USA > Indiana > Reunion of the 9th regiment Indiana vet. vol. infantry association, 1892-1904 > Part 23
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Copy of telegram sent 41st Ohio:
"Your kind telegram received, In return the 9th Indiana sends the 41st Ohio its warmest greetings, and wishes success to their reunion. As to monument in memory of Gen. W. B. Hazen. the subject will be referred to our Executive Committee. It is to be hoped that arrangements can be made for reunion of the old 19th Brigade at the National Encampment at Chicago next year."
ADDITIONS TO ROSTER.
Bales, Nathan W., Co. B, Washington, Kan.
Bingham, Warren C., Co. B, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Kelly, William, Co. C, Kalamazoo, Mich. Smith, Harvey J., Co. C, Donaldson, Ind. Dawson, William L., Co. D, Emporia, Kan.
Sandilands, James, Co. I ( three months), Petersburg, Nebraska.
CORRECTIONS OF ROSTER.
CORECTIONS OF ROSTER fic-Cb,t
Dustan, Lieut. Sam, Co. F, Wheeling, W. Va.
Fink, Sergt. H., Co. D. Evening Shade, Ark.
Nicolai, M., Co. E, Syracuse, Ind.
Hentzell, Corpl. B. F., Co. E, Syracuse, Ind.
Swinney, Corpl. Samuel L., Co. K, Kankakee. Ill.
Bonney, William, Co. I, Mishawaka. Ind.
Molebash, Franklin, Napinee, Ind.
CLIPPINGS.
From Plymouth papers we have clipped the following : Democrat. Oct. 5, 1899.
REUNION OF THE NINTH INDIANA.
The thirteenth annual reunion of the Ninth Indiana Veteran Association began yesterday at G. A. R. Hall, and will end today by the election of officers, and a general in- terchange of stories and reminiscences.
The following are the names of those who belonged to the regiment who were residents of Marshall county so far as is known :
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Washington Kelley, still here, was quartermaster of the regiment, and Dr. J. D. Gray, deceased, assistant surgeon.
Captains Co. D-Amasa Johnson, still residing here, and David B. Creviston.
First Lieutenants-W. H. Mattingly and Alfred Allen. Sergeants-Geo. H. Wilbur and Daniel B. Armstrong.
Corporals-Chas. L. Andrews, Henry Heiser, Luther Johnson, George W. Bowles, Geo. S. Curtis, Jacob Saund- ers, Richard H. H. Tyner.
Musicians-Alfred H. Welton, Mahlon F. Jones.
Privates-John Aldrich, Nelson Bailey, Caleb Baldwin, David A. Broadstone, Joseph Bunnell, James F. Burch, Wil- liam Burch, Lewis Burch, Adamı Cramer, Elias Curtis, Jas. Cushman, Jas. F. Deemer, Hiran Fink, Oscar F. Furguson, Jones Grant, Isaac Johnson, John W. Kilgore, L. D. Lam- son, John Leonard, Chauncey Lewis, John A. Lowrey, Oliver H. MeMullen, Jesse Moore, Robert Morris, Alfred H. Morris, John Molar, Edwin O'Brien, Francis MI. Parker, David Peeples, Geo. Peeples, Nathan Rector, William Rec- tor, Edward Riley, Moses E. Richards, F. M. Singleton, Albert Spencer, John Starkey. David Thomas, Thomas Ty- ner, Andrew Watel, Eli O. Williams.
Recruits-Samuel P. Ferry, Casper Fritzen, James Har- ris, Lewis D. Pope. Samuel C. Patterson, James Richards, Isaac Smith. Co. A. James R. Rush ; Co. E, Benjamin A. Bidwell; Co. F. Alexander Dunlap; Co. G, Daniel Boyer ; Co. H, Jacob Fultz; Co. K, Wm. H. Meyers, Martin Rob- bins.
The regiment was organized at La Porte, August 27, 1861, and shortly afterward was removed to West Virginia, and on October 3, 1861, participated in the first battle, that of Greenbrier. During its term of service the regiment par- ticipated in the following battles and skirmishes :
Phillippi, Laurel Hill, Carrick's Ford, Greenbrier, Al- legheny, Mt. Shiloh, Corinth (siege), Danville, Perryville. Stone River, Woodbury. Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Mission Ridge, Tunnel Hill, Buzzard Roost, Rocky Face Resaca, Adairsville, Cassville, New Hope Church, Pickett's Mill, Pine Mountain, Kenesaw Mountain, Marietta, Smyrna Camp Ground, Chattahoochie River, Peach Tree Creek, At- lanta (siege), Jonesboro, Lovejoy Station, Columbia, Frank- lin and Nashville.
It also operated in the following southern states:
West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mis- sissippi, Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.
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The regiment was later in the war transferred to the vicinity of New Orleans, and afterward to Texas, where it remained as a part of General Sheridan's Army of Occupa- tion until September, 1865, when it was mustered out.
Byron Dunn, who made the mule speech at the camp- fire last night, was a schoolmate of Prof. Chase and was twenty years editor of a Republican paper at Marysville, Mo.
H. L. Shupert, of Elkhart. John F. Holderman, of Wakarusa, R. F. Drullinger, of South Bend, Wm. Brummitt, of New Carlisle, and Dr. Rea, of Culver, are guests of W. H. Love during the reunion.
The Democrat, Republican and News all three pub- lished quite a full report of the reunion, and complimented the regiment very handsomely editorially.
Republican, October 12.
A. L. Whitehall, who has always been the correspond- ing secretary of the Ninth Indiana. returned to Chicago last Friday with his wife, daughter and grandson. He says the reunion in Plymouth last week was the largest since the reunion here fourteen years ago, and he considers it one of the best ever held. He and his family were guests of Cap- tain Amasa Johnson.
We neglected to mention one item of interest in con- nection with the Ninth regiment here last week. Not a member of the regiment died during the year. This is cer- tainly remarkable, as it was one of the first regiments mus- tered into service and most of its members served over four years. They are remarkably well preserved men and Col. Suman, who is almost seventy years old. looks as young as most men of fifty.
News, October 5th.
Col. Suman then introduced Hon. H. G. Thayer, who made one of his usual patriotic addresses, after which Judge Willard, of Iowa, was called to the stand. He was a young lieutenant of the fighting Ninth and it was he who as commander of the skirmish line opened the battle of Shiloh, which proved to be one of the bloodiest, most stubbornly contested and most prominent in the history of this greatest of all great wars. Lieutenant Willard went West to grow up with the country immediately after being mustered ont and had not met his old comrades in arms for more than thirty-five years. It was not strange that few
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of them recognized the portly old Judge as the wiry young lieutenant who became famous at Shiloh, but his short speech was one of the best of this rousing campfire and the old boys were all eager to take him by the hand. * There was a business meeting this morning, a further renewal of old friendships and reminiscences of the four years spent in defense of the one flag and one country one and indivisible. A dinner at the M. E. church and the reunion was over. It will always be a bright spot in the memory of the 78 members present as well as other old soldiers and people of Plymouth who attended the camp- fire or helped entertain the veterans.
Inasmuch as the following is the first communication received from Sergeant Fink, of Company D, it is published entire, as some old comrades may desire to correspond with him.
Evening Shade. Ark. Sept. 23rd, 1899. Executive Committee and Members of the Ninth Indiana Veteran Association, Plymouth, Ind.
Comrades :- I am in receipt of your kind invitation to meet with my old comrades in annual reimion on the 4th and 5th of October next, and very much regret that I cannot attend.
Nothing would afford me greater pleasure than meeting with old friends and comrades, but business and health is such that I cannot attend.
With best wishes for all, I remain,
Yours truly,
H. FINK, Sergeant.
P. S .- Will be glad to hear from any and all of my old comrades.
CONCLUSION.
Comrades :- I would very much like to see the reunion at Hobart next year the banner one of the series, and I want all our members to take right hold and aid the executive committee and myself in bringing out the largest turnout we have ever had. If you have an old messmate out in the West, or anywhere within Uncle Sam's jurisdiction, that has never attended a reunion, write him a letter, old com- rades, and urge him to begin now to lay his plans to meet you at Hobart in 1900. The Grand Army will undoubtedly secure half rates : if not, a one cent a mile rate, and by tak- ing advantage of this rate we can have a good regimental
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reunion and then attend the encampment in a body and hold a good brigade reunion. We shall take steps as soon as it is proper to communicate with all the officers and men whose addresses can be learned of the regiments of Hazen's Brigade (the old ryth) and possibly Grose's Brigade as con- stituted in 1864, while our regiment formed a part of it. Living in the city of Chicago, and being acquainted with many of the members of the several committees of the G. A. R. who will have in charge the carrying out of the ar- rangements for a successful national encampment, I shall, in conjunction with Gen. Suman and our executive com- mittee, labor to promote in every way the regimental re- union and a Brigade reunion here, by making an early ap- plication for a good meeting place and for quarters for the members of the brigade if it can be arranged to have them assigned to same locality.
In good season our invitations will be sent to every member of the Ninth whose address we are in possession of, and if the comrades will only supplement our general invitation by sending a letter to some old messmate urging him to come to the reunion with us at Hobart and spend a day or two immediately after at the national encampment, I feel assured we shall be able to get a chance to see very many dear old comrades we have not met since the war.
While the Ninth will be glad to again meet the com- rades of any regiment that served with it in either Hazen's or Grose's Brigade, we know from the request made to us by so many old vets that we make a special effort to hunt up 6th Kentucky men, which regiment and the 9th In- diana were often called the "twin regiments," that many old survivors of the Ninth are just aching to wring the good right arm of an old Sixth Kentuckian. The 41st Ohio has a regimental association like our own, and we can reach that regiment through the officers of its association. If any comrade can give us the name and address of an officer or enlisted man in the "old 6th Kaintuck," let him do so at an early day. The 30th and 36th Indiana and 84th Illinois, who were brigaded with our regiment in 1864, have regi- mental organizations. The address of any of the 77th Pennsylvania will also be thankfully received by the corre- sponding secretary of the Ninth Indiana.
At our reunion at Plymouth, we sought to ascertain if any members of the Veteran Association or of our regiment had died since our last meeting, and were unable to learn of any. While too late to report the death of any until our
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next report, we will esteem it a personal favor if comrades will promptly report the death of any comrade that may come to their knowledge, or the address of any member of the regiment whose name is not already on our Roster of Survivors.
We are under especial obligation to Lieut. J. M. Hel- mick, our Recording Secretary, for his carefully kept rec- ord of the proceedings of our late reunion and camp-fire.
Comrades, write it down indelibly on the tablet of your memory that our next reunion is to be our biggest and best and you are to labor diligently to help achieve that result.
Fraternally yours, ALEX. L. WHITEHALL,; Corresponding Secretary.
NOTE .- A large portion of this report was in type when the in- expressibly sad news was received from the Phillipines that our Comrade, Major-General Henry W. Lawton, had fallen on the firing line in the battle of San Mateo, the victim of a Filipino sharp- shooter.
The Association had been congratulating itself that no death of a Comrade of the Ninth had been reported up to the close of the year, when the cables flashed the intelligence that the hero of nu- merous hotly contested battles, the peerless leader and fighter, Gen- eral Lawton, had laid down his life for Old Glory.
In the short time at our command we have compiled a memoir that will constitute the closing pages of our report. Had it been possible to communicate with the noble wife of our fallen Comrade and secure facts and data for a more accurate sketch of Gen. Law- ton's life, a more appropriate tribute to his worth could have been rendered by us in this connection.
The Chicago Daily News Company kindly loaned us the engrav- ing we have graced our report with as its frontispiece. And from the material accessible in behalf of our Comrades, we have basti y framed and lay at the altar of our Courageous and Chivahic Lawton as a token of admiration and love borne by his old Comrades of the Ninth Indiana the heart-offerings herein appearing as our tribute to one of the Republic's bravest soldiers.
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Memoirs.
Maj. Gen. Henry W. Lawton, Born March 17th, A. D. 1843, Killed in Battle Dec. 19th, A. D. 1899.
Henry W. Lawton was born at Manhattan, Ohio, March 17th. 1843. 1 His father had previously resided at Fort Wayne, Ind., and some years later returned to Fort Wayne. During his early boyhood the subject of our sketch con- tinued to reside with his parents in the northwestern part of Ohio and his statement is that his first recollection is of the home of the family at Maumee, O., at which place he first attended a primary school. His father was among the adventurous spirits who made the perilous trip to California to seek wealth in the gold fields, then but a short time dis- covered. Young Lawton was about seven years of age when his father bade his little family adieu and started on his trip to the Pacific Slope. Henry attended the common schools at Maumee and in Lorain County, O., whither his mother removed during the absence of her husband in Cali- fornia, and upon the return of his father about 1852 Henry accompanied him on a western tour, spending the greater part of his time in Iowa, but the latter portion in Missouri, from which state the elder Lawton returned to Fort Wayne, Ind .. and made it his permanent abode.
In due time young Lawton entered the Methodist Episco- pal College at Fort Wayne as a student. He was attending said college when President Lincoln issued his call for 75,- 000 men, and promptly enlisted as a private in Capt. Wm. P. Segur's company, organized at Fort Wayne, which com- pany, on its arrival at Indianapolis, was assigned to the Ninth Regiment of Volunteer Infantry, as Company E. Young Lawton had just attained to the age of 18, and the tall, rather awkward boy was then recognized as an earnest, courageous lad, and made fourth sergeant of his company, which position he filled creditably and satisfactorily up to his muster out with the regiment July 29, 1861. Associated as he was with so many courageous and chivalric comrades in his initial service in the Ninth Indiana, that afterwards, like himself, attained promotion for gallantry and soldierly conduct in their own and other regiments, the writer of this sketch inclines to the opinion that the three months' campaign in West Virginia under the dashing colo- nel of the Ninth, Robert II. Milroy (whose gallantry subse-
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quently won for him the double starred strap of a major general) the stripling fourth sergeant of Company E, taking to a considerable extent the brave and dashing Milroy for his military model, received an inspiration which made him later on the daring, yet cool, military chieftain that won the admiration of the civilized world. For in truth his fame as the peerless fighter of his day is world-wide.
Sergeant Lawton, inspired by a determination to stand by the old stars and stripes until it should again float over a reunited nation, on the 15th of September, 1861, re-en- listed in the Thirtieth Regiment of Volunteer Infantry, then being organized and mustered for three years, and later on, Sept. 24th, 1861, was commissioned first lieutenant of Com- pany A, and subsequently became captain of his company, May 17, 1862. In the bloody battle of Shiloh, Sion S. Bass, colonel of the regiment, was killed and the promotion. of his captain to be major gave Lient. Lawton his deserved promotion to the captainey of his company, in which capac- ity he served until, by conspicuous acts of personal daring and by the splendid soldierly conduct and bearing of the young captain he was selected to command the residuary battalion of his regiment, consisting, after re-organization, of seven companies, and with the rank of a lieutenant colo- nel. Lawton led his splendid fighting regiment through the Atlanta campaign and in the battles of Franklin and Nash- ville and the pursuit of Hood's routed army. Reference to the reports of his superior officers will disclose the fact that the boy colonel of the badly decimated, but gallant Thir- tieth Indiana, was unexcelled in personal bravery and han - dled his regiment exceptionally well, in all its campaignings in 1864 and 1865. Colonel Lawton thus early established a reputation in the brigade and division as being an officer who never said "go," but rather "come on boys."
The men under his command and the officers who had an opportunity to know and study his character were con- vinced that he was absolutely fearless, and apparently as tireless as he was brave.
In recognition of young Lawton's splendid soldiership and fitness as a commander, Governor Morton commis- sioned him full colonel on Feb. 10, 1865, and with his com- mand, asa part of the redoubtable old Fighting Fourth Army Corps, he served during the summer of 1865 in Texas as part of Gen. Phil Sheridan's army of occupation, until the final muster out of the regiment early in the fall of 1865.
Col. Lawton, after the muster out of his regiment. re-
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turned to Fort Wayne, and at the suggestion of Judge Ninde of that city began the study of law in 1866, and a little later entered the law department of Harvard University, and was prosecuting his studies there when he received a notice of his having received a commission in the regular army, which he at once accepted and was assigned to military duty on the western fron- tier. We have not reliable data at hand to enable us to even summarize the many brilliant achievements of Law- ton as a regular army officer, which finally, in the slow pro- gress of promotion in the regular service brought to him the honors and emoluments of a lieutenant colonel, which posi- tion he was filling when called into active field service in the province of Santiago, Cuba, in our recent war with Spain.
In the many engagements with the Indians Lawton per- formed many daring acts and came to be regarded by the wily red men of mountain and plain as one officer whom they could not outwit, or outfight, or outdo in the matter of physical endurance. His remarkable and unprecedented pursuit of the notorious Geronimo and his bloodthirsty band of Apache warriors, that for years had foiled all attempts of the government's officers and troops to subdue or cap- ture them, and his capture of the wary old chief and his des- perate, almost utterly worn out and famished band in the almost unknown, frowning fastnesses of the Mogollan Mountains in Mexico, stands without parallel in the annals of warfare with savages.
Other officers distinguished in successful campaigns against the Indians had been overmatched and over-reached by the cunning and deadly fighting of Geronimo and his renegades, and outwinded in the terrible chase he led them in order to effect his many escapes. But in the gaunt, grim, iron-willed, ever alert and tireless Hoosier giant, Lawton, these copper colored cut-throat denizens of Arizona's desert wastes and mountain fastnesses found that in this white man they were fully and fairly ont-matched. To their dis- may this silent sleuth, ever-watchful, always ready, and a tireless pursuer with his gallant troopers inspired by his heroic example, hunting them day and night, in sheer des- peration, on the verge of collapse and starvation, the Apaches at last sullenly yielded. Lawton himself had gone fearlessly into their entrenched camp and demanded their surrender, his nerve triumphed, and they followed the dauntless leader of the white men-that could neither be tricked, shot, or run down, into the camp of his soldiers,
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confiding in the word of the fearless fighter that as his prisoners they would be protected from assassination until his-government should determine their fate in a civilized way.
In the war with Spain Lawton, who had been made a major general of volunteers, will live in history as the superb leader and commander of the second division of the fifth army corps. His brave behavior in the assault upon El Caney in the memory of those living who participated or witnessed that fierce battle, the recollection of the many daring acts of Lawton, will stand out as prominent as the bristling battle crowned height of El Caney itself. That his soldiers behaved with such admirable bravery and coolness even in the white heat of battle does not seem strange when one knew the leader, and of the wonderful magnetic influ- ence exerted by the unpretentious, silent, watchful com- mander, who, reckless of death-dealing Mauser bullets and hurtling shot and shell, was dashing here and there over the battle-swept field, giving directions now and then, and with his keen, practiced eye taking in every detail of the hot fight that raged along his lines, always seeming to show himself at the danger point whenever the men would be strengthened in gallant action by the thought, "Lawton is with us and sees us."
When Santiago had fallen and the terrible yellow death was burning in the veins of both conquerors and the con- quered, Gen. Shafter hurrying the bulk of his army toward the cooling breezes of the Northland and away from the fever-cursed but beautiful "Gem of the Antilles." he turned over to command of Gen. Lawton the remnant left to garrison that portion of the island. It is stated that the intrepid, unassuming commander of the second division reported to his commander in chief, clad in fatigue uniform, which showed the ravages of time and hard service, and when informed that he had been designated to take com- mand and might enter upon his duties as soon as it suited him, with his usual directness, said: "I am ready now," and divesting himself of his coat, took down an old office coat of thin material, that had been left by a Spanish officer less herculean in build than Lawton, quietly pulled the garment on, and though the fit was such that his arms projected away out beyond the sleeve cuffs, and the tail of the coat scarcely reached the waist line of the lanky Indianian, he said "it would do," and seating himself quietly at his desk at once and without formality began the dispatch of business. This
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incident is narrated because it is an index to his character. He had no time to waste on formalities, but was chock full of grit, tact, good sense and action.
When Lawton was transferred to the Philippines and given command of a flying column he soon carried conster- nation to the hearts of the wily Filipinos by the celerity and certainty of his movements, satisfying them that a man who could and who dared to lead his men into inaccessible, and against reputed impregnable strongholds, was now "forc- ing the fight" and hunting them to their lairs, just as he had dealt with the Indians in our great West. And yet when they came to him and proposed to abandon rioting and fall back again into the paths of peace they found in Lawton a great, big-hearted, firm and unwavering friend and protec- tor. His remarkable campaign in North Luzon had drawn to a successful close, and turning his face toward the yet or- ganized bands of insurgents in the central and south part of the island in his initial move against them in a strongly intrenched possession at San Mateo, while the cheers of victory were ringing in his ears the intrepid leader, who had faced death on a hundred fields in three wars and numerous Indian forays, fell pierced through the heart by the bullet of a concealed Filipino sharpshooter.
A pang of sorrow smote the heart of this great American nation when the cable flashed the intelligence that the Bay- ard of the Army of the Republic had at last met death on the firing line in the far away Philippines. Adjutant Cor- bin and other generous comrades of the knightly hero at once set about the work of securing contributions from his many admirers that would at least enable the widow to cancel a mortgage resting on the home of the dead general at Red- lands, California. And so generous has been the outpouring from the generous patriots of our nation that the fund has grown to about eighty thousand dollars, a sum that will ren- der the family of the hero comfortable for life. In this in- stance the lie has been given to the charge that republics are ungrateful.
In 1881 Gen. Lawton married Miss Mary Craig near Louisville, Kentucky, who, with one young son of 12 years, and three daughters, survive him. Mrs. Lawton is reputed to be a fit companion to so grand a character as her late husband, and her kind motherly letter to Mrs. Gen. John A. Logan, seeking to console her over the death of her son, Major Logan, who also fell in his first battle, a victim to the merciless bullet of a concealed sharpshooter at San Jacinto,
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