatible patriot
fully equipped with all the soldierly
qualities that go to make a skilled
corps commander.
Always on the eve of an active
campaign, thorough inspection
and review of the troops is re-
CURED by the commanding gerenal.
When orders came for the 9th Corps
to be ready on such a day for re-
yiew by General Grant, We knew
very well what it meant besides.
It meant that it would be followed
by speedy departure from our
pleasant camps at, and around An
napolis, Nd, and a general advance
on Lees rebel army which was then
lowering near the Wilderness and
extending its lines towards the Ra-
oidan. This was really Grants in
PRODUCTION to the Army of the Po-
tomac, and the appearance of our
troops on this occasion made a most
favorable impression on his mind
IS We afterwards learned.
We were all anxious to see the
new general of the armies whose
name had already become famous
On account of his brilliant victories
n the south and southwest, and
who was now to lead US to new
fields of slaughter, and, we hoped
and believed, to victory.
We shall never forget how he
looked when he rode along our bat.
Gle line mounted on a large bay
horse whose proud mien, with arched
neck and distended nostrils, seemed
to indicate consciousness of the
character of the man who was
astride his back, and who rode with
the grace of an adept. Of the
cavalcade of officers who accom-
panied him, there was not one who
rode with the ease and grace OF
General Grant, and when he thund.
cred down the line and across the
plain to take position, where oul
columns would pass in review be.
fore him, his fiery charger went
with the wind, distancing all of his
staff and leaving many of them fan
behind. Many Of the boys who had
formed an ideal appearance OF
Grant, found, when they came tc
see the man himself, that they were
very much mistaken. Instead OF
being arrayed in all the glitter and
tinsel of war, there was nothing
about him to indicate his superior
rank save his high topped boots with
spurs, slouched hat and plain fight.
ing blouse.
In a couple of days after this
review, we struck our tents and