USA > Georgia > The army reunion : with reports of the meetings of the societies of the Army of the Cumberland; the Army of the Tennessee; the Army of the Ohio: and the Army of Georgia > Part 10
USA > Ohio > The army reunion : with reports of the meetings of the societies of the Army of the Cumberland; the Army of the Tennessee; the Army of the Ohio: and the Army of Georgia > Part 10
USA > Tennessee > The army reunion : with reports of the meetings of the societies of the Army of the Cumberland; the Army of the Tennessee; the Army of the Ohio: and the Army of Georgia > Part 10
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24
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Army Reunion.
the city. General Saunders had only two days before received notice of his promotion to the rank of Brigadier-General, a pro- motion that General Burnside was obliged to have made, in order to get a proper commander for the cavalry of his army. He was immediately assigned to the command of the cavalry, and ordered to detain the enemy as long as possible, to give the infantry time to construct defensive works about the city, which was, at the time, almost entirely destitute of any kind of defences. For two days, on the south side of the Holston river, General Saunders was engaged in this work, constantly at the head of his com- mand, and the works then being tenable on that side, his command was transferred to the Knoxville side of the river, with orders to make a stubborn resistance in the direction of London, from whence Longstreet was rapidly advancing with the main body of his army, preceded by cavalry. It was here that Saun- ders made some of those desperate charges, and engaged in hand- to-hand conflicts, such as are rarely witnessed, and there, in plain view of the fort that now bears his illustrious name, with fighting in front of him, fighting to the right of him, fighting to the left of him, fighting in the rear of him, and himself wielding his sword with invincible bravery, there, I say, far in advance of any of his command, and entirely unappalled by the danger and elangor that surrounded him, the fatal bullet struck him which ushered his spirit into the presence of God. Another desperate charge recovered the dead body, and we had in our possession all that was mortal of the gallant, heroic, and equally modest Saunders. The enemy then immediately closed in and completed the invest- ment and seizure. The same night, at about midnight, we buried him quietly and privately, it being impossible, on account of the proximity of the enemy, and the arduous duties of the hour, to have a formal funeral. I have seen many noble dead, but never such heartfelt sorrow as pervaded that little funeral procession, not exceeding two dozen, and all officers high in
3
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Speech of General Hascall.
rank, as not a man could be spared from the trenches. We were all forcibly reminded of the circumstances of the burial of Sir John Moore, and some of the verses of that beautiful poem are so strictly and truthfully descriptive of this burial, that I can not refrain from repeating them here :
"Not a drum was heard, not a funeral note, As his corse to the ramparts we hurried; Not a soldier discharged his farewell shot O'er the grave where our hero we buried.
We buried him darkly, at dead of night, The sods with our bayonets turning ; By the struggling moonbeam's misty light, And our lanterns dimly burning.
No useless coffin inclosed his breast, Nor in sheet nor in shroud we wound him ;
But he lay like a warrior taking his rest, With his martial cloak around him.
Few and short were the prayers we said, And we spoke not a word of sorrow; But we steadfastly gazed on the face of the dead, And we bitterly thought of the morrow.
Slowly and sadly we laid him down, From the field of his fame fresh and gory; We carved not a line, we raised not a stone, ¿ But we left him alone in his glory."
Numerous other brave spirits yielded up their lives during this siege. Among the number, the gallant and accomplished Colonel Comstock, of Michigan. But time admonishes me that I must hasten on. Passing by the other numerous engagements and hardships which the Army of the Ohio endured, the next
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serious engagement we had was at Resaca, where General Schofield lost a distinguished member of his staff, and the Second Division lost very seriously in officers and men, and the Third fared not much better. From this time on until the fall of Atlanta, the Army of the Ohio was almost constantly engaged, being all the time on one or the other flanks of the army, and constantly fighting into new positions. The Army of the Ohio can justly claim credit for making the flank move- ment on the Ist of July, 1864, which caused the evacuation of Kenesaw Mountain and Marietta, and the Second Division of that army was the first to drive the enemy inside the fortifi- cations near the Howard House, at Atlanta, and the first to establish its batteries and commence the shelling of the city. I would fain follow the army in Atlanta, describe its desperate engagements at Franklin and Nashville, and its memorable achievements after being transferred to North Carolina, and till the close of the war, but time will not permit. The glorious achievements of the Army of the Ohio were not accomplished without serious losses. Our list of dead include the names of the gallant Saunders, Colonel Comstock, Colonel Lowry, of the One Hundred and Seventh Illinois Volunteers, Captain on General Schofield's staff, and Capt E. D. Saunders, A. A. G., · on General Cox's staff, besides numerous other officers, and that long list of less noted but not less gallant and honored dead, who fill the unmarked graves all over the rebellious states. All great achievements cost great sacrifices, and the peace we enjoy to-day has been no exception to the rule. On the other hand, we find, with our Army of the Ohio, that "peace hath her victories no less renowned than war." The country has not been slow to appreciate the exalted character of the services of the Army of the Ohio, or the splendid ability of its leading men. The United States at large, with one voice, has appro- priated our Schofield and made him Secretary of War. The
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Speech of General Logan.
great State of Ohio, almost before he was out of the field, took up our statesman, General Cox, and conferred upon him the highest honors in her gift, and the little State of Rhode Island has served our gallant Burnside in the same manner. The great states of Ohio and Michigan have made our Generals Sherwood and Spalding the keepers of their great seals, and my neighbors in Indiana have this fall taken up our General Packard and made him the successor of the illustrious Colfax in Congress ; while our inevitable General Jack Casement has spanned the continent with railroad iron, made his " everlasting fortune," and been elected to Congress from Wyoming, though he declares that he can not waste his time in small matters till he gets the Pacific Railroad done. We have numerous other evidences of the esteem in which our Army is held, but time forbids further allusion to them this evening.
SEVENTH TOAST ; - To the Memory of the Heroic Dead.
In the absence of General John A. Garfield, who was to have responded to this sentiment, and for whom the duty and the honor of special commemoration of the heroic dead were reserved until it was too late to make any other arrangement, there was no speech in response to the seventh toast.
Music by the Glee Club ; - " Pleyel's Hymn."
EIGHTH TOAST ; - The Army of the Tennessee.
Speech of General JOHN A. LOGAN :
FELLOW COMRADES : The toast, " The Army of the Tennes- see"-The Army of the Tennessee-the child of patriotism, born amidst revolution, came forth with all the energy and vigor
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Army Reunion.
of youth, without a furrow upon his brow, or a scar upon its manly form ; with the flag of the Union, the emblem of our unity, our glory and our strength, in one hand, and the sword of eternal liberty in the other, upon the bended knee, they swore that this land should be made free. The Army of the Tennessee, the first to win a victory, that went trembling o'er the wires, that gladdened every heart in this land, and filled every soul with joy. The Army of the Tennessee is without much written history - yet it has a grand history. Its history was written from the time it commenced its march from Shiloh to the end of the war by the swords of veterans and the blood of traitors. Its course was onward, its course was upward. From Donelson to Shiloh, from Shiloh to Corinth, from Corinth to Vicksburg, and around it, were many bloody battles fought, and there the haters of this glorious fabric of ours had their blood drunk by the sands of their soil, and at the same time many, too, of our own patriotic brothers breathed their last and were remembered by the rela- tions of the dead. I remember well-but I shall not attempt to go into details-many of the incidents of this war. I do remem- ber one in particular, at the battle of Baker's Creek, before Vicksburg was invested. The Army of the Tennessee went into battle against the combined hosts of treason, singing :
"John Brown's body lies mouldering in the grave, And his soul goes marching on."
On the march of the Army of the Tennessee, from Vicksburg, after forty days investment of that proud stronghold (where many, I am sorry to say, of the flower of this country were mown down by the enemy), we separated, a portion taking their march to Black river-a portion afterward to the Kenesaw - assisting in relieving the army of our gallant Thomas when so hardly pressed by the enemy.
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Speech of General Logan.
From thence they marched with Sherman to the sea. As I said, they gained the first great victory, and they were in the last battle, where the last gun was fired, at Benton's Cross-Roads.
The Army of the Tennessee - no better than other armies, but equally as good. The Army of the Tennessee - not more valiant than others, but equally as valiant. The Army of the Tennessee-with no more pride than others, but equally as much. The Army of the Tennessee, with no more patriotism than others, but equally as much. It was an army, it is to-day an army composed of patriots left, who would to-morrow respond to the tocsin of war, on the call of our country, as freely as it did at first.
The Army of the Tennessee had several commanders. Why, my comrades, you know (and of course you do, for you were of it,) that the President elect, of whom all men who are patriots are proud, was the first commander of the Army of the Ten- nessee ! You know that the brave and gallant Thomas was once a General in the Army of the Tennessee! You know that it was commanded by the gallant Sherman ! And you all know it was commanded by the lamented McPherson. And of him, permit me, my comrades, to speak. His tongue is silent in death; his body is cold. He can not speak for himself. · McPherson, McPherson is dead; but yet lives in the memory of every man that ever served under him.
He was a gentleman, by nature made. He was an educated . man, by his country's gift. He was a noble man, with his bosom full of generosity. The milk of human kindness welled up in that frame of his, a fountain wide and deep. His magna- nimity was as broad as the area of his whole country. His gen- erosity had no confine, and the gifts of his nature were as bright and as gleaming as the sun's beams at noon-day. If you want to know the correctness of the page left by that man ; if you want to know the brightness of his history, go and stand by the tomb
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of McPherson ; there wait until the rainbow shows itself in the sky ; then see the rays of the sun play across its variegated hues, and fall upon the dew-drop of the velvet rose that there grows upon his grave-emblems of the purity of his life. Upon that scene cast your eyes, and then remember that this is emblem- atical of the bright page and reputation of that gallant soul that is gone.
Now, my fellow-comrades, I only speak of these men of the Army of the Tennessee because they come to my mind. It had other noble men. All who belonged to it were noble men, and I love them all. I love that man now prostrated with disease con- tracted during its many fatigues and battles-the man you all know, the man of integrity, the man inspired with patriotism, the man worthy to be at the head of the nation. I speak of John A. Rawlins.
It was, too, afterward commanded by Howard. He has a history in this war going to prove him that noble man we all know him to be.
Of myself, who commanded the Army of the Tennessee, I shall not speak.
But, my fellow-citizens and comrades, there are others to be mentioned besides those whom I have mentioned. I can not call them all by name, but let me say this : Among all our heroes of our compatriots and brothers in arms and officers who sleep, to-day, the sleep that knows no waking, let their memories be fresh at all times, and let them live and be ever green in the recollections of us who survive them. But there are others still ; who are they? The poor but gallant soldiers who carried the musket ! That man who carried the knapsack and the rifle, in the Army of the Tennessee, to whom, to-day, we all owe the reputation we made.
He fought our battles ; many of them we left behind as we marched along, and you all remember the little mounds we used
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Speech of General Logan.
to see, as we marched along, dotting the place where the private soldier sleeps for ever. There are none to speak for them to-night. Those who are left we love and respect, and the mem- ories of those who are dead we revere. When they passed away, though not having, in the din of battle, that opportunity of meeting their God that others might have, yet, in my judgment, their ascension robes were made doubly white on account of their patriotic devotion, by that God who judges all.
There is a God, and whenever I hear any thing said (as I often have,) by persons speaking of the merits of the army, and of those who passed away without enjoying the privileges that are accorded to men at home, I remember what was related by that old German poet, once upon a time, and this is it.
When God conceived the majestic idea of making man, He called the three ministers who constantly wait upon His throne about him-Truth, Justice, and Mercy. He said, "Let us make man." Truth said, "Oh, God, make not man ; he will pollute Thy sanctuary." Justice said, "Oh, God, make not man, he will trample Thy laws under foot." But Mercy, upon her bended knee, with streaming eyes, said, "Oh, God, make man, cast him from Thy plastic hand on earth, and I will guide . him through his life down the path of time ; I will care for him in all his trials, in all his troubles, in all his vicissitudes ; and when the final day shall come of rendering accounts, I will return him to Thee, borne beneath the hollow of my hand, the child of mercy as Thou didst give him to me." So it is with the patriotic dead.
Now, my fellow-comrades, in conclusion, let me say this. In speaking of the army, the short time that we are allowed here to-night (and as you all know I never make any preparation when addressing you or any other body of men, never writing a speech, but always saying that which comes to my lips), assembled together as we are, the Army of the Tennessee, the
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Army of Georgia, the Army of the Ohio, the Army of the Cumberland, and others represented here-we can but remem- ber that we have been soldiers; and we are soldiers yet ! if our country needs our services. Let us meet together on all occasions as soldiers, as countrymen. Let us come together in a kindly spirit. Let us do away with all bickering and prejudice. Let us meet as soldiers. We have fought for one common cause, for one common country, for one common flag, for one common Constitution. And when separating, let us separate in the same way-with kindly feelings toward all -no matter what our politics may be, or what our prejudices may be, or what we may feel, or what we may think. Let us, as we have always done, renew our allegiance to the Government that gave us birth, to the flag that protected us, and the Constitution that preserved us. Let each and every one of us to-night register an oath high up in heaven, that each and every star upon the old flag, shining now as brightly as the stars that deck the plains of heaven, shall always give the same light that they have given -that never shall there be a particle of their brightness or their glory and luster in any way dimmed, darkened or obscured by the hand that treason may raise against this Government. Our sires look down from heaven and say, we · freed a nation, ye have freed a world -
Above your deeds in the celestial glee, The bells of Heaven ring out their jubilee, Men of the Army of the Tennessee.
Now, my fellow-comrades, I have said more than I intended to say, much more, and you will kindly pardon me.
I thank you most heartily for the kindly manner with which you have listened to me, and ask of you the same consideration of those who are to follow me.
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Speech of General Henderson.
NINTH TOAST ; - The Widows and Orphans of our Fallen Comrades.
Speech of GENERAL T. J. HENDERSON :
COMRADES : Of all the memories of the late rebellion, there is none so full of sorrow and sadness as the memory of our fallen comrades, and the Widows and Orphans left behind them. And yet it is one of the pleasing recollections of the terrible strife through which we have passed, that they have never been forgotten. Here to-night, amid all these festivities, surrounded by all the magnificence and splendor of this great occasion, and in this august presence, I am proud that the loved ones, the Widows and Orphans of those who nobly fought and bravely fell, and whose graves were found all along the lines of our many marches and battles, are not forgotten, but, on the con- trary, live in all our memories, and share in all our sympathies.
Comrades, it is one of the sacred duties we owe the gallant dead, never to forget those who gave up their husbands and fathers to help fight the battles and win the victories which have made memorable not only our own deeds, but our country's . fame. What sacrifices they made ; what sorrows they patiently bore ; what painful anxiety they endured while sitting at the window, and watching for the coming back of those they loved, but watched in vain, we may never know, but we can commend them to the sympathy and support of a grateful and a patriotic people. We can cherish their memory in all our associations, and in all our lives. We can bear to them the consideration that their husbands and fathers nobly died while defending the old flag -- that they gave up their lives that the nation might live. We can tell them of their gallant deeds. We can point them to their country's glory. Above all, we can preserve the great, free government, the rich legacy bequeathed to us by our fathers,
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Army Reunion.
and now made more precious by the blood of our fallen com- rades, as an asylum for them and their posterity forever. And this is the richest reward we can offer them for all their suffer- ings and sacrifices. As we strew the graves of our fallen comrades with flowers, let us invoke our country's richest and choicest blessings upon their Widows and Orphans, and may their lives ever be lovely and pleasant.
TENTH TOAST ; - The Army of the Cumberland.
Speech of GENERAL GEORGE H. THOMAS :
FELLOW-COMRADES OF THE ARMY OF TIIE TENNESSEE, OF THE OHIO, THE GEORGIA, AND THE CUMBERLAND : We have assembled in this city where we have a grand reunion of the four armics which had the good fortune to serve together in the West, where we claim that we did some good duty. To wind up these interesting proceedings, we have assembled here this evening to unite together in a social banquet to testify towards one another our fraternal love, begotten amid hours of danger, and when we were attempting to discharge our whole duty . to our country. These sentiments, I know, are entertained by the Army of the Cumberland and the three other armies. But as their representative to-night I wish to express to you again the fraternal feeling which we hold towards all of you. The cordial manner in which we have been received by the citizens of Chicago, should ever be remembered by us as a demonstration of their patriotic feeling. Therefore, I wish to tender to them, in behalf not only of the Army of the Cumberland, but of the other army societies here, our heart-felt thanks. As our time is limited, and there are several other speeches to make, you must excuse me from saying any more. I bid you good-night.
I am requested now to present a toast which was expected
040
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Speech of General Wilson.
from me at the close of the regular toasts this evening. I give you "The Citizens of Chicago. Their enterprise is proverbial, and their liberality no less so. The latter will be long remem- bered by the united armies of the Tennessee, the Ohio, the Cumberland, and the Georgia."
ELEVENTH TOAST ;- The Cavalry Corps of the Military Division of the Mississippi.
Speech of General J. H. WILSON :
COMRADES : In responding to the sentiment which you have just received, and which revives in my mind so many stirring recollections, it is not my intention to detain you by a recital of historic details ; but I should be false to the hardy riders, who never were false to me or to their colors, if I failed, in their name, to return their grateful acknowledgments for the graceful manner in which you have just complimented them.
It is said that a prominent general, in the early days of the Rebellion, offered a reward for a dead cavalryman ; and we are all familiar with the derisive cry : "Fight in front! There goes · the cavalry to the rear !" I remember hearing it upon one occa- sion which may have some significance among the potent but unseen influences which gave character to the war. It was on the night after the battle of Mission Ridge, while General Grant, accompanied by his staff and orderlies, was riding toward Chat- tanooga. As the cavalcade dashed by, a division of infantry, pushing to the front, made the gloomy forests of the Chicka- mauga re-echo with the old shout of derision. The laugh was on their side then, although the joke had become somewhat threadbare. Whether or not this incident brought to the mind of our chieftain a clearer perception of the necessity for cavalry which should persistently head and fight in the other direction, I
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Army Reunion.
can not say, but it is certain that the campaign about Chattanooga led to the selection of a cavalry leader whose name will live when that of Murat is forgotten-gallant Phil. Sheridan. Since the days of Mago, who, with his Numidian horse, overthrew the chivalry of Rome at Cannæ, no more splendid reputation has burst upon the world !
It was my good fortune to be selected for the work laid out by Sherman for the cavalry of his military division, and hence I feel it a sacred duty to allude briefly to its principal features.
At Galesville, in October, 1864, General Sherman in that frank and perspicuous manner so characteristic of the man, unfolded his plans and told me his wishes; turned over to my command the entire mounted force belonging to the armies of the Cumberland, the Tennessee, and the Ohio ; gave me unlimited control of this splendid corps, and generously added : " Do the best you can with it, and if you make any reputation out of it, I will not undertake to divide it with you." At that time the bulk of this force was dismounted, and parts of it were scattered from South-western Missouri to West Virginia. McCook, Long, and Kilpatrick commanded the three divisions from the Army of the Cumberland; Upton and Hatch the two from the Army of the Tennessee; R. W. Johnson that from the Army of the Ohio; and Knipe, the last, made up principally of new troops from Tennessee and Indiana. Kilpatrick, with five thousand men, and most of the horses, went down to the sea with Sherman, while the rest of the force remained with Thomas to ajd in the work of crushing Hood. The official reports have told how Hatch and Croxton kept watch and ward along the Tennessee for the six anxious weeks previous to Hood's passage of the river in his northward march ; how they were reinforced by Capron and Hammond, and struggled to impede the hostile advance ; and how at last Hood and Forrest received their first defeat at Franklin. You all know how the
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Speech of General Wilson.
country was held in suspense lest the rebels should press north- ward and flank us out at Nashville ; while our imperturbable commander, secure in his position of strength, was gathering his force for a final and crushing blow. A cavalry officer himself, he knew that cavalry without horses were like a sabre without a hilt-powerless for offence, and dangerous only to him who holds it. He therefore chose to wait while we gathered horses. When the day of battle arrived we marched out with twelve thousand men, nine thousand of whom were mounted, and full of confidence; besides three thousand more who had been sent in pursuit of Lyon.
I shall not detain you with the story of Nashville. Our com- rades of the Army of the Cumberland know how Hatch, Knipe, Johnston and Croxton burst through the rebel works, wheeling grandly to the left, enveloping the hostile line, and, in conjunc- tion with A. J. Smith's travel-stained veterans, supported by those of Schofield's corps, swept the rebel troops from hill to hill, capturing prisoners, guns and breastworks, till the darkness of a wintry night checked their onward career. My comrades of the cavalry have not forgotten how gracefully the gallant McArthur, in admiration of their dashing assault, refused to contest with them the honor of having been first to enter the rebel works, and first to reach the rebel guns. That battle, with its splendid rivalry between cavalry and infantry, was worth a lifetime of ordinary service. No trooper went to the rear that day except on a stretcher or in an ambulance. Pushing forward the next morning, wheeling steadily toward Nashville, Hatch and Ham- mond pressed the goaded and desperate foe in flank and rear till Hood, in the agony of despair, wrote to Chalmers : "For God's sake, drive back the Yankee cavalry, or all is lost !" It was too late. Step by step, up the deep slopes of the Brentwood Hills, and through their tangled thickets, the dismounted troopers held their way. Finally, when the infantry advanced to the assault of
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