Washington Artillery On the 5th Feb. 1862 .... as the militia was to be enrolled for Confederate service for a year (we were) not able to get enough men to remain in the company, as a large number wanted to join other branches of the services, the same (Zouave Cadets) was disbanded, when a number of us decided to join the Washington Artillery just then being recruited for a light battery. On the 18th I spoke to Lieutenants Whilden and Van Lauten of the same, with whom I was acquainted personally, and made application; having been elected I was ordered to join the company in camp in Adam's Run on the 24th. ...

Danbo River, Engagement with the Gunboat Hale On the 29th April, about 12 o'clock, orders were brought by a courier, to harness up immediately as a gunboat was coming up Danbo River; we were soon ready and on the way; arriving on the banks of the river ... we awaited with anxious suspense the coming of the hated foe; it had now got dark, and after a short time a light steadily approaching told us that she was near. This was a moment of no little importance to us, we were to make our debut among shell and smoke; a serious feeling too pervaded the men, we could not say who would pass unharmed through the coming conflict, nor knew we the mettle of our enemy. Silent men stood at the guns, not a word was said, but by the kneeling position of our men I could see that a prayer was being sent to the throne of grace in our behalf. I too commended myself to my God, thought of loved ones, and stood ready for the strife. On, on she comes, silent as a snake approaching her prey, presently she is opposite our battery and in range of our guns, a voice is heard aboard of her giving sounding of the lead when at the command "Battery, ready! No. 1, fire!" boom went a shell whizzing over the water: boom, boom, boom, Nos. 2, 3, and 4 followed, in the interval of our loading again, the command was heard aboard of her "Run out long Tom and give them grape and canister!" but this had scarcely had been uttered when the exclamation, "Oh, God!" sounded over to us. No. 1 had again fired and had struck someone on board; 3 rounds were fired by us, the grape and cannister of the enemy whistling through the trees overhead the distance from us to the boat being only 50 yards the enemy could not depress the muzzle of their guns enough for so short a range and so his firing did us no harm. But having put a full head of steam on, she was, as she was getting further off, getting the range of us, and the same time getting out of the range of our guns; when the command "Timber to the rear!" told us that Capt. Walter knew that "discretion was the better part of valor!" having executed the command we started off at a trot ...

I was told by pickets that the boat was lying off White Point repairing; from northern papers we afterwards learned that the name of the boat was the "Hale" but they said nothing of the late welcome we gave her on her visit to our hospitable waters. From a deserter who had been on her at the time, we subsequently learned that several had been killed and wounded on board of her that night.

Secession Battle of Fort Sumter Washington Artillery Engagement with Frigate Pawnee Battle of North Carolina/Surrender Journey of the German Fusiliers

Engagement with Pawnee