THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR

Evening Star, Issue 19840, 13 April 1928, Page 1

THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR

A SOLDIER’S STORY THE DIARY OF SAMUEL HOPKINS Samuel John Hopkins, captain and then lieutenant-colonel of tho 7th New Jersey Volunteers with the Army of the Potomac in the American Civil War, was a very human, industrious, and doubtless gallant soldier. Throughout the campaign he kept a diary ot sorts on odd sheets ol foolscap, and interleaved the foolscap with all manner of regimental documents —orders ot the day, ration accounts, nominal rolls of recruits, special passes, warrants, notes from fellow-officers, and one knows what not. He wrote in a painstaking hand, with resolution writ largo in every down stroke, and dedicated his humble effort ‘For My Children’s Children.’ He did not aim at history, but “only disjointed mention of a few incidents pertaining to these campaigns ” for what he called the Suppression of tho War of the Great Rebellion, written frequently “ without tent or shelter, table, desk, or stool.” When the first note was written, he says, lie had no thought of following with the second. He certainly could have had no thought that, over half a century later, curious eyes would be scanning his rough-and-ready journal in the bookshop of J. and E. Bumpus, in Oxford street, W., to whose genial chief, Air J. G. Wilson, it had been brought by a trandson of the commander, Air Royen Hopkins, a Loudon business man. A LINCOLN REVIEW. * * Recruiting Accounts and Army (Alemoranda ’ is the disarming title on the faded cardboard covers; but the faded folios within reveal a lively eye and a devout, understanding heart (writes an ‘ Observer ’ representative). Here, near Alexandria, Va., October 23, 1862, is Lincoln reviewing tho Potomac troops;— “ Again the cannon belch forth until twenty-one reports are counted—the President’s salute. Now the entire field is in commotion; from each Hank can be heard the cry ‘ Undo Abe is coming!’ There is a fluttering and rushing of the spectators, and soon appears our President, Abraham Lincoln, riding in front of the largest and most brilliant staff I have ever beheld.” At another Lincoln review, near Falmouth, Va., on April 8, 1863, this devout commander, whose bluff underlining must have reflected his maimer of speech, remembers what a fine spectacle it is for rebels as well as patriots:—“The llebs were also made fully aware of the presence of ‘ U ncle Abraham ’ by his salute of twenty-one guns. It must have choffcd them some to have seen him (through thenglasses) galloping over the field by the side of ‘Fighting Joe’ Hooker, mounted upon his everlasting Old Gray.” “Whew!” he adds, “ how cold it is out here in Virginia yet! Snow still on tho hills and prospect of more.” And, with bitter memories of “ Bumside's Mud March,” he also recalls how he lias seen just such a proud army “rebuked, humbled, made powerless even to move in one short night.” That whs “ God’s victory,” The President, he adds, “looked wearied, tired; and well he might, for three days he hud been almost constantly in the saddle, quite enough to weary one more accustomed to the field than lie.”

Two years later he is recounting more intimate stones of the great President. He has to assure a woman who stops him in Petersburg that the President has indeed been assassinated. “How could they kill such a good kind, tender-hearted man:-” sho asks and goes on to toll how, when her sou was lying mortally wounded, evorvonc but Abe himself, whom she contrived to reach at the White House, refused her a pass to go to him. “ There, take that, madam,” he said, pressing the pass into her hand, “and go to your wounded boy as soon as you can.” VIVID DESCRIPTIONS OF BATTLE.

Another woman stopped him near Burkesville : “ Colonel, is it true Alister Lincoln is killed?”

“Yes, madam, I regret to say the President is dead.” “ Who will be President now. Colonel?” “The Vice-president, madam, Andrew- Johnson.”

“Andy Johnson—Andy Johnson of Tennessee! (throwing up Loth bands). Good Lord, have mercy on us!” To which the Colonel footnotes ; “ Aloral : Never get frightened before you are hurt.” His descriptions of _ battles are graphic, personal, episodic, and were apparently written when the acrid smoke of them was still in his nostrils. His narrative of the Chaneellorsville engagement, April 2, JS63, is typical:— General Graham has been flanked,

and himself taken prisoner. At the head of the Hying crowd are Collis’s Zouaves. As they approach our lines Lieutenant Dingier, with drawn sword, springs on their front, calling: “Halt, you d- . cowards, halt!” . Private Hager, of my company, throws up his musket in front; “Halt, or 1 will s-s-shoot you, J am

t-iold to do it, and i will.” “Halt, boys!” calls .bareheaded Colonel. Collis. “ Let’s stop here.” In the same breath, “No, no! Let’s go on.” and on they go amid tht bootings and execrations of our boys. . . .

One of my boys, Mortland. turn*, the blood streamdmg down Jug face. “Go to the rear, my lad.” “No, Captain, ’tis only a scalp wound.” A thud and moan, I look over my shoulder and Captain Smith is being carried out with a bullet through his face. Hotter and hotter grows the light. . . “THIS IS A STRANGE WAR.” in the midst of war he attends an infant burial by a Rebel family. “This is a strange war! To-day we tarry and weep at the grave of the infant. Tomorrow, mayhap, we meet in deadly conflict and slay or are slain by hi* father! God grant that it may soon be overl” Hid this too human descendant of Stephen Hopkins, of the Mayflower, this soldier who so wrote in the raw, survive the ordeal to find only disillusionment? Towards the end there is a folio set out like an epitaph on a tombstone It reads : WAR. WHAT IT MEANS TO THE SOLDIER. —Privations.— Hunger, cold, fatigue, discomfort* dangers, prison, dirt, vermin,_ starvation, sickness, shattered constitutions, maimed bodies, hospitals, sufferings. —Death.— If Disabled in the Service:. Eight dollars a month and a hand organ, the charity of friends, or the poorliouse. GLORY! Rut the slaves of the South had been freed. . . •