USA > Indiana > Reunion of the 9th regiment Indiana vet. vol. infantry association, 1892-1904 > Part 6
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the center, holding our line till the last living comrade of the old regiment is called to Heaven from it.
The President said: Comrades, I regret that we are not able to intersperse music with our speeches as we intended. In facing my old comrades of the war and companions in the Ninth, I am constrained to say that I am proud of our regi- ment, proud of the achievements of every volunteer soldier of the Union who did a soldier's duty and did it well. When we think of the results of that long, bitter and bloody struggle in which we took part, we have a right to feel proud that we had a hand in bringing about the emancipation and the ultimate enfranchisement of our colored people. We enlarged the liber- ties of the whole world by our hard fighting and grand success in the end. We now have the grandest country on the globe. A country so broad in extent that the sun "never sets on Uncle Sams' domain," for when the sun's fading rays fall on the west shores of far-away Alaska, the glimmer of morning, lights up the rock bound coast of Maine. Ours is the grandest and freest country on the globe.
Comrades, in the absence of those who were to give us music I shall call upon some of the old comrades to speak to us brief- ly and will first call upon Major Jehu Hannum who led Com- pany A of the three months Ninth into the field in April 1861.
MAJOR HANNUM.
Comrades of the old Ninth, I do not feel that I can claim to be one of you, for I did not belong to your regiment in the three year service, but served in another. I am glad though that I can say I had the honor to command Company A in the three months service. Many of my boys re-enlisted in the three year organization. Aside from Capt. Madden I do not see a face that appears familiar to me as one of the three months men of Company A. Capt. Marshall and these other comrades I see before me were all in the three years service. I am proud of your regiment and its record, and have a warm spot in my heart for every ex-soldier of the Union, but a com- rade of the old Ninth seems especially near to me. I can only hope this visit with us will be enjoyed by each one of you.
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CAPT. THOMAS MADDEN,
Was next called upon and said: Major Milroy invites me to make a speech. All you people know it is impossible for me to accommodate the Major. Delphi is my old home, I came here a boy in 1843, and from here I went into the war in the spring of 1861. And now that I, like my aged brother of Company K who succeeded in getting a substitute to do his talking-am growing old, it is a pleasure for me to revisit my old home. Like most men I was guilty of boyish tricks, when this was my boyhood home, tricks that I would now be glad to forget but somehow these very walls seem to remind me of them. Having gone out with these old boys and passed through the war and had some lively and thrilling experiences along with my comrades of the Ninth it seems to you no doubt that I ought to be able to make a speech, and so I ought, but some- how my ideas seem to crowd around for utterance so fast that it parlyzes my tongue. I recall the speech of my venerable comrade Capt. McConnell at Chicamauga, when he passed down the line and said "Boys this is the day to do your good fighting, we must end the war right here," and the boys were dropping dead all around us and it looked as if we didn't end the war pretty quick the Rebs would soon put an end to us. It is not much of a wonder that some of the boys wanted to "fall back," I am surprised to think I didn't run myself when I think of it now. But boys, Delphi is and always has been the soldier's friend. Here during the war the latchstring always hung on the outside for the man who wore the blue coat. And I know these boys of the old Ninth are particularly welcome in Delphi.
Major James D. Braden was called upon and briefly thanked the citizens for their welcome. Capt. J. M. Wharton moved and the motion was carried that we now have officers reports and our business session for the day.
REPORT OF THE CORRESPONDING SECRETARY.
Comrades of the Ninth. Again we meet in reunion, not hav- ing had a regular annual meeting since August 1892. Pur- suant to an arrangement for that purpose, and informal gath- ering of the comrades was held at Indianapolis during the
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National Encampment of the G. A. R. in August 1893. Owing to the hard times it was deemed advisable by the Executive Committee to defer the meeting for 1894 for one year, or to this time. Death has made sad havoc in our ranks since we last stood shoulder to shoulder in reunion at Renselaer. Our esteemed comrade, Capt. D. B. Creviston being among those to heed the call to "come up higher." We are unable to give a correct list of those who have died since our last annual meet- ing until we have had a report from the Vice President selected from each company and such information as we may be able to gather at this meetieg. Suitable memoirs we desire to pub- lish in our forthcoming annual of all our deceased members of this association.
The Treasurer and myself have felt we could not do other- wise than charge up, as our by-laws direct, dues for cach year, whether a meeting was held or not, hence have charged dues on the books, 93, 94 and 95, and feel that if any action is taken it should properly be by the Association itself if it is desired to remit the dues for any part of the time intervening since the Renselear meeting. We make the suggestion that weshall need all funds we are likely to get to meet our current expenses for printing, and mailing reports and keeping the comrades in touch by correspondence, and if there be any surplus this year it will undoubtedly be required next year in publishing the re- vision of the Roster of the living, and Roll of Honor and list of dead comrades. As a matter of information we beg to re- port that very many comrades are largely in arrear. The Treasurer's book shows that there is $343.00 due from com- rades who owe more than three dollars. In many cases these comrades have not paid dues since a reunion was held at the place nearest their homes and will pay again most likely when the reunion swings around into a place near enough for them to easily attend. Some of these comrades so largely in arrear are personally known to be able to pay. While others are hard pressed for money, some in soldier's homes, and so financially embarassed they can not pay and their dues should be remitted or reduced in some cases to an amount they would feel willing to pay to square them up on the books. The suggestion is re- spectfully offered that the Executive Committee, or a special Committee appointed here, be authorized to take some action relative to collecting, compromising or remitting in proper cases delinquent dues Your Secretary must crave indulgence from the comrades for not always being prompt in replying to correspondence, as circumstances are such many times that he can not spare the time from his 'private business and engage-
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ments to give attention to the old Ninth. We feel constrained to say that advancing years, and not always good health, and the pressure of work incident to winning bread for dependent ones, makes our work for the Ninth very unsatisfactory to even ourself. While we yield to no comrade in our admiration for the dear old regiment, and a desire to serve our old comrades in any capacity we reasonably can, we must at the same time admit that it is often done at a great personal sacrifice, often compelling us to work over time when our brain needs rest, and we are in poor condition bodily and mentally to preform our task for the comrades. Without any disposition to shirk we would remind you at this time that we have been on duty for a good "long trick" and the appearance of a "second re- lief" would be most heartily welcomed by your corresponding secretary.
We submit herewith a financial statement marked Schedule A and made a part of this report.
Fraternally Submitted, ALEX L. WHITEHALL, Cor. Sec.
SCHEDULE A.
Received from Treasurer Banta, Sept. 25, 1892. for cost of invitations, etc. $ 8 00 March 23, 1893 to pay for printing report of Rensel- aor meeting in August 1892. 62 00
$ 70 00
Making total amount received from treasurer. .. Duos received from divers members after the Ren- selaer meeting and prior to meeting during the National Encampment in August, 1893 6 50
Dues paid to me at Indianapolis and since that time up to this date (as per statement read to Ass'n) 29 00
Total receipts since report of 1892.
$105 50
CONTRA.
By expenses of Ninth Annual Reunion, printing and mailing report thereof $ 70 00
By expenses of stamps, postals, etc., for notification and correspondence with members to Aug. 31, 1893 8 50
By expenses of printing two set of circulars, stamps envelopes, stationery, receipts, etc., for this meeting, and correspondence since Aug. 31, 1893 By balance cash remaining in my hands. . 12 00
15 00
Total disursements and balance. $105 50
TREASURER'S REPORT.
To the Officers and Members of the Ninth Ind. Vet. Association:
COMRADES :- I herewith submit my report of the receipts and disbursemonts for the year onding Aug. 31, 1893.
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RECEIPTS.
Amount on hand last report. $ 7 55
Dues received
63 50
Total
$71 05
DISBURSEMENTS.
Sept. 5, 1892, to A. L. Whitehall $ 8 00
March 23, 1893, to the same. 62 00
By amount paid for stamps and draft. 25
Balance on hand at date of Indianapolis meeting .. . 80
Total.
$71 05
Respectfully submitted, JOHN BANTA, Treas.
SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT TO THIS DATE.
On hand at time of meeting at Indianapolis, Au-
gust, 1893. $ 80
Dues paid to me at Indianapolis. 12 00
Total amount on hand $12 80
Delphi, Ind., Oct. 9, 1895. J. BANTA, Treas.
Capt. D. B. McConnell moved that the Officers reports just read be approved and recorded in our Annual Report. Motion carried. Moved by same comrade and carried, that the Presi- dent appoint a special committee consisting of the Correspond- ing Secretary and Treasurer and one other comrade to take action regarding delinquent dues on the line suggested in re- port of corresponding secretary, and that such committee be and are empowered by this body to use their diseretion and best judgment in making settlement with comrades who for any reason are in arrear for dues. The president named as such committee, D. B. McConnell, A. L. Whitehall and John Banta.
Comrade A. S. McCormick moves that the time from now to adjournment for camp-fire be employed in discussing the question of the location of the 9th Ind. monument in Chica- mauga National Park. Motion unanimously adopted. McCor- mick stated that Capt. McConnell, one of the monument com- mittee from this state, seems to have run up against a snag in trying to have our monument placed on Snodgrass Hill where we asked to have it placed, and I think the comrades would like to have Comrade McConnell explain why it is the Ninth Indiana cannot locate its monument where it chooses to. Com-
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rade McConnell and several of us were down at Chicamauga battle field last month and as we have all seen the ground re- cently I think we can compare notes and see how we agree as to the position held by our regiment and where we consider the proper place to put our monument.
Capt. McConnell being loudly called for said: Mr. Presi- dent and comrades, I have been requested to present certain correspondence between myself and Gen. Boynton, Historian of the National Commission for the location of monuments and markers, etc., on the battle field of Chicamauga of the different commands who participated in the battle.
Myself and brother commissioners from this state in select- ing for the site of the 9th regiment the point last held by the 9th on Snodgrass Hill were actuated by what seemed to be a general choice of the regiment that it be put there and because after consideration we agreed among ourselves that it seemed the most proper site for it, and since we have encountered op- position I would now like to get a full and fair expression from our comrades here on the most proper location without refer- ence to what we may have decided on in the commission. My idea is that I had better not present the correspondence till your business session to-morrow forenoon at which time I de- sire action by this regiment shall be taken after a full and fair discussion and consideration of the matter.
I am now in favor of canvassing the matter among ourselves and see how our recollections tally one with the other as to the part taken by the 9th regiment in that great battle. Several of our regimental officers and men a few days ago in company with myself carefully traversed the Chicamauga Park and com- pared notes and searched for indisputable landmarks recognized by us when the battle was on, and I think these gentlemen will all say that we agreed fully as to the different positions of our regiment and what was done by us at that time. I know there were several others at the recent dedication services who went over the ground that were not with my party, and I am quite anxious to have a report from these comrades. While on the floor I will say that myself and comrades with whom I have talked the matter over on the field and off the field are
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agreed that the five principal positions held by the Ninth Indi- ana during the two days battle were:
1st. At the begining of battle in line at the Brock Field.
2nd. On the Brotherton Road, where we lost heavily and were fighting against great odds and forced to fall back.
3rd. In the Kelly Field, on the second day in the main line where we had thrown up log barricades and fought heavily for hours.
4th. On the line near the Snodgrass House, Harker's Hill, under Gen. Harker and assisted in repelling the heavy assaults of Longstreet.
5th. On Snodgrass Hill where we were sent about dusk, being loaned by Gen. Reynolds to Gen. Brannan and where we held our ground till long after dark and were then withdrawn.
Capt. Thomas Madden said: My recollection of the two days fighting I find tallies almost exactly with Capt. McCon- nell's and I particularly call to mind our last position there on Snodgrass Hill, the capture of Lieut. Thompson, and Corporal McCormick of my Company was by the same body of confederates who captured the Ohio and Michigan regiments a few rods away on our right. It was so dark you could not distinguish friend from foe. Lieut. Thompson was of an inquisitive turn and he said "he would just slip down in the direction of the troops and see if they were our men or the Johnnies," he was taken in by them and found out to his entire satisfaction they were Johnnies. While our loss in killed and wounded was greater at other points, still we made our very last stand there in the dark facing, and in fact fighting, a vastly larger force of the enemy, and lost several good men by capture, and I favor most emphatically putting our monument where we made our last stand against the enemy on that night of the second day's battle and from which we were withdrawn to fol- low our army into Chattanooga.
MAJOR JAMES D. BRADEN.
Said, Comrades, I was over the battle field during dedica- tion week and single and alone after getting my bearings went directly to the spot on Snodgrass Hill just a few rods from the
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Government Observatory Tower on to the identical ground where the 9th took up its position that night of Sept. 20th, 1863, when we went to the assistance of Gen. Brannan's men who had exhausted their ammunition in holding the rebels in cheek. I carefully studied the ground and know I am not mis- taken. I was in command of Company C at the time, and have had the matter mapped out in my mind as to how the ground lay and found it just as I had remembered, and I . favor above all other positions this spot a little to the west of the tower as the place where the Ninth monument ought to be placed.
Lieutenant J. . M. Helmick, and comrade Samuel I. Kess- ler, both said they were on the battle field during the dedication week last month and went very carefully over the ground examining old landmarks and objects which they had noted at the time of the two days fighting of Chieamagua, and had no difficulty in recognizing the ground a few rods south and west of the tower as being the position of the Ninth Ind. on the evening of Sept. 20th, and that the capture of the three regiments and some of our own skirmishers who ventured a few paces too near the rebel lines in the darkness, and all the other incidents were indelibly impressed on their minds, as they were uneasy for their own fate, knowing the enemy out- numbered our badly decimated regiment probably a hundred to one if not more and only hesitated to advance because of the fire received from us when they did make a movement for ward and were checked by the shooting of their mounted officer and others as we since learned from our men who had been taken by them a few moments before. Both comrades were sure the 35th Ohio on a little rise a few rods in the rear of the 9th, was the only troops not captured, when the 9th were led back in the darkness and faced the enemy for the last time and fired the volleys which have been spoken of by other comrades, The 35th Ohio was gone and nobody in sight or hearing when we fell back under orders and we feel confident our boys fired the last volley on that part of the field and were the very last infantry to retire from Snodgrass Hill and for that reason we want the monument located there.
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Lieut. Lewis W. Wood said: Comrades, I recall every in- cident of that night on Snodgrass and of our great anxiety for fear that the rebels would advance in such great force that we would either be killed or captured as we were apparently with- out other support other than that of the Ohio Regiment whom we had relieved and who were said to have fired all their cart- ridges before we came up. This spot where in the darkness and gloom of the night of that second day's terrible fighting our wasted regiment stocd facing overwhelming odds ready to con- test a further advance of the enemy in my humble judgment is the place our monument should stand.
Major Geo. H. Carter said: My comrades, I fully concur with what Capt. McConnell, Braden and others have stated in regard to that battle and believe that Capt. McConnell is cor- rect in every detail. As regards the monument, if it was left to me personally I should have before this controversy arose put it in the Kelly Field, where we did our hardest and best figliting. But we cannot afford to admit that we were not at Snodgrass Hill. We were there facing in darkness a vastly su- perior force that had swept everything to our right and captured three regiments on our immediate right and a portion of our own skirmishers that were a little too far advanced in that di- rection. Our Colonel was justified in leading us back up the hill and out of what looked like a trap, but when ordered to do so we marched back and held our isolated and exposed po- sition till we were ordered to fall back and follow the main army. I feel confident now and did then that our regiment were the very last infantry troops to leave that part of the field.
Comrade A. S. McCormick said: Comrades, I have a very keen recollection of just what took place on that evening of Sept. 20th, 1863, on Snodgrass Hill after we were ordered up to re- lieve that regiment of Ohio troops who had shot away all their cartridges and told us boys they were holding them off with the bayonet when we came up. I was over the ground several years ago before the improvements had been made, and went on down to revisit Andersonville, so I feel familiar with that part of the battle field. I had expected to be one of the party
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with Capt. MeConnell, but failed to connect, and myself and a comrade of Company I of our regiment, made a tour of the battle field, and we were especially slow and careful in our ex- amination of the field and agreed as to the different positions held by the 9th on each of the two day's fight. Both of us were able to trace out the ground which our regiment occupied that evening on Snodgrass Hill, I distinctly remembered most of the surroundings and after we got our bearings we were sure we could stake out the line the 9th first took as a part of the main line holding the Hill, I was one of the skirmishers and on the right front of my regiment only a few rods when the three regiments of the right flank of the 9th was captured and myself and other skirmishers were "gobbled in" before we could make it back to our line. It was getting quite dark and it was hard to tell who was who, I tell you. Myself and the other boys that were "scooped in" at that same time were ta- ken to Andersonville and I had fourteen months accommoda- tion in Andersonville and other prison pens, and I think I will remember Snodgress Hill and remember it mighty well. I was taken prisoner not very far from where the Government Tower now stands off toward the right and down in front and it was right a few rods from there where the left of the three cap- tured regiments lay. Sergeant Miller, of the 22nd Mich., was my chum in Andersonville and his regiment and two Ohio ones were the three captured at the time I was, and the rest of the 9th skirmishers on the right, and Miller and I have often spoke abont the volley which was fired into us by the 9th a short tine after our capture, which not only killed and wounded con- federates, but wounded some of our own men who had just been captured with us. I have talked the matter over with Gen. Jo Reynolds who lives in my town, and I can say he fully sympathizes with us boys in our effort to have our monument placed on Snodgrass, he remembers distinctly of loaning our regiment to General Brannan just about dusk to relieve some of his troops in the main line, that were then holding that part of Snodgrass. Gen. Reynolds said he would write Gen. Boyn- ton and he had me make an affidavit stating I and several oth- er skirmishers of the 9th were captured there that night. I
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want this old regiment to stand by its colors in this fight for location of monument just as it did that night when under the orders of our officers myself and other comrades were thrown forward as skirmishers to see what was in front of the regi- ment and we walked right into the confederate ranks who had advanced in large numbers to within a few yards of the right front of our regiment and had already "scooped in" three other good regiments on the right of us in that main line hold- ing Snodgrass Hill. It is a matter of right and principle that we shall be allowed to locate our monument where we made our last fight, and on the spot where a number of my good com- rades went from, to their death in that prison hell-Anderson- ville. Capt. Thos. Madden here gave notice that he would at the business session to-morrow morning present for action by the regiment as a body in so far as represented here in reunion, a resolution relative to the location of the 9th Indiana regi- ment on Chicamauga battle field.
The President announced the camp-fire, and the Association took a recess till 7:30 p. m.
CAMPFIRE.
Major Milroy, after music by a Martial Band, requested the audience to become quiet, stating that he hoped his old com- rades and his townspeople who had assembled to enjoy the music and speeches would not be disappointed on account of his being obliged to vary the program of exercises somewhat on account of the tardiness of the Glee Club who were not quite so prompt to report for duty as old soldiers, but who would give us some of the good old time music of the Union when they all got into line. The Major said he was glad he could say to his neighbors that he had taken a part with these old comrades now before him in the great fight for human lib- erty, and the magnificent struggle for National Supremacy. A bitter, bloody contest between as brave men as ever faced one another in battle array was waged between the blue and gray, a combat that finally culminated in a victory for the Union and Liberty. He knew that there were men in the 9th who like himself, making no pretense of being orators yet could talk in such a way as to arouse the love for the old soldier, and patrio- tic sentiments among these good citizens of Delphi who have graced this campfire with their presence. And without wait- ing for the Glee Club he would call upon some of the old boys
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to lead off with short speeches of the kind that makes a camp- fire lively, and to lead out the skirmishers he would call upon a comrade from Company K, whose hair and whiskers were rapidly whitening under the frosts of more than fifty winters.
SERGEANT C. P. JACKSON.
Mr. President, I can only say that I am indeed glad to be present on this occasion of another reunion of my regiment, I am always glad to grasp the hand of any old comrade who wore the blue, and especially glad when it happens that it is the hand of a comrade who soldiered with me in the old Ninth. There is a tie of comradeship existing between old soldiers that no speaker can describe, it can be felt, but words fail to des- cribe the sensation that thrills the heart of a veteran as he again greets his old companion in arms, While our service was an honorable one and we may on occasions like this refer to it with a pardonable pride, still my comrades it had its hard- ships as well as triumphs. And it has left in your forms and faces traces of ravages wrought not by time alone, but by hard service, wounds, and disease, and with the most of you I see your heads, like my own, are fast whitening for the harvest of death. These thoughts of what we risked and suffered, and in the performance of which service to our country our comrades yielded up sweet life itself while in line of duty, or who died years after the war from canses produced by their army life and service from '61 to '65, is what makes us feel kindly for one another as our ranks are fast thinning. It was a war of hard fighting, hard marches and severe trials, but in the end we triumphed over a brave and hard fighting foe. And com- rades I credit the triumph of our arms to the fact very largely that we and not they fought under the flag of our country, the flag endeared by the blood of the fathers of this Republic. And to the further fact that a greater degree of intelligence existed among the rank and file of the armies for the Union than for the armies of disunion. Yes, comrades, the war is over, and you and I by what we done and suffered, and by the death and sacrifices of our gallant comrades who fell during that awful struggle, were enabled to bring to our mistaken brothers of the south and to their children a new and better order of things. Comrades, inclosing I will say once more that I esteem it a pleasure to be able to again greet you, and can only express the hope that I may be able to again meet you in another re- union of the regiment. You have my best wishes. And I sin- cerely thank the citizens of Delphi for the interest they have always shown in the old Ninth.
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