Tuliskeun saterusna pikeun paragraf ieu - Lins lahir di Wachstedt, hiji munisipalitas leutik di naon ayeuna nagara bagian Thuringia di Jerman tengah. Dina taun 1857, nalika umur 17 taun, kulawargana hijrah ka Amérika Sarikat. Kulawargana meuli hiji kebon deukeut Milwaukee, Wisconsin, dimana manéhna digawé jeung cicing nepi ka 1859. Dina taun 1859, manéhna indit ka St. Louis, tuluy ka New Orleans, di mana manéhna tetep nepi ka wabah Perang Sipil Amérika. Manéhna balik ka Milwaukee, sarta tilu poé sanggeus datangna, manéhna jadi sukarelawan pikeun ngalayanan di Union Army. Manéhna enrolled di 5th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment di Camp Randall, jeung, dina bulan Juli 1861, marched pikeun téater wétan perang. Patempuran nu diiluan ku manéhna di antarana Patempuran Lee's Mill, Patempuran Williamsburg, Patempuran Stasion Savage
, Patempuran White Oak Swamp, Patempuran Malvern Hill, Patempuran Crampton's Gap, Patempuran Antietam, Patempuran Fredericksburg, Patempuran Gettysburg, Patempuran Spotsylvania Court House, ogé Patempuran Cold Harbor, nalika anjeunna parah tatu. Sanggeus perang, anjeunna cicing di Eagle, Wisconsin, di Waukesha County.