Ka cika wannan magana: A ranar 14 ga Disamba, 1861, Sylvester Bonnaffon, Jr. ɗan shekara goma sha tara ya shiga aikin soja a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, kuma a wannan ranar aka ɗauke shi a matsayin soja a Kamfanin I na Rundunar 'Yan Sa-kai na 99 na Pennsylvania. An canja shi zuwa Kamfanin G a cikin wannan rundunar a ranar 18 ga watan Disamba, sai aka inganta shi zuwa matsayi na corporal a ranar 1 ga Afrilu, 1862 da kuma matsayi na sarge wata daya daga baya (a ranar 1 ga Mayu). An ba shi izini a matsayin na biyu a ranar 1 ga watan Agusta na wannan shekarar, daga baya ya shiga tare da rundunarsa a cikin wasu ayyukan da suka fi karfi na yakin basasar Amurka a matsayin wani ɓangare na rundunar sojojin Potomac ta Union, ciki har da yakin Bull Run na biyu na 1862 (Agusta 28-30), da kuma yakin basasa na 1862.
Chantilly (Satumba 1) da Fredericksburg (Disamba 11<unk>15); 1863's Chancellorsville Campaign (Afrilu 30<unk> Mayu 6), yaƙe-yaƙe na Gettysburg (Yuli 1<unk>3) da Wapping Heights (Yuli 23), Bristoe Campaign da Yaƙin Auburn na Farko (Oktoba 13) da Yaƙin na biyu na Rappahannock Station (Nuwamba 7), da Kamfen na Ruwa na Ruwa (Nuwamba 27<unk> Disamba 2); da 1864's yaƙe-yaƙe na Wilderness (Mayu 5<unk>7), Kotun Kotun Spottsylvania (Mayu 8<unk>21), North Anna (Mayu 23<unk>26), da Cold Harbor (Mayu 31<unk> Yuni 12). Ya shiga tare da rundunarsa a cikin Siege na Petersburg, gami da Yaƙin Farko na Farko da na Biyu (Yuli 27<unk>29, 1864 da Agusta 14<unk>20), sannan aka sake inganta shi a matsayi tare da kwamiti zuwa laftanan na farko a ranar 27 ga Satumba.