THE STORY OF A YOUTHFUL HERO1
——-
WILLIAM L. GRAUL,
Corporal, Co. I, 188th Pa. Infantry.
Born at Reading, Pa., July 27, 1846.
“The narrator of the following story, Corporal William L. Graul, of Company I, One hundred and eighty-eighth Pennsylvania Infantry, was a mere boy of eighteen when he earned his medal for an act of distinguished bravery and dash at the storming of Fort Harrison, Va., September 29, 1864. He writes:
“On the night of the 28th of September we were ordered to cross the James River on a muffled pontoon bridge at Akren’s [sic, Aiken’s] Landing. Just at the break of the next day we commenced a cautious advance upon the enemy, whose pickets were soon encountered and driven back, and pushing on at quick time through a wood with tangled undergrowth we at last emerged upon open ground in front of the rebel works, which were only a few yards away. Fort Harrison, strongly built and bristling with cannon, was in our immediate front, and we were ordered to charge. A long stretch of open ground was passed at a run, and though the enemy brought all their guns and small arms to bear they failed to get a good range on our advancing troops, firing for the most part too high.
“At a point within fifty yards of the fort was a slight ravine, stretching along in its front, and affording some protection. Here the line was re-formed and the men took breath. We were now under a desperate fire and an advance was sure to entail heavy slaughter, but pausing only for a moment the word was again given to charge, and without flinching the line sprang forward. A terrible volley swept our ranks and many a brave man fell. For an instant we seemed to waver, but only for an instant, and recovering we dashed on and up the hill.
“I was on the color-guard, and when about half way up the color-bearer, William Sipes, was killed and the regimental flag fell on me. I at once threw my gun away and seizing the colors ran up the hill, jumped into the ditch of the foe, then climbed up on the flag-staff and placed the colors of the One hundred and eighty-eighth Pennsylvania alongside of the rebel flag.
“I saw that the enemy were weakening, and cheered our men on. We captured Fort Harrison and then advanced on Fort Gilmore [sic, Gilmer] under the fire of the rebel gunboats. We were compelled to fall back in the evening, however, and in our retreat, the color-bearer of the Fourth New Hampshire being hit, I brought their colors back with me.”
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Read about even more Medal of Honor winners at the Siege of Petersburg:
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Introduction
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: At the “Breakthrough”
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: A Ride to Almost Certain Death
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Under Special Protection of Providence
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Three Examples of Soldierly Devotion
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Recaptured Colors and Took Two Prisoners
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: 3 Men Capture 27 “Johnnies”
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Captured, But Their Colors Were Saved
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Retained Command Despite Severe Wounds
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: He Paused at the Side of His Dead Captain
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: The Hero of Fort Haskell
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: The Gallant Colonel and His Brave Adjutant
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: A Bayonet Charge Put the Rebels to Flight
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Too Young for Enlistment, But Served
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: “Well Done, Taylor”
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Equal to the Emergency
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: An Improvised Bodyguard
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: The Fall of Fort Harrison
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: A Message Delivered Under Difficulty
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Thought Only of Saving the Flag
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: A Sergeant Who Wisely Disbelieved
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Rounded Up Forty Rebels
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Scenes from Hatcher’s Run
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: A Rebel Charge That Failed
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: “I Was Mad as a Hornet”
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Risked Being Blown to Atoms at Dutch Gap Canal
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Swam the River Under Difficulties
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Valorous Deeds at Hatcher’s Run
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: “Lieutenant, What Say You?”
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Heroism In the Hour of Reverse
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Duty and Death Rather Than Dishonor
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Thrilling Episodes Around Petersburg
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Attracted General Custer’s Attention
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Engineer, Surgeon and Hero
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: “They Can’t Drive You Out of Here”
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: A Hero from the South
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Made Good Use of the Enemy’s Weapons
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: In Full View of the Enemy
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Rewarded Twice
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Gallant Vermonters
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: A Profitable Reconnoissance
- Petersburg Medals of Honor: Language More Forceful Than Elegant
- Between 1898 and 1905: James M. Pipes to to the Compilers of the Volume Deeds of Valor
- Newspaper Article: Powhatan Beaty, 5th USCT, Co G
- NP: October 3, 1864 Philadelphia Inquirer: AP Reports, September 29-30
- NP: January 12, 1888 Wheeling (WV) Intelligencer: Flagstaff of the 12th WV
- OR XL P1 #292: Medals of Honor, June 15-July 30, 1864
- OR XLII P1 #350: Medals of Honor, August 1-December 31, 1864
- OR XLVI P1 #178: Medals of Honor, Feb 5-7 and Mar 25, 1865
- OR XLVI P1 #266: Medals of Honor, Mar 31-Apr 9, 1865
- “Paddy the Horse” Ginley Wins a Medal of Honor at Reams Station
Source:
- Beyer, Walter F. and Keydel, Oscar F. Deeds of Valor: How America’s Heroes Won the Medal of Honor…, Volume 1 (The Perrien – Keydel Company: 1901), pp. 435-436 ↩