CHAPTER
XV
LIFE
ON BOLIVAR HEIGHTS
The second day after our arrival, we spent much of our
time in looking about us, everything was so changed from what we had been
accustomed to see them at Harrisburg, and we soon found that we had much to
learn before we could claim to be veterans.
It will be remembered that Bolivar Heights was the
scene of Miles’ disgraceful and cowardly surrender, by which act it was turned
over to the Rebels, and had been retaken but a short time before our arrival by
a portion of the troops of our Division, under command of Gen. John W. Geary,
and as may well be imagined, we anxiously searched for the traces of the
battle, the marks were rare however, owing to the fact that it had only been a
little skirmish.
We were interested in the novel way the men carried
water for culinary purposes. It
consisted of a piece or wood about five feet long, with a place cut out to fit
the carriers shoulders, it had both ends provided with hooks, straps or rope,
to which the buckets were fastened, and thus one man could easily carry two
buckets at a time. The arrangement was
similar to those used by the Spanish or French peasants in carrying grape or
other fruits.
The first shell we heard explode was thrown from
Napp’s battery, from the fort in which it was placed. The shell was thrown at an unoccupied house
outside of the lines. A number of our
boys went up to see the firing when they ascertained the fact that the Rebel
cavalry frequently made their appearance in that locality and that Major Napp
was experimenting with a view of obtaining the proper range. Several shells exploded immediately over the
house. This was something new to us, and whilst it was fine fun to see the
practice as long as the shells were fired towards the enemy, we imagined that
it would not be so funny when the shells once would be thrown towards us. As we turned towards our quarters, Abel
Seesholtz remarked that it would be a long time before any of the members of
Company G, would be hit with a shell. 0n
being asked why? He replied in his
good-natured way:
“Because if the Johnnies were to throw any shells at
us, we’d “shake” so that it would be impossible to hit us.” Poor Abel he lost his life by a shell.
In the afternoon Will McFall and several more of us,
went over to the old farm house between the picket lines and the
fortifications, and whilst there we saw a guard shoot a member of the 111th
P. V. I. The guard was placed at an old
board fence, with instructions not to allow any one to tear down the fence or
to carry off the boards. We had
attempted to get one ourselves but when commanded by the guard, to “drop that
board,” we at once dropped it. We walked
around the house, and soon after heard the report of a gun, and upon going to
where the guard was stationed, we found that he had shot a man who disobeyed
his order. The ball had entered the
right leg above the knee, shattering the bone and making amputation necessary.
A soldier was sent to the Division Hospital for a
stretcher. Upon its arrival he was taken to the hospital where the leg was
amputated, and it was afterwards reported that the man had died. This incident served to impress upon the
writer’s mind the necessity of promptly obeying the command given by a guard or
picket.
We arrived at the company just in time to receive
several letters from home in the mail.
Those who had the pleasure of receiving those precious letters whilst in
the army, know full well how welcome were the messengers of love, from those
who were near and dear to us.
The same train that brought us the mail also brought
Lt. Schroyer to the company, he having remained at Harrisburg to attend to some
business connected with the company. The
boys were all glad to see him.
After supper, an order was sent to the company for a
detail of thirty men for fatigue duty, the men to take their dinners along, and
to report at regimental head-quarter’s by eight o’clock, a.m., next
morning. We did not happen to be among
the detail, but some of the detailed men were extremely anxious to know what FATIGUE duty
was. John P. Haas went up to the
officers’ quarters and soon returned with the intelligence that those who had
been detailed would have to work upon the forts which Geary was erecting for
the purpose of making the defenses on the height more formidable. Upon the receipt of this news the boys were
not so anxious to go.
The detail started out at the proper time, and after
reporting at regimental head-quarters; the regimental detail was placed in
charge of Lt. Byers, who reported at Division head-quarters, and with the rest
of the detail were marched to the south-east side of the hill, where a large
earth fort was in the course of construction, and here the first fatigue detail
sent out by Company G, worked.
In the evening when the boys returned to the company,
they reported that the Captain in charge had credited the 147th
detail, which by the way was composed mainly of our company, with having done
more work than all the remainder of the Division, and the blisters on the hands
of the boys who had been on the detail certainly vouched for the Captain’s
assignation. They had been too green,
and had worked harder that day, than they ever did again under similar
circumstances.
In the evening another detail was made and we found
our name called among the rest. The next
morning as on the previous day the regimental detail was marched to Division
head-quarters. Here we first saw General
Geary, and were favorably impressed with his commanding appearance, and more
especially when he informed us that owing to the fact that day was Sunday, and
as it was not a of absolute necessity, we should return to our commands and
report for duty on the following morning.
We got back in time to take part in the Sunday
inspection. Here we were a lot SMARTER than the
rest of the detail as they were just in time to be too late and did not get
into camp until it was over. As our
company had not yet received their arms, we only took out our knapsacks and had
our clothing inspected.
This being our first inspection it did not prove much
of a success. We did not know how to
pack our clothing and none of us had put on clean clothing that morning, and
had placed our dirty clothing in the pockets of our haversacks, with no regard
to order or system. The adjunct came to
our company and assisted our officers to inspect us. When we were ordered to “open knapsacks” we
felt considerably mortified. After the
adjutant gave us some instructions in preparation of inspection in the future,
we were given in charge of the Orderly who then marched us to our camp.
Inspection over, a number of the company visited the
town and made a number of purchases of
the suttlers there, owing to the fact that we had no “stamps” we remained in
camp, anxiously awaiting the call to dinner to fall in for our “bean soup.”
At this time Sergeant Whitmer dealt out our cooked
rations, and as it is a very natural thing for soldiers to growl, the job was a
very unpleasant one.
At this dinner, a little incident occurred which at
the time afforded the company not a little sport, Serg’t Whitmer had given
Edward Fisher, a tin cup at coffee, and his ration of bean soup, when Fisher
said in his particular vernacular:
“I wish. you’d give me a few more of your beans,
mine’s all soup”
Whitmer made a reply that Fisher did not like, and
throwing his plateful of beans over Whitmer, remarking:
“There, darn you, take your soup.”
Whitmer retaliated by throwing a cup of coffee over
him, saying.. “If you don’t want soup take an extra ration of coffee.”
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