In the first place, all the members of the Gatling Gun Detachment were
members of the Regular Army. All but three of them were natives of the
United States, and those three were American citizens. Every man in
the detachment had been selected by the detachment commander, or had
voluntarily undertaken to perform this duty, realizing and believing
that it was an extremely hazardous duty. Every member of the
detachment possessed a common-school education, and some of them were
well educated. All of them were men of exceptionally good character
and sober habits. The drivers were Privs. Shiffer, Correll, Merryman,
and Chase. The description formerly given of Shiffer applies, with
slight modifications, to all the four. The first sergeant, Weigle, a
native of Gettysburg, a soldier of eight years' experience in the
Regular Army, a man of fine natural ability and good educational
attainments, was worthy to command any company in the United States
Army. Thoroughly well instructed in the mechanism of Gatling guns, of
exceptionally cheerful and buoyant disposition, he was an ideal first
sergeant for any organization. Steigerwald, acting chief of gun No. 1,
was of German birth, well educated.
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