On March 1, 1863, at Berlin (now Brunswick), Maryland, William Bull enlisted in the Independent Loudoun Virginia Rangers, a cavalry scouting unit which was the only command from present-day Virginia to fight with the Union Army during the Civil War. He was scheduled to be First Sergeant in the newly-formed company B of the Rangers, but when plans for that fell through, he enlisted in Co. A of the Rangers, but was still often referred to as "Sergeant Bull."
The story is told that in early 1864, Capt. Samuel Means of the Loudoun Rangers had promised to send a fine milch cow to Secretary of War Stanton. Bull, who had lived in Washington and knew the streets well, was deployed to deliver the cow to Secretary Stanton. However, Stanton misunderstood the telegram that Means had sent, which stated that Sgt. Bull was delivering the cow and a calf, and he flew into a rage, yelling, "What do I want with a bull? Take them all back!" After an aide had explained things to Stanton, he calmed down, and the cow and calf were delivered to his residence. Stanton ended up quite pleased with the matter, and asked Bull to convey his thanks to Capt. Means.
Bull had been captured on June 17, 1863 at Point of Rocks, Md. He must have been released or paroled, because he was captured again on May 17, 1864 near Waterford, Va.. This time he was sent to Andersonville Prison in Georgia. Not only did he survive the notorious Andersonville, but he also survived a train wreck in Alabama, and the explosion on the overloaded steamboat Sultana when it suddenly exploded on the Mississippi River on April 27, 1865, carrying paroled prisoners -- he had been exchanged on April 11.
He was discharged at Washington,D.C. on May 22, 1865, by order of General Huffman in command of prisoners.
He later testified at the trial of Henry Wirz, the commander of the Andersonville prison.
After the war he worked for a period of time in the Washington (DC) Navy Yard.
The story is told that in early 1864, Capt. Samuel Means of the Loudoun Rangers had promised to send a fine milch cow to Secretary of War Stanton. Bull, who had lived in Washington and knew the streets well, was deployed to deliver the cow to Secretary Stanton. However, Stanton misunderstood the telegram that Means had sent, which stated that Sgt. Bull was delivering the cow and a calf, and he flew into a rage, yelling, "What do I want with a bull? Take them all back!" After an aide had explained things to Stanton, he calmed down, and the cow and calf were delivered to his residence. Stanton ended up quite pleased with the matter, and asked Bull to convey his thanks to Capt. Means.
Bull had been captured on June 17, 1863 at Point of Rocks, Md. He must have been released or paroled, because he was captured again on May 17, 1864 near Waterford, Va.. This time he was sent to Andersonville Prison in Georgia. Not only did he survive the notorious Andersonville, but he also survived a train wreck in Alabama, and the explosion on the overloaded steamboat Sultana when it suddenly exploded on the Mississippi River on April 27, 1865, carrying paroled prisoners -- he had been exchanged on April 11.
He was discharged at Washington,D.C. on May 22, 1865, by order of General Huffman in command of prisoners.
He later testified at the trial of Henry Wirz, the commander of the Andersonville prison.
After the war he worked for a period of time in the Washington (DC) Navy Yard.
On March 1, 1863, at Berlin (now Brunswick), Maryland, William Bull enlisted in the Independent Loudoun Virginia Rangers, a cavalry scouting unit which was the only command from present-day Virginia to fight with the Union Army during the Civil War. He was scheduled to be First Sergeant in the newly-formed company B of the Rangers, but when plans for that fell through, he enlisted in Co. A of the Rangers, but was still often referred to as "Sergeant Bull."
The story is told that in early 1864, Capt. Samuel Means of the Loudoun Rangers had promised to send a fine milch cow to Secretary of War Stanton. Bull, who had lived in Washington and knew the streets well, was deployed to deliver the cow to Secretary Stanton. However, Stanton misunderstood the telegram that Means had sent, which stated that Sgt. Bull was delivering the cow and a calf, and he flew into a rage, yelling, "What do I want with a bull? Take them all back!" After an aide had explained things to Stanton, he calmed down, and the cow and calf were delivered to his residence. Stanton ended up quite pleased with the matter, and asked Bull to convey his thanks to Capt. Means.
Bull had been captured on June 17, 1863 at Point of Rocks, Md. He must have been released or paroled, because he was captured again on May 17, 1864 near Waterford, Va.. This time he was sent to Andersonville Prison in Georgia. Not only did he survive the notorious Andersonville, but he also survived a train wreck in Alabama, and the explosion on the overloaded steamboat Sultana when it suddenly exploded on the Mississippi River on April 27, 1865, carrying paroled prisoners -- he had been exchanged on April 11.
He was discharged at Washington,D.C. on May 22, 1865, by order of General Huffman in command of prisoners.
He later testified at the trial of Henry Wirz, the commander of the Andersonville prison.
After the war he worked for a period of time in the Washington (DC) Navy Yard.
The story is told that in early 1864, Capt. Samuel Means of the Loudoun Rangers had promised to send a fine milch cow to Secretary of War Stanton. Bull, who had lived in Washington and knew the streets well, was deployed to deliver the cow to Secretary Stanton. However, Stanton misunderstood the telegram that Means had sent, which stated that Sgt. Bull was delivering the cow and a calf, and he flew into a rage, yelling, "What do I want with a bull? Take them all back!" After an aide had explained things to Stanton, he calmed down, and the cow and calf were delivered to his residence. Stanton ended up quite pleased with the matter, and asked Bull to convey his thanks to Capt. Means.
Bull had been captured on June 17, 1863 at Point of Rocks, Md. He must have been released or paroled, because he was captured again on May 17, 1864 near Waterford, Va.. This time he was sent to Andersonville Prison in Georgia. Not only did he survive the notorious Andersonville, but he also survived a train wreck in Alabama, and the explosion on the overloaded steamboat Sultana when it suddenly exploded on the Mississippi River on April 27, 1865, carrying paroled prisoners -- he had been exchanged on April 11.
He was discharged at Washington,D.C. on May 22, 1865, by order of General Huffman in command of prisoners.
He later testified at the trial of Henry Wirz, the commander of the Andersonville prison.
After the war he worked for a period of time in the Washington (DC) Navy Yard.
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