Harper’s Ferry 1862 and Frederick W. Fout
During the night at Harper’s Ferry on September 14, Sgt. Frederick Wilhelm Fout had gone to the northern end of Bolivar Heights with Capt. J.C.H. Von Sehlen and his four guns. After selecting a covered place for the caissons reporting the positions to the Captain, Frederick remained with Von Sehlen’s for a time until the firing in the rear of the unit on top of Bolivar Heights became most terrific. He rode up to the Captain, saluted him and asked permission to go back to the other guns left in charge of the Austrian Lieutenant on Bolivar Heights. Every gun of the enemy appeared in action, and every part of the present position was unsafe.
After riding about a mile through the iron hail, he reached the section, but to the astonishment of Sgt. Fout he found it abandoned. He looked around for the cannoneers and found some of them sheltered in a deep gully. He asked the Sergeant and Corporal: How is this? Why are you not with your guns and replying to the enemy fire? "Well," said one of the men, "when we were up by the gun and were exposed to the fire from all sides, the Lieutenant that the Captain put over us said "Mein Gott in Himmel! Run boys! Come, and get away from here! And so we left and sought protection. By that time the enemy had ceased most of their firing and Sgt. Fout at once seized up the situation, and asked the men to join with him and open up fire on the rebels.
He soon had the required number to man one gun, and they went out of the gully up to the hill and opened fire. Their aim was directed on School House Hill, near the Winchester Pike. Joel Smith, a lead driver of Gun Number 3, left his team in the fully and came forward voluntarily to act as Number 3, to stop the vent. Not having a thumb stall, he pulled the sleeve of his blouse forward to protect his thumb, which after the first shot was already been burned.
No sooner had they begun firing than every battery and gun of the enemy renewed their action, and the roar of the artillery was most terrific. Colonel Miles, expecting an assault by the infantry, during the brief interval of quiet, called the brigade commanders together. Two batteries and a large part of a division of infantry of the enemy had advanced to their left and rear just across the Shenandoah, and not a single shot had been heard from their relief from General McClellan’s 100,000 on the Maryland side. As the firing in that direction the evening before had apparently receded instead of coming nearer, and as the ammunition was exhausted, the brigade commanders unanimously decided it was absolutely useless to try and defend the post longer, and determined to surrender. With the decision reached, General White was sent out to make terms with the enemy. The troops were expecting an order still to attack the rebel lines, but the Colonel Miles commanding the brigade, requested ! in a loud voice, "There will not be one short fired. You are all surrendered. After a time, the line got into motion to back up Bolivar Heights to be surrendered. The men broke their guns against trees as they passed then. When the troops came up the hill they found open of the batteries firing and two or three rebel guns still firing. It seemed that this one battery had refused to surrender. Colonel Miles rode up in person and dismounted and walk up to where Sgt. Fout had taken charge of the gun and was still firing, and addressed him and said: "Orderly, cease firing. We will have to surrender." Sgt. Fout refused with an oath. The gun was still loaded and Corporal Johnson and myself gave the order to fire, and turning to Col. Miles, said "General, don’t let us surrender to these rebels. Let us fight them. Col. Miles replied: "It is no use, as we cannot be relieved (pointing over to Maryland) by our friends." John Gimber pulled the lanyard, and the final shot was sent to the enemy on School House Hill. Capt.Von Sehlen had previously stopped firing. Colonel Miles tied a white handkerchief to his sword blade and climbed on one of the guns to wave it. Just at that moment a shell from a rebel battery or gun struck one of his legs and he fell to the ground
General Jackson stormed up to Captain J. C. H.Von Schlen’s 15th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery, which was near the center of the line, and shouted, "Where’s the captain of this battery?" Von Sehlen replied I am the captain. General Jackson then stated "You or your men fired after the white flag was up!" Capt. Von Sehlen replied unpologetically; "We are your prisoners by agreement with General White. "Well Captain," Gen. Jackson asked coldly, what was the meaning of this firing after capitulation? I suppose you know the penalty for violating the rules of war." Capt. Von Schlen replied "Yes, but I could not avoid it". "Why not” Gen. Jackson answered, Capt. Von Schlen, replied to him "I got my guns so widely scattered that I could not command them all at once.” Gen. Jackson replied "This is preposterous. Get your battery in line in a proper manner." " I will as soon as possible," Capt. Von Sehlen replied.
Footnote:
Recommendation of Colonel Miles on his deathbed mentioned the following deserving credit during the fight: Brigadier General White. Major J. HJ. McIllivain, Captain McGrath, Orderly Sergeant Frederick W. Fout, of Von Sehlen battery. The batteries of Rigsby, Phillips, Potts and Von Sehlen, for their courage displayed on Bolivar Heights, deserve great praise for holding their positions against tremendous odd.
On October 1st Captain Von Sehlen was ordered to report to Washington before the Court of Inquiry reviewing the surrender of Harper’s Ferry. Frederick Fout received a leave of absence and went back to Indianapolis. And General Lazarus Noble, then Adjutant General of Indiana asked him to report to his office. After asking him some questions about the events at Harper’s Ferry fight. He read to Frederick the deathbed recommendation and asked him to tell him all about his reopening fire and about the Austrian Lieutenant from the Garibaldi Guards. Frederick gave him a true and straight story and the General asked Frederick to wait for a few minutes as he left the room. When the General returned he presented him with his commission as Second Lieutenant in the 15th Indiana Battery. He cut the chevrons of an orderly sergeant from his sleeves, and suggested that he goes and buys a fine uniform that of a Second Lieutenant.