USA > Maine > First Maine bugle, 1892 (history of 1st Maine Cavalry) > Part 10
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Maine Cavalry. The interment wa: Evergreen.
Mr. Goddard was 51 years of age- He was the ninth of a family of eleven children born to the late Col. Joho Goddard. and Mrs. Goddard who still survives. The only two remaini !! children are Mrs. Charles Goddard and Mrs. Thompson, both of Cape Elizabeth. When quite young Ch. Goddard went to Carlton. New Bruns- wick, where he had charge of his father's lumber mills. At the breaking out of the war, he raised a portion of a company, and received the commission of first lieutenant of Co. E. First Main Cavalry. He participated in all the campaigns of this regiment till Feb. 28, 1863, when he was houorably dis- charged for disability. When he re- covered sufficiently, he returned to the lumber business. All the late years of his life he resided at the family pla ( at the Cape, and engaged in farming. He leaves a widow, born Miss Mildred Dyer, daughter of the late Capt. Joseph W. Dyer. but no children. He was a member of Carlton Union Lodge of Masons, of Carlton. N. B., and also of Posworth Post. No. 2, G. A. R., of this city .-- Portland Press.
FIRST MAINE BUGLE
Entered at the Post Office, Rockinial, Me., as Second Class Matter.
CAMPAIGN HI. APRIL, 1892. CALL. 8.
" The neighing troops, the flashing blade, The Bugle's stirring blast."
PUBLISHED QUARTERLY, JULY. OCTOBER, JANUARY AND APRIL, AND WILL CONTAIN THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE YEARLY REUNIONS OF THE FIRST MAINE CAVALRY, MATTERS OF HISTORIC VALUE TO THE REGI- MENT, AND ITEMS OF PERSONAL INTEREST TO ALL ITS MEMBERS.
PRICE ONE DOLLAR A YEAR, OR TWENTY FIVE CENTS A CALL.
REUNION AT BOSTON,
(Banquet at Lancers' Hall,) August 11th, 1890.
EDITOR, EDWARD P. TOBIE, PAWTUCKET, R. I.
Published by the First Maine Cavalry Association.
ADDRESS, J. P. CHLEY, Treasurer, ROCKLAND, MAINE.
NINETEENTH ANNUAL REUNION
OF THE
FIRST MAINE CAVALRY.
The nineteenth annual reunion was held at the Lancers Armory, Boston, on Monday, August Tith, 1890, at the same time with the National Encampment, Grand Army of the Republic. It was a glorious reunion, and was a remarkable gathering of the comrades of the grand old regiment. While there were not so many of the comrades present who now reside in this good old State as has been the case in some pre- vious reunions, there was a larger number from other States, the meeting of the National Encampment offering extra facilities to the comrades living far away to visit Boston and their down- east homes. So there were probably more instances where old comrades met who had not seen each other before since the war closed, than at any other reunion, except, of course, the first. All day long, at the armory, the comrades gathered, and there were decidedly cordial greetings, and the old stories were toll with more than the usual vim. as there were new listeners. Some of the comrades entered the armory at ten or eleven o'clock in the forenoon, and did not leave until ten or eleven o'clock in the evening, except long enough to get dinner or lunch. Nor were they lonesome hours. Oh, no! the time flex all too swiftly. And the enjoyment of the whole was enhanced by the presence of our loved commander, Gen. Charles H. Smith.
BUSINESS MEETING.
The business meeting was called to order at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, by the president. Gen. Smith, who received a cordial
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greeting, and who gave the boys a cordial greeting, saying: " It is my pleasure to welcome so many of you as I see here to-day. It is my pleasure to meet so many ladies as I see here. I congratulate you on coming to Boston to-day, where you will meet so many of the comrades of the Grand Army of the Republic from all over this country. This is, indeed, a great privilege."
The records of the previous reunion were read by the secre- tary, Comrade Charles A. F. Emery, and were approved.
The treasurer, Gen. Jonathan P. Cilley, presented his annual report, which was accepted. the auditing committee reporting that they had examined it and found it correct.
The following were appointed a committee to nominate officers for the ensuing year, and to name three places from which to select a place for the next reunion: Field and staff. Maj. Benjamin F. Tucker; Co. A, Albert Edgecomb; Co. B, Samuel Shorey; Co. C, Eben Andrews: Co. D, Gilbert N. Harris; Co. E, Capt. Black Hawk Putnam; Co. F. Charles F. Dam: Co. G, Capt. Isaac G. Virgin : Co. H, Lieut. William F. Stone; Co. I, Bradley P. Doc; Co. K. Lieut. George F. Jewett; Co. L, Augustus L. Brown; Co. M, Llewellyn Ford.
While this committee was absent in the performance of it: duty, Gen. Smith addressed the comrades substantially as fol- lows: "I wish to say a few words in relation to the monument of the First Maine Cavalry at Gettysburg. The question of the monument was brought up at the annual reunion last year, and Maj. Thaxter made some suggestions in regard to it. It was understood that the money appropriated by the Legislature would not be enough. Thit amount was very small, and it was not expected there would be sufficient to erect such a monument as we desired. It was expected that contributions would be called for, and I pledged $too for that purpose, if necessary, but the State was generous enough to appropriate the whole amount for the monument, and no collection was called for. I went to Gettysburg October sd, last, to the dedication of our monument -of all the Mame monuments. We went to our monument carly in the morning, and the entire delegation, about
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five hundred, was present at its dedication. Since that time it occurred to me that many of the comrades of the regiment might not be able to see it. We had some photographs taler at the time-one of the front of the monument, and another with the delegation from the regiment-nine members. I ex- ceedingly regret that all in this hall had not been there. It also occurred to me that it might be pleasant to have a souvenir of the exercises of that day, that each member might have om it he wished it, and I decided to spend the money which I had pledged for the monument in that way. I wrote to Comrade Tobie, and he to Comrade Emery, and they have prepared a souvenir, giving two views of the monument, and the order of exercises. There were a few remarks of my own, and an appro- priate poem by Comrade Tobie, and he always says something appropriate when he says anything. I have caused these to be prepared under direction of Comrades Tobic and Emery, and I have brought them here to-day. I have also brought two of the large pictures. . All these souvenirs are for those who want to take them. I want every one who wants one of these to take one. When it was necessary to have a steel plate engrav ing for the history, I wanted some to give to my friend :. I have brought some of them here and I want to give one to each comrade. If any comrade wants my picture, help yourself."
These remarks were greeted with the heartiest of applause. and a recess was taken to " help themselves," which the comrades proceeded to do with such vigor that soon pictures and souvenirs were gone. It was an act of thoughtful kindness on the part of the general, and one which the comrades thoroughly appre- ciated, while the souvenirs will be prized as long as they live, and prized more and more as the days go by.
The committee then returned and reported a list of officers for the ensuing year, which report was accepted, and the officers were elected, as follows :
President --- Gen. Charles H. Smith, of Fort Wayne, Mich. Vice-President -- Capt. Black Hawk Patnam, of Houlton. Treasurer --- Gen. J. P. Cilley, of Rocklan:1. Recording Secretary-Charles A. F. Emery, of West Medford, Mass. Corresponding Secretary -- Lieut, Orrin S. Haskell, of Pittsfield.
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FIRST MAINE BUGIE.
The same committee reported the names of Orland, Houlton and Pittsfield for the reunion next year, and Houlton way chosen.
The meeting then adjourned, and there was another especially delightful season of comradely chat until evening.
THE BANQUET.
The annual banquet was held in the banquet hall of the armory at 8 o'clock in the evening. Here, seated around well supplied and handsomely decorated tables, were about two hundred and fifty comrades and ladies, and here, listening to music by an orchestra, the party enjoyed the banquet, spiced with many a story and joke.
GEN. CHARLES H. SMITH.
When eating was no longer a pleasure, Gen. Smith called to order and addressed the assembly substantially as follows :
COMRADES AND LADIES -- I might, perhaps, properly bid you welcome here to- night, but it would be far more in consonance with my feelings to consiler mysel a guest here. I think I never appreciated one of these gatherings more than I de to- night. When I think of this great city, crowded with soldiers trying to have a good time, and consider our situation as . bady of comrades seated together to tell eur stories, one thought occurs to me which will be the only thought which I shall pres-nr. These meetings have often tires been taken up with tl'ng what the First Main. Cavalry did in the war. That story has been told often and often, and never belooks tiresome. But I was thinking to-day if we might not recall what the First Moins Cavalry has done since the war. We have organized the First Maine Cavalry . Asso- ciation, which has existed for years, and meets year after year, presenting its pamphlets in a form which delights our hearts to see. We have our history written and pol lished. which certainly has received flattering encomiums from every one. It is a good history. I for one feel very proud of it, and have taken a goodly number of copies. Again, we have our two monuments at Gettysburg. They are now actual facts -- the division and the regimental monument -- they are among the thing- wheel we have achieved since the war. Last, but not least, we have organized the Indie- Auxiliary, and the ladies come to cheer of I gladilen us here. an I make these vocast interesting. These are some of the things we have done since the war, and all this though we are not yet past the merilin of life It so much, what may we pol de. before the sunsetting of lite?
GEN. JONATHAN P. CILLEY.
Gen. J. P. CHley was next called upon and made some remarks pertinent to the occasion. Be expressed his great gratification at being present, and alluded in glowing terms to the noble
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history of the First Maine Cavalry. Praise comes to it, he affirmed, from every side, but while we are proud of our record, we hail a promise of something equally good in the future, and that is in the yearly gatherings of old comrades. The speaker went on to advocate the preservation in some permanent forma of the likenesses of not only the present members of the organi- zation, but of those who have passed on. He also advocated the formation of an organization of the sons of the comrades of the First Maine Cavalry.
COL. SAMUEL HI. ALLEN.
Col. Samuel H. Allen was next called upon. He spoke very briefly, saying, "I requested the president not to call upon me as I am not accustomed to speech-making; he asked me to get up and show myself and make a bow, and I have done so. I hope you enjoy this occasion as much as I do."
PRESIDENT DE WITT C., DURGAN.
Dr. DeWitt C. Durgan, president of Hillsdale College, Michi- gan, a classmate of Gen. Smith in college, was next introduced. After a few pleasant introductory remarks, he said :
I am glad to be with you, though I am no soldier. I watched you all the time. Whatever fighting I did was with the rebels at home. I watched with a great deal of interest my friend Gen. Smith, and he was a courageous man. I knew he was a good men for a colonel, he sat at one end of the class. (Laughter). Which end? Well. he was next to me. (Laughter.) If there are any men to whom I instinctively take off my hat, it is to the boys in blue. Before I take off my hat to the President, or to our educators, I take off my hat to the Union soldier. It is through their sacrifices that we possess a grand nation, for which we thank God and you. The First Maite Cavalry regiment was a remarkable regiment. It has an unblemished history. I never read of this regiment running in the wrong direction. If they did they simply ad- vanced backward. It is an honor to belong to the First Maine Cavalry, it is an honor to belong to the Grand Army of the Republic, it is an honor to belong to the Union army, for the sun never shone on such an army since time began. No matter what was required to be done in the army, it was done. If you wanted a bridge built, you had only to detail a number of men and it was ready; if you wanted an engine made, you had only to detail a number of men and it was ready; I don't know but if you wished to get married you had only to detail a man to do it. If the government faile ! to pay the men, it sometimes happened that we had privates who were able to pay the whole regiment. There never was an army that carried under its jackets sach a vast amount of patriotism as our boy's carried. They were not fighting for conquest but to preserve the country and the grand old stars and stripes with never a star ob- literated, or a stripe torn off. I thank God for the spirit of the men who went into
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FIRST MAINE BUGIE.
the army. And you secured what you fought for. You secured the Union, you cured liberty to the slave, you secured a united country, you secured all the Mening- which we have to-day. There are supreme moments in the lives of nations . p. dividuals. That was a supreme moment when John Hancock signed the Dedla- s. of Independence: that was a supreme moment when Abraham Lincoln took the pan and signed the act of emancipation; that was a supreme moment in the life of the young man when he tendered his services and his life to the country. All that is to! in truth, all that is precious in freedom, all that is sacred in law, all that is he midi in morals, all that is sacred in our religion, we owe to such as you, who fought ! : 3. grand ofil stars and stripes.
COL. ALBION C. DRINKWATER.
Gen. Smith then introduced Col. Albion C. Drinkwater, of Braintree, Mass., who said :
It gives me great pleasure, for myself and in behalf of the Massachusetts Branch of une First Maine Cavalry Association, to welcome so many of our old comrades, with their wives and sons and daughters, to this heart of the commonwealth. We do not lose one bit of our pride in the good oldl State of Maine, which has sent out so many brave sons, so many noble daughters. A year ago we held a reunion in this city, aud had a banquet at the Revere House, with an immense number of comrades -- muy more than we had any reason to suppo- . would be here. I have visited diferen. towns in Maine to attend our reunions, for years, and I had come to believe that ther .. were not one hundred and fifty of our obl comrades left. But a year ago we found they ran up into hundreds. To-day they come again, and we welcome them to-day as we did a year ago, as we will every year if they will come here. Massa. husets honors the men from Maine as she honors her own sons, but to-night the city is alive with the defenders of the Union, and the Governor of the State, and the official; of the city are obliged to be absent from this gathering. And so to-night we gather here all to ourselves, and in this hall, kindly given to your use by the National Lancers, we assemble and greet our another, and shake hands and talk over our ol ! associations, and bring our children fato acquaintance with each other. In behat of the Massachusetts Branch of this association, I thank the boys who have come here t. - night.
GEN. LLEWELLYN G. ESTES.
Gen. Smith then introduced Gen. Llewellyn G. Estes, of Washington, D. C., formerly of Co. A. but for two years on the staff of Gen. Kilpatrick. After a little skirmishing. Gen. Este- said :
In 1903 this regiment was called upon to furnish an aid on the brigade staff. I was selectedl fix that position from Co. A. I never Knew the reason for this selection und! I was at Weetlas tar a meeting of the Cavalry Chops, about six weeks ago, when Gent. Smith cana to for and sa', ".Vier twenty odd years I feel as if I ought to make confession. When the detail in an aid was sent for, Col. Deuty was andediler whom to send, but I able to han, There's lotes; he won't work in harness; he went work in harness, and you better total him." " (Laughter. . It was my misfortune
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NINETEENTH ANNUAL REUNION.
not to have served with the regiment any more. I left it in 1863. But porlops I had as good an opportunity as any one to know what the opinion of the generd officers in regard to the regiment was. On Saturday last I met Gen. Pleasanton. I told him where I was going and he said, " Give my love to entry member of th First Maine Cavalry." I have been living in the south and in Washington shice the war, and have been associated with and met with a good mony covaly leaders of the South. I was talking with one one day about this regiment, and he sail to mne, "You-uns must have had about five thousand men in that regiacat." Gen. Wale Hampton told me he considered the First Maine Cavalry the best regithent of cavall; north of Mason and Dixon's line. I was with Gen. Kilpatrick two years, and I heard1 him say many times, " There was never a regiment equal to the First Maine Cavalry."
LIEGT. EDWARD P. TOBIE.
After sick call was sounded, Gen. Smith introduced Lieut. Edward P. Tobie. of Pawtucket, R. I. Lieut. Tobie commenced by relating an incident of the raid towards Gordonsville, under Gen. Sheridan, when Gen. Smith gave the unmilitary order, in military style, " Go on with your apple sauce," and continued :
As we come here to-night. and look into the old familiar faces, and glance back over the quarter of a century that has passed since we were musterel out of service and our grand old regiment was disbanded, bow the old memories come up before us. We remember all the incidents. from the day of enlistment until the day we left the service, and we are young again. Very many of us have found the struggle for existence in civil life quite as hard-aye, much harder -- than in the life in the service. and are sometimes inclined to look back upon the days in the army as the happiest of our lives, and regard these reunions as the bright spots of our existence. We have all found life less pleasant, and more burdensome because we went into the service- not only those who have ever since suffered from wounds or from impaired health, but all of us. You will remember that at the time we enlistel many of us were promised the same situation when we returned. This promise it was impossible to carry out, from the nature of the case, with those who were gone from home a long time. But even in the few instances where this promise was kept, the comrade four!, as did all of us, that he was at a disadvantage. The three or four years during which we had been in the service had been very busy years at home: the manners and customs of business and of life had changed; improvements ha been freely male, and the work at most of the trades was carried on in a different manner. So we all found ourselves three or four years behind our companions of be- fore the war, in the contest for life. The boys and young men whom we left as ap- prentices, were now full journeymen, and better journeymen than we, because of the four years' experience which we had lost. And it was so everywhere as well as in tive trades. This three or four years we have never been able to catch up, and we have labored under this disadvantage all our lives and to-day are not where we would has. been. in a business and pecuniary line, had we remained at home instead of enlisting. And yet, with a fall understanding of this and all it means to some of us, and in spite of the sufferings and disability entailed by the service, I do not believe there is a comrade here to-night, who is sorry that he enlisted in the First Maine Cavahy. For,
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comrades, we have this for compensation. We have the consciousness of duty to, country well performed, and we have the memories of those glorious four year, Those can never be taken away from us-those we can always enjoy. Let us, then, ever keep these memories bright, and let us transmit to our children the lessons of patriotism, of heroism, of love of country, of devotion to duty, of reverence for !! . grand old stars and stripes, which our comrades exemplified, even to yiebling up their lives, under the banner of the First Maine Cavalry.
DR. AUGUSTUS C. HAMLIN.
Gen. Smith paid a high tribute to Hon. Hannibal Hamlin and his public services during his long life, and introduced Dr. Au- gustus C. Hamlin, who spoke substantially as follows :
I wish I could tell you how dear your reputation is in the State of Maine, and Fet much the country owes to you for your gallant services. Iwill tell you one or two incidents which may be pleasant for you to hear. Soon after the close of the war 1 was going from Nashville to Knoxville, Tenn., when we arrived at a place where the railroad had not been repaired, and we had to put in a few hours of waiting at the station. On the platform was a rebel sollier in full uniformi, who was in great tre pi- dation. There were there many Tennesseeans who were down on the rebels, and! they were eyeing him as if they would bite him. He saw roy uniform and put himself under my care and the protection of the United States. He said his name was John Mason, and that he was a son of Mason, of the Mason-Slidell Trent affair. I soilt. him, " Keep quiet, don't let them know it; if they find who you are, they'll have you. blood." In due time the train moved on, and we were on our way. When we hal reached Virginia he said to me, " You saved my life -- yours is in danger now: I will protect you; I am known here; I commanded the First Virginia Cavalry; you are from Mahnte; where did you get those damned pirates that formed the First Mains Cavalry? " I replied that they were net pirates, they were gentlemen, every one of them. Ile said, "We never liked them; it was the worst regiment we had to en- counter; it was the bravest regiment of all we had to night, and we were always glad when they were not in our front." This was Col. Mason of the First Virginia Cay- alry. In 1862, I was with Gen. sh get, at Sperryville, when one day a French officer -- a gallant officer who ha i served in Algiers and with Gen. Garibaldi in Italy (and was sent to this country by Garibaldi ) - came into my tent and said to me, "I have just seen a regiment of cavalry pass by, going towards Culpepper, which is one of the finest regiments I ever saw in any country." I sprang upon a horse, followed that regiment, caught it, and upon inquiring. " What regiment is this?" received the re- ply, " First Maine Cavalry." This was Gen. Gustavus Chiseret, afterwards Secretary of War under the Commune at Faris.
IFITERS OF REGRET.
Letters of regret at the inability of the writers to be present were then read from His Excellency Governor Brackett, . His Honor Mayor Hart, and Commander Innis of the Department of Massachusetts, Grand Army of the Republic.
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NINETEENTH ANNUAL REUNION.
GEN. JOSHUA L. CHAMBERLAIN.
At this point several well-known comrades of prominence in Grand Army circles entered the armory and were inost cordially received. Among them was Gen. Joshua L. Chamberlain, who was at once called upon by Gen. Smith, and responded briefly and pleasantly, saying, "I didn't come here to make a speech but I heard that the First Maine Cavalry was up here, and I thought I would come and see what had happened. There never was much of anything to be done when the First Maine Cavalry had been there. I came to see you again, for I'm only twenty- five years old when I see you." The general concluded with a pleasant reference to the regiment at Appomattox Court House.
GEN. W. R. SMEDBURG.
Gen. W. R. Smedburg, Commander of the Department of California, Grand Army of the Republic, was next called upon. He said : 1
We have come a long ways to meet you, but though we have travelled three thousand miles, we feel just as much at home. We always remember Maine wey kindly. A few years ago we sent a delegation from California to Maine with a re- quest that the Grand Army of the Republic should hold their nest annual encamp- ment in San Francisco. It was a new idea, for the Grand Army of the Republic never had been further west than Denver before. But that proposition was adopted in Portland, and we always folt we were indebted to Meine. We only hope the tide will come for the Grand Army of the Republic to again come to the Pacific coast.
The general closed with an invitation to all to visit the Cali- fornia headquarters, at the Brunswick.
MAJOR BENJAMIN F. TUCKER.
Major Benjamin F. Tucker suggested, as so many of the regi- ment may never get together again, and as the colonel was with them, that the comrades march as the First Maine Cavalry in the next day's parade. After a lively discussion, the suggestion was withdrawn.
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