THJb hU.MJAl' OKEUUm', PORTLAM), JUE 2U, 1913.
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X ft-
C. F. Hausdorf, One of Portland's 16 Survivors, Recounts the
Horrors of the Greatest Struggle of Modern Times
as He Saw It Behind the Musket as a Mem
' , ber of the Memorable Old First Min
nesota Regiment.
ALBERIPIXE CAMP, 0;340,.U.iD. V
r- 4
t
BY HALDANE GEORGE.
HAVE you ever heard the story of
the Battle of Gettysburg from the
lips of one of the men who went
through the horrors, the hardships, the
pangs and finally the glories of that
historic struggle? If not. It Is worth
your while to corner one of the 18
veterans of that siege now living In
Portland and get him to relate In his
own way the story of the battle which
stands second to none In importance
and bitterness In modern times. "
It will not be possible to find any of
the survivors now, all having left for a
, trip to the old battlefield to attend the
60th anniversary. But they will be
back In a short time with renewed
reminiscences. Then will be 8 good
time to get hold of one of them.
I recently had occasion to visit at the
home of C. F. Hausdorf, 1043 Ganten
beln avenue, one of the veterans, and
In a brief few minutes I learned more
about the Battle of Gettysburg and
what actually took place during the
three days that the bands of the Union
were being forged together in the heat
of conflict, than I could have gleaned
from reading histories for a week.-
Mr. Hausdorf, who is familiarly
known as Colonel Hausdorf, has a re
markable war record. He was one of
the memorable First Minnesota Volun
teer Infantry, which played the Impor
tant role of preventing the Federal
Army from being cut In two during the
second day of the fight. Colonel
Hausdorf was one of the 15 'per cent
of his division which survived the bat
tle. The worst he got out of it was a
large ugly bullet hole through ' his
right leg. He saw 85 out of every 100
of his comrades shot down one by one
around him in the brief space of 20
minutes. After he fell wounded he re
mained on the battlefield for eight
days before he could arrange to get a
team and move to a hospital.
. The majority of those who survived
. the second day's battle In his division
! were killed the next day in another
conflict. For that reason he bears the
distinction of being one of only about
ten members of the First Minnesota
still living in the United States'.' In
addition to this, he bears the honor of
being the only Federal soldier ever
made an honorary member of a Con
' federate camp In the Confederate vet
erans' organization formed since the
war. While visiting In the South a
few years ago he was made an honor
ary member of Albert Pike Camp by
; unanimous vote, an honor not borne by
any other Union soldier In the United
States,
The Colonel has a remarkable mem
ory of the Incidents of the battle. He
ay he can see In his mind's eye to
day the events of the three days Just
as they happened B0 years ago. He
was not liberal with his Information
at first, but when he warmed up to the
subject he left but little untold.
Here is his story of the battle of
Gettysburg:
"It was on July 1, 1863, shortly after
9 o'clock In the morning-that the first
guns In the fight were fired. At about
ftunrlse of the morning Heth's Division
of Hill's Corps moved to Heir's ridge
about 8000 or 4000 yards from the
center of the town of Gettysburg.' They
had, been camped at Cashtown, where
General Lee had concentrated his force
upon learning of the advance of Gen
eral Meade and his army of Federals
across the Potomac
"The odds were three to one against
the Federals under Buford, but he held
- erround by having the advantage of
position, it being unnecessary for his
men to expose themselves to the enemy
while loading or firing. A desperate
struggle continued for close to two
hours. During this time word of the
conflict spread to Emmitsburg road.
AT THE FOOT F TUF HILL
GRANDFATHER HUXLEY was a
relio in the family. He had been
handed down for many years,
from father to son, along with the
brass andirons and the mahogany
settle. Unfortunately, although the
last two pieces of family property were
more and more appreciated the older
they grew, almost the reverse was true
with the old man.
When his daughter had died, in late
middle life, Bhe willed the family home
stead and her father, who had built
It to her. son. The old man was
75 then, and his wife had been
dead a dozen years. The grandson was
kindly enough; to his mother's father
he gave a comfortable room and a half
contemputous kindliness which showed
itself in a total disregard of the old
man's politics and an evident idea that
at threescore and 15 one should lose all
Interest in this world and prepare for
the next.
If Grandfather Huxley . rebelled, he
said nothing. He began to take the
evening paper upstairs after the family
had finished it, and to spend a great
deal of time polishing the sword he had
.carried in the Mexican War.
Old people as a rule have few
possessions. One by one they dispose of
unnecessary things. The belle of 50
years ago, who took a dozen trunks
and boxes with her to make a month's
visit, at 75 generally has an old-fashioned
bureau full of necessaries, and.
locked away in a little trunk, a hand
ful of letters and sentimental trifles.
And so with Grandfather Huxley: the
possessions of a lifetime had dwindled
to a huge upholstered chair, with which
he defiantly refused to part, and his
old sword.
The sword hung In its scabbard Just
across the old man's bed, where, in
the sleepless hours that come to age, he
could lie and dream about it. From
much tramping and dragging the scab
bard was worn away at one corner; it
was that corner which gave Grandfath-
V " M rfSvT xtZr'&L WmwM mffTf j
1 rJvawAi iMmmmLiji m
where General Reynolds was In com
mand of a brigade. This force was
hurried to the relief of . Buford, as
suming positions to the, right of the
latter' s line.
."The Confederates ' under " Heth
marched on against the rain of shells
while another division marched against
a Federal stronghold In McPherson's
Grove. . .' Here in a conflict General
Arcner ana. a third of his brigad
were captured. General Reynolds fell
during the fight at this place end Gen
eral uouoieoay leu into command
the corps.
"Undaunted by the result thus far
General Heth continued his manueve
Ing. General Davis' turned the attack
or a division under his command to a
battery In the railroad cut, forcing
this part of the Federal strength back
a distance of several hundred yards.
General Doubleday then pulled a force
of reserves into this center of the bat
tle, changed the formation and charged
the force of General Davis. A part of
the Second Mississippi Regiment with
Its battleflag was captured and there
was a lull in" the struggle while forces
were being reassembled and rear
ranged, particularly on the Confederate
side.
"General Heth was stronglv rein
forced and General Rodes appeared
with his Elwell Corps and took a posi
tion on Oak Ridge. In the afternoon
General Howard arrived and being
senior to General Doubleday took com
mand of the Federal forces. When the
conflict broke out anew General
Howard found himself obliged to battle
with Confederate forces in both his
front and flank. The Confederates had
been strengthened with about 30,000
infantry and four battalion of artillery
while the Federals had been increased
by 21,000 infantrymen. After a fierce
struggle General Heth's division sup
ported by General Pender forced the
Federal line back to Seminary, where
it became apparent that the final stand
must be taken.
"Excerpting for a few flurries that
marked the end of the fighting for the
first day. The late afternoon and even
ing were spent by both sides in getting
their forces together. Between 9 P. M.
July 1 and daybreak the morning of
July 2 General Lee's army had as
sembled at Gettysburg with the excep
tion of Pickett's Division and Law's
Brigade of Hood and Stuart's cavalry.
The Federal forces were not so well
off. The roads for miles about were
lined with the onmarchlng troopers of
the North.
"The second day open with the Fed
erals commanding several good posi
tions and the Confederates uncertain
as to a plan of attack. Plans were
worked Out rapidly, however, and soon
after 8 o'clock the fighting began. The
Federal army at this time was mostly
assembled in fish-hood formation on
Cemetery Ridge, Culp's Hill and the
Baltimore Pike, with General Hancock
In the center of the line of battle.
General Meade had arrived at the scene
and taken charge over Hancock.
"The Confederates had dropped into
concave formation, with Hill's Corps
on the right, Pender's division on the
west slope of Seminary Ridge, Heth's
depleted force In reserve near Wil
loughby'g Run, Elwell's Corps at the
er Huxley his dreams of long-ago
marches through cactus plain and des
ert, his nightmares of long-ago thirst
and heat.
Below the sword was his wife's pic
ture. There was another portrait of her
In the room; a photograph, taken when
ner cneexs were furrowed and her thin,
white hair parted and crimped; ttut
oddly enough, he never looked at that
one. He was very, very old, and he
lived in his youth. Everything be
tween was hazy and dim. The picture
at which he looked was that of a girl,
a little old water-color of a girl with
thoughtful eyes and frivolous hair.
- After his 90th birthday Grandfather
Huxley became abnormally sensitive.
Sometimes he could hear scraps of
conversation about him.
"And how is the old man today?
It's almost uncanny, isnt it?"
"Oh, he's always Just the same. But
in the nature of things he won't be
with us very long."
One day some Army officers dined at
the house. Grandfather Huxley pol
ished his sword until It glittered, and
fixed his white neckcloth with trem
bling fingers. At the table the conver
sation turned to things military, and
the old man, filled with fire, told of
that wonderful campaign of "47. The
officers listened respectfully they
were gallant fellows; but when Grand
father Huxley dropped back in his
chair, he heard the apologetio -voice of
his gTeat-grand-daughter Ellen across
the table:
"He's a dear old soul." she said, "but
getting childish now; go on with what
you were saying." -
After dinner the old man went up
stairs. He took the shining, sword
from his bed and fingered it lovingly.
: "I guess you and I have lived past
our time," he said huskily, and then ha
left and Johnson's Division In line a
mile east of Culp's Hill.
"During the first day's battle my
regiment had been assigned to the work
of supporting a battery near Cemetery
Ridge. The morning of the second day
we were shifted a quarter mile to the
left to a wheat field, where we were
near the center of the Federal line. All
of Hancock's Corps, excepting the First
Minnesota had been withdrawn from the
center to assist the troops at the right
on Cemetery Ridge to regain the
ground they had lost. Hancook noticed
the rebels forming a division which
was moving toward the center of the
line of battle and feared his center
would be broken. He saw the eminent
danger, so dispatched all his staff of
ficers to the different brigades In his
command on the right, ordering them
to move back to the center quick step.
Riding to the center he saw the First
Minnesota lying on the ground.
"He inquired of the Colonel of the
regiment, 'What regiment is this V The
Colonel replied, 'the First Minnesota.'
He then said, 'Colonel, charge that di
vision and hold them at bay, so that I
can gain five or ten minutes' time In
bringing up the troops on the right
that are on the way!'
"We did as ordered, charging on them
at first at double quick and then at the
utmost speed, knowing that by quick
action we could surprise and check
them. We charged them to within 15
yards and then fired a volley. We then
went at them with bayonets and clubs.
We captured a lot of prisoners and
killed many others. We fought des
perately with bayonets and clubs, grad
ually driving them back. There were
between 8000 and 12,000 of them and
262 of us.
"In the 20 minutes of fighting 85 out
of every 100 of our force was killed or
wounded. As I looked around I saw a
doeen or more of my comrades on my
right mowed down and I saw a like
sight in the ranks of the enemy. While
standing I saw one of the Confederate
soldiers picking me out and I attempted
to shoot him. He got me first, the
bullet crashing through my right leg,
sending me to the ground with the
others of the wounded in my regiment.
By this time the reserves had arrived
and the Confederates were driven back
J'The work of the First Minnesota
saved the Army from being cut in
twain and possibly being defeated in
the second day's battle... To prove this
statement, I cite the remarks made by
General Hancock to Secretary of State
reached for his handkerchief and pol
ished away carefully a spot of moisture
that might have been a tear.
That night an idea seized him. He
was of no use in the world; no one de
pended on him, no one needed him. He
had lived 23 years past his allotted
time; perhaps the good Lord had for
gotten him in taking a life that was
gotten him. There could be no harm
in taking a life that was nothing but
a burden. And so, the next day, he be
gan his pitifully few preparations. He
sorted out his letters, and, finding
none that he cared to have profaned by
alien eyes, he burned them all. He went
over his wardrobe, and decided that
Mike, the gardener, should have his
Winter coat.
When it came to his most cherished
possession the sword doubts assailed
him; so few were worthy of the honor.
Finally, however, he decided to give it
to Ellen's husband. After all, they had
been kind to him; it was not their fault
that they lived in a future in which he
could have no share, and that he lived
Un a past which they had never known.
So he wrote a little card, "To my grand
daughter Ellen's husband," and tied it
to the scabbard.
His preparations were made now.
The sleeping-mixture stood' on his bed
room table an overdose; and when
Ellen came back from the theater that
night he would be asleep, as he should
have, been long ago.
He put on a clean neokerohief, and,
sitting down in his big chair with the
sword on his knees, listened for the
slamming of the hall door below. The
little wooden clock on the mantel, with
the queer pink roses on the face, marked
eight, five minutes past, 10 minutes
past; and still the family had not crone
out. The old man sat and thought
mougntn-oi ins day he was married; of
.
I SCffl
1 f copvnietiTeo ' av J v1.
fjJ n tme western mawylano bmmayc J
Stanton in the presence of President
Lincoln after the war. The Secretary
asked General Hancock this question:
'Had you known the sacrifice that regi
ment had to make, would you have or
edred that charge?"
"General Hancock in reply said: I
would. If I had known that every man
In the regiment would have been killed
I would have ordered the charge. I
was only too glad to have a regiment
at hand that was ready and willing to
make the sacrifice in a case of neces
sity such as that."
"The loss of the First Minnesota Regi
ment was the greatest by far in per
centage of that of any other regiment
of any battle of any nation In the his
tory of the world.
"Upon being wounded I was out of
long-ago Chrlstmases and rows of little
stockings; of children that had never
lived to grow up; and then, with the
sword before him, of Buena Vista and
Monterey.
After a time, he began to feel hun
gry. He remembered that there had
been cream cakes for dinner, and that
he had refused them. They were very
nice, those little cream cakes but then,
after all, what did it matter? if they
would only go out
.Grandfather Huxley sat looking at
the picture hanging under the unfaded
spot on the wall-paper which marked
the sword's resting-place. After a lit
tle, the picture faded and grew misty
in outline. The old man's head dropped
on his chest, and he was asleep. The
fire burned to a dull red, bursting now
and again into a smoking Jet of flame,
shining on the sword across the old
man's knees, on the bottle beside the
bed, and the narrow, dropping chin
of the sleeper.
He awakened finally, with a start.
The crust of smouldering coals had
fallen in, and the rooni was bright
From somewhere below was audible a
faint, creaking cry,' a wall that beat
against the ear insistently, that paused
for a second, to go on with fresh vigor.
Grandfather Huxley looked at the
clock. It was 10:30, so Ellen was
not at home. He listened for Nora's
step. Hearing no one, he got up heavily
and went to the head of the stairs. The
cries kept on, longer now, with fewer
intervals for breath, and with an occa
sional hoarse note of infantile rage.
The old man lost his look of inde
cision; he turned back into the room,
and fumbled for his slippers. Then,
with an agility that no one in the house
suspected, he went downstairs to the
nursery.
The wicker structure of the baby's
bed was vibrant with its occupant's
rage. From among the dotted Swiss
ruff lings and blue ribbons Grandfather
Huxley extracted his great-grandchild,
and gathered him into his empty
old arms. The baby quieted at once;
his wrinkled face relaxed, and he set
tled comfortably, seeming to recognize
the practiced touch of hands that had
handled, on occasion, three genera
tions of babies.
It' was an hour later when Ellen came
home. She tiptoed upstairs ahead of
her husband; then she paused, and with
her finger on her lips cautioned him to
silence. The oldest and the youngest
member of the family sat before the fire,
in dreamy, open-eyed content. When
she saw they were awake, Ellen went
over, and. stooping down, kissed the
first baby, then the old man.
"He wakened, and Nora must have
! Ov O ETTY8B lJ lC3 BATTLEFle
the fighting the rest of that day, but
could see the maneuvering very plainly
from where I lay and knew exactly
what was going on. The fighting
surged back and forth amidst the roar
of cannon and the rattle of muskets
and the dull, heavy tramp of troops
moving from one position to another.
Little Round Top was one of the chief
centers of conflict, the importance of
that position apparently being appre
ciated by both armies at the same time.
There the gallant Colonel Pat O'Rourke
and General Vincent gave their lives
in a heroic struggle which secured the
Little Round Top for the Federals.
"Cemetery Hill was the scene of
strife in the early evening of that day.
General Rodes with five brigades, rein
forced by two brigades of Pender from
been asleep," said Grandfather Huxley
apologetically.
Ellen slipped her hand Into his with
a grateful little pressure.
"What should we do without you?"
ehe said Impulsively. "This family
without you would be a ship without a
keel, wouldn't It?"
Grandfather Huxley smiled, the first
time for a week. Ellen got up and went
toward the door.
"I'm going to bring you something
to eat. You ate no dinner at all. and
there are some of those little cream
cakes left. Perhaps, If you eat some
thing, you won't need the sleeping med
icine." Grandfather Huxley choked.
"I'm going to throw that stuff away
every, drop of it," he said firmly.
Left alone, he gathered the youngster
closer in his arms.
"So the old man's of some use after
all," he mused. "A ship without a keeL
eh?"
A little later, Ellen and her husband
in the butler's pantry below, stopped to
listen. Grandfather Huxley was sing
ing to the baby, and down the stairs
came the stirring- words of "The Sword
of Bunker Hill," sung in a thin, trem
ulous old voice. Copyright by The
Frank A. Munsey Company.
Some Examples of Carelessness.
Judge.
Dropping an acquaintance.
Cracking a joke.
Breaking the current of one's thoughts.
Treading -on other people's toes.
Tripping upstairs.
Tearing along.
Letting fall a hint
Allowing a secret to escape.
Letting a suggestion slip out.
Losing a chance.
Falling to catch a sentence.
Missing the point.
Falling over ourselves.
Stumbling over an apology.
Running against a stone wall.
Kicking up a dust.
Slopping over.
Making a blot on the record.
Forgetting old friends.
Edgar Knew Them.
The teacher was hearing her class of
small boys in mathematics.
"Edgax." she said, "if your father
can do a piece of work In seven days,
and your Uncle William can do it in
nine days, how long would it take both
of them to do it?"
"They would never get it done." an
swered the boy, earnestly. "They would
sit down and tell fish stories.'
HOT SPRINGS. ARK.
TfvS ris' to Certify Tbat ml R.nor Meeting of tf Atkrt Vttj)'
Cam. Number 340. of United Caafederhie- Vetera, hwld na ihrn ltt .e Tmt..
mry. A. 1904, Cel.- C.F. Hausdorf. of. St; rout, Minnesota, kiu wqantmoMjIf
elected an Honorary Member of our Camp.
iMmlltiiexr thereof. Me hereunto officially subscribe our names this 15th dam ,
Adjutant.
Seminary Ridge, had arranged to at
tack the Federal stronghold there. The
crest of the hill was crowded with guns
and the .task of overthrowing these
seemed hopeless. A bloody conflict on
top of the hill was gradually enshroud
ed In darkness. Only those who were
on the hill during that bloody affray
knew what took place. The Confeder
ates were repulsed. The remaining
hours of the night were spent in prep
aration for the renewal of the fight
at the break of the next day. The big
gest victory of the second day for the
Federals was the occupation of Little
Round Top and the repulsion of the
Confederates on Cemetery HilL
"The third day found me still on the
battleground with no hope of getting
away. Almost from the break of day
Glass Is Most
GLASS is one of the moBt Interesting
ass well as one the most peculiar
things in the world. It has curious and
contradictory qualities, and many as
tonishing phenomena connected with it.
Brittle and breakable as it Is. yet it
exceeds almost all other bodies in elas
ticity. If two glass balls are made to strike
each other at a given force, the recoil,
by virtue of their elasticity, will be
nearly equal to their original Impetus.
Connected with its brlttleness are BOmo
very singular facts.
.Take a hollow sphere, with a hole,
and stop the hole with the finger so
as to prevent the external and internal
air from communicating, and the
shpere will fly to pieces by the mere
heat If the hand.
Vessels made of glass that have been
U. S. Coins
COINING money Is about the most
difficult proposition ever under
taken by the United States. The
precautions taken to insure perfection
in the money Uncle Sam turns out are
about as complete as any undertaking
that engages the attention of men.
Out of every fresh batch of silver
dollars made at the United States mints
half a dozen are sent to the Treasury
at Washington to be tested as samples.
If they turn out to be of the requisite
fineness and weight it is taken for
granted that the whole edition is cor
rect. For the test, the coin, after being
weighed, is rolled out in a thin flat
Command, "Keep Still" Is Cruel
SIR JOHN COCKBURN, speaking to
teachers at the London Day Train
ing College, said speech was called into
function by the movement of the hand.
"If you want to reach the brain you
must do it through the band, and if you
disregard the use of the eyes, and
hands In education you are placing
Commander,
-J
the rattle of musketry resounded. Later
the roar of cannon thundered back and
forth. In our own little group there
were some doctors and nurses busy fix
ing up the wounded and burying the
dead. A dozen yards from me they had
set up a tent and were amputating legs
and arms. While I was watchinr that
heartrending scene a doctor came to me
and I asked him to examine my leg.
He did so and said it would have to
be cut oft. I objected and he insisted.
Bring him over here!' ordered one of
the surgeons, pointing to me. I shouted
that I would not consent to my leg be
ing amputated. 'I'll see whether you
will or not," growled the surgeon, as he
started toward me. As he approached
I pulled up my musket and calmly in
formed him that if he placed a hand on
me I'd shoot him.
"With an oath he said, "let him go.
Let him die.' After that I received ao
medical attention until I hired a farmer
eight days later to take me and four
comrades to the railroad station In a
wagon. I paid $10 for the services. We
were placed on a flatcar with other
wounded soldiers and hurried to Bal
timore, where I received the first treat
ment for my wound.
"I got to see the third day of the
battle from the battlefield. The lines
of both arimes were those of the sec
ond day, approximately. There had been
few changes. At the break of day
General Stuart's brigade homing Fed
eral trenches began the fight. The
Confederate brigades could make no
impression on the entrenched line. At
about 9 A. M. the Federal line was re
inforced and a bitter fight followed,
with Incessant firing. . It continued
hour by hour, with the Confederates
unsuccessful in their attempts to drive
the Federal lines back. The slaughter
was great. Finally, the Confederates,
seeing that they were outclassed, out
maneuvered and were losing, retired.
and the greatest battle on record was
ended, with the Federals on the winning
side. It was the turning tide of the
rebellion.
"The loss to Johnson's four brigades
was appalling; 12 officers and 207 men
killed, 99 officers and 1130 men wounded,
13 officers and 362 men missing, a grand
total of 1823. Smith's brigade of Early's
division had a loss of 142, not being
engaged in the first two days of the
battle. Daniels' and O'Neal's brigades
and Rodes' division (Confederates) lost
a total of 1712 men."
And that is the story of what hap
pened at Gettysburg. "It is impos
sible." said Mr. Hausdorf, "for me or
anyone else to tell the minute details
or to picture the horrors of it all. That
must be left to the Imagination. To
me, -of course, it was the paramount
event of my life. No man could expect
to have any greater experience than
that or than the experience of any of
the soldiers who went through all of
the Beige.
"It will be with great pleasure that
I go back to the now historic old bat
tlefield and see where It all took place.
I have never been back since I left for
the hospital on the flatcar. In my de
parting years there is nothing more
pleasant for me to think of than that
once more I am going back to live over
the stirring days of my youth where
I went through the crowning event of
my life. And I believe eevry other vet
eran of the battle will say the same
thing."
Elastic of All
suddenly cooled possess the curious
property of being able to resist hard
blows given to them from without, but
will be instantly shivered by a small
particle of flint dropped into their cav
ities. This property seems to depend upon
the comparative thickness of the bot
tom; the thicker the bottom is, the more
certainty of breakage by this experi
ment. Some of these vessels, it is stated,
have resisted the stroke of a mallet
given with sufficient force to drive
a nail into wood, and heavy bodies,
such as musket balls', pieces of iron,
bits of wood, Jasper, stone, etc., have
been cast into them from a height of
two or three feet without any effect,
yet a fragment of flint not larger than
a pea dropped from a height of three
inches has made them fly to pieces.
Are Perfect
strip more than a foot in length. Then
the strip is placed beneath a row of
punches, which punch holes in it, so
that after passing beneath the instru
ment it has the look of a colander.
A great many little silver disks are
thus obtained, and of these a dozen
or so are taken and assayed, to find
out how much silver they contain. Be
ing obtained from various parts of the
coin, they represent fairly the average
fineness of the dollar throughout.
If the weight Is too little, beyond a
very tiny fraction, the whole batch of
coins must be melted and made over
again, and the same thing must be
done if the fineness is not up to
standard. Otherwise the assayer in
dorses the mintage and the dollars go
into circulation.
the brake on all mental development
of the child.
"The command to 'keep still' In a
school Is the greatest cruelty you -can
possibly Impose on children, for to
make children keep still for any length
of time very often produces deformity."
o.thewmMcupa"a