Concerning the Five Days, Battle of Chancellorsville

Concerning the Five Days, Battle of Chancellorsville
by Charles H. Doerflinger

AUTHENTIC REMINISCENCES.
[Typed Facially, 1907, Jan. 28]

Concerning the Five Days’ Battle of Chancellorsville, Va., May 2-6, 1863 and Charles H. Doerflinger, who enlisted as, a private in the 26th regiment of Wisconsin Volunteers Infantry, and was successively promoted to Orderly Sergeant,0, Second Lieutenant and First Lieutenant.

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A letter published in the Milwaukee Daily Herald, signed “W. V” (Champlain Wm. Vette of the said Regiment) and Stafford Court House, Va., May 8th, 1863, contains a paragraph the English version of which is: “Lieut. Doerflinger, who fought and fell at the head of his Company, with uplifted sword.”
The weekly edition of the same paper, dated May 16, 1863, in the editorial leader reports the statement of Col. W. H. Jacobs of the 26th Wis. that the regiment, though surrounded by a sixfold superior force and, literally in a shower of bullets, stood like a wall until retreat was ordered, every officer and soldier did his full duty, but “that the palm of the day is due to the young hero Doerflinger, who, sword in hand, repeatedly stormed ahead of the regiment and was each time hailed by the regiment with fiery enthusiasm”.

The same issue of the paper contains & letter signed by Captain Bernard Domschke (who, for many years after his return from Libby Prison was the editor of the Herald), dated Camp at Stafford Court House, May 9th 1863, in which Lieutenant Doerflinger’s gallant conduct is specially mentioned and a beautiful letter of condolence from Captain Francis Lackner, Doerflinger’s schoolmate and friend, to his mother, Mrs. Theresa Doerflinger, expressing in eloquent language the comrades” esteem, sympathy and regret.

The Weekly Herald of May 23rd 1863 contains the first letter Doerflinger was able to write to his mother. It was written at the Field Hospital at Brook Station, Va., May 15, 1863 and gives a vivid but necessarily “hustling” account of his own experiences and observations of that terrible battle. In a forced strain of humor, evidently intended to reduce his mother’s anxiety, he minimizes his suffering and dangerous condition. As an eye witness he describes in a quiet tone but with deep felt satisfaction the splendid conduce of his own and Col. Hecker’s 82d Illinois regiment, as well as that of the brigade and the whole of Gen. Schurz’s division.

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This is to certify that I, the undersigned George H. Katz possess a good knowledge of the German and of the English language; that I have this day carefully read the articles and letters referred to in the foregoing statement in what appears to be original copies of the newspaper mentioned; that the English version of the extracts referred to in the foregoing statement is accurately and correctly rendered.

Signed George H. Katz
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 28th day of January, 1907.
Signed J. Muthen Murray
Justice of the Peace, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.

[Hand written]
Pamphlet with “cuts” to be printed for distribution to all senators and Representatives when the time comes. Signed by Estabrook. Estabrook can make officiate to having seen all the originals.
Author/Creator: Wisconsin History Commission.
Title: Papers, 1861-1865, 1884-1918.
Quantity: 1.6 c.f. (5 archives boxes)