Stephen Spelletich

Hon. J. B. Leake sent the description given in this paper of the heroism of the young Spelletich, to Gen. Halleck, with a request that the rifle he captured might be presented to him.  The following was the reply:

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSISSIPPI,

St. Louis, March 19^th, 1862.

HON. J. B. LEAKE:– SIR – Your letter of the 14^th inst., in regard to the heroic conduct of private Stephen Spelletich, at Fort Donelson, is just received.  I will endeavor to have the rifle he captured selected out, and presented to him, if so authorized by the Secretary of War.  I shall forward to him your letter with the request that the authority be granted.

H. W. HALLECK, Maj. Gen.

P. S.  I respectfully recommend, that the Governor commission young Spelletich to any vacancy in his regiment.

H. W. H.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Friday Morning, March 28, 1862, p. 1

A Tribute to Worth

At a meeting of the Hickory Grove Literary Association, held March 15^th, 1862, the following resolution was unanimously carried:–

Resolved, that we have heard with pleasure and gratification of the heroism of our former associate, STEPHEN SPELLITICH, of the Iowa 2d, and do appreciate his bravery as exhibited at the battle of Fort Donelson.

On Motion, the Secretary was requested to forward a copy of this resolution to the DAVENPORT WEEKLY GAZETTE for publication.

WM. H. COOK, Pres.

JOHN P. DOSCH, Sec.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Saturday Morning, March 22, 1862, p. 1

A Young Hero

A. SANDERS, ESQ. – Dear Sir:  You published in your daily of the 5^th inst., which accidentally came to my hand, an article of a ‘brave boy.’  We call him simply Stepho and I call him the boy of the second regiment.  I call him so, therefore, because he is the youngest and belongs to us.  Having lived and studied among you for the last twelve years, you may know him, as the son of the old Hungarian exile, F. Spellitich.  He is above the middle [illegible], of Herculean strength for one his age, which is surpassed only by his bravery, coolness, and self-possession.  You hinted at his exploits, I give you some further particulars.

During the hottest part of the glorious battle at Fort Donelson, this boy of the Second stood there alone, on the summit of the enemy’s entrenchments.  He was ordered down by the commanding officer, but all in vain.  In the midst of the deafening tumult, he either did not, or would not hear the command, for he stood on his chosen post, coolly and deliberately among the whistling bullets of the enemy, ever as a target or as a living banner of the Union.  Unmindful of all, he stripped himself of his superfluous garments, and placing his ammunition on top of them, commenced a single-handed combat against the thousand of the foe.  We heard the boy exclaiming ‘you scoundrel, you shot my captain – I will pay you for it,’ and suiting the action to the word he discharged his musket and the victim fell.  He loaded again, erect among a thousand dangers, and the next rebel bit the dust.  This went on in the same manner, until his ammunition was exhausted.  Still more, this boy of the Second had the courage to seize a six barreled revolving rifle in the hands of a foe, and wresting it from him, replaced his garments, and then came down to us, bearing aloft his trophy.  The boy, according to the strict military rule, was deprived of his dearly bought rifle, nevertheless, the glory of the exploit will be sufficient trophy for him.

A COMRADE.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Wednesday Morning, March 12, 1862, p. 1

A Brave Boy

An incident is related of young Spellitich, at Fort Donelson, a member of Co. C, and a son of Mr. Felix Spellitich, of this county, that ought to be recorded.  When our forces arrived at the entrenchments he clambered on top, stopped there, took off his overcoat, laid it down, then his under coat, laid that down deliberately, put his ammunition on top of the pile, then stood and coolly took aim at the enemy.  Each time, when about to fire, he would say “You scoundrel, you shot my captain,” or words to that effect, and every time he pulled the trigger an enemy bit the dust.  Seeing his dangerous position, exposed as the boy was, a prominent object for the enemy’s marksmen, Lieut. Bing ordered him down, but he either didn’t hear, or didn’t want to, and kept on blazing away as if the fate of the army depended on his maintaining his position.  When he came down, he was entirely unharmed.  Young Spellitich is about nineteen years old, and is a native of Hungary.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Wednesday Morning, March 5, 1862, p. 1