It was in store for him to do some of the hardest fighting and greatest generalship that was done during the war.
One night at this place (Romney), I was sent forward with two other soldiers across the wire bridge as picket.

One of them was named Schwartz and the other Pfifer--he called it Fifer, but spelled it with a P--both full-blooded Dutchmen, and belonging to Company E, or the German Yagers, Captain Harsh, or, as he was more generally called, "God-for-dam." When we had crossed the bridge and taken our station for the night, I saw another snow storm was coming.

The zig-zag lightnings began to flare and flash, and sheet after sheet of wild flames seemed to burst right over our heads and were hissing around us.

The very elements seemed to be one aurora borealis with continued lightning.

Streak after streak of lightning seemed to be piercing each the other, the one from the north and the other from the south.