Schuylkill County Soldier Fights At Dranesville, VA.

The "First Federal Victory South of the Potomac" 

And A Schuylkill County Soldier was part of it.

The Battle of Dranesville

Dranesville,

A small Virginia hamlet, is situated in Fairfax county, about twenty miles from Washington, and about fourteen from Leesburg. On a commanding hill at the eastern edge of the village the Leesburg and Washington and the Leesburg and Alexandria Turnpikes form a junction. The confluent roads form a single highway from this point to Leesburg. From the point of junction this road dips into a small valley and crosses a smaller hill, on which stands the village church in a grove of massive oaks. The view westward from the church towards Leesburg commands a rolling, open country of farm and woodland. The turnpike, crossing this tract, may be plainly seen until lost in a piece of woodland in the distance.
        This roadway, before the railroad paralleled it some four miles away, was a main line of travel and commerce. Long caravans of "schooner" wagons with white canvas tops, droves of horses, sheep and cattle, stages well loaded with passengers, gave life to the old highway and brought thrift to every wayside village and hamlet. This was the golden age of the "wagon stand" and "tavern." With the march of progress and the coming of the railroad, wagons, stage coaches and taverns were relegated to the limbo of things that were. The jangling music of the wagon bells, the tootings of the stage-drivers horn, the noisy commotion of the wayside inn are only echoes that faintly survive in the memories of very old men. Progress has her victims no less than grim-visaged war.
        Dranesville in other days was a recipient of the bounty that flowed from the old-time commerce. With the passing of the turnpike traffic an unbroken quiet settled upon the village until the stillness was rudely broken on a memorable winter afternoon of 1861. The roar of cannon and the rattle of musketry announced to the village and the surrounding country that the tide of war, which had rolled at a distance, was now right at hand. 

From the Battle of Dranesville.

   One of the first engagements after the Union defeat at Bull Run was a small engagement by Federal and Confederate foraging parties, five days before Christmas of 1861, at the town of  Dranesville, Va.  The confederate command consisted of a foraging  party of infantry and cavalry of Joseph Johnston's command. With the foraging party was a 150 men of J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry, and 4 regiments of infantry. The Union forces consisted of 5 Pennsylvania infantry regiments and a battery of 4 cannons. Both commands moved out simultaneously and meet in combat near the farm lands of Dranesville, Va.

   Serving with the 6th Pennsylvania Reserves was a Schuylkill countian, Lieut. Jacob A. Bonewitz, who wrote a descriptive account of the fight, which would become a big morale lifting victory for the Union forces.

        Langlytown Camp, Pierpont January 8th, 1862.

   Dear --- We had a little fun on the 20th of December last in Dranesville with the rebels. I shall not enter into details, as I suppose you have seen the particulars of the fight in the papers.

   We left our camp a little before daybreak on the morning of the 20th and started for Dranesville on a foraging expedition. We got as far as Difficult Creek when began throwing skirmishers out in front of our regiment. As company A, and our company K, are the two flank companies, we were thrown out on the left of the pike. Company A near the road, and my company on the left of the former. We started through the woods on quick time. I was the only officer in our company that day. The Capt. was in Washington, and the other Lieut. was at home on leave of absence. As I said before we started through the woods on quick time for some three miles, when we came out into a large clearing. I was about one mile from the regiments on a double quick. I started my skirmishers on a full run in order to keep in advance of the regiments, and we kept this up for four miles. Some of my men gave out, and fell back on the reserve that was coming on. It was pretty severe but we had to do it. After getting within a half a mile of Dranesville, there were some twenty shots fired at us, doing no damage, we kept on. I was now in an open field and just about to enter a pine thicket, when I discovered something wrong in there. I passed the word along the line of skirmishers to halt, which was done immediately. I then looked in the woods again, and saw one regiment of infantry, and one of Cavalry laying there not more than five rods from left hand man, while a Sergeant was not more than 20 paces from myself. I then passed the word along the line again, to rally on the road, and on the Regiment. When the Rebels observed this, they opened fire on us with muskets, and shot one of the men through the arm, this however did not frighten him much. He followed us. We got on the road and meet the Regiment. We were then ordered across the hill to support the left-our Battery. The balls were now flying like hail from the rebel infantry. When they saw us try to cross the hill, they opened their large guns on us. The shells and canister poured upon us. After getting near half way across, two of my men fell. One was shot through the side, and the other in the leg. They crawled behind a small bank near the pike, as we had no time to lose going over there. When I got a little further a piece of shell struck me on the leg tearing off one of my pantaloon legs, and scratching my leg slightly. We got a little further, when two more dropped, that had got in my company (strangers) They died in a few minutes: but we got across and now came our time for operation. Our Battery opened on them and the Rebels were soon laying in all kinds of shapes. Some with no heads on; some with no arms, no legs, and some you could not tell what they were. We soon silenced their battery. We then made a charge on them through the woods. I must admit they can run faster than we can by a good deal, but they could not run out of sight of our balls. The woods were full of them. There was one spot were we could scarcely get over the dead and wounded rebels. Our loss was 10 killed and 30 or 40 wounded. The Rebel loss was severe. There were 170 rebels buried the day after the fight and we brought in some 40 of them wounded and 14 prisoners. All in all, it was a complete victory for Uncle Sam. Our wounded are doing well in the hospital; are in good spirits, and express themselves anxious to have another chance at the rebels soon. In our Regiment their were three killed, and thirteen wounded, of which three belong to our company. The Bucktail Regiment; our Regiment, and the 9th suffered the most. The 10th  and the 12th I believe, did not lose a man, as they were not in the hottest of the fire.

                                              Yours &c.

                                              Lieut. J.A.B.

Miners Journal February 15, 1862.

ALCATRAZ MILITARY PRISON

ALCATRAZ MILITARY PRISON

Pottsville soldier sent to Alcatraz as a guard.
Miners Journal November 11, 1900

Private Charles R. Schatstein of Pottsville was brought home from fighting in the Philippines, were he saw active service fighting against the Filipinos. He was in a very serious condition and admitted to the hospital at San Francisco. After he recovered he was assigned to duty with Company No.2 of Convalescent stationed at Alcatraz Island.


Dear Parents:
Alcatraz is a small Island situated northwest of San Francisco direct by north of the Presidio. It lays in about the middle of the bay and has a swift current running around it so that a small boat has a hard time to land.
The U.S. uses it for a military Prison, but before but before they got it was an old Spanish Fort. Its area is about 12 acres and is solid rock. Known in and about San Francisco as the Rock.
It is well fortified and has quite a few large guns on it. Most of them being 12 inch . To me it looks like a large stationary battleship.
The prisoners are men who have been soldiers but have been dishonorably discharged from the service. Their imprisonment ranges from six months to 50 years. They are divided into three classes according to their conduct in and about the prison. When they enter the prison they are all second class and are made first class or third class according to the way they conduct themselves while at work. They are distinguished by the bands on their hats, white, red and yellow, meaning 1st, 2nd and 3rd class respectively. The first class are trusted men and allowed to go around without a sentry. Some work on the dock, some drive teams some are painters, bakers, farmers, general police, lamp lighters and almost everything imaginable.
Second Class haven’t got it quite so good. But third class is kept to work from 7 to11:30 a.m. and from 1 to 6 p.m... They are not allowed to talk, smoke or even stop work for a minute and must walk lock step to and from work.
There are six different prisons and the will accommodate about six hundred prisoners. Three prisons being old and three being new. There are at present about 400 hundred prisoners.
To guard these prisoners there are two companies, Co H of the 7th Infantry and Convalescent Co. No 2 composed of men who have been sent back from China and the Philippines sick or wounded. I have become well enough to do duty in both companies which are not full, there are about a 150 men for duty giving us about four night in the duties of a guard and other military duties which give us little time to ourselves. Out near the eastern part of the island is a light house kept by an ex soldier. And right at the end is a fog bell and tide gate all kept by the same man. The fog bell is wound up by a large key and runs down like a clock. This bell is kept wound up and as soon as it begins to get foggy it is started and will keep going for 24 hours unless stopped.
We also have two life saving crews here composed of soldiers out of the two different co0mpanies. But our boat is gone now. The other day three prisoners escaped from the prison ward of the hospital picked the lock holding the boat and they haven’t been heard of since.
The beginning of last month a trusted prisoner who worked in the carpenter shop made a box and got some one to nail him in and carry him down to the dock so that night when the boat came to get the guard that brings the prisoners back that go to Presidio to work, he was put on the boat and put out off on the main land. He had it nicely arraigned to have some person open it, and in that way he got a way, but we got him back a few days afterwards, he was caught at Sacramento. He said some one gave him away to get the award of $15 dollars. Poor fellow has ten years to serve now.
We also have a reading room and pool room, shooting galleries, dance hall and last but not least a canteen where the boys go to get on their jollification so you see we have lots to keep us busy.

I guess that will be it for a while


C.R. Schatstein Conval. Co. No 2 Alcatraz Island.

For My Dad On Veterans Day 83 Footer 83-301 U.S.Coast Guard WW2....An Iron Sailor

My Dad Seamn 1/C G. Stuart Richards as a Seaman In the USCG. 1942-1944


“Semper Paratus”

ALWAYS READY

Dad.

Iron Sailor of the Wooden Patrol Boats
The 83 Footer
CG-83-301

The 83 footer story began in 1940 when the first of 230 cutters was built for the USCG. The wooden cutters were used for convoy duty in the Gulf and ASW patrol off the east coast of the U.S.



The 83 footer USCG vessel the type my dad served on. His was CG-83-301

My Dad Seaman 1/C G. Stuart Richards enlisted as a seaman in the United States Coast Guard on September 24, 1942. He entered the USCG at Curtis Bay, Md. And was subsequently stationed at Ocracoke Station, N.C. located near Cape Hatteras. Dad served as a sonar operator and a 20 mm gunner on board an 83 foot sub-chaser. They were assigned the duty of patrolling the east coast of the U.S. looking for German U boats.
My Dad told me this info:
“I was assigned duty on board an 83 foot sub-chaser with the designation CG-83-301. They were too small a craft to have a name. They were made of wood and had a top speed of about 30 knots. We carried 12 Depth charges on board, 2 on each launcher and 2 set on a Y gun located in the center of the ship. The crew consisted of 22 men and officers. Our skipper was a commander. The ship was pretty confined and you slept on a rack that hung from the ceiling by chains. The enlisted men slept in the forecastle. My job on board was as a sonar operator who listened for the underwater sounds of a sub. The equipment we used consisted of a sounder that sent out a signal and a wheel that was located between your legs. This had a compass rose on it. By turning in it you could tell what direction you were listening in. if any subs were out there, the sound would echo of their hull and return to the gear. Sometimes you would pick up the sounds of fish or the propellers of other ships. You had to learn the difference between the sounds. You got a bearing from this information that could guide the ship toward the sub. The sonar room was a small room located aft of the forecastle and you could only fit two men in there. After a sub was found, we went to general quarters where I manned a 20 mm gun.
We helped chase down a few German subs, we think, we saw a lot of oil slicks when we fired depth charges but you never knew. I picked up a German life preserver and light that I kept. We also got a commendation medal for helping to get a yacht out of a mine field. We had to go in there and tow them out. What they were doing in there during wartime was pretty unusual and really dumb.



On Patrol
My last trip on CG-83-301 was on September 30, 1944. we were on a patrol when we had a fire in the engine room and were called to general quarters and then started to fight the fire. I was using a fire hose in the hold above the engine room when there was a big explosion. The boiler blew up and threw me backwards pretty far. I landed against an ammunition can for the 20mm. I broke my back, crushing three vertebrae. I couldn’t move my lower body. The ship was pretty well damaged. The whole side, from mid ship to the stern, was wrecked. We didn’t sink because all the water tight doors were closed. It took 4 to 5 hours to get us into Portsmouth where I went into the Naval hospital and spent the next 20 months recuperating. I was then discharged from the Coast Guard.

My dad’s vessel CG 83-301 CG 451 WAS WRECKED IN TYPHOON 0N 9 OCT 1945 near Okinawa.



Dad At the World War ll Vetrans Memorial in Washington DC. 2004

My brother Rick and his wife Sally took Dad to visit the memorial in June of 2004. He was so happy, many people came up to him and thanked him for his service.I am so glad he had this pleasant experience.

My dad was very proud of what he did in the USCG and World War ll, he devoted his whole adult life to the VFW and the Disabled American Veterans. Dad was 100% disabled from the injuries he received while on CG 83-301.But I never once heard him complain of his injuries. He was a great dad to both myself and my brother devoting his time to trying to make our lives happy, sports, vacations, etc. He was a hard worker and I truly miss him. He died in 2006.

G. Stuart Richards 1921-2006

SEMPER PARATUS DAD!

Tribute to Sgt Harold Messerschmidt, 3rd Infantry Division Schuylkill County MOH Holder WW2

This is a recent tribute to Sgt. Messerschmidt who was KIA at Raddon, France.

American Forces Network Europe Home Article Display (DD)
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The Vosges Mountains are located in the northeast portion of France. Heavy fighting took place there in August and September of 1944. The fighting there would terminate the foot hold German troops had on France. Fighting in this area was the famous 3rd Infantry Division. Because of their fierce fighting methods the Germans still held a portion of the Belfort Gap in the Vosges. On the 15th of September the 3rd ID was on the move marching north toward the French town of Faucogney.

Fighting with the 3rd ID was Schuylkill Countian Sgt. Harold O. Messerschmidt born in Grier City, Schuylkill County. Sgt. Messerschmidt enlisted in the U.S. Army at Chester, Pa. On the 17th of September Messerschmidt’s unit, Company L 30th Infantry Regt. was in the process of trying to capture a small village west of Faucogney named Raddon. Company L had just taken a heavily forested ridge that dominated an important and strategic road. About mid day a heavy tank and artillery fire swept the ridge immediately followed by advancing German infantry over 200 strong. One member of the unit stated” They rushed into our fire in an insane manner, as if they had been given liquor or drugs.” For six hours Sgt. Messerschmidt and the men of his squad held the right flank of the company and resisted wave after wave of the fanatical German troops. Sgt. Messerschmidt ran out of ammunition and was the only member of his squad still standing, he used his Tommy gun as a club to kill as many Germans as he could. A last ditch charge by the enemy came rushing up the slope and caught Sgt. Messerschmidt still wielding his empty weapon were upon he was killed. At the end of this engagement Company L was down to only four squads and very nearly out of ammunition, but they held the ridge.

Sgt. Harold Messerschmidt was awarded the Medal Of Honor posthumously on 17 July 1946.

The Citation:

Sergeant Messerschmidt, Harold O. Army
Medal of Honor

SERGEANT HAROLD O. MESSERSCHMIDT

Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company L, 30th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Radden, France, 17 September 1944. Entered service at: Chester, Pa. Birth: Grier City, Pa. G.O. No.: 71, 17 July 1946.

Citation: He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. Braving machinegun, machine pistol, and rifle fire, he moved fearlessly and calmly from man to man along his 40-yard squad front, encouraging each to hold against the overwhelming assault of a fanatical foe surging up the hillside. Knocked to the ground by a burst from an enemy automatic weapon, he immediately jumped to his feet, and ignoring his grave wounds, fired his submachine gun at the enemy that was now upon them, killing 5 and wounding many others before his ammunition was spent. Virtually surrounded by a frenzied foe and all of his squad now casualties, he elected to fight alone, using his empty submachine gun as a bludgeon against his assailants. Spotting 1 of the enemy about to kill a wounded comrade, he felled the German with a blow of his weapon. Seeing friendly reinforcements running up the hill, he continued furiously to wield his empty gun against the foe in a new attack, and it was thus that he made the supreme sacrifice. Sgt. Messerschmidt's sustained heroism in hand-to-hand combat with superior enemy forces was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service .



Sgt. Harold O. Messershmidt is buried in the:
Christ Lutheran Church Cemetery
Barnesville
Schuylkill County