CHAPTER
XLIII
ON
THE MOVE
The Spring was rapidly merging into Summer, the heat
was becoming oppressive and when not on duty the boys sought the shelter of the
friendly oaks, and beneath their spreading branches, passed their time in
writing, sleeping and fighting gnats, flies and mosquitoes, to stay nothing of
yellow jackets, wood ticks and the numerous other insects and reptiles unknown
to the people of this section of Uncle Samuel’s domain.
The boys were contented and happy and notwithstanding
the then very popular interrogatory, “why don’t the army move?” in which they
heartily joined, they had no very great desire to have the “move” take place.
At length however, General Hooker gained information
which strengthened the opinion he had entertained for some time, viz: that it
was the intention of the Rebel General Lee to again throw his Army North of the
Potomac and carry the war into the border States .
Heavy details were made from the company and regiment,
to cut down the timber around the forts which our Division had constructed, in
order to make the approach more difficult and the guns more effective, in case
we should be attacked.
On the 12th of June, an unusually large
detail was made to go to the woods to cut timber. Among those from the company we remember M.
S. Schroyer, Haas, Ehrhart, Fisher, Fausnacht, and the writer. The regimental detail was in charge of
Captain Jacob Kreider of F Company, who was better known to the boys by the
well duped sobriquet, “Jack of Clubs.”
When we arrived at the woods, we were informed that an
extra amount of work was to be done by this detail and in order to accomplish
this a large ration of Whiskey, known as “commissary tanglefoot” was to be
issued to us.
The boys went to work with a will, Captain Kreider
sent two men of his company back to camp for a camp-kettle, and ordered them to
go to the Brigade Commissary and bring on the “greese” for the axes.
In the meantime the monarchs of the forest were coming
down with a crash in every direction.
The boys believed the work to be necessary, and as a natural consequence
pitched in with commendable energy.
The men who were sent after the “grog,” soon returned.
Captain Jack of Clubs established himself as “jigger boss,” and dipped an
ordinary pressed tin coffee cup into the bucket and filling it to the brim, he
quaffed it with a gulp and thus dealt it out to all who desired it, and but
few, only one, W. E. Fausnacht of our company, refused a trial at that cup.
No sooner was the kettle emptied of its contents than
the Captain sent it down to the commissary to have it filled up. And just as often as it was filled so often
was it emptied. The boys got pretty well
filled up, and a number of them not only got drunk but good and sick. Among that class was M. S. Schroyer, who to this day boasts
that liquor he that day drank was the last that ever passed his lips, being
formed a resolve that from that day forward he would NEVER taste
another drop as a beverage.
We worked until four o’clock ,
although the trees did not fall as rapidly as they had in the morning, owing to
the condition of the men, when we were ordered by one of Candy’s aids to return
to camp and prepare to move at once.
We hastened to camp and found that all the sick had
been removed, and the necessary arrangements made for a move. We at
once proceeded to prepare our supper and after it was hastily dispatched,
we packed our knapsack and soon were ready for the command “fall in.”
Just as the shades of night were closing around us, on
the night of the 18th of June, 1863
we started out on what proved to be a memorable campaign.
We marched all night, and those of our readers who
have carried a knapsack and gun, know how tedious night marches are, since the
column moves so irregularly making numerous halts, scarcely are the men in
motion, ere a halt is sounded. The
commands “halt, rest.,” “fall in, forward” are alternated with alarming
regularity. At last when the command
gets into full motion, the troops are compelled to march along rapidly. The dull monotony of that night’s march was
relieved by the occasional stumble and fall of
any unlucky soldier who in the darkness would take a step to the side of
the road and tumble head over heels into a ditch or chasm, reminding one of the
traveling Christian in the Pilgrim’s Progress; and with the exception that the
boys did not take their mishaps with the same spunk that Bunyan’s hero did.
The first gray streaks which tinged the East and gave
the first glad intelligence of the approaching day, fell upon us in the
vicinity of Acquia Church
The route during part of the day lay over the same
ground that we previously traversed, and we felt as though we were no longer in
an enemy’s country but on the contrary, as though we were marching home.
At about half past three o’clock
we came in sight of Dumfries , and went into camp
a litt1e East of the town. Here we
remained over night, leaving camp on the following morning about 5 o’clock . We
reached our camp at Wolf Run Shoals, about 2 o’clock ,
p. m. Here we prepared dinner and washed
our feet in the stream, and rubbed them with bacon skin. We had marched very hard and a great many of
the boys were too tired to get dinner, preferring to sleep and rest.
Promptly at 1 o’clock
we were ordered “forward.” This day’s
march, the second of our Gettysburg campaign, we
have always considered the hardest we ever did.
At about half past 3 o’clock, we came up to the line of pickets thrown
out from Fairfax Station, and consisted of a detail of the 6th
Reserves, and we had the pleasure of meeting several Selinsgrovers, among them
John Emmitt, Lewis Haack and John Snyder.
When we reached the Station a number of our boys dropped out to visit
acquaintances in company B, thinking of course that the command would not move
much further. In this they were
mistaken, as we did not rest until we got to Fairfax Seminary, having marched
about 28 or 30 miles. When we halted for
the night the regiment did not number 100 men, of which our company had three
files. As soon as we halted for the
night, the writer, threw down his trappings unfolded his poncho and lying down
upon the same did not get awake until morning.
CHAPTER
XLIV
ON
THE MOVE
The morning dawned and with it the usual amount of
bustle and excitement occasioned by the preparation of the soldiers for the
march. At 8 o’clock
orders were issued to the effect that the troops would not move, but remain in
camp for the day. Knapsacks were
unpacked and almost instantaneously a of city of tents was called into
existence, and every one made all possible arrangements to pass the day as
pleasantly as could be.
In the evening a ration of whiskey was issued to the
regiment and which owing to the lateness of the hour was not dealt out to the
men but was kept in the officers head-quarters, which gave rise to a little
fracas, some of the boys accused the
officers of helping themselves too frequently, filling their canteens
from the common crock, this upon investigation proved to be a false report.
On the following morning, June 16, the liquor was
dealt out, and the boys soon got so as to feel their oats, and by the time the
column moved all the men had to do was to hoist up their legs and then the body
would move forward or backward at the will of the “tanglefoot.”
The column moved about 9 o’clock
moving in the direction of Leesburg, passing through Drainsville at about 12 o’clock . Since
this was one of the first battles of the war in which the arms of the Union
troop were victorious and owing to the
fact that a company from Selinsgrove took part in it, it was a matter of
interest to our company.
During the day we several times crossed Goose’s Creek
and finally went into camp near a mill, having marched about 13 miles. Here we camped for the night and in the
morning resumed our march in the rain.
During the day we passed through a lovely country, and which reminded us
very much of the country between Selinsgrove and Kreamer. The air was redolent with the sweet perfume
of clover, ripe and ready for the reaper, and in numerous localities we noticed
fields of waving grain, commencing to bow its bead beneath the weight of its
growing treasure. Reminding us of the
rich fields ripening in our far off Northern homes.
In the afternoon we reached the town of Leesburg , and went into camp in a large field said to
contain over two hundred acres, all of which was as level as a floor.
On the following day we were ordered to put up
temporary quarters, as we might probably be here for some time, it was always
the aim of General Geary to make his command as comfortable as could be.
We were encamped but a short distance from the
ill-fated battle field of Bulls Bluff, in which General E. D. Baker had lost
life together with a large number of his brave comrades owing to blundering
mismanagement of the commander – General Stone.
On the second day after our arrival we were detailed
to go on picket and our post was on part of the battle-field and which at the
time bore numerous traces of the engagement which had taken place there with
such disastrous results to our arms.
On a little knoll in the rear of our post where a
rebel masked battery had been planted, we discovered a number of graves from
one of which a grinning skull was plainly visible, glaring with its eyeless
sockets and ghastly grin at all who beheld it, proving an impressive though
silent lecturer on the folly and
barbarism of war and most especially did it appeal to us, as we beheld it in
the dim light of the new moon, as we paced our lonely beat.
During our stay at Leesburg we cut down large quantities
of excellent oak and pine timber, large details were sent out daily from our
Division and every necessary precaution taken to strengthen our camp and to be
prepared to resist an attack.
While laying in camp, or on duty, strict orders were
in force concerning foraging, prohibiting the troops from killing hogs, sheep
or cattle of any kind. The order was
much easier given than carried into effect, and many were the devices resorted
to by the soldiers to get a choice cut of pork, veal or mutton. One day soon after the order prohibiting
foraging had been made public, a number of the boys were detailed to go on
picket, and sent South of the town under the command of Lieut. Byers. In the field in which the post was, a herd
of cattle were grazing. Among them was a
fine looking calf which tempted Serg’t Schroyer and caused his stomach to yearn
for a mess of veal.
Lt; Byers was present and it was out of the question
to kill it whilst he was present, After
holding a counsel of war, Schroyer was selected to hint to Lieut. Byers as to
what the boys would like to do, and at the same time wonder whether be would
not like to go in search of a spring of water and fill his canteen and then the
boys would prepare him a cup of coffee.
The Lieutenant smelled “a mice,” and taking his
canteen with him he started out in search of water, informing Schroyer that he
should keep a good watch on the post and NOT allow the boys to make a raid on
the cattle, as he should be gone some little time.
No sooner was he out of sight than the boys made an
onslaught on the cattle and succeeded in catching the calf. A number of the boys caught hold of it, Jerry
Moyer held its mouth shut to prevent its “blahing” whilst Schroyer struck it
several stunning blows, the harder Mike struck the tighter the fellows held the
calf, and strange to say he could not knock the poor thing down. Jerry discovered that it did not attempt to
“blah,” said “let it go, Mike can’t knock him down.”
The boys let go of it, when to their utmost surprise
it fell down dead at their feet, having been killed by the first blow, but was
prevented from falling by the boys who held it up on its feet.
Picking it up and conveying it to a place where they
could safely dress it, the boys soon had it prepared for the pan and when Lieutenant
Byers returned to the post he was somewhat astonished at the amount of veal
that was being fried for the evening meal, and he was still more surprised when
he reached into his haversack and found that it also contained a choice piece
of steak. The boys informed the
Lieutenant that they had purchased it from an old darky whilst he had been to
the spring for water. But the most
surprised party that we know of was the darkey who came to drive the cattle
home and found “dat ar kalf done gone and clar’d out uv the field.”
Near to our camp stood an old grist mill which not
only ground cereals, but run a set of burs on plaster, it so happened that W.
E. Fausnacht got hold of a small handkerchief full of what he considered flour
and bringing it home to camp in triumph he made preparations for a good
supper. He at once began to mix his
“flour” in a small blicky, after pouring sufficient water into the contents of
the bucket, he made the discovery that he was badly “sold” and that in place of
being “flour” it was nothing more or less than ground plaster.
Fausnacht quietly set his bucket into his tent and
went over to where Dan Ehrhart was making preparations to eat his supper, he
having gotten a spoonful of Fausnacht’s “flour” to make gravy to his salt pork. As Will came up, Ehrhart said:
“It just takes me to make gr—, what de h—l’s dat?”
This sudden inquiry was brought about by Ehrhart
taking a spoonful of his gravy to discover whether it was properly
seasoned. Fausnacht laughed at him and
Dan thought that he had played a trick on him, and grabbing up the pan he
pitched meat, gravy and all at Fausnacht who only made his escape by jumping
aside very quickly. It was many days
before Earhart heard the last of that plaster gravy.
That very evening or afternoon the mill took fire, and
not having steamer on the ground it burned down. A number the boys assisted the man to save
his house. Which was done after a hard
struggle.
Perhaps one of the most amusing incidents occurred
whilst encamped here that occurred in the company during its term of service,
and is well worthy of a place in connection with the written history of the
company.
Early one morning a number of the boys discovered a
large hog, in which no mistake could well be made in referenced to his gender,
and at once made arrangements to capture the sire of all the pork in the
immediate vicinity of Leesburg he was driven beyond the picket line and at once
attacked with the well-known ferocity and bravery for which Company G’s
warriors were becoming fast proverbial
for, and under the leadership of the gallant Kevic, they did their level
best. Armed with sticks, stones,
case-knives, bayonets and hatchets, they rushed into attack, at last the nob1e
brute fell a victim, but not until he had hurled the chief man of Growlers’
Retreat, head-over-heels down an embankment into a run.
After he was killed, the first thought of his captors
was:
“Will he be fit
to eat?”
Kevic, who was supposed to know more than all the rest
of the boys put together on the subject, said:
“I’ll fix that all right, so that the meat will be as
good as that of any other hog.”
This was cheering news to all concerned and anxiously
they watched the Corporal perform the operation that was to make palatable food
of the dead monster at their feet.
The hog was at once skinned and soon dealt out among
those who had captured him, whilst a fair share was allotted to Freddy for his
aid in capturing as well as for the favor he had done the boys in helping them
out of the trouble which had most perplexed them.
The boys soon reached camp and at once generously
proceeded to divide the meat. with those less fortunate than themselves. The frying pans and kettles were at once
brought out and soon from a dozen fires arose such a stench the likes of which
never greeted our olfactory organs before making it painfully evident that
Freddy’s experiment had failed and that he did not know as much about the
matter as we had given him credit for.
From one end of the regiment to the other, came the
cries, shouts and jeers of the men, and so offensive was the effluvia that the
men were glad to throw the meat away, and bury it out of sight, and to our
knowledge, the boys never went to much trouble to kill a hog of that kind, in
the Spring..
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