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REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01757 0695
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MOTORIVAL DUVILIT OF IOWA
SEVENTH REUNION 7th
OF THE JA, CAVALRY 2ยช REGT.
SECOND IOWA CAVALRY
VETERAN ASSOCIATION,
HELD AT
Des Moines, la., Wednesday AND Thursday
October 2d and 3d, 1895.
OFFICERS.
THOS. BELL, Fairfield, lowa.
. PRESIDENT, VICE - PRESIDENT, J. C. SMITH, Co. 1, Washington, lowa.
SECRETARY AND TREASURER, CHAPLAIN,
T. T. ANDERSON, Co. D, Indianola, la. J. B. ALBROOK, D. D. Co. I, Mt. Vernon, la. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
H. B. SUDLOW, Co. C, Rock Island, III J. L. HERBERT, Co. B, Le Grand, la. B. A. BEESON, Des Moines, lowa.
INDIANOLA, IOWA HERALD PRINTING HOUSE 1805.
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HISTORICAL SOCIETY
To the Boys of the Old 2d lowa Cavalry.
D EAR COMRADES: The Seventh Reunion of our old regiment held in the city of Des Moines is now a portion of the history of a regiment not only famous in time of war but conceded, thirty years after that great event, to be the best veteran organization in Iowa. Its membership is made up of men of whom your secretary is proud to call comrades. Elliott, Hatch and Coon were with us only in spirit, for they are gone, but the men whom they trained as soldiers so imbibed their heroism as to be splendid representatives of these intrepid leaders. . Horton and Egbert, loved by the old zd, answered to roll call. Col. Hepburn was detained at home by reason of sickness and J. V. Mc- Duffy, who was expected to be with us, took sick at Chicago on his way to the reunion and was compelled to return home H. B. Sudlow, who has always been with us, was sick and could not be present. Lieut. J. H. Freeman, of Leroy, Ohio, was with us, as I understand, for the first time and enjoyed the meeting beyond measure. It was somewhat of an experiment to hold the reunion in a city like Des Moines and many felt it would be, to a degree, a failure but the opposite was true. While the citizens of that city of conventions and great gatherings can not take special interest in all, yet a number of business men, through the solicitation of Hon. Isaac Brandt, paid for the two days use of the tabernacle which was $60, and in other ways the citizens of the Capitol City proved their loyalty to the soldiers. A large city cannot or at least will not give a regimental association the reception given by the smaller towns; but as a reunion I am safe in saying that at no one have the boys spent a more satis- factory period than October 2d and 3d in the city of Des Moines. The banquet proved to be a most pleasant feature and all spoke in the highest terms of the service given by Mr. Cal. Christ who is an expert in catering to the wishes of the public. My thanks are due Gen. B. A. Beeson, of Des Moines, Miss Bessie Egbert and E. T. Rigby, of Davenport, W. A. Burnap, of Mason City, and Mrs. T. T. Anderson, of Indianola, for assistance in keeping the Minutes of the sessions and other helps. Hon. Thos. Bell, of Fairfield, Presi- dent of the Association, filled his place with dignity and honor and will accept the thanks of the secretary and association. The camp-fires were unusually interesting, there being introduced some new features Miss Lizzie Lilly, of Muscatine, recited a poem on the Farmington charge, and Miss Anna Burschel. one on Shiloh; both ladies are daughters of members of the regiment. Mr. II. J. Bennett, of Co. I, being a resident of Des Moines, assisted much in the way of furnishing vocal music, being assisted by such excellent singers as Mrs. Jessie
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Cheek, of that city. The fate of our beloved comrade M. Carroll, of Co. (., was the only occurrence since the meeting at Mason City calculated to cast gloom over the Association. He was a soldier universally loved by his con- rades and his sudden disappearance is yet wrapped in mystery.
In concluding this talk to my old comrades in arms, I would urge each one to make a special effort to attend the next reunion which meets the first Wednes- day and Thursday in October, 1897, in Davenport, lowa, for there the old reg- iment began its career and a large number will be expected. The making up and mailing of this little book finishes my work as your secretary, and while there is much labor and solicitude involved in the duties of secretary and treasurer, yet it has been to me somewhat of a pleasure; and now wishing all my comrades the greatest prosperity and happiness in their old days, I bid you farewell.
T. T. ANDERSON,
Secretary and Treasurer, Indianola, lowa.
Seventh Reunion Second Iowa Cavalry.
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2-3, 1895
The comrades began arriving at the Hotel Goldstone in East Des Moines, where headquarters were established, as early as Monday evening, Ed. Jones, of Kansas, being among the first arrivals. Tuesday a large number came in and by midnight of Tuesday there were present about 125 causing the hotel to be a busy place. It was indeed interesting to see the old comrades meet, many of whom would entirely forget all surroundings and clasp each other in their arms. The Wednesday morning trams brought to the reunion all others except a few who arrived during the night of Wednesday and Thursday morning.
FIRST DAY.
WEDNESDAY, OG1. 2- 9 A. M.
The reunion proper was formally opened by President Bell calling the com- rades to order from the platform of the Tabernacle, where the sessions were held, and after a few well chosen words relative to the meeting of the old regi- ment, Rev. B. F. Diffenbacher very feelingly opened the first session in words of prayer that God's blessing would rest upon each comrade in his life and as they had been loyal to country so might they be loyal to the cause and in- terests of Him who controls the destinies of men and nations; that each might so live as to be safely gathered in the final great reunion .
At the close of the prayer the comrades ill joined in singing "Marching Through Georgia."
Comrade W. A. Burnap moved that for the pefecting of the organization the roll of Companies be called and thai each name its member on the several committees.
COMMITTEE ON PLACE OF NEXT MEETING.
A J. K Wagner, E George Hayward, 1. Joe Thompson,
B .- William E Walke,
F Wi. Bulla
K A McCray.
C .- - Isaac Gilmer, G. E T. Rigby,
L. John Estey.
D. John N Butler, = T B Allen, M Robtert Gibson
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COMMITTEE ON OFFICERS.
A .- Chas. Cadle, E .-- George Hayward, I .- L. H. Ferguson,
B .- R. B. Smith,
F .- Albert Adams, K .- Joe Dotson,
C .- J. H. Freeman,
G .- George Hepenstall,
L .- Frank Hammond,
D .- H. C. Smith,
H .- E. J. Bogett, M .- R. Wood.
COMMITTEE ON DUES.
A .- Wm. Berenger,
E .- Ceorge Hayward, I .- Curley Jones,
B .- W. N. Henshaw,
F .- George Cutler, K .- Tom Bell,
C .- Dan. Snyder,
G .- Capt. G. W. Budd,
L .- Frank Hammond,
D .- N. B. Callahan,
H .- Isaac Myers' M .- R. F. McMeans.
COMMITTEE ON RESOLUTIONS.
George Ade,
H. W. Todd, J. K. Wagner.
After the appointment of the committees and some other minor business, the meeting adjourned until 2 p. m., the intervening hours being pleasantly spent in visiting each with the other, many of the comrades going to the Capitol to see the old standards now hermetically sealed in glass cases in the state building.
AFTERNOON SESSION -- 2 P. M.
Called to order by President Bell. Rev. J. B. Albrook, D. D., of Mt. Ver- non, the Association Chaplain, having arrived, led in prayer in which he plead that the blessings of Almighty God might rest upon the surviving members of the 2d Iowa Cavalry. Following prayer, the comrades, led by the glee club under the management of H. J. Bennet, of Co. I., sang with vigor the old song "America."
The afternoon camp-fire was opened by comrade Albrook, who talked inter- estingly of his experience at Memphis at the time Forest's troops entered that city; also of the experiences at the battle of Franklin and in the last skirmish with Forest in 1864. The main part of comrade Albrook's talk was about his visit to Louisville during the recent National Encampment. The city was dec- orated with the red, white and blue, presenting a lively contrast to that of thirty-five years ago. They were given a splendid reception by the Southern people, who, as a rule, all talk Union, but some few are yet disposed to flaunt the Confederate flag. Visited Nashville; all traces of war except Ft. Negly and a few others have disappeared; said that his visit to Nashville and other cities of the South, was on the whole pleasant.
WILL ED. TUCKER
said he was glad the speeches were to be short; was not a speaker by profes sion. The old regiment made its name and reputation in action and service
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It was always ready for fight and duty. This, boys, may be the last meeting with some of us; the old boys are going rapidly to the other side and those gone have left to us who live most blessed memories of duty performed and as- sociations had with them. He spoke of the warmth of feeling had for Col Horton and feelingly mentioned many of the memories of army life which came to him that day.
COMRADE B. A. BEESON
said : "I believe the old regiment never pitched a camp that I was not there. This is a record of which I am to-day proud. In my judgment the most inter esting subject on which I can talk to you at this time is relative to my trip to the south and visit to many of the old battle fields in which the 2d lowa Caval- ry took part." On this he said:
November 15, 1893 found me on the way to the Sunny South by way of the Illinois Central railroad. As I rode down through the beautiful farms south of Chicago, and remembered that thirty-two years before, I had gone over the same road to St. Louis as a United States soldier, I could not help but contrast the difference in the looks of the country now and then. Imagine the many things that revolved through my mind as I rolled on and on. When I got near the south line I got very sick. I think, perhaps, it was on account of missing my breakfast in Chicago. I looked for the red headed doctor and the blue mass, but I remembered that the red headed doctor had grown old and died. So I went into camp at Centralia and gave orders to the picket to call me at four in the morning. He awoke me on time, I felt refreshed, boarded the train and was soon approaching Cairo. Here again I contrasted the present with the past. I remembered when we neared Cairo on the steamer from St. Louis in '62, that steamers were going toward St. Louis loaded down with con federate prisoners from Ft. Donelston. I remember too on that same boat, that I asked a comrade for a canteen that I might get a drink of water, and lo, and behold! when I drank it, it was pure whisky, and that was the first drink of liquor that I had ever takeu. Crossing the Ohio on one of the most magnifi- cent railroad bridges in the west, I was in Kentucky. and we rolled along through the valleys, the small hills, through the swamps, little towns here and there with saw mills close by, logs being hauled with two yoke of oxen just as we did away back in the fifties, a little wheat patch here and a cotton patch there. As we stood by a station for a moment, one of the blackest colored boys that the South produces, so black that his cheeks fairly shone, came toward the train leading a mule, and when the train began to move the mule began to shy and the darkey yelled out "Whoy dar" and he whoyed.
At four p. m. we arrived at Jackson, Tenn. In place of taking a hack for the hotel, I secured a boy to carry my grip, and walked into town. I could not help but contrast the difference, for the last time I was there was when we charged that town and drove the enemy to the North. The boy led me along and finally came to a hotel that he said was a good one, and when I stepped in at the front door, lo and behold! I saw a vision. When there the last time a comrade and myself had stepped into this same hotel and took from the flight of stairs that run up in front of me, a beautiful piece of stair carpet out of which we had each a saddle blanket and then there was enough left to make us a bed spread. Imagine my feelings as I stood in that door where I stopped a moment, and the comrade was beside me in imagination, the carpet , was coming off the steps and everything else in connection with that event all came up before me as if by magic. I walked into the office, registered, turned around walked out, went over to the court-house, got acquainted with the county of-
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Seventh Reunion Second Iowa Cavalry.
ficers, two of them ex-Confederates and one of them in the engagement to which I have just referred
But I cannot delay you. The next train I took for Cornich and as I passed over the East fork of the Big Muddy where two of our comrades hitched their horses to the same sapling, reared their carbines against the same stump and laid their coats on the carbines and took a friendly knock down to see which should ride at the head of the column. I remember too, that one of our boys as we crossed the Big Muddy cried ont . Here's your morning papers, all about the battle on the Big Muddy, between the Ironsides and the Monitor. Those comrades carried the nickname with them through the war I tried to see the old road that came out of the bottom where Captain Queal was captured and imagined 1 could see the foot tracks of the horses that we rode passing across the railway. At 1 30 we arrived at Cornich, only stopped a few minutes and on again to Tupelo where I met Judge MeDuffy of Haynevile, Ala., who had been a comrade in company B. When we met we stood there and stared at each other for a moment not having met but twice since the war. Both were gray, both apparently enjoying the very best of health, and in less than ten minutes our boyhood feelings sprang into us and I was calling him Mac and he was calling me By.
We went up to the battlefield of Tupelo, a mile and a half or two miles From town. A railroad now runs from Memphis to Tupelo and on to Mont- gomery. On nearing the little battle ground I began describing it. You per- haps do not remember but it was my good fortune at that time to have charge of our brigade wagon train and it was conyelled and placed out of range and a comrade and myself rode up close to the battle Ime and took shelter behind a large tree and saw all that our line was doing and could see the right of the Confederate line very distinedy. While talking two men drove up with a load of posts. We hailed them and asked a few questions about the line of battle and found that we were so correct that we were astonished at our memories. A few weeks before we were there a man working the roads had ploughed up the decayed remains ff a Confederate soklier and a part of the box in which he was buried. The bones were taken to a cemetery near by and re-buried. 1 went down to the place where they had ploughed up the box and procured a knot out of the boards that was in a good state of preservation. It was a knot from a pitch pie board. I have it at home; it is a relic, none other like it 1 presume under the sun .
Tupelo is a town of 2000 or more. Many nice brick buildings, a very fine cotton press, a magnificent hotel and an artesian well. An ex-Confederate soldier was the landlord During the evening a number of ex-Confederates and Southerners were in the hotel. We disenssed all topics, politics not ex- cepted and we were treated courteously and gentlemanly.
The next day to Booneville. Booneville is a county seat. On the east side of the railroad where we routed the Confederate in Beauregard's command in '62, when we approached the station to set fire to the ammunition train; I say on the east side there are many nice cottages of modern style, and many small fruit gardens and orchards. A saw mill about eighty rods northeast of the old depot and about eighty rods south of where our camp was when we fought General Chalmers under Sheridan July 1, 62. We went to the livery stable to get a conveyance. While a darkey was hitching a team to the buggy I inquired of the liveryman, if there was not a creek threw or four miles out on the old black-land road where a little engagement was had between the Con- federates and the Federals in 1862 He replied . That is Wolf Creek Were you all in that fight?" We replied that we were "In what command ? ' he asked. The Second Iowa Cavalry we replied, when he aroused as from a deep sleep and says: "What! Hatch's regiment ?" "Yes" we said "Hatch's regiment." Hle approached us with an exclamation like this: "Shake; the best regiment we ever fought " He turned and called to his brother, addressed him as 'Cap-
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Seventh Reunion Second Iowa Cavalry.
kain' and says, "come up here; here is one of the old boys of the Second lowa Cavalry." He came and extended to us that fraternal greeting only known between those who have participated in battles against each other. Those two men were in Chalmer's command; I have forgotten the regiment.
General Sheridan, then a Colonel, fought General Chalmers. I was re- minded that my mind was more like a photograph gallery than I had anticipa- ted. Coming in view of one point brought up many things long since forgot- ten, and when I came to where the two companies of the Second Michigan and companies 1 and B of the Second lowa had made that wonderful charge, so many things crowded themselves into my mind that I was almost lost to know how to separate them. A minister of the gospel came riding up; he was there during the war, a regimental chaplin. I inquired of him if there was not a a diich at one time between the road and the fence I remembered that when we were leaving Chalmers and getting to his rear as fast as our horses could carry us, I found myself between the ditch and the fence. He replied: "They have moved the fence out. Look over in the field and you will see the marks
of the old diteh yet visible"
The double log house where our wounded and
theirs too were left, has been taken down
A new log house has been erected
a few rods farther west. As we went on down the little hill where we turned to the right from the main road leading to Tupelo where Sargent Wells was thrown from his horse and hid behind a log and watched Herbert and Esh- 1 baugh and Wallace and others as they were taken prisoners along the road I say as we come down and approached this memorable spot, I could not help it, the tears came to my eyes. Company B went into that contest that day with between thirty and forty men and returned to the camp with eighteen
We went on out to the Blackland bridge across Wolf creek. The bridge has been moved up abont one half the width of itself. What was woods to the right after crossing the bridge is now an immense corn field. The corn had been gathered and the gate was open. We drove into the field, turned around and stopped just about where the head of our company stood while other com- panies crossed that fatal bridge. Our company was the last to cross it. Com- H preceded ns. Two men from that company fell dead from the same cannon shot. McDuffy said: "Do you remember the little red headed Sargeant in Company D whose horse's head was shot off just over there, and he cut the saddle girth and carried it off the field on his back?" I said "Yes Mac, I re- member him well. He was afterwards Captain Griffith of Company D. Poor fellow, he responded to :lights out' less than a year ago." Mac had not heard it. I said: "Mac, what a wonderful privilege we are now having. Thirty-one years ago last June we were here before. Contrast the difference then and now." Mac looked up with a thoughtful expression and said "Yes By, where are the boys?"
We came back to Booneville, met many Confederate soldiers there during the evening, and next morning took the same team and buggy and drove over the old road from Booneville to Rienza, a poor old forsaken, delapidated, washed-out town. A fit habitation for bats and southern "white trash." While talking with an old man there about the days of '62 and '63, I noticed a num- ber of buzzard flying above us and remarked to the old man that those birds were waiting for his carcass. Absolutely the country is not fit to be occupied except by just such an indolent, ignorant class as now live there.
We came up to Corinth; it was Sunday. We walked over to Ft Robinett and stood by the grave of Col. Rogers, brave man from Texas. The old fort has been molded into brick. The woods to the west are all cleared off and in cotton. The Female Seminary that stood south of the fort is no more, but the city of Corinth itself is quite a beautiful place. We started from there and walked to the National cemetery which is about one and a half miles southeast of Corinth. A beautiful place indeed. We took a list of the names of the dead
Seventh Reunion Second Iowa Cavalry.
and buried in that cemetery who at one time were members of our regiment In abont 1859 MeDuffy came to Iowa from New York and with him came a young man from Pennsylvania by the name of Wells. These two boys were chums and both enlisted in Company B. Wells died at Rienzi. When we found ourselves at the foot of the graves, I was making a memorandum in my book so as to be able to call the names and numbers to any of the comrades that I might see in the future Looking up I saw McDuffy standing beside Wells' grave, his hat resting on his left arm, and tears coursing down his face I went on with my writing. Mac stepped to one side, procured a sprig of ever- green from a tree close by, handed it to me and kept one himself, and said, "Take this, take it home with you; it came from near Wells' grave "
The cemetery at Shiloh is very fine and we found the graves of some of our boys there. After spending a couple of hours in looking over as much of the battle field as we could, we went to Hamburg (Pittsburg Landing) and followed the road from there out to the Farmington ground When we came to the ground on which we were camped at the time of the Farmington battle we found it all cleared off and as we crossed that swamp. we found it three or four times as wide as we had thought it was Our curiosity was worked up to a wonderful tension as to how we would find the ground where the famous charge of the Second lowa Cavalry was made on the 9th of May, '62 We found it fenced in. When we crossed the swamp we turned to the right for about eighty rods, thence west eighty rods more and struck the old road leading across by the cotton-gin.
The next morning at nine o'clock we were at Inka. We got a couple of very nice saddle horses rode out over the battle field of luka. . The road along which the heaviest part of the battle was fought that ran almost due east and west, where the Federal and Confederate dead could be seen lying on both sides, had washed out until its average depth was about ten feet. And as we rounded the corner near by where the old log school house stood we found a very nice new frame house occupied by the owner of the land. Further south where the double log house stood that we occupied for a hospital, I found nothing to designate the spot except a few broken brick that remained from the chimney I looked across the road where some forty or fifty of our men were buried in a ditch but could see nothing that showed indications that such an event had ever taken place. We returned to Iuka, passing by the springs and over to the east side near where General Coon's headquarters were in '65. Inka is a county seat. The barber who shaved me there used language like this: "In Mississippi dey got tings fixed now so coons don't vote "
LaGrange presents a dilapidated view from the railroad. Moscow, where General Hatch was wounded is about the same as thirty years ag ). The little town of Lafayette has a few more houses; they have changed the name to RossviMe. Colierville has made wonderful improvement. It is all built up south of the railroad and north to the old town It must be a place of from fifteen hundred to two thousand It has a fine park; large quantities of cotton here; a coal shed; several large brick stores and fine residences. Looks as though northern enterprise was here. Germantown is about the same except that the highway is macadamized At White's station we saw the little old church that Cap. Graves occupied with his commissary stores. Think of a church being used for cemmissary stores for the Second lowa Cavalry Com- rade McDuffy reminded me of this, or I would not have known it.
We arrived at Memphis just at dusk, went to the old Warsham Honse known now as Duffy's hotel. It is run on the European plan. The next morning we called on General Chalmers. He was not in, but came in within a few minutes. On entering the door, Mac approached him saying "Have we the pleasure of meeting General Chalmers?" He replied " You have Who are you?" Mac replied "Survivors of the Second Iowa Cavalry." With astonishment he started back and said, "What! captured again!" The old General seemed to
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