USA > Indiana > Annual reunion of the 36th Indiana volunteers: 4th-5th, 1887-1888, 7th-14th, 1890-1897 > Part 2
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PROCEEDINGS.
On Wednesday, September 5, the major part of the 240 survivors of the 1,144 men o enlisted in the Thirty-sixth Regiment met in Richmond, Ind., the birthplace of the iment, and held their fifth annual reunion.
In August, 1861, the companies began arriving there and going to quarters in Camp ayne, the old fair ground, now comprised in the Schwegman addition, below South E eet and between Eighth street and Boston avenue.
On September 16 the regiment was mustered into service, and when it left for the ont, in October, it numbered 1,022 men, officers and men, to whom 122 more were sub- quently added.
Its officers were-Colonel, William Grose, of New Castle; Lieutenant-Colonel, O. H. Carey, of Marion; Major, T. W. Bennett, then of Liberty, now of Richmond, who had en a Captain in the Fifteenth Regiment and was again transferred as Colonel to the xty-ninth, to be succeeded as Major of the Thirty-sixth by Isaac Kinley, of Richmond; Adjutant, George W. Lennard, who was made Colonel of the Fifty-seventh and succeed- as Adjutant of the Thirty-sixth by Captain James H. McClurg, of Liberty, now of e Muncie Times. The Captains of the two Wayne county companies were George oover, of Richmond, and John Sims, of Cambridge, while there were many Wayne unty boys in the other companies.
Of Company F, Captain George Hoover's company, the other commissioned officers ere Isaac Ogborn, 1st Lieutenant; 2d Lieutenant, L. K. Harris, and Orderly Sergeant, L. Smith. A few months later Hoover and Ogborn resigned, and Harris was the only mmissioned officer for about a year, and he fell out, sick, at Shiloh. The next Cap- in was George Graves, who was killed, and then J. L. Smith, who had previously ad- inced to 1st Lieutenant, was made Captain and brought the company home.
Most of that winter was spent in Kentucky, at Camp Wickliffe.
Leaving there in February, going by river, it was the first regiment of infantry to ter Nashville.
The rebels being routed, they started on the march to Shiloh, and got there just in mie for the Sunday evening engagement, being the advance of Nelson's division, and e only part of Buell's army to arrive at that time.
Then began the series of marches through several of the Southern States thut wrought them back through Kentucky, just a year after they first entered it-September, 362.
The 1st of October they started again, and after several engagements mareked on to ashville and participated in the battle of Stone River, beginning New Year's Eve.
Their next big battle was Chicamauga, the following September.
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FIFTH ANNUAL REUNION
Retreating to Chattooga, they remained besieged until late in November, and then followed the battle above the clouds, at Lookout Mountain and Mission Ridge, which sent Bragy flying into Georgia.
Beginning in February, 1864, the regiment participated in numerons battles through a campaign that took them away South again, having fought their way, under three or four months of fire, into the midst of the enemy, when, in the field about Atlanta, their three years' term expired.
PROGRAM FOR THE DAY.
RECEPTION OF COMRADES, at Grand Opera House, at 10 o'clock a. m.
DINNER, at Sol Meredith Post, G. A. R. Hall.
REGIMENTAL MEETING, at the Grand Opera House, 2 o'clock p. m. SUPPER, G. A. R. Hall.
CAMP-FIRE .- Meet at Grand Opera House at 7:30 o'clock and exercises in the fol- lowing order: Music, Richmond band; prayer, comrade A. W. Lamport; song, Repub- lican glee club; welcome address, Dr. J. R. Weist; reply, General William Grose; song, Democratie glee club; recitation, Miss Helen G. Williams; music, Richmond band; rec- itation, Master Bennett Grove; reminiscences by comrades.
OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION.
President-William Grose. Vice President-T. W. Bennett.
Secretary-J. C. Livezey. Corresponding Secretary-J. G. Lemon. Treasurer-J. W. Taylor.
Executive Committee-T. W. Bennett, J. L. Smith, J. G. Lemon, Agrippa Scott and R. M. Clark.
THE RECEPTION.
All morning long the boys filed into the Grand Opera House to register their names and receive the greeting of comrades who had preceded them, while all over the city the same scenes were enacted, when they met by chance and recognized each other by the regimental badges they wore, if not by features so changed since the dark days of their more intimate fellowship.
From the register were got the following:
Captain J. L. Smith, Richmond.
S. H. Kersey, Centerville. W. II. Black, Webster P. O.
Josiah Gossett, Richmond.
John Dennis, Richmond.
R. Gordon, Spiceland.
William Allen, Richmond.
Barney Cosgrove, Cambridge.
General T. W. Bennett, Richmond.
William Bolander, Cincinnati.
Seth Watson, Richmond.
William E. Crider, Oxford, Ind.
George Mull, Richmond.
Erie Lamb, Spiceland.
L. K. Harris, Richmond.
William Callahan, Knightstown.
J. G. Lemon, Richmond.
Isaac Davis, Cambridge.
O. V. Lemon, Sr., Richmond.
C. T. Abbott, Indianapolis.
Willieno Bicknell, Richmond.
Agrippa Scott, Richmond.
Nathan Radcliff, Richmond.
John Stigleman, Spiceland. James Anderson, Spartansburg. John C. Livezey, New Castle.
OF THE THIRTY-SIXTH INDLINA.
J. C. Murray, New Castle. James Newby, New Castle. John C. Wayman, New Castle. L. D. Shepperd, New Castle. E. F. Millikan, New Castle. Miles Haguewood, New Castle. George Atkinson, New Castle. General William Grose, New Castle. Joseph Sullivan, New Castle. R. E. Best, Brookville. C. S. Watson, Pendleton John M. Campbell, Pendleton. C. M. Paddock, Darwin. Joseph Funk, Dublin. James Werking, Anderson.
Ed Weaks, Anderson. Joseph Ginn, Anderson. Joshua Luthultz, Kennard. John Armstrong, Kennard. Harvey B. Chew, Kennard. R. M. Clark, Fountain City. George W. Hull, Fountain City.
Ed Price, Fountain City. J. R. Henry, Mays Station. Benjamin Turner, Harrisburg.
J. H. Curtis, Spartansburg. J. H. McClung, Muncie. J. W. Taylor, Muncie. W. P. Sherry, Muncie. Clint Haughey, Knightstown. Thad. Gordon, Knightstown. Milton Peden, Knightstown. Joseph H. Benbow, Hagerstown.
J. H. Thompson, Hagerstown. George W. Gebhart, Hagerstown. Albert Fritz, Hagerstown. Exum Copeland, Greensboro. T. L. Howren, Greensboro.
James M. Cangdin, Greensboro. Calvin Skinner, New Corner.
J. T. Broyles, New Corner. G. L. Janney, New Corner. William Sullivan, Straughns. Enoch Craig, Cox's Mills. Albert Cain, Greensfork Sammel Swearingen, Rogersville.
John W. Sapp, Goodland.
R. A. Lovell, Winchester.
Henry Reichart, Cadiz.
G. W. Morri-, Aroma.
William Clevinger, Farmland.
Oliver Miller, Carlos City.
John Roark, Liberty. Thomas P. Eaton, Liberty.
W. D. Wiles, Indianapolis.
C. L. Reynolds, Williamsburg.
David Veal, Williamsburg.
W. N. Young, Connersville.
J. W. Routh, Simms. HI. H. Eaton, Bringhurst.
W. M. Sater, Greentown.
A. W. Saint, Snyder.
F. Rose, Snyder.
C. H. Smothers, Modoc.
B. C. Hornaday, Trenton.
James Horrell, Quakertown. David Miniek, Daleville.
A. C. Woody, Homer, Il.
A. T. Brewer, Toledo, Ill. William Gibbs, Concord, Mich.
Ed Bias, Colyer, Kan. James L. Baumer, Hays City, Kan.
Wesley Bird, Greenwood, Neb.
Thomas Pentecost, College Corner, O. Ol Brown, Camden, O. James W. Pottinger, Camden, O.
THE DINNER.
Five tables, placed at angles, covered with artistically arranged linen and embel- lished with bright and fragrant flowers, rivaled in beanty by the tempting fruits pro- vided, loaded with the best of substantials as well as delicacies that money could buy or willing hands prepare, made the G. A. R. Hall appear as it sometimes did on banquet occasions when it was the dining-room of the old Tremont House. Among the flowers was an offering from Mrs. Ida Poineer, an absent member of the Corps, now in Texas.
There were covers for 150 guests and "provender" enough for several times that many, yet the ladies of the Women's Relief Corps, to whose management it was wisely
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entrusted, called on no one outside their organization, save the wives of members of the regiment, for contributions.
It is perhaps needless to say the boys did full justice to the sumptuous repast-it made a man hungry to glance at it and ravenous to see the relish with which they dis- posed of it-yet many was the time that they dispatched sowbelly and hardtack with corresponding zest.
Suffice it to say that, gormandize as they might, they were not equal to the emer- gency, to conquer the larder behind which the ladies were entrenched, and finally they had to abandon the attack, with enough left on the field to fortify the ladies for another engagement, which occurred at 6 o'clock.
REGIMENTAL MEETING.
At the business meeting held at the Grand Opera House in the afternoon, the fol- lowing officers of the regimental association were elected for the ensuing year:
President-General William Grose, of New Castle.
Vice President-General T. W. Bennett, of Richmond.
Recording Secretary-Captain John C. Livezey, of New Castle.
Corresponding Secretary -- Adjutant J. G. Lemon, of Richmond.
Treasurer-John W. Taylor, of Muncie.
On the question of where to hold the next reunion, General T. W. Bennett made a speech in which he said they ought not to go anywhere save where they were wanted bad enough to receive not only an invitation, but assurance that entertainment would be hospitably provided. He said he would not put Richmond in competition, since it had just now been honored, but if no other town wanted the privilege Richmond did-her latch-string was always on the outside and the boys would be received with a "God bless you" welcome and plenty to eat, and other entertainment just as generous any time they wanted to come.
General Grose said he would say as much for New Castle.
James H. Thompson promised as much for Hagerstown, and Anderson, Liberty and Knightstown representatives afterwards asked for the next reunion.
The first vote was: Richmond, 1; Hagerstown, 37; Anderson, 35; Liberty, 11; Knightstown, 8; New Castle, 5.
There being 110 majority, on motion of Captain Jolin Livezey the names of the three lowest towns were stricken off and the second ballot resulted as follows:
Hagerstown, 43; Anderson, 50; Liberty, 7.
Fifty-one being necessary to a choice, Liberty was dropped and another vote taken, which resulted as follows: Hagerstown, 39; Anderson, 62.
On motion of General T. W. Bennett, the vote in favor of Anderson was made unanimous. The time was left to be fixed by the executive committee, but it was sug- gested that they select September 16, the anniversary of the day the regiment was mus- tered into service at old Camp Wayne.
LETTERS OF REGRET.
While awaiting ballots, letters from comrades who could not come were read, and some of them were especially good; but the secretary was admonished before beginning to read to "leave out the politics in 'em," and to do it he had to read most of them with halts. Once the name of Ben Harrison slipped the tongue of the reader, and seemingly every foot went stamping, as though a spring had been touched.
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OF THE THIRTY-SIXTHI INDIANNA.
The president, General Grose, said, "Don't forget to omit polities." To this the secretary, Captain Livezey, responded, that was not polities; he just expressed his every fibre beating in unison with Ben Harrison; he did not say what for. This again set everyone applauding, shouting "Let 'er go, Gallagher," etc., and General Bennett said the fact is polities were in every one of them.
They were from: Albert Edwards, Bunker Hill; John C. Bryam, Lieutenant Com- pany G, Los Angeles, Cal .; F. C. Diggs, Noble, Kan .; James Kelley, Arnes, Story coun- ty, lowa; P. E. Johnson, Boatland, Tenn .: Zene. C. Bohren, St. Paul, Minn .; George Hazzard, Tacoma, Washington Territory; W. R. Teegarden, Maryville, Tenn .; Joshua Jester, Yorktown, Ind.
General T. W. Bennett moved that a committee of five be appointed to express in a resolution, to be presented at the camp-fire at night, the will of the regiment on the proposition that it pay $200 to have its record placed on the State soldiers' monument, now in process of erection at Indianapolis.
The motion prevailed, and James H. McClung, Joseph G. Lemon, Colonel Milton Peden, H. B. Chew and Thomas Pentecost were appointed. Adjourned.
THE CAMP-FIRE.
On Wednesday night the Grand Opera House was packed to the doors and windows, the boxes were filled, the stage crowded with ladies and gentlemen who attended the camp-fire of the Thirty-sixth Indiana Volunteers. The opera house was most hand- somely decorated, and the "Vets" who were present were there to enjoy themselves, and enjoy themselves they did. There never was a better looking lot of soldier "boys" as- sembled in any hall than those of the Thirty-sixth, and the audience was an enthusias- tic and appreciative one. The program was not a lengthy one, but it was filled with interest.
When the crowd had assembled General Grose called the meeting to order, and the Richmond band, which was present, played one of its best pieces. The band during the evening played three tunes, and well deserved the generous applause it received. The prayer of Rev. Lamport was an affecting and fervent one. Unfortunately the Republi- can glee club, was not present. The members did not assemble at their headquarters as they should have done, and consequently they did not get to the opera house. The dis- appointment of the audience was great until the now famous Arion Sextette appeared and took their places on the stage. The sextette gave a number of songs in a very pleas- ing style. After the sextette had finished, Dr. J. R. Weist delivered the following ad- dress of welcome, as eloquently delivered as it was beautifully worded:
Mr. President and Comrades: -
I see on the program the name of a gallant soldier, to whom is assigned the duty of delivering an address of welcome on this occasion. In your interest I greatly regret the absence of your chosen speaker, whose fervid eloquence should have charmed and moved you to-night.
Captain Yaryan is not here, and I stand for him, and I must say that for once I am not ashamed to serve as a "substitute."
Men who have been brought closely together by a common interest involving great danger, are ever after united by ties unknown to others. In the prosecution of war all the members of the army must work to a common end, must have a unity of interest, while exposed together for long periods to hardships, hunger, disease, wounds and death. As a consequence, no bonds unite men so closely as those resulting from soldier life.
It is easy to believe, therefore, that the survivors of the legions who followed Caesar to Gaul, when their wars were ended, their mighty leader dead and their martial stride
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lost in the trembling step of age, assembled at intervals as the years went by, bearing aloft once more the dusty and tarnished eagles they had so often followed to victory. that they might again clasp hands, tell the story of their achievements and see the old fire flash again in eyes dimmed and clouded by time.
So the soldiers of France, who had followed Napoleon over burning sands beneath the pyramids, whose fiery spirits were unquenched by Russian snows, who saw their star of glory decline at Waterloo, must have often met to renew their allegiance to the tri- colored banner, to recall the memories of comrades whose bones were scattered in every part of the world, and to act again the part played by themselves in winning victories for a commander whose career was more extraordinary than any recorded in the annals of mankind. In like manner the survivors of all the great armies of the world have recognized the effect of association in the presence of a great and common danger
If in wars undertaken for glory or conquest there is engendered such a spirit of "comradeship," what should we not expect as the result of a war waged for liberty and the advancement of man, one employing the largest armies the world has ever seen, and one in which every soldier was a freeman and in his own right a king.
The reunions of regiments, brigades and armies that occur every year, and the an- nnal encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic, speak to the people of this gen- eration of the fraternity of American soldiers, how close and strong only the initiated can know. You, comrades of the "Old 36th Indiana," know well how strong is the tie binding you together, and to every soldier who fought for liberty and for an undivided country. You are brought and held together by the memory of marches in hear, and dust, and mud, and storm, and snow, of days of hunger, of sickness and wounds, and of comrades who at your side, with every muscle strained and every faculty alert to main- tain or advance the flag wrought and committed to your care by loving hands. found in the noise and storm of battle the silence and peace of everlasting rest.
You know well why you annually come together and recognize the tie uniting the remaining soldiers of the "old regiment," who on many bloody fields won imperishable honor.
It is right that you should have, then, these reunions, and make them, as far as possible, days of happiness; that your camp-fires should be enlivened by story, joke and song. But I fear that each year you will find it more difficult to make them meetings of pleasure. Annually you will miss the faces of those who always answered at roll-call, you will see your number grow less, note the gray hairs, wrinkled faces and the unsteady gait of those who remain. Your eyes will grow damp and your hearts sad as you note the changes wrought by age and disease in' those you first knew in strength and lusty youth. And more and more upon your mental vision will obtrude the forms of those who died in the tangled woods at Shiloh and in the cedars at Stone river, where Sheri- dan said hell was; or went to sleep by the "River of Death" at Chicamauga; or cradled in clouds on the heights of Lookout; of those who closed their eyes forever on the bloody slopes of Missionary Ridge; who fell out of the ranks while following Sherman to At- lanta, or received their last baptism of fire while standing with Thomas at Nashville. With these, so well remembered, you must see the pale faces of those who died in hos- pitals of wounds or disease, and those who, during the quarter of a century that has passed since the war ended, have been borne by loving hands to the narrow quarters of the grave. In the presence of these visions of the dead that will not pass, laughter ceases and our voices are hushed.
Our eyes are not clear and we see but dimly, but with those of our comrades seen, are there not present to-night all those, the large majority, who have gone before us into the silence and darkness that lies beyond the confines of this, our mortal life?
I need not recall, comrades, the glorious achievements of your regiment; they are recorded in history, in words far more eloquent than any I can command.
It now only remains for me to bid you welcome to Richmond, and I do this most heartily, on behalf of Sol Meredith Post of the Grand Army of. the Republic. During the day yon have had evidence of their welcome, old soldiers themselves. "A fellow feeling makes- them-wondrous kind." They are willing to fill your canteens, divide their rations, share their quarters, and do for you all the other things soldiers formerly did for comrades, except win your money at "seven-up" or "poker." You must excuse any want of civility in this direction, for the reason that in the moral atmosphere of Richmond, largely owing to the teaching and personal example of General Bennett and
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OF THE THIRTY-SIXTH INDLIN.A.
myself, these sinful games have been forgotten.
I welcome you also on behalf of the Sons of Veterans, for whom your patriotism and bravery will be an example to follow, should American liberty be ever again threatened by domestie or foreign foes.
The ladies of the Women's Relief Corps, who, if they did not meet you to-day with open arms, did with extended hands and tender hearts and tables loaded with rations, about whose quality the most fastidions cannot complain -- these women are. many of them, the wives and daughters of soldiers; the others are equally loyal, following to-day the example of their sisters, who, in the days of the war, did so much for the boys at the front. What did these women not do? Who shall tell? O, comrades! who suffered most? The soldiers, or these women, who, with tearful eyes and bursting hearts, bravely sent their loved ones to certain danger and probable death?
We feel that the story of our hardships as soldiers cannot be told. If it cannot, how much less that of these women, who wrought in tears at home, carried refreshing drinks to parched lips, food and clothing to the sick and wounded, spoke words of com- fort and hope to the desponding. prayed for the dying, and welcomed us with sweetest smiles "when we came marching home."
The citizens of Richmond, who are as patriotic now as when your regiment was or- ganized in 1861, welcome you to their homes. Many of these citizens remember when your flag-which I do not see-now faded and torn, had all its colors bright and its folds unsullied. Many of them watched it as it was carried southward by your brave hands, noticed its rents, made by rebel balls, its erimson stains from loyal blood, and its colors grow dim from exposure to smoke and storm. For them, as for you, it is now a thing of greater value than when presented to you. They know the cost of its preserva- tion, and they still honor and welcome you, to whom it was so long entrusted. Hoping that this will be one of your happiest meetings, I again bid you welcome.
The hearty applause given the doctor having finished, General Grose, in behalf of the veterans, replied as follows:
Comrades, Ladies and Gentlemen:
In response to the appropriate and well-spoken welcome to your eity and comnin- nity of the survivors of the Thirty-sixth Indiana Regiment, I may say, on behalf of your gnests, they thank you most kindly for these pleasant greetings, that we believe come from the hearts and souls of this people. And we have not forgotten the assistance and welcome the people of this city gave us twenty-seven years ago, when we were assen- bling in yonder eamp-ground, to buekle on the armor and prepare for the mighty and terrible conflict that followed. It is safe to say that no city, town or hamlet did better their part in that great struggle than did the people of this eity of Richmond, the grand old peace-loving county of Wayne. We have never forgotten the kind favors and good will the one thousand men of the Thirty-sixth Indiana received from the people while in camp here, and the encouragement they received the morning they marched down Fifth street to take their departure for the field of strife and death. And we learned you performed the same kind offices to the other regiments that departed before and af- ter us.
I presume you expeet us to join in this social reunion of old comrades and friends, and for us to take each other by the hand, and to contribute somewhat to that genuine love and respect that one faithful soldier has for another, and that one good citizen en- tertains for a like good neighbor, rather than to hear too much long and loud speaking, and I shall try to observe that rule for the occasion.
We meet to-day in this peaceable manner, in this lovely city, aud in this grand rural district of Indiana, under more favorable auspices than some of us have frequent- ly met before. And allow me to add, in my humble opinion, under more favorable and prosperous circumstances than ever before in the history of our country.
A century ago our grandsires entered upon a contest with the determination prom- inent before thein that all men should be free and equal, but in 1860 this was de lared to be a falsehood. and wicked and bad men arrayed themselves against the government, because the larger portion favored the original axiom laid down as the true rule for the action of our people.
In the year 1860 we had nothing to fear abroad, at peace with all the world, and
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FIFTH ANNUAL REUNION
vet at home in our midst the seeds of desolation and death had been sown, not in favor of humanity nor human liberty, but in favor of human slavery and hinman degradation.
It is not my purpose to speak here of the eauses which led to the terrible war, for we are here to speak of our braves and cultivate old friendship. War has always been the scourge of nations, and yet, although it may appear strange, nations have generally gained their prominence, their wealth, their influence and their standing, by the power and force of their soldiers.
This was true in ancient times, for then war was the normal condition of nations.
In a period of one thousand years Rome, in her greatest glory, had peace only forty years. The soldiery is the power in all countries to-day. Kings, emperors, constitutions and governments are made and unmade npon the advance and heavy tramp of the sol- dier. But as civilization and intelligence advance with the years, we hope a remedy for snch conflicts may come, and troubles be settled by peaceable means.
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