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Hallo!
Translated from the original German, from the faded and yellow pages of the diary of Curt-Heinrich Schmidt, 1863:
I was one of the lads who fought to preserve the Union. How crazy that was. I fought, and I fought, and I fought, but they made me go anyway.
When I registered, I went up to the desk where a soldier was sitting. He was my neighbor from the next farm down. He said, “What’s your name? I said “You know my name.” “What’s your name?” he yelled. I told him “Curt-Heinrich Schmidt.” He said, “Are you a foreigner? Are you an alien?” I said, “No, I ‘m healthy and I feel fine.” He asked, “Where were you born?” ‘I said, “Johnstown, Pennsylvania.” He said, “When did you see the light of day?” I said, “When we moved to Cleveland.” He asked, “How old are you?” “I told him, “Twenty-four, the first of December.” He said, “The first of December you will be in Tennessee and that will be the last of November.”
A Veterinarian then examined me. He asked “Did you ever have the measles, small pox, typhus, cholera, or the fits?” I said “No, only when I stayed in the saloon too long.” He said, “Can you see alright?” “I said, “Yes, but I will be cockeyed tonight if I pass this exam.” He asked me, “How many teeths did I have?” I said, “None, I wasn’t a cow.” The veterinarian said “I have examined 10,000 men and you are the most perfect physical wreck I had ever seen.” Then he said I was in the Army.
I then went to camp. I went to the first table and a sergeant said “Look what the wind’s blown in.” I said, “Nothing, the draft is doing it.”
On the second morning, they put clothes on me. What an outfit! As soon as you are in it, you can’t fight anybody. They were so tight I could not sit down. My shoes were so big I turned around in them three times and they did not move. And what a greatcoat they gave me. It strained the rain. I passed an officer of some kind all dressed up in a fine coat with fancy belt and sword. He called out after me, “Soldier! Didn’t you notice my uniform?” I said, “What are you fussing about? Look what they gave me!”
I landed in camp with six dollars. In ten minutes I was broke. I never saw so many 3’s and 12’s on a pair of dice. No matter what I did, I went broke. Something went wrong even with cards. One time I got five aces, but was afraid to bet. It was a good then I didn’t. The lad next to me had six kings.
I saw a lad with a wooden leg, and asked what he was still doing in the Army. He said “Mashing potatoes.”
Oh it was nice, minus five below zero one morning when they called us out for drawers inspection. You talk about scenery. The Lieutenant lined us up and told me to stand up. I said, “I am up.” He got so made he set me to digging a sink. A little while later he passed by, and yelled “Don’t throw that dirt up here!” I said, “Where am I supposed to put it?” He said, “Dig another hole and put it in there.”
By that time I was pretty mad, so another lad named Jones and I drank a bottle of whiskey. Finally, Jones acted so odd that I ran to the surgeon and told him we had drunk a bottle of whiskey. He asked me if Jones was seeing pink elephants. I said, “No, that’s the trouble, they’re there and he don’t see them!”.
Three days later I took the train to Tennessee. Marching down to the rail platform, I had more hard luck. I had a 1st Sergeant who stuttered, and it took him so long to say “Halt” that 27 of us marched off the end of the platform. The other lads pulled us up. Then our Captain came along and said “Count off!” I said, “I have been off.”
I was one the train for three days, sea sick for three days. Nothing went down and everything coming up. I leaned out the train car window all of the time. In the middle of one of my best leans, a Captain came up and said, “What company are you in?” I said, “None, I’m all by myself.” He asked me if the Brigadier had come up yet? I said, “No, everything else is up, but I’ve not seen the Brigadier.”
We arrived in Tennessee. We were immediately sent to the trenches. After three nights in the cold trenches, the cannons started to roar. I was shaking with Patriotism. I tried to hide behind a tree, but there weren’t enough trees for the officers.
The Captain came around and said, “Five o’clock we go forward.” I said, “Captain, I would like to go where it is warm.” He told me were to go.
Five o’clock we went. Six thousand Confederates came at us. The way they looked at me you’d think I started the war. Our Captain yelled, “Fire at will!” but I didn’t know any of their names. I guess the lad behind me thought I was Will. He fired his gun and shot me in… the excitement. On the way to the hospital, I asked the fellow where they were taking me. He said, “To the cemetery.” I said there’s a mistake, I’m not dead. He said, “Lay down. Do you want to make a fool out of the Surgeon?”
With an apology to “We Made the World Safe.”
Curt
Translated from the original German, from the faded and yellow pages of the diary of Curt-Heinrich Schmidt, 1863:
I was one of the lads who fought to preserve the Union. How crazy that was. I fought, and I fought, and I fought, but they made me go anyway.
When I registered, I went up to the desk where a soldier was sitting. He was my neighbor from the next farm down. He said, “What’s your name? I said “You know my name.” “What’s your name?” he yelled. I told him “Curt-Heinrich Schmidt.” He said, “Are you a foreigner? Are you an alien?” I said, “No, I ‘m healthy and I feel fine.” He asked, “Where were you born?” ‘I said, “Johnstown, Pennsylvania.” He said, “When did you see the light of day?” I said, “When we moved to Cleveland.” He asked, “How old are you?” “I told him, “Twenty-four, the first of December.” He said, “The first of December you will be in Tennessee and that will be the last of November.”
A Veterinarian then examined me. He asked “Did you ever have the measles, small pox, typhus, cholera, or the fits?” I said “No, only when I stayed in the saloon too long.” He said, “Can you see alright?” “I said, “Yes, but I will be cockeyed tonight if I pass this exam.” He asked me, “How many teeths did I have?” I said, “None, I wasn’t a cow.” The veterinarian said “I have examined 10,000 men and you are the most perfect physical wreck I had ever seen.” Then he said I was in the Army.
I then went to camp. I went to the first table and a sergeant said “Look what the wind’s blown in.” I said, “Nothing, the draft is doing it.”
On the second morning, they put clothes on me. What an outfit! As soon as you are in it, you can’t fight anybody. They were so tight I could not sit down. My shoes were so big I turned around in them three times and they did not move. And what a greatcoat they gave me. It strained the rain. I passed an officer of some kind all dressed up in a fine coat with fancy belt and sword. He called out after me, “Soldier! Didn’t you notice my uniform?” I said, “What are you fussing about? Look what they gave me!”
I landed in camp with six dollars. In ten minutes I was broke. I never saw so many 3’s and 12’s on a pair of dice. No matter what I did, I went broke. Something went wrong even with cards. One time I got five aces, but was afraid to bet. It was a good then I didn’t. The lad next to me had six kings.
I saw a lad with a wooden leg, and asked what he was still doing in the Army. He said “Mashing potatoes.”
Oh it was nice, minus five below zero one morning when they called us out for drawers inspection. You talk about scenery. The Lieutenant lined us up and told me to stand up. I said, “I am up.” He got so made he set me to digging a sink. A little while later he passed by, and yelled “Don’t throw that dirt up here!” I said, “Where am I supposed to put it?” He said, “Dig another hole and put it in there.”
By that time I was pretty mad, so another lad named Jones and I drank a bottle of whiskey. Finally, Jones acted so odd that I ran to the surgeon and told him we had drunk a bottle of whiskey. He asked me if Jones was seeing pink elephants. I said, “No, that’s the trouble, they’re there and he don’t see them!”.
Three days later I took the train to Tennessee. Marching down to the rail platform, I had more hard luck. I had a 1st Sergeant who stuttered, and it took him so long to say “Halt” that 27 of us marched off the end of the platform. The other lads pulled us up. Then our Captain came along and said “Count off!” I said, “I have been off.”
I was one the train for three days, sea sick for three days. Nothing went down and everything coming up. I leaned out the train car window all of the time. In the middle of one of my best leans, a Captain came up and said, “What company are you in?” I said, “None, I’m all by myself.” He asked me if the Brigadier had come up yet? I said, “No, everything else is up, but I’ve not seen the Brigadier.”
We arrived in Tennessee. We were immediately sent to the trenches. After three nights in the cold trenches, the cannons started to roar. I was shaking with Patriotism. I tried to hide behind a tree, but there weren’t enough trees for the officers.
The Captain came around and said, “Five o’clock we go forward.” I said, “Captain, I would like to go where it is warm.” He told me were to go.
Five o’clock we went. Six thousand Confederates came at us. The way they looked at me you’d think I started the war. Our Captain yelled, “Fire at will!” but I didn’t know any of their names. I guess the lad behind me thought I was Will. He fired his gun and shot me in… the excitement. On the way to the hospital, I asked the fellow where they were taking me. He said, “To the cemetery.” I said there’s a mistake, I’m not dead. He said, “Lay down. Do you want to make a fool out of the Surgeon?”
With an apology to “We Made the World Safe.”
Curt
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