Chapter 12 - Off At Last

CHAPTER XII

OFF AT LAST

At length the officers were informed that the train was ready, and we took our line of march for the Depot, and took possession of the two cars provided for us.  As may be well imagined the boys made considerable noise, feeling very jubilant under the circumstances.  It so happened that a young officer on his way to return to his command, got into the cars with the company, and not relishing the noise and withal anxious to show his authority, intimated to our officers that he would like to have charge of such a company, that he would soon get them under his control, and that the way they were acting was a disgrace to the service.   Captain Davis expressed his entire willingness to transfer the company over to him until we arrived at Baltimore, or as far as he should go with us.  Captain Davis saying that he was only a YOUNG officer did not know much about discipline, and giving the company over to the Major, and after winking innocently (?) at several of the boys he passed out and took a seat in the front car.

 As soon as the Captain left the car, the most of the boys ignorant of the change in Commanders, commenced in good earnest and the confusion was much greater than before.  The Major sprang to his feet and walking to the center of the car, and in louder tones shouted “silence!”  The suddenness of the command brought the boys I who were singing the “Union Volunteer,” in their best style, to a sudden halt.  For a tine the gallant Major’s face was wreathed in smiles at his apparent victory, and like the Irishman it was well for him that he had his laugh first.

As soon as the boys took in the situation there was a perfect shower of questions hurled at him, the most conspicuous of which was “who in the hell are you?”— before he could reply Ed. Fisher had struck him square in the face with a loaf of bread, which be threw at him from his seat, this was the signal for the commencement of hostilities, and the bread, crackers, bologna, cheese, blind robins, &c., &c., flew as thick as hail, whilst the gallant Major was shielding his face from the storm of things which were being pitched at him, someone snatched his cap from his head, whilst Sergeant Townsend caught him by the seat of his trousers and the nape of his neck, Abel Seesholtz pull­ed the bell rope, and as the train slowed up, the Major was unceremoniously hustled out on the platform and pitched out on a bank, the conductor in the mean time had signaled the engineer to proceed and thus the gallant Major was left behind to make his way to the next station as best he could.

Captain Davis soon after came into the car and when told of his successor’s fate, a broad smile illuminated his face, and he went out with the remark:

“Well I declare boys, it is really too bad with you.”

We knew it was, but then it could not be helped.  The train run with its accustomed speed, and when the sky began to be streaked with gray, many of us caught our first glimpse of “My Maryland.” How eagerly we looked for the first indication of anything that looked like real soldering, and when the first soldier was discovered doing guard duty along the railroad near Baltimore, and shortly afterwards a small fort on the right side of the road, the boys rushed for the windows with the same eagerness that they had for Stuck’s pennies at the White Hall.

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Chapter15 - Life On Bolivar Heights

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 111^th 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 147^th 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.”