VETERAN OR GETTYSBURG

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 28 August 1926, Page 11

VETERAN OR GETTYSBURG

LINCOLN, “BULLY” HAYES, AND R.L.S.

A BEAHAM LINCOLN, Bully Hayes, and Robert Louis Stevenson seem almost legendary figures to the present generation, yet there was in Auckland recently a vigorous old man of 84, who included all three in his reminiscences. He is William Henry Dunn, of Mercury Bay, a veteran, of the terrible battle of Gettysburg, that final bloody struggle of the American Civil War, by which slaves were liberated. He lias retained all his faculties, and his proud and upright bearing proclaim him a war veteran. He has retained, too, the "billy goat" beard as seen in the pictorial representations of "Uncle Sam. ’ ’ He was born in the little town of Belgrade, State of Maine, United States, in 1843, and comes of English parents. Asked if he retained any memories of Gettysburg,. Mr Dunn said as a soldier of the ranks ho only saw what was going round about him. He was in the thick of the fighting, and he considered himself lucky to come out alive when 40 per. cent, of the Federal Army went under. Several times Mr Dunn saw President Lincoln, mostly when he was passing through the ranks. "He was the saddest man you ever saw," he said. "All the men loved him. No, I never heard him make his famous speech after Gettysburg. We lived fairly well in the army," continued Mr Dunn. "At one time I remember 2500 head of beef were following us. Campaigning was very hard, however. When I joined the army I weighed 1701 b, and at the end of three months, my weight was 1141 b. When ray mother heard of this she cried bit-

WIDE RANGE OE ADVENTURE

terly. All through the campaign I used a muzzle loading Springfield rifle." In the early ’seventies Mr Dunn by this time a building contractor, was commissioned by a German firm to build large stores at Apia. "My first experience at Samoa was a memorable one," stated Mr Dunn. "Our vessel anchored not a hundred yards from the famous Leonora, the ship of "Bully" Hayes. •‘ A long time after I arrived at Samoa Robert Louis Stevenson landed there with his wife and stepson, Lloyd Osborne," continued Mr Dunn. "Later I got to know him very well. He was a fine man, and a beautiful speaker. Many times have I been to his home, ‘ Vailima.’ On rainy days he used to walk about barefooted with a raincoat on. My word, he was beloved by all the natives. When we met we used to talk commonplace, and discuss different thing's about the island."

Mr Dunn was on Samoa when the gj-eat hurricane which wrecked several American and German men-of-war occurred. He recalled how the Calliope was the only vessel to steam away. Until two years ago Mr Dunn had an idea he was not entitled to a pension from the United Staes Government because he was not residing in America. Then a friend prompted him to find out the true position, and to his delight he discovered he had been in error all through the years. Finally he received a permanent pension of 72 dollars. "Uncle Sam is good to those who serve her," he smilingly concluded.