4G Ten Years of my Life. 



I explained before that the American soldiers were engaged 

 only for a certain time, and that the commission of the colonel 

 and other officej-s expired when the regiment was disbanded ; 

 they became then again simple citizens, receiving neither pay 

 nor pensions, if not disabled in the service. Did they want to 

 serve again, they had to look out for a new commission, and it 

 happened frequently that they accepted one of a lower degree ; 

 that is, former colonels became perhaps captains or lieutenants. 

 Nay, I know a case where a colonel entered as a private sol- 

 dier in a regiment, which was commanded by a colonel who 

 had served before as a private in his former regiment. 



When the war commenced it was expected to last only a 

 short time, and the 8th New York Regiment, which was one 

 of the first formed, Avas engaged only for two years. Its term 

 therefore expired in the spring of 1863, and Salm was, of 

 course, to be dismissed with his men. He was therefore 

 anxious to procure a new colonel's commission, which was not 

 so very difficult for hirr , but a colonel was only accepted as 

 such by the War Department of the Union if he brought with 

 him a regiment, or, at least, 700 men of it. Had the men of 

 the 8th Regiment chosen to enlist for another term, everything 

 might have remained as it was, but the men wanted mostly to 

 go home for a time, and only about a hundred remained. 



Salm tried hard to arrange everything so as to make it pos- 

 sible to remain with the army, as heavy fighting was to be 

 expected very soon ; but he did not succeed, nolwith^anding 

 the goodwill of the commanding generals. He had to lead his 

 regiment back to New York, where it had to be disbanded. 



I was at that time in Washington, very busy in behalf of my 

 husband. The 7th and 8Lh New York Regiments, on their 

 way to their city, had to pass Washington, whose citizens pre- 

 pared for them a reception. Accompanied by Colonel Corvin, 

 who rode Blenker's most beautiful thorough-bred Victor, and 

 several other officers, we proceeded to the landing on the Po- 

 tomac, where the regiments were to arrive in large transport 

 steamers. They were received with much cheering, and after 

 having formed, the whole procession, headed by myself and a 

 numerous cortege, marched across Washington to the New 

 York railroad depot. The 7th regiment had been commanded 

 by Colonel von Schack, a very brave and popular officer, who 

 was formerly a chamberlain of the Princess Charles of Prussia, 



