USA > Indiana > Reunion of the 9th regiment Indiana vet. vol. infantry association, 1892-1904 > Part 3
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CAPT. BURNHAM, of Rensselaer, responding to calls, said he came to listen but would take occasion to say he was especially glad to welcome the men of the Ninth Indiana to Rensselaer. He had served in the Fourth army corps along with the Ninth, and knew something of its history. He paid a tribute to the patriotism, courage and manliness of the volunteer soldiers of the union, and cited instances of bravery and endurance coming under his personal observa- tion, and felt there was nothing too good for the worthy old soldier.
LIEUT. B. R. FARRIS being called for, responded by telling the story of his capture by John Morgan's men after being wounded at Stone River, and how, because of the wound in his thigh, he was unable to "double quick " under the orders of the notorious guerrilla, Dick McCann, and how the rebel officer was preparing to shoot him down in cold blood, when a confederate surgeon spurred his horse between him and his would-be murderer, McCann, and saved his life. But for which humane act on the part of the surgeon, Lieut. Farris thinks he would have certainly been shot down while a prisoner of war.
The Glee Club sang " Tenting on the old Camp Ground." Col. Suman then suggested PAUL HAMLING tell his mule story, which Paul proceeded to do, causing not a little laughter.
A. S. MCCORMICK was called on for a speech, and said, when it came to speech making he was not exactly " in it;"' but for all that, the comrade made some quite interesting remarks, in which he told of a school marm, whom he face- tiously declared to be related to his comrade, Lieut. Jim Wharton, that did not know anything about the war. He stated that such matters of history as the blowing up of the steamer Sultana, and the scalding and drowning of many hundreds of helpless union soldiers just released from rebel prisons, was not mentioned in our school histories, and he,
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for one, wanted a better knowledge of the war and its results taught in our common schools; the lesson of patriotism was the best thing a child of this republic could be taught.
LIEUT. J. M. HELMICK, responding to vigorous calls, made a few remarks, but as many of the audience were passing out, the reporter was unable, on account of the noise and confu- sion, to catch his words further than to learn that he spoke of the sacrifices made by married men who tore themselves from wife and children to fight for the defense of not only their own family, but that of the men who remained at home with their families and enjoyed the comforts of home and peace. He paid a glowing tribute to the loyalty and devo- tion of the mothers, wives, sisters and sweethearts of the volunteer soldier.
At the President's request, the Secretary announced that the historical addresses of Captains Hodsden and Johnson would be delivered during the forenoon of to-morrow, and everybody was invited to attend and hear them. Announce- ment was also made of a reunion of the 15th, 40th and 72nd Indiana Regiments, to be held at Frankfort, Indiana. Oct. 6th and 7th.
COMRADE E. L. CLARKE, Chairman of the Reception Committee, requested any late arrivals not yet assigned to quarters, to report to him on adjournment for assignment.
On motion of Comrade A. S. McCormick, the meeting adjourned till 8 o'clock to-morrow morning.
SECOND DAY -- FORENOON.
The comrades were slow to assemble, and exercises at the Opera House did not begin until nearly nine o'clock.
Secretary Whitehall called the roll of the regimental survivors, in order to make additions and corrections to the roster of survivors and list of comrades who have died since the close of the war. Considerable time was consumed in call- ing the roster and noting those present as members of the association, and making corrections and additions suggested by the comrades present from the several companies.
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It was moved and carried that the place of our next annual meeting be selected before proceeding to an election of officers. After considerable discussion as to advisability of holding a meeting during the Columbian Exposition, it was finally decided that it was not best to hold a regular meeting next year, but to consider later the suggestion made by Whitehall and Col. Suman, that a time be arranged to visit the World's Fair by all of the Ninth during a certain week, if possible, and to have headquarters during such time in Chicago, where Ninth comrades and their families could meet and arrange to visit the big exposition and other places of interest, as a body, or at least in groups. Complaint was made by several farmers and others that the last week in August came too early to secure a good attendance, and all seemed to agree on the first Wednesday and Thursday of October as being a more suitable time.
Comrade John W. Jackson nominated Delphi as the place for our next regular meeting, and Delphi was unani- mously chosen. Moved and carried that our next annual meeting for the transaction of the regular business of the Association be held at Delphi, Oct. 3rd, 1894, and if said date occurs on Sunday, the executive committee to set it for any day during the first week in October.
Col. Suman said he felt some action ought to be taken on Judge Whitehall's suggestion that the Ninth Ind. have head- quarters either on the grounds during World's Fair, or in the immediate proximity of Jackson Park, where the regi- ment could rally and visit the " big show " together and hold any campfires or informal meetings; a committee of arrange- ment and management might plan, and circulars could be sent out requesting the comrades to come on some certain week or month, and in that way a reunion could be effected with many of our comrades from Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska and other Western states. Comrade McCormick felt sure arrangements might be made to meet in the Indiana build- ing on some specified day or days, unless it was thought best to have headquarters in the city.
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Capt. S. P. Hodsden made a motion which was carried, that a committee, with Col. Suman from the field and staff and one comrade front each of the ten companies be chosen as a committee of management to take such steps as they may deem best to bring the comrades and their families into social reunion at the World's Fair during the fall of 1893.
The following named comrades were chosen:
Field and Staff, Gen. I. C. B. Suman.
Co. A-A. S. McCormick.
Co. F-Alex L. Whitehall.
" B-G. W. Blackman.
" G-Lieut. Ben. R. Farris.
" C-Philetus Able.
" H-Sergt. John Morrow.
" D-Sergt. T. H. Robinson. ' I-Valentine Marks.
" E-Lieut. J. M. Helmick. " K-Cap. D. B. McConnell. with full power to act.
On motion, the association proceeded to elect officers, who are to serve until the next regular meeting in October, 1894. The result of the election was as follows:
President, Major JOHN B. MILROY, Delphi, Ind.
Corresponding Sec., ALEX. L. WHITEHALL, 308 Inter Ocean Building, Chicago, Illinois.
Recording Sec., E. L. CLARK, Rensselaer, Ind.
Treasurer, JOHN BANTA, Logansport, Ind.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
Major J. B. Milroy, Hon. D. B. McConnell,
A. S. McCormick, P. M. Benjamin,
Capt. Amasa Johnson.
VICE-PRESIDENTS.
Band, John Lathrope, Co. A, Lt. J. M. Wharton,
Co. B, John Vesper,
" C, J. L. Woolf,
" D, John S. Deardruff, " E, Geo. Williams,
" F, Capt. W. H. Merritt, " G, Lt. B. R. Farris,
" HI, J. W. Zea, " I, Wmi. Markel,
Co. K, Alpheus Porter.
CAPT. S. P. HODSDEN, formerly adjutant of the regiment and captain of company H, was then introduced, and gave the following racy address of a historical character:
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The battle of Nashville, fought on the 15th and 16th of December, 1864, was the last of the engagements of the war participated in by the Ninth Indiana.
On the evening of the 16th the regiment was placed in pursuit of the retreating rebels, which was kept up well into the night, and from that day on till they placed the Tus- cumbia River between their pursuers and themselves, the march through slush from sun to sun, and as often long after the sun had disappeared behind the darkness, was the order of the day, daily.
Footsore and hungry and weary, they reached the nightly camping ground; weary and hungry and footsore, as they often began the daily march. At times the shot from the rebel rear-guard, engaged by our van, sang its song of war on the chill air of the Tennesee December, and as its militant music took the attention of our regiment, the plod- ding march through mud quickened to the double quick, and the charging cheer as in the battle charge rang out as in the often battle-day, when shrieking shell were coursing here and there and the muskets' minnie messengers by the hundred thousands cut the air, and the battle-bolts were striking, striking, striking everywhere. But when the place of the engagement was reached, the enemy was gone, and the enchantment of the moment gave place to the monotony of mire and march and chill. Yet the knowledge that the days of army life were soon to be left behind, brought thoughts and hopes of peace and home. Pursuing till pur- suit became hopeless, we were led across to Huntsville, Alabama, where we went into winter quarters. For some days all were busy policeing the camping grounds, con- structing bunks on poles resting on forks set in the earth, covered with cedar boughs, pitching tents of the dog-tent pattern, and tenting two by two, whilst the most of the officers made cabins of cedar logs, which were very abundant there. After these matters had been achieved, the com- pany and the squad drills of the forenoon, and the brigade drill in the afternoon, with dress parade in the evening, were the the business of these winter days.
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The drills of the forenoon were in charge of the line officers and the non-commish, at which all of them became quite proficient. The drill of the afternoon was generally conducted by a long, lean, lank, cadaverous Sucker, who went by the cognomen of "Old Tongs." In one of the battles of the war he had been shot through and through in the bowels. Corporal Zea gave it as his opinion that the reason that valiant Illinoisian survived was that there was nothing inside of him for the bullet to strike. He sat his horse much like the old fashioned kitchen tongs of the open fireplace, hanging across the old time chimney jam crane. He would have the boys out with overcoats on, knapsacks slung, canteens and haversacks in their proper places; then he would trot them through for four hours every day on the double quick in his military manœuvers. And how the boys-the christian-raised boys of the old Ninth-would damn " old Tongs." Many of them would hide in the ledges and crevices of the rocks which were so abun- dant in that vicinity, about the time of forming into ranks for the drill; and after the regiment had been marched out, would then return to the quiet of the camp and while away the hours in writing to the absent beloved, in conning the pages of sacred writ, or, which was far more frequently the case, in exploring the mysteries of euchre, poker, cribbage, whist or old sledge. Some of them became so proficient in these pastimes that they have since followed them largely as a livelihood. The Cartwright boys of H were ex- ceptionally good in two ways -- in getting out of drill and in manipulating the cards. But in all the games and all the tricks of the player none were ever so scienced as our Surgeon, M. G. Sherman. But of all who did it to escape the drill only, Ezra Ferguson was the champion-and Shoup not far in the rear.
One day a letter was brought into Co. H by the Regimental Postmaster addressed to "one who had been absent from his company for many days and his where- abouts was unknown;" the question was, how to indorse it so as to reach him. Lieut. Turner suggested: "Somewhere
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in hospital in the rear;" Morrow added, "playing off;" Abe Downing wrote, "come to the regiment, Bob, no fighting now." And thus and thus the indorsements ran, till all the envelope was covered with "come" from the members of H, in spirit with the military history of Bob, as viewed from their standpoint, and it was left like bread on the waters to drift as the winds and the waves might carry it.
The scriptures tell us that bread cast on the waters will return many days hence. So did the letter. Bob was with it. When they saw him amongst the invoice of returning convalescents, all fell into ranks-the line and the non- commissioned, the music and the men, and all were giving warmest greeting to the comrade come again. But Bob was looking for the men who lied on him on the envelope. All the boys helped Bob to hunt them out. Bob has'nt found them, the boys haven't found them. The ones who wrote it are unknown. Then as a pastime a number of the members from different companies organized a theatrical aggregation of which John Morrow was comic star; Schlay of K was tragedian, if I mistake not, and many and many forgotten or unknown were of the troupe. They took possession of a vacant hall in Huntsville, which they fitted up for the opera.
Fifer Pratt, whom we recall as the tall, slim fifer, and Tibbetts, the little short snare drummer, constituted the orchestra. They sat on the platform wise as serpents, solemn as owls, and musically harmless as the doves the Savior spoke about, and they fished up from their repertoire the inspiriting strains of "Jay Bird." Then when the star comedian had come to a comic halt, they would grasp the drum sticks, pucker up to the necessities of the occasion and peal out on the night air more "Jay Bird."
Also a lyceum was created, in the exercises of which both men and officers participated. Reading, recitation and debate were the exercises, with vocal music. Ijams, Craner, Dr. Gilmore and many others were amongst the active and able members. Of what they did and said I can recall only "The Little Barlow Knife" by Dr. Gilmore.
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Capt. Merritt, as vocalist, was exceptionally good. His "Just Before the Battle, Mother" brought frequent tears to the eyes of the old veterans.
While we were here a number of the non-commish ob- tained commissions; also, some of the line received pro- motions. It was thought the correct thing that these commissions be wet, as has been the custom, time out of mind. The line and field met at the cabin of the Lieut .- Colonel for that purpose. . The resources of the sutler were brought into requsition for stale beer, bottled bitters and doctors' old rye. The cups passed round quite frequently. The company became full and joyous, when they resolved themselves into a committee of the whole for purposes of the drama; the captain of H, who was too tangled to move and too happy to keep still, volunteered as moderator. As he sat on the table the tenor of his efforts was, "order, gentlemen, order!" Capt. Merritt gave a comic solo from his musical magazine.
Lt. Crebbin tacked a $5.00 greenback to the wall, at which Capt. Ijams, mistaking the physiognomy of the old comptroller of the treasury with the undecipherable chirog- raphy for the Goddess of Liberty, orated an impassioned apostrophe thereto. Bloomfield, Craner, McLaren, Thomp- son and Disbro took a theatrical attitudination in tableau, solemnly pointing with their right hand dexter digit to the $5.00 bill, whilst the Lieut .- Colonel, Dr. Gilmore gravely asserted, puked up his immortal soul. But the Colonel was not with us. O! no, he said his prayers and sought his bunk, where he was dreaming of the time "when righteous- ness shall cover the earth as the waters cover the great deep."
But whilst the officers were having their fun in the Lieut .- Colonel's cabin, including a thespian, bacchanalian saturnalia, the enlisted men were also having their fun on the outside, pelting the Lieut .- Col's headquarters in a continuous fusilade of rocks, which were so abundant in the neighborhood of the orgie then transpiring.
Corporal Dilley of H seemed to be the Captain, and the energetic manner with which he and his friend Geo. Shoup
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hurled the rocks on the roof of the cabin would have been a credit to the heroes of Homer. And they had an able second in a young recruit of F, whose head shone up above the tops of his boots, much as Harrison's is pictured peep- ing over the rim of his grandfather's hat. But by evening the supply of rocks for pelting purposes ran low; the tipsy officers closed their eyes in sleep-sleeping the sleep which the just sleep, when the quiet of peace reigned throughout the quarters of the Ninth Indiana.
As the April days began, marching orders came, and we were on our way to east Tennessee. The ride on the cars was a pleasant one, whilst the scenery was much of it grand in character-mountains, verdure-decked from base to crown, as wild and weird as wlien Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek or Cherokee pursued the deer through their aisles of pine and oak, and danced around their council fires shining through the shadows which these monarch mountains cast. Silence reigned through miles and miles. The railway cut in the mountain side, meandering through the winding stretches of the hills, -- from the one window of the car tlie mountain rock stretched up and up in feet counted by the hundreds, and at times thousands of feet-while from the opposite window the view was down and down through distances measured by the furlong. The roaring waters of the raging Tennessee in many instances rolled beneath the 'windows of the car. Dr. Gilmore, when these conditions came, braced against the mountain side of the coach and held his breath. He believed that he thus saved the lives of the passengers in instances more than one. We passed Knoxville on our way- it then bearing many traces of the siege it had just sustained. But we kept moving on till the Strawberry plains was reached, and then went into camp.
The only incident which recurs of that encampment was a tribute of respect paid to the people of that region for their loyalty to the stars and stripes; for their courage and endurance as soldiers and soldiers' wives and daughters in defence of the Union-as displayed on the field of strife, and in the privations and trials of the home. Not one man
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capable of bearing arms was met anywhere outside the army. John H. Weir of H, Lieut. Turner, and others who felt that such loyalty deserved recognition, formed themselves into a serenading band of vocal artists. Weir, who was tall, slim, and solemn of aspect, was the Captain. After me- andering amongst the tortuous footpaths of the hills they struck a farm cabin perched on an acclivity thereabouts. Of course a sombre band like that would indulge only in psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs. Reaching the door --- all was solemn and still without; all seemed solemn and still within. Weir, hoisting the latch, raised his Ebenizer in the name of the Lord and went in; we followed him. The tenants were an old mother in Israel, badly de- formed with the rickets. She was resting her ricketty back rocking in a ricketty rocking chair, humming to herself one of the old Methodist hymns which have given comfort for generations to many and many trusting in the Savior's name. As the patriarchal bearing of Weir entered the door I firmly believe she thought he was one of the old Apostles just out of prison. John was equal to the occasion. His capillary vegetation was a sparse one of a brindle grey. He had a shining bald pate, and a long, silvery chin beard. His look and bearing were those of a dyspeptic clergyman conduct- ing the services on a funeral occasion. He bit the tuning fork and sang of the Rock which is higher than we. We all joined in. Tears trickled down the old lady's face. And as she thought of the glories and home over there she hallowed "hallelujah." Then there was a young lady there -- she was unkempt, slatternly, red-headed --- with one wall eye and the other gone. But she had a womanly human heart in her all the same. As her one wall eye took in the visage of the handsome Lieutenant, she was smitten with liis charms and his singing. It was a case of love at first sight. Who has not listened to the cooing of the turtle doves as they dovetail .together their love and song? or noted how with spit and purr and wail and caterwaul, Thomas H. doth woo and win and wed his feline Tabitha. Then think of the beautiful Lieutenant making love to
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the one-eyed, wall-eyed daughter of the cabin on the hill, in the highlands of loyal east Tennessee. But the old lady brought the scene to a close by requesting Brother Weir to address the Throne of Grace. With his bald pate shining like a benediction, he repeated the Lord's prayer and ad- journed the meeting.
The encampment at Strawberry Plains being thus broken up, the regiment was brought to Nashville. Here the drill was less onerous than at Huntsville-"Old Tongs" having been superseded as our brigade commander, and there be- ing no sense in cultivating the arts of war when we were so soon to enjoy the blessings of peace. I can recollect of but little drill except at dress parade, when the manual of arms was pretty thoroughly gone over. Once we were out practicing the firings, using blank cartridges, and these were about all. We did indulge the Court Martial, how- ever, quite extensively. Some of the boys had been caught somewhat often in bad company, and here was the oppor- tunity to straighten up their record on the muster rolls. Not a few had been absent from their commands without leave, and many other things which recreant soldiers some- times do, were sometimes done. So the Regimental Com- mander took this opportunity to straighten out the records, and to straighten out the recreants as well. For some unexplained cause the boys in limbo turned to the Captain of H for help in the hour of trouble, who, after giving them a word of good advice, took their cases, not unfrequently, successfully. I remember Von Gerkins, charged with "absence without leave," he falling out of ranks while on the march, being sick, and obtaining a surgeon's pass for four days. Being arrested about two weeks after and brought before the court to answer therefor, the Captain suggested to Von the propriety of inserting a figure I before the 4. This made the pass run for 14 days. He was on his way to rejoin his company when arrested, on the last day of his pass. It worked.
One day there was a commotion in the quarters of K. It was reported that a Senegambian voodoo was in one of
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the tents exhibiting his snake, and all the boys ran to see it. Amongst those curiously inclined were Squire Williams of E and Choen of K. There was'nt any Senegambian there and he wasn't a Voodoo; neither did he have any snake to show the boys. It was an initerant phrenological literature colporteur, who was out amongstthe men on the make, selling phrenological periodicals and charts. He had sought the quarters of K for purposes of trade. Some scamp sojourn- ing with K-no doubt a soldier from the State of Steady Habits-had been giving him some cerebral phrenological bumps not laid down on the charts.
Shakspeare says: " Who steals my purse, steals trash," but that fellow didn't. He stole of the cranial elucidator $20 in cold cash. When it came to the trial Williams and Choen mutually swore each other out, the Captain fixing up the papers to that effect. With the jurat of the Adju- tant attached thereto, the German butcher, also of K, prov- ing his innocence, also, the members of the martial court were ever afterward mystified as to whom that slick soldier, from the State of Steady Habits was, who stole such silvery swag so successfully. But the general results of these investigations straightened out the rolls much more tangi- bly than it did the boys.
We were speculating of the day when the muster-out roll would be in order, but got orders for Texas instead, being sent there to watch Johnny Crapeau from across the Mexican border. We took passage on one of the river steamers at Johnsonsville, on the Tennessee, and not a great ways from Nashville. Passing down the Tennessee into the Ohio, and down the Ohio into the Mississippi, we viewed on the passage many new and strange things.
Space lacks, however, for recording any of them. We debarked at New Orleans, where we found camping quarters for some days. We here saw figs, oranges, bananas, the palmetto, sugar cane and many other agricultural products of a tropical nature. The tents were pitched near the place of General Jackson's headquarters at the time of the events resulting in the battle of New Orleans. We scouted about
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the country somewhat and learned much of the lay of the country and of its capabilities ; but we didn't forage any more ; it was against orders. There was something of a ruction raised, however, by some of the men of some other regiment, who burned the posts and the rails of the fences thereabouts for cooking their army rations while there en- camped. General Kimbael, who commanded the camp, ordered a detail from every company in the regiments there to replace them by going into the sycamore swamps in that vicinity and felling and splitting enough to build again the · fences thus burned. Company H sent out a detail. George Shoup was one of them. As he stood by the roots of a giant sycamore, in the water to his knees, the gallinippers punching after his blood by the swarm, the tropical summer sun blistering down, he raised his ax and with a mighty swing away went the ax in the water. He couldn't find it again. When this news reached camp, the Captain of H at once sought the Lieutenant-Colonel, who was in command of the regiment, the Colonel being in charge of the brigade, and proposed to put up a money consideration on condition that if none of H had burned any of these posts or rails, then it was to be returned, otherwise to go to the citizens whose fences had been destroyed. He thought a statement exon- erating Company H would receive the signatures of every member of the company. The Lieutenant-Colonel con- sented, provided the statement took the form of an affidavit and was acknowledged before the Regimental Adjutant. Now the Captain began to consider that these $15 repre- sented the privations and the perils of the march and of the battle-field ; of the poisons of the deadly miasma which lay lurking in the torrid air-represented blistering heat, toil and hunger, cold and camp diarrlira -- and he longed for the return of the $15 to the Captain's hands again.
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