Karl Frederick Hall, a Union soldier of the American Civil War, went by several names, including Carl Hall and Karl Holl. He is said to have been born in the city of Baden, Germany in 1834; later migrating to the United States. Little has been learned of his early life, except that the State of Maine Archives indicates he worked as a wheelwright; engaged in the making of spoked wheels and heavier types of horse drawn vehicles. Then at the age of  28, Hall enlisted as a Private into the 14th Maine Volunteer Infantry on June 17, 1862 and was assigned to Company K.

The 14th Maine Volunteer Infantry was organized at August, Maine and mustered in December 31, 1861 for a period of three years service. They left Maine on February 5, 1962 for Boston, Massachusetts where they boarded the steamer, “North America”, the next day, bound for Mississippi; arriving on March 8th.  They were Attached to Butler's New Orleans Expeditionary Corps from January through March, 1862, the 3rd Brigade, Dept. of the Gulf, until December, 1862, were assigned to Sherman's Division, Dept. Gulf, until January, 1863,  the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 19th Corps, until February, 1864, the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 19th Corps, Dept. of  Gulf, until July, 1864, reassigned to the Army of the Shenandoah, Middle Military Division, until January, 1865, the District of Savannah, Georgia, Dept. of the South, until March, 1865, the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 10th Army Corps, Army of Ohio, until April, 1865 and to the District of Savannah, Dept. of the South, until August, 1865.

The 14th Maine saw duty at Ship Island, Mississippi, at New Orleans, on the Amite River, the Battle of Baton Rouge, Louisiana on August 5, 1862,  at Civiques Ferry, Louisiana on May 10, 1863, at Port Hudson, Louisiana from May 27 thru July 9, 1863, at Winchester, Virginia on September 19, 1864, at Fishers Hill, Virginia on September 22, 1864 and at Cedar Creek, Virginia on October 19, 1864; in addition to numerous other engagements and marches.

The 14th Maine was mustered out of service in January 1865, with reenlisted men and recruits being transferred to the 14th Battalion Maine Infantry; which also mustered out the following August, 1865.

Regimental losses amounted to 5 officers and 81 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 2 officers and 330 enlisted men who died from diseases.

Pension papers for Hall in the National Archives reveal that Hall was rendered unfit for duty, being treated for a severe hernia, from February 11, 1863 through March 1, 1863; after which he was returned to duty. Fifty-one days later, however, Hall was again admitted to the hospital at St. John Baptiste, Louisiana, on April 20, 1863; remaining only a short period of time before again being returned to regular duty. Then in May 1863, while serving picket duty, Hall had a fall which severely ruptured his injury and he had to be transported to New Orleans, Louisiana and was admitted to the General Military Hospital. Upon examination by military physicians, his injury was deemed to be to severe to be repaired enough for him to return to duty again and he was granted a medical discharge at Bonnet Carre, Louisiana on May 28, 1863; bringing to an end Hall’s service in the 14th Maine.

An examination of Australian immigration records has yet to reveal the date of Hall’s arrival to Australia, but it had to be prior to 1873, because on July 7, 1874 he married Jane Mary Hill at a church in Sydney, New South Wales. The only known child of Karl and Jane, Francis Henry Hall, was born five years later; on July 9, 1879.

In 1892 Karl Hall was employed as a boarding house manager when he applied, through the U.S. Consul’s office in Sydney, New South Wales, to the American Veterans Administration for a disability pension. His reason as stated on his application was that he was unable to continue making a living through manual labor.

Karl’s wife, Jane Mary Hall, passed away on November 23, 1903 and was buried in the Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney in the Church of England Portion, Section AAA, grave number 660. Some three years later, on September 17, 1906, Karl too died and was buried beside his wife in Rookwood Cemetery, in the Church of England Portion, Section AAA, in grave number 661.

A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, Vol. 2,  Frederick H.  Dyer, Dayton, Ohio, 1979. 

Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, Regimental Histories

Hall Pension Records, National Archives

Maine in the War for the Union:  A History of the Part Borne by Maine Troops....,

     William W.S.  Whitman, Lexington, Maine, 1865.

Maine State Archives

Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Maine

Rookwood Cemetery, Sydney, New South Wales

Union Regimental Histories