USA > Maine > First Maine bugle, 1892 (history of 1st Maine Cavalry) > Part 34
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Mrs. George A. Wheeler, who with her husband, Dr. Wheeler of First Maine Heavy Artillery, from Casting, and Rev. Mr. Lock, Company E 39th Massachusetts Infantry of that place. and your correspondent formed the " set of fours" that rode together most of the way from Rockland to Washington --- she was Maryland born and a right beautiful sample of the fruit of that state - shouted in glad enthusiasm, " Maryland, My Maryland."
It is common to speak of cathedrals as sermons in stores. but before us in peaches and wide outlook was a sacred homily. To this spot come the maidens of Baltimore to renew cach summer their beauty and good health, and the air here breathed and the prospect a perpetual feast, evidences the reason why the Maryland boast of beauty is perennial.
But we must up and away, by Chambersburg which has risen from her ashes, by Hagerstown with its peach packing. to Antietam, and a long ride over that battle field, interesting but unsatisfactory compared with the orderly lines drawn up at Gut- tysburg, but filled with interesting spots. We saw the field now in grass which was covered with corn when the Seventh Maine advanced so valiantly and was finally withdrawn after suffering a loss of one-half its men ; the spot where Gen. Mansfield was Killed : Dunkard church, around whose walls so many troops fought ; the sunken road where the Confederates suffered noch. and Burnside bridge on the opposite end of the line of battle,
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FIRST MAINE BUGIE.
where the Ninth Corps suffered so heavily in storming its par sage in face of the steep banks that sheltered the rebel finer in sweeping it with musketry fire, then we stood in the Nationsy Cemetery, from whose exalted top Gen. Lee directed the move- ment of his troops September 16, 1862. South Mount . reared its crest high before us, the road across the same being clearly seen. South Mountain and Antistam both appe for our authorized list of battles, thanks to Companies G, H, ato. - M.
In the quiet enclosure of sacred mounds in the Nation. Cemetery lay our own men. Wm. Trimble found the grave of William B. Shaw of Vassalboro, of his own company, C, and told his story : "He was a brave soldier, had the typhoid fever. When convalescent he returned to his company and was pros- trated by a relapse. I had a hard time to get him into the hos- pital at Frederick City, it being so crowded with wounded from the battlefields, but at last a nurse gave him a bed and found some Sister of Charity to take an interest in him, which interest was largely aroused by finding a letter on him from his mother, and in replying to this letter for the sick soldier." Trimble told of his perplexity and efforts to get his comrade thus cared for. but he never heard anything further concerning him till he found his grave in Antietam Cemetery.
How near and vivid do these personal experiences bring the two battlefields we have visited, before our vision. It was our very good fortune to have similar experiences on the other bet- tlefields. This cemetery is on a beautiful site and in every way impressive. The graves are arranged by States, and both known and unknown are marked by head stones, and in the office of the Superintendent is a full register.
But our time for Antietam is up and we again are on the train and soon cross the river at Shepherdstown near the ford, and can see the ground where the Corn Exchange Regiment ( Ons Hundred and Eighteenth Pennsylvania. ) lost two hundred and eighty-five out of eight hundred. It had been in the service just three weeks. I also imagined as the road led us away se mere distance from the river I could discern the ground where but regiment fought and Lieut .- Col. Boothby was wounded.
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TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REUNION.
We were soon at Charlestown of John Brown mening, white wearied with our early ride to the cavalry ground, on the night flank at Gettysburg and the heat of the day, Trimble and myself concluded not to attempt historic Harper's Ferry and Bolivar Heights, so waiting till the train left we selected the best look- ing house in the vicinity of the depot and walked to its door and knocked. A bright little girl appeared and ushered us in.
When the gentleman of the establishment presented bingpdf we asked the privilege of his hospitality for the night. He looked us over, consulted his wife, and said he would take us. We found ourselves in the custody of Amos D. Miley of Com- pany F, Eighth Virginia Infantry, General Armistead's brigade, Picket's division, and were most royally entertained. After supper and in the cool of the evening he took us through the town. We saw the Court House where John Brown was tried, the jail where he was confined, the town hall erected on land given the town by Gen. Washington, and the hill where John Brown was hung - a commanding location with wide outlook to the Blue Ridge, the Massanutten Mountains and Alleghan'es, whose ample grounds afforded space for the massing the large bodies of Virginia troops present as guards. On this spot we saw a large and attractive brick house just erected by Col. John Gib- son, costing some fifteen thousand dollars and built from money made in investment at Roanoke, Va.
In good season the next day our large train was in motion for Fort Royal and Luray, whose names call to mind mary occd- sions of our service in Virginia, but this time Luray ieclosed us in her own soil and gave us a view of beauty unknown to ber- self till some years after the war. I had previously obtained the impression that caves were damp and darksome spaces under ground that might impress one with the unexpected extent of the cellar like dampness, and that outside of their strangeness and wonder little was there to attract or admire, but never was a more fairy-like vision revealed to our eyes than the high, arched rooms and winding passages of Luray Caverns. illuminated by electric lights, presented to our view.
I do not know how many hours we passed in the caves of how many miles we walked on its paths. It was a new world.
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FIRST MAINE BUGLE.
with a sky of constantly changing beauty. row approachemsehr heads and now soaring to cathedral heights above us. The all seemed fresh and cool, in marked contrast with the het pe above ground. We not only feasted our eyes on walls and rout of stalactites of constantly varying form; and colors. now mar and now afar, but the beauty permeated the air so that it ... refreshing to breathe it, and cre we returned to daylight the. same stalactites, in the organ room, filled our cars will drop melodious notes so true and natural that they would cien respond to a novice's efforts.
So we saw, we breathed, we heard, and became willing con- tives of the hidden beauties of our mother earth as she baid Wo in her Luray Caverns. We walked to daylight again and the coarser needs of human nature returned upon us in the form of hunger, and the hotels of the quiet village were well patronize il. Personally my feast in the inside of nature left me with litt !. desire for more substantial food and I stepped into one of the stores of Luray and inquired where I could get a glass of milk. The merchant replied, " Pass through the door in the rear of the store and my wife will give you all the milk you desire." I made my wants known to a very pleasant appearing lily, who asked me where I would partake of the milk. I answered could find no more attractive place than that room. if she was willing. The milk was brought in generous quantities with nice bread and butter, and my appetite gave ready response to the attractive table spread so quickly before me. While fortin .. . bright looking boy marched in, who stopped rather suddenly on seeing a stranger. His mother said, " My son, you have shil many times you would like to see a Yankee soldier. There is one before you now, at the table." The boy opened wide It's eyes and gazed. I rather enjoyed the occasion, but wishing to relieve the silence I took off my cavalry badge and quietly called his attention to the Henry rifle, the cross sabers, they horse's head, the state of Maine pine tree and the saddle shops and horse shoe all in gold. He forgot who I was antall became quite chummy. I told his mother that in December. 1863, our regiment had burned the church in that villas
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TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REUNION
besause of rebel saddles stored there and had bir: d tanners after tannery from there to near the summit of Thornton' Pass. and now she was putting coals of fire on my head by giving me a perfect little lunch in her sitting room. The coals of the were not unpleasant and the mother and myself were both glad the war was over, but the son had a longing desire that he would like to have a war when he became a man.
Soon we were again on the cars and back to Fort Royal and then through the Manassas Gap and all the war-time familiar places on that railroad and the Bull Run Mountain with its famous Thoroughfare Gap to Manassas Junction, where two hours were allotted us to see the Bull Run battlefield.
By some chance in balancing the numbers in cach team I lost my usual set of fours and found myself in a team with two New Hampshire friends, with a pair of horses and a light carriage. The driver said his name was White, and when Iasked his fir-t name he said it was Born. I asked if it was spelled " born," and he replied affirmatively, and said he vested his boast of ancestry on his name. He was a good boy and had good! horses, which I praised to the extent of my powers, and he showed me their best paces. The road to the field was excel- lent, and with horses dripping with sweat we were on the ground some twenty minutes ahead of the other teams and Had ample time and daylight to receive a full account of the fight as soon and enacted by Mr. Henry, whose house was near by and whose mother was killed by a stray bullet in the first battle. It Was a most interesting description. My previous idea of the Fire Battle of Bull Run were that it was impossible to see much vi the ground and it was fought in confusion and with little tacti tional order: that the Second Battle of Bull Run was fought out with greater confusion and virtually a tangle, or so it appeared to our regiment at the time, but from the wide inch ..! field where we took our outlook there were three places marked where confederate generals fell, Gen. Bee and Gen. Bartow killed and Gen. Wade Hampton wounded, and the position of the troops on the twenty-first of July, 1861, was clearly before us. The neighboring woods, fences and lines remained much the some as they were on that day.
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FIRST MAAINE BUGLE
Then came the description of the fight of August, 1502 Before us were the Bull Run Mountains, showing phily Thon oughfare Gap, whence came Jackson; also Ashby Gap How Aldie, and across this identical Geld and wile hilltop as nl formed the lines of the two opposing armies with their po-itions virtually reversed, firing in opposite directions in the second battle from that of the first.
The sun was nearing the horizon as the account closed, and 1 saw two persons running on foot into the field. I director the driver to ride towards them and found one of them to be Chattes H. Hooper of Company B, Second Maine Infantry, who was viewing the location with marked excitement. I asked him it he recognized the field. He replied. " Why there is the identical rail fence from which I fired my first shot at the foc. We advanced across this very field to the front of the woods there, from which we received a most murderous fire from the Confer- erates. We were forced back and rallied by the house yonder. After fighting for some time-how long I cannot say-but event ually Capt. Tilden (now General) of my company and myself got separated from our command way off to the left of this house as we now stand and were advancing Richmondward unsupported, till we realized more fully the points of the com- pass and in the darkness of the evening directed our steps to Sudley's ford, in crossing which I caught my foot in some broken artillery wheels and only released myself by some hard pulling."
The comrade who accompanied Hooper was Dr. Samuel ] Wallace of Castine, First Sergeant of Company Al, Fryenty- sixth Pennsylvania Infantry, who had been studying the location. recognized the field, and who told me the position his regiment and the troops he was with occupied at the time of the fight of August, 1862. It was deeply interesting but lacked the individ- quality of the personal experience of comrade Hooper. I was reminded of comrade David H. Whittier's incidental mention of this same spot in his account of Aldie in Call Sixth of the BUGLE. I was strangely moved and interested, and with relue- tance was forced to return to the station by the gathering dar !: ness of night.
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TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REUNION.
This battlefield is unvisited and neglected in comparison with that of Gettysburg and other more noted fields, but Second Ball Run is borne by our standard as one of our battles and ha. been frequently traversed by our regiment. In a more remote part of the field, September fourteenth, 1863, we had quite a skirmish, and a few days later on this same ground Gen. Smith spent part of a day in undress uniform skirmishing with a per- sonal enemy and at night of the same day, with torch and spade lead the Pioneers in a midnight campaign, undaunted by the witticism of Col. Boothby. This field, remembered by so many and varied experiences, I can not leave without submitting a few historical facts, which bear upon the locality viewed and some of those present with me.
FIRST BULL RUN.
Gen. Sherman says, in his Memoirs, page 187: "For two hours we continued to dash at the woods on our left front, which were full of rebels, but I was convinced their organization was broken and that they simply had settled there and taken advan- tage of the woods to cover them, to reach which we had to pass over the intervening field about the Henry house which was open, clear, and gave them a decided advantage."
Johnston in his narrative says: "Bee, seeing the advantage given him by this position by its elevation greater than that of the opposite ridge, on which the enemy stood, by its broad, even top and by the extent of open ground before it, formed his brigade."-Page 45. It was on these grounds or in plain sight that Gen. Jackson obtained his name, " Stonewall." " Bee ho! advanced over the open ground about the Henry house and was driven back. He aided in rallying his men by calling them to observe how 'Jackson and his brigade stood like a stone wall.' The fact being that Jackson's men in sight of Bee's troops, had by Jackson's order laid down to avoid the Union artillery." ---- Page 48. In a few minutes after Gen. Bee fell, mor- tally wounded.
Appleton's Encyclopedia of Biography says of Hampton at First Bull Run, "Six hundred of his infantry held for some
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FIRST MAINE BUGLE
time the Warrenton road against Keyes' corpi and were in taining Bee when Jackson came to his aid."
SECOND BULL RUN.
"Gen. Hooker selected Grover's brigade to Lead Miatt! which was to be directed against the center of the epenny fino The brigade consisted of the First, Eleventh and Sistegin Massachusetts regiments, the Second New Hangy bir : aod p Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania. The charge was one of the net . gallant and determined of the war. It seems almost Corram that if this splendid assault had been properly supported . would have succeeded in breaking the center of Jackson's line -- Campaigns of the Civil War. The Army under Pope, p. 106.
It was near midnight when we reached Washin ton, and th cable cars were found bulging out on each side by a clingh mass of humanity. I saw a place to cling, and with a rap ... 0! a jump hit it and was bornc towards Mt. Pleasant and pleasant quarters at Gen. Spear's. The next day was the parade. I; was big - it was magnificent. But this is not the place describe it. There is a joy undefinable in being on. of a nicio; host, but there is a keener joy in observing the yellow bol of an old cavalry comrade who has rode with you and felh by your side and whose countenance has not been before you for years. I can only say one thing to the Comments muy Parade, appointed by the comrades in Washington, is der il the honor of the arrangement and success of the march.
I come to September twenty-first and twenty-second. . . cast and rainy but packed full with warm and hearty greets of the old comrades of the cavalry corps and the meeting .: many of the old comrades of the grand old regiment, whom ! had not seen since the war. We had no speeches atour rette. but we did a little routine business. We missed the jostle ... glory of Boston in ISS9 and IS90 ; we did not have the Art comfort of Houlton. Me., 1891, not many of the detitan enjoyments of Eastport, Bar Harbor, and many other pda- that we hold in most grateful remembrance, but we took a male
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titude of comrades by the hand, of the gallant division of Gen. Gregg, and the grand body of cavalry that served with Sheridan and metaphorically hugged a lot of the " First of Maine," but all these things elude pen and paper. The following comrades were present though not all at the same time. There were some others in Washington who omitted to report and hence their names do not appear :
M. J. Allen, Skowhegan, Me. George W. Brown, Bangor, Me. W. G. Besse, Lewiston, Me. Chas. Burgess, Bath, Me.
Andrew M. Benson, Boston, Mass.
A. J. Burbank, Chicago, IlI. R. R. Bangs, Wescott, Neb.
G. W. Barnes, Waterville, Me. Frances Colburn, Lewiston, Me.
John P. Carson, Mt. Vernon, Me.
Jona. P. Cilley, Rockland, Me.
Edgar F. Comstock, Minneapolis, Minn. O. W. Cole, Etna, Me. R. M. Clayton, La Moure, N. Dak.
O. Kelley, South Etna, Me. S. C. Lovejoy, Washington , D. C. E. B. Loring,
L. W. Lyon, Saginaw, Mich.
Geo. W. Lovejoy, Montreal, Cavado Daniel W. Lowell, Hal- Co. 10.
Silas Leach, North Casting, Me.
Leander I ane, Keen's Mill, Nc. Robert Lockhart, Custer City, Ph.
U. K. Lincoln, Somerville . JE .. C. N. Lang, Pordanii. Mc. HI. HJ. Lowell, Penaeld, Pat
Loren H. Milliken, Washington D. C.
Wm. Maloon, Auburp, Me. Wm. Morang, Portland. Me.
Perrin P. Freeman, Camden, Me. HI. G. Morton, Laurel Manson, Inton, Me. Geo. E. Goodwin, Skowhegan, Me. Amasa Gilman, Dover, Me. S. S. Goodhue, Haverhill, Mass. Ceo. F. Nason, Boston, Mass. John W. Goodwin, Manhatten, l'a. Alfred Pierce, Arlington, Me. D. W. Gage, Cambridge, Mass. John M. Perkins, Boston Chas. 1 .. Grant, Kittery, Me. P. Il. Putnam, HOGY. No. Corbet I. P's kart, Hivaton. " Chas. H. Goodwin, Stetson, Me. Dr. Horatio N. Howard, Washington, D. C. George Prince. Boston, Ma-s. Geo. D. Harvey, N. Berwick, Me. Geo. P. Frilys. Boston, Mass. S. T. Hall, Hontadale, Clearfield!, Co., Pa. P.A. Rogers, M. D., Canon t Ry, Coj.
A. W. Hanson, Fall River. Miss. Amos R. Hall, Herriden, 1.6, 50 C., V. Frank G. Hynes, New Hast Coal.
G. N. Harris, Melrose, Mass.
F. II. Ingrani, Houlton, Me. Frank R. Jores, saginaw, Mich. Sylvanus Judkins, Athens, Me. Warren A. Jos lan, Bangor. M ..
John E. Johnston, Haverhill, Class. Edward Jordan, Bangor, Me.
C. D. Jones, Rockland, Me. Albert F. Jackson, Monson, Ve.
II. E. Challis, Baltimore, Md.
II. M. Cleaves. Saco, Me.
A. C. Drinkwater, Braintree, Mass. Bradbury P. Doe, Cambridgeport, Mass. S. C. Davis, Monson, Me. I. F. Davis, Arctic, R. I Albert Edgecomb, Boston, Mass.
L. G. Estes, Washington, D. C. Phineas Foster, Tacoma, Wash.
H. D. French, Waltham, Mass. Chas. B. Faber, Wakefield. Mass. Levi C. Flint, Monson, Me. John Faunce, Oxford, Me.
Thornton W. MeIntyre. Plyn ou.b. Me.
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FIRST MAINE BUGIL.
W. K. Ripley, Canton, Me.
Chas. E. Shields, Marinette, Wis.
R. T. Thomas, Money, Me.
1 .. H. Tobi ,, Portland, Me.
C. N. Smith, Newlon, Mont.
Levi Toothaler, BrunostY, Me.
C. W. Skillings, Portland, Mc.
Win. Trimble, Calais, Me.
F. J. Savage, Fairfield, Me.
C. D. Ulmer, Hint, Mi L.
G. A. Savage, Fairfield, Me.
E. P. Worcester, Tekamiah, Nab.
N. C. Stowe, Dover, Mc.
D. H. Whittier, Athen, Me.
S. C. Smith, Winfield, Kan.
L. W. Wheeler, Paw Ley, IL.
Sewall W. Smith, Skowhegan, Me.
A. M. Warren, Dover, Me.
Hollis Simpson, Waterville, Mc.
Chas. W. Weymouth, Augusta, M ..
Patrick F. Shevlin, So. Boston
James 1. Willians, Sullabury, Moss.
BUSINESS MEETING.
The business meeting was held in the Sheridan tent, and was called to order by President Comrade Gilbert N. Harris. It was voted that the report of the Treasurer be printed and sent to the members with the report of the meeting.
A committee of one from each company and one from the field and staff were appointed to nominate a board of officer: for the ensuing year, who reported, and the following offices were elected :
President-Caleb N. Lang of Portland. Vice President -- Peter Dresser of Lewiston. Treasurer -- Jonathan P. Cilley of Rockland. Secretary -- Charles F. A. Emery of Medford, Most. Corresponding Secretary-Oren S. Haskell of Pittsfield.
Financial Committee to Audit Treasurer's Account-A. C. Drinki ..... G. T. J v . ett and A. L. Ordway.
The same committee were instructed to present the names of three towns as places to hold the next reunion.
It was voted that the next reunion be held at Lewiston, Me. at such time as the local committee may determine.
Gen. L. G. Estes was chosen as the representative of the association on the committee of the cavalry corps organizedl ( consider the question of erecting a bronze statue in the city of Washington to some famous cavalry leader or typical cavalry. man.
Gen. J. P. Cilley was chosen as a like representative nmr another committee of the cavalry corps organization to link up the official records and war maps and see that they record argu- rately the cavalry services.
Chas. Smith, Skowhegan, Me.
TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL HUMOR
LADIES' AUMIHARA
The ladies met September 22, 1892. for their se200ab 1 :. 1:051 reunion, in the Sheridan tent in Washington, at the headquarters of the Cavalry Association, and a very pleasant merliog fol lowed, although rather different from that of the pr vion: oss held at Houlton.
The meeting was called to order by the President. Records of last meeting read and approved. Four new members joined The following officers for the coming year were elected:
President --- Mrs. Laurel Munson. Hoviton.
Vice President-Mrs. Volney HI. Foss, Bangor. Secretary and Treasurer- - Miss Grace Eveleth Tolie, Fortian ".
Voted to meet with the First Maine Cavalry Association in '93. Voted to adjourn.
The following reports of cavalry meetings, taken fion the Washington Star and Post are given as pertinent to this report :
THE CAVALRY OF THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
There are seventy-eight cavalry regiments in the Army of the Potomnias, ont they are represented by from five to eight thousandI men at the er soapment. Regircots! reunions of all except twenty of them were held on Tuesday and Wedecaly, oul' the other comrades met Thurslav. The whole rauber niet as a bro, Wirsios i :. the Meade tert to form an organi ation.
Unexcelled for variety, vigor and enthusiasm vas the reuni noof the Call: Corps of the Army of the Potomac. Yellow badges filled Ihre capacious tent, and the old guidon with red and white stars fiated from the skal. G.m. F. W. W.Haker pro- sided, and his enthusiasm was enough to inspire the routing without the assistance of his staff. Capt. H. C. Parsons of the First Vermont Cavalry was vice chairman, and Capt. A. B. White of the Fourth Pennsylvania Cavalry, secretary.
The exercises were opened with prayer by Chaplain Swallow. It was inspiring invocation of the God of battles and of peace, and alo ugh cavalryn wr are not com- monly supposed to be over pious, it evoked a chorus of forvert "an us" from the whole assembly. Fraternal letters were then read form sull leaders . Gen. Wesley Merritt, U. S. A .; C. H. Smith, J. P. Hateb. Henry Ger bert, and Jenks 1. Wilson. Each breathed the kindliest spirit of connadeship. Fel al were Hardly reached, bel when a truly eloquent epistle from Mrs. Elizabeth A. Custer, widow of the favorite cavalry leader and hero of the Black Hills, was real Me crowd went will with ahier- ing. Comrade John Melleog, to whom is due in great measure this su cessful plan of these reunions, was then intro lagad as " editor of the Navy. The . . . doesn't hurt him a bit," eriet a voice, and Mr. Melhor met with an ovos m. h particular, his plan for christening the old White I. tas y Grond Army Piace " seemed to please the old boys, and they cheered it to the cel. .
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FIRST MAINE BUGIE.
During the interim several old cavalry bugles were inmy loret ang . F. L. Putt of the Second Chio, now a practicing physician at 12lebang, Io Faught of the Fifth United States Cavalry, who was Gen. Ofte: 40 10 Capt. Lot Abraham of the Fourth Town. The latter " brought the goal no te and proceeded to show that he had not forgotten tre tale. They tilard a. that defies description. The old boys went wild at the inspiring soon 1, 66i 1.00! for " boots and saddles," " reveille," the " charge," etc., were respen !. It, pommes by Capt. Abraham, who, after each, would recite the words which the is to imagine that the bugles sang. This was one of the clarat their feedrss of the reunion, and warmed it up wonderfully.
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