I would like to give you some information about Frederick W. Fout account of the battle at Harper's Ferry. The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to >  FOUT, FREDERICK W. Rank and Organization: Second Lieutenant, 15th Battery, > Indiana Light Artillery. Place and Date: Near Harpers Ferry, W. Va., 15 > September 1862. Entered Service At: Indianapolis, Ind. Birth: Germany. Date of > Issue: 2 November 1896. Citation: Voluntarily gathered the men of the battery > together, remanned the guns, which had been ordered abandoned by an officer, > opened fire, and kept up the same on the enemy until after the surrender.   This account comes from the book he wrote in 1903 about his experiences during the Civil War. The account deals with his actions at Harper's Ferry (page 115-116) During the night, I had gone to the northern end of Bolivar Heights with Von Sehlen and his four guns. After selecting a covered place for the caissons and reporting the position to the captain, I remained with him for a time until the firing in our rear on top of Bolivar Heights became most terrific. I rode up to the Captain, saluted him and asked permission to go back to the other guns left in charge of the Austrian Lt. on Bolivar Heights. Every gun of the enemy appeared in action, and every part of our position was unsafe. After riding about a mile through this iron hail, I reached the section, but to my astonishment found it abandoned. I looked around for the cannoneers and soon found them sheltered in a deep gully. I asked the Sergeant and Corporal: "How is this? Why are you not with your guns and replying to the enemy fire?" "Well," said one of the men, " when we were up by the guns we were exposed to the fire on all sides, the Lt. that the Captain put us over us said " Mein Gott in Himmel! Run Boys! Come, get away from here! And so we just left and sought protection' By that time the enemy had ceased most of their firing and I at once seized up the situation, and asked them to join me and we would open fire on the rebels. I soon had the required number to man one gun, and we went up the hill and opened fire. Our aim was directed on School House Hill, near the Winchester pike. Joel Smith, a lead driver of gun Number 3, left his team in the gully and came forward voluntarily to act as Number 3, to stop the vent. Not having a thumb stall, he pulled the sleeve of his blouse forward to protect his thumbs, which after the first shot had already been burned. No sooner had we begun firing that every battery and gun of the enemy renewed their action, and the roar of artillery was most terrific. Colonel Miles, expecting an assault by the infantry, during the brief interval of quiet, called the brigade commanders together. Two batteries and a large part of a division of infantry of the enemy had advanced to our left and rear across the Shenandoah, and not a single shot had been heard for our relief from McClellan's 100,000 on the Maryland side. As the firing in that direction the evening before had apparently receded instead of coming nearer, and as the ammunition was exhausted, the brigade commanders unanimously decided it was absolutely useless to try and defend the post no longer and determined on surrender. Number of Guns used in the Defense of Harper's Ferry and turned over to the Enemy ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- 24- pounders howitzers......................6 20-pounder Parrots............................4 12-pounder guns................................6 6-pounder smooth guns----------------------6 12-pounder light howitzers..................2 3-inch rifled pieces...........................10 3-inch rifled James.............................6 The following guns were spiked: 10-inch Dahlgrens..............................2 50-pounder Parrotts............................1 12-pounder light howitzers...................2 12-pounder guns.................................2 Total 47 If you would like any additional information on this American Hero who served during the Civil War from 1861-1865 from enlistment in Indiana in the days following Fort Sumpter and battle at Camp Jackson to the end of the Civil War please let me know. We have both books that Frederick W. Fout wrote. In our family he is held in high regard as an American Hero, plus being a successful pension attorney after the war up until his death, and in addition a merchant in Indianapolis, cofounder of the 1st Glassworks Company in the West (Indiana) after the Civil War, and a home builder in Indianapolis and in St. Louis, Missouri. He also was a contributing photographer in two books on the Philippines.