Harvey May Munsell was apparently only a boy, and weighed but one hundred pounds when he enlisted in the 32nd Regiment (afterward renumbered the 99th) Pennsylvania Volunteers. He was then living in Oil City, and, finding it impossible to enlist at his home, traveled from there to Philadelphia, stopping at each important town or city on the route, in the hope of being accepted as a volunteer. But he failed on each occasion until he arrived at the "City of Brotherly Love," where recruits were in such demand that his stature was overlooked.

Munsell was offered a position as corporal, but preferred to enter the ranks as private, and was made color-bearer.

The 99th was sent to Alexandria, then to the Peninsula under McClellan. afterward to Manassas under Pope, and it was in the battle of Fredericksburg.

December 13,1862, that Munsell first wrote his name on the scroll of fame as a hero.

The 99th occupied the right of the division, supporting thirty pieces of cannon, and this the enemy were most eager to capture.

Whittemore in "A Soldier in Our Civil War," says: This regiment was held in reserve to support General Meade and his brave Pennsylvanians, who were some distance in front, in plain sight, grappling with the enemy. The regiment opened ranks in the face of a victorious foe to let General Meade's decimated regiments pass to the rear after they had exhausted their ammunition. The 99th regiment then closed ranks again, made a dashing bayonet charge, and drove back a Georgia brigade which tried to capture the supporting artillery. The Georgians came down diagonally at double-quick. The 99th reserved its fire until the enemy was within about three hundred feet, and then gave them a galling reception, causing them to halt, when they in turn poured a deadly volley into the ranks of the 99th from the right up to its center at the flag. At this critical moment Color-Bearer Munsell rushed toward the Georgians with the flag, urging his comrades to follow. Every man of this regiment who had escaped the terrible musketry fire, together with the demoralized portion of Meade's army.

Captain Harvey M. Munsell.

inspired by the noble example of Munsell, charged the Georgians at the point of the bayonet, and drove them back, capturing a number of prisoners. The flag carried by Color-Bearer Munsell, as well as his uniform, was riddled with bullets, yet he escaped without a scratch.

Munsell's next great battle was Chancellorsville. Va., May 2 and 3, 1863. This fight has been so often described that almost every one is familiar with it, and yet the following from the New York Herald is a piece of descriptive writing which will bear repetition:

"At midnight of Saturday, May 2, General Birney received an order from General Sickles to make the necessary dispositions to drive the enemy from the woods in the front, and retake the plank road and earthworks near it. Ward's brigade, of which the 99th Pennsylvania formed a part, was placed in advance. Slowly and cautiously the men moved along the road at midnight. No officer uttered words of encouragement; no drum beat, no colors waved; no cheer rose from the ranks. The pale light of the moon, beaming at intervals between the clouds, increased the effect of the scene, and photographed it upon the memories of those who beheld it in characters never to be forgotten. Add to this the flash of the guns from the batteries stationed in the rear of the line, which in the early part of the evening concentrated their fire upon a point of the plank road, to deceive the enemy as to the real character of the movement. As the batteries belched forth their flames and lighted up the landscape with the deathlike hue which the flash of powder at night always imparts to surrounding objects, the scene was grand beyond description. At a given signal the fire of the batteries ceased, the men rushed forward upon the entrenchments, and their object was accomplished. The enemy abandoned the position without a struggle, and soldiers and officers rested upon their arms until daylight."

It was because of the heroism displayed by him while bearing the colors in this engagement that General Birney presented him, together with several others, the Kearney Cross, General Sickles making the presentation address.

Munsell, with his flag, was at Gettysburg, the 99th occupying the left of Ward's brigade at the Devil's Den, and the color-bearer frankly confesses: "I was frightened almost to death, but not a souMn the regiment knew it but myself," and it is not to be wondered at that this stripling was alarmed. Every one of the color guard of eight corporals was either killed or wounded, and Munsell had eleven bullets in his clothing, but was himself untouched by Confederate lead.

While the remnants of the 99th were ordered to fall back, Munsell misunderstood the command, and his regiment had sixty-five feet the start of him before he realized the situation.

Confederate shot and shell were screaming past and around him, ploughing up the ground in the front and in the rear, as he started to follow his regiment. The fire was a little too hot, however, for him to make a rapid and successful retreat. His comrades saw him hurled to the ground, apparently by a piece of the bursting shells, and the report was made that the brave color-bearer had at last gone under.

Fortunately for him, however, he was not even stunned, but had fallen into a cavity made by one of the exploding shells, and realizing that it was necessary, if he would save his life, to remain quiet, he lay still, screened from view by the low rocks and bushes. The enemy were by this time on every hand around him, and he " played possum" until the Sixth Corps swept down past him, driving the Confederates before it, when he took to his heels and rejoined the 99th, greatly to the surprise of his comrades.

In his final report Maj. John W. Moore of the 99th says:

"The courageous conduct of Color-sergeant Harvey M. Munsell. and the manner in which he bore the regimental colors during the conflict, has induced me to make special mention of his case as one worthy of most decided approval."

Ward in his report to the Secretary of War says:

"I cannot omit, however, the names of a few gallant noncommissioned officers. especially H. M. Munsell, 99th Pennsylvania Volunteers, who by his bravery and example, inspired all in his vicinity."

Following Gettysburg, Munsell took part in the engagements at Auburn. Kelly's Ford, Mine Run, Wapping Heights and Bartlett's Mills.

January 1, 1864, while at Brandy Station, Va., Munsell, with his comrades, reenlisted for the war, and all were given a thirty days' furlough.

It was during his visit home that he was presented with a silken flag of full regulation size, attached to the staff of which, engraved on a silver plate, was the following inscription:

PRESENTED TO

SERGEANT HARVEY M. MUNSELL,

Color-bearer 99th Penn. Vet. Vols.

By
The Officers

FOR

MERITORIOUS CONDUCT

On The Above Fields.

On the stripes of the flag were inscribed "Second Bull Run, Chantilly, Monocacy, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Wapping Heights/ Auburn, Kelly's Ford, Mine Run and Bartlett's Mills."

One would have supposed that after this "baptism of blood," Munsell would have lost all fear of Confederate shot or shell; but, so he confesses himself, he had a presentiment which could not be shaken off that in the next battle in which he carried the flag he would be killed, and with this thought in his mind he tried unsuccessfully to get an extension of his furlough.

Failing in this, he went directly to Secretary Stanton, who inquired why he was away from his regiment.

Munsell showed him his flag and his furlough, after which the Secretary asked why he was there.

The color-bearer replied, "I am a coward, and want to get out of the next fight."

"Are there any more cowards like you?" the Secretary asked, as he examined once more the inscription on the flagstaff.

"Yes," Munsell replied, "we are all alike."

"Give me two more names of the same kind of cowards."

"Captain John W. Moore, and Lieutenant A. W. Bachman."

"Mr. Munsell, I will promote you to commissioned rank in the regular army, or discharge you, or I will do anything in my power for you."

"I simply want a furlough to attend the Free Military School in Philadelphia."

This was given without delay, and a letter was written to the colonel of the 99th by the Secretary.

On presenting these documents to his commander, the latter became furious, destroyed both of them, and consigned Munsell to the guardhouse.

The angry officer evidently thought better of it, for late in the evening Munsell was released, and, quite naturally, returned to Secretary Stanton.

It can well be understood what the result was. Those who knew the War Secretary may fancy whether the furlough which he had given was honored or not.

Munsell attended the Free Military School, went before the board of examiners in Washington, and was recommended as first lieutenant, first class. Then, with a sword in his hand, instead of a musket, the color-bearer rejoined his regiment in time to take part in the battle at Cold Harbor, the engagements around Petersburg, and the first battle of Deep Bottom.

His good fortune did not attend him in this last engagement, for he was taken prisoner, and consigned to "Libby." Not until 1865 was he exchanged, and then he had the pleasure of finding a commission awaiting him as captain of Company C, 99th Regiment, to rank from September 12, 1864.

To-day the hundred pound stripling, or, rather, he who once tipped the scales at that weight, having worked his way from private to captain, and experienced nearly all vicissitudes of war, is president of the "National Alliance" in New York, and among the business community none stands higher than Ex-Color-Bearer Harvey M. Munsell.

Harvey M Munsell