USA > Maine > First Maine bugle, 1893 (history of 1st Maine Cavalry) > Part 15
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The official copy of the order from Gen. Meade which was read by Comrade Cook, at this meeting :
HEADQUARTERS THIRD DIVISION ARMY CORPS, OPPOSITE FREDERICKSBURG, V ., Dec. 17th, 1862.
LIEUT .- COL. DOUTY, Commanding First Maine Cavalry,
Sir,-I am directed by Gen. Meade to report for your information that during the engagement on the thirteenth instant, Corporal Samuel J. Gurney, Private Samuel
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Shorey and Private Charles P. Phenix, all of Company B of your regiment, had their horses killed under them. He further directs me to request you if possible to remount those men as he wishes to retain their services as long as possible on account of their bravery shown upon the battlefield.
I am, sir, your obedient servant, A. G. MASON, Lieut. and Aide-de-Camp.
Headquarters First Maine Cavalry,
Camp Bayard, Va., Feb. 9th, 1863. Official : C. S. DoUTY, Licut .- Col. Commanding.
MISS COUGHLIN'S POEM
Written for Encampment of the Department of Maine, Grand Army of the Republic, at Rockland, February 10th last, by Miss Anna E. Coughlin, of that city :
We render thanks to God for many gifts to-night, Many gifts of grace and nobleness and truth, · For peace on land, on sea, for a fair flag floating free, For the sunny promise of our country's youth. But more, yea, more, O Lord, for these, our guests awhile, Take Thou the loving thanks we lift to Thee, For lessons they have taught, for peace and freedom bought By struggles Thou and they alone didst see !
A friend may walk beside us thro' the heat of noon And his helping hand be oftentimes our stay; Then when years have fled he comes with saddened tread, What welcome, think you, he should see that day? The welcome of the sunburst to clouds of sodden grey ! Of the raindrops to a wrecked and famished crew ! And while our lives shall last and mem'ries of the past, Such welcome we will hold and cherish well for you ! It seems a dream to day, that sudden bugle call That rang from stubborn Sumter o'er the land, When every loyal son marched on to Washington, And bent the knee to Freedom's altar grand; What need, oh, friends, to tell to you who know so well The thrilling scenes that were on land and sea -- Of Lookout's awful height or the dashing, daring fight Of Sheridan's dauntless, matchless cavalry ;
Of Grant's own grim resolve to " fight it out on this line," Of Sherman's swinging march unto the shore, Or the saucy little fraud that dealt a just reward, The iron " Yankee cheese-box," Monitor
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MISS COUCHLIN'S POEM.
No need to tell you, no. God bless our heroes true, Yea, every one that answered to death's roll -. . For them the gates have swung, the evening hymn is sung, And peace be to each warrior's kingly soul.
And Rockland hath her own, her loyal son and true, Who stemmed the raging tide at Chancellorsville; And when the day was done the day for him was won, -- When Berry fell it seemed a place that none could fill. Do you know the highest praise e'er writ of peer or king? " His soldiers knelt and kissed their leader's face;" O curving bay and shore, O old Atlantic's roar, Guard well our hero's long last resting place !
We yield a rev'rent thought to those whose place was high, And breathe their name in many a minster aisle; But let the solemn ah voice, too, the worthy prayer Of loving lipa : God bless our rank and file, And those who never knew, whose life went out in strife, Who fell in struggle fierce, nor saw the end; In the dawn of God's great day, what grander can we say Of one than this-He died thy children's friend !
The sower sows in hope, he trusts the barvest's yield, The toiler of the sea brings home a shining load, The sculptor carves for fame, the artist loves a name, The singer cherishes the laurel crown bestowed -- No thought of crown. or gain in after years to come The drear, dark days brought thee, nor just reward; But when ye fought to free in the name of Liberty, Ve lifted sixty million people nearer God ! Ye " doers of the word" thro' years of living flame ! Let every storm swept banner wave for thee ! From smooth Pacific calm to the land of pine and palm, Thy valor and thy courage honored be ! Lift up your hearts in peace tho' the Reaper's blade be bright, Tho' year by year your ranks are thinner grown, For duty's paths are sweet, when near the earthly feet To heaven's golden roadway and the great white throne.
Sound forth a warning note, O Israel of God, For us to keep, as kept these here, to Right ! To love a high ideal, to be brave and pure and leal And keep our faces steadfast to the light ! To love as ye have loved, the azured banner free, To guard as ye have guarded, every fold, To keep it shrined in heart, of our very lives a part, The best and dearest earthly thing we hold !
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FIRST MAINE BUGLE.
THE ASSEMBLY. ' Saddle up, pack up, and be ready to move out immediately."
We have received from Chaplain Fuller three short sketches of his experience while with the regiment which will be interesting to all.
The comrades are coming to the front grandly in the matter of forwarding changes and corrections for the Roll Call, and it is hoped they will continue to do so throughout the year. Every comrade should take an interest in mak- ing the Roll Call complete and correct.
Post No. 9, G. A. R., of Hudson, Mass., held its in- stallation ceremonies for the officers of 1893 on Jan. 4th, when Commander Warren C. Waterhouse surrendered the insignia of his office to the newly-elected Commander, Frederick S. Dawes, formerly a member of Co. C, of our reg- iment, and was subsequently a member of the First Massachu- setts Heavy Artillery.
The Western Society Army of the Potomac held its fourth annual banquet at the Grand Pacific Hotel, Chicago, on the twenty-fifth of January last. Gen. Cilley acknowledges the receipt of an invitation and complimentary ticket. It is pleasant to notice that among the officers of this association is Capt. A. J. Burbank of old Co. G .- the "gray horse Com- pany," -- of our regiment, as treasurer.
Gen. Benjamin F. Butler.
Since the January Call was issued, Gen. Benjamin F. But- ler has been mustered out, and the country joins in paying to him the just tribute which only his friends have paid him for more than quarter of a cen- tury. He will be long remem- bered and as long as this memory lasts there will remain the memory of the fact that he was one of the first to rally to the support of the flag when
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THE ASSEMBLY.
it was assailed ; that he saved the Capital of the Nation in its time of greatest danger by opening communication there- with via Annapolis, and that he ruled New Orleans as no other man could rule that city.
The Androscoggin Association.
The annual meeting was held · in Auburn the evening of Feb. 6th, at the residence of Com- rade M. F. Ricker. It was a friendly, social entertainment given by Ricker and his wife and was heartily enjoyed by the comrades and their wives and daughters who were present. The Androscoggin Branch has been an active one, but this year an additional burden has been placed on its shoulders --- the preparation for the enter- tainment of the association at its annual reunion. Lewiston has lost Major Howe and other good comrades and needs greatly the help and counte- nance of the comrades in Port- land and in the adjacent coun- ties to make our next reunion the full success it was when held in Lewiston in 1879. The following officers were elected : W. G. Besse President, Geo. P. Day Vice President, Henry Little Secretary and Treasurer,
B. P. Lowell Chaplain. Gen. Cilley was present.
Skowhegan Branch Association held their reunion April 10th. They have the novel feature of honorary members who add much to the enjoyment of the occasions and are apparent- ly as enthusiastic members as those who served in the field with the grand old regiment.
The Massachusetts Branch.
The annual meeting of the Massachusetts Branch was held at the Crawford house, March 29th, the 28th anniversary of our leaving our winter quarters of 1864-65, on the Jerusalem Plank road, to enter upon the last campaign of the Army of the Potomac, -- the glorious campaign which ended with the surrender of Gen. Lee. There were the same cordial greetings and kind words which characterize our reun- ions, though on a smaller scale. At the business meeting the following officers were elected :
President-Lieut. George F. Jewett. Vice Presidents-Alfred Pierce, Pat- rick F. Sheylin.
Treasurer -- Col. Albion C. Drinkwater. Secretary -- Charles A. F. Emery. Executive Committee --- Gilbert N. Har- ris, Patrick F. Shevlin, Albert Edgecomb.
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FIRST MAINE BUGIE.
After the business meeting, forty comrades and ladies sat down to the banquet. The enjoyment of eating over, Maj. Henry C. Hall, who pre- sided at the table, called upon one after another for remarks as follows: Gen. J. P. Cilley, Capt. J. F. Chase, Fifth Maine Battery, Lieut. George F. Jewett, Licut. Edward P. Tobie, Jonathan P. Cilley, Jr., Major Benj. F. Tucker, Patrick F. Sheylin, Gilbert N. Harris, Corydon O. Stone, and Hos- pital Steward Emery T. Getch- ell. Among the pleasures of the occasion was that of once again meeting Major Benjamin F. Tucker, our first adjutant, who looks as young and is as sprightly as when, long years ago, he taught to us the first rudiments of "Fours Right."
Teaching History With the Stars and Stripes.
The School Committee of the City of Pawtucket, R. I., recently passed a resolution designating certain days, com- memorative of important events in the history of the city, State and Nation, as "Flag Days," ordering the American flag to be raised at all the school houses on said days,
and directing the teachers to instruct the pupils in the signi- ficance of the events thus com- memorated. This seems to us to be an eminently wise and patriotic provision. For our own part, we would like to see the grand old stars and stripes floating from every flag staff every day. Ever since we were greeted by "Old Glory" on our return from rebel prison. and saw scores of bronzed heroes who had faced danger and death without flinching drop on their knees and fer- vently thank God for the sight of the dear old flag once more, -- ever since that hour nothing looks quite so good, or means anywhere near so much, as the old flag. Yet we are aware that were the flag to float over the school houses continually it would become a common thing and attract no attention. So we think the Pawtucket plan is a good one. When the boys and girls of that city see the flag flying as they near the school house in the morning. they will know that it means something, and will naturally inquire what it is flying for, nor will they be satisfied until they learn, so the teacher will have an excellent opportunity to
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THE ASSEMBLY.
impart the lessons of the flag and the lessons of the event in honor of which the flag is fly- ing, to interested listeners.
Comrades Filling Positions of Honor and Trust.
HENRI J. HASKELL,
Of Company B, Attorney- General of Montana at pres- ent and for a number of years past, has sent us his first, sec- ond and third reports, also the reports of the Superin- tendent of Public Instruction, Board of Education, Land Commissioners, Commission- ers for the Insane and the Board of Pardons. We have devoted half an hour to the inspection of these nine re- ports and have learned more how the State of Montana is governed than we could tell in two days.
Of all the above boards of commissioners the attorney- general is a member, the members being the governor, attorney-general and secretary of state. The governor as president of each board, re- ports to himself as governor. All the legal and other conun- drums arising in the duties of the various boards and in the exercise of new powers by
new state machinery are re- ferred to the attorney-general for his opinion and solution. In his own report as attorney- general, his work for Jan. 1891 to Dec. 1892 covers forty suits in the Supreme Court, embrac- ing all sorts of criminal trials and then a host of writs of mandamus, certiorari, injunc- tion, etc. All the special questions pertinent to the 'office of attorney-general arc answered, a short synop_is of which occupies twenty pages ; some of these are portentous, others as easy as Columbus' egg ; for instance, " a tax payer is one who pays highway or poll tax."
Of the nine reports sent us, we were glad to find one in which our gallant comrade did not appear ex officio as mem- ber, viz .: that of Superinten- dent of Public Instruction. In this volume he only enters as the respondent to such legal connundrums as the school ma'ams and educators of his State may properly present, and these answers only fill one hundred and two unleaded pages. This large amount of reply can only be accounted for by the fact that the county superintendents are with one
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FIRST MAINE BUGLE.
single exception married or unmarried ladies. In one, Miss Wolf, who is superin- tendent in Deer Lodge county, a county whose dimensions we hesitate to mention, asks, " Is the county superintendent obliged to visit every school in the county and pay his or her own traveling expenses?" Our gentlemanly attorney gen- eral discusses the matter to the extent of nearly two pages, and thus ends, "therefore we conclude that the question propounded must be answered in the affirmative." We should not blame Miss Wolf for showing her teeth and feeling a desire to eat some of the does or bucks of Deer Lodge County.
RILEY L. JONES,
Of Company G, figured honor- ably in the dedication of the Masonic Temple at Saginaw, Mich. Feb. 27th, 1893. He delivered the address on the past history of Lodge No. 77 in that city. The address was printed in the city papers and is a most creditable and valued production.
JOSEPH R. CURTIS,
A one armed veteran of our regiment, who served his four
years, donating the last, as a volunteer gift with no pay or bounty, has recently been elected colonel of the com mand of Union Veteran ' Union at Portsmouth, N. J. for 1893.
POSTMASTERS.
John M. Akers, Company F. Alfred, Me. ; Samuel Burrows, Company B, Broad Cove, Me. ; John Thompson, Company B, North Searsmont, Me. ; Daniel W. Davis, Company L, Ames- bury, Mass.
LEGISLATORS.
Major Henry C. Hall, Wo- burn, Mass., House; Joseph G. Peaks, Company K, Dover, Maine, Senate; Charles W. Coffin, Company I, Shapleigh, Maine, Senate; Samuel W. Lane, Company A, Augusta, Maine, House.
JAMES F. DRAKE,
Of Company F, is maintaining the high standard of right in- struction raised when we estab- lished a school in Virginia after the war closed and kept it in operation till near our muster out, by acting as corresponding secretary of the Kansas State Sunday School Association and by editing the Kansas State Sunday School Journal, an
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THE ASSEMBLY,
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eight page paper filled with enthusiasm and good work. Hle is living at Topeka in the Sunflower State.
Magnificent Scenery.
Just at this time, when peo- ple are thinking of making their summer trips, it is well to call attention to the beauty and grandeur of the trip from Den- ver, Col., to Salt Lake City by the Denver and Rio Grande and Rio Grande Western railroads to say nothing of what is to be seen at either terminus. The ride over this road, either wide or narrow guage, or going in either direction, will give one more mountain scenery, so say those who have traveled widely, than any other ride in the world. There is something new to gaze at, wonder at, and admire, almost every moment, and when one has completed the ride, the tendency is to turn and ride back to view the same ever-varying scenery from another standpoint. And to gain the whole benefit of the trip one desires to ride only in the day time, that none of the grandeur may be lost in the darkness.
Tribute to a Comrade.
The obliging and faithful services of Charles W. Weymouth, formerly of Co. I of the First Maine Cavalry, who runs the elevator at the State House, are appreciated. Friday afternoon he was called before the State assessors, where Mr. Hayford, on behalf of the board, presented Mr. Weymouth with an ele- gant gold-mounted G. A. R. sword and scabbard. Mr. Weymouth fittingly responded, and will proudly wear his gift in the official position he holds in Seth Williams Tost, G. A. R. But his cup of happiness had not yet been Glled. He was called into the office of the con- missioner of labor and industrial statistics and was there addressed by Commis- sioner Matthews, on behalf of several of Mr. Weymouth's upstairs friends, who presented him with a handsome Gran ] Army cap, saying as he did so :
" It always was my great pleasure to recognize worth wherever I find it. You have served the State in your capacity long and well. Those whom you have elevated to higher positions in this build- ing value your services and desire to manifest their appreciation of the sune by this little token which it now gives me great pleasure to present to you. When you wear it may it be a constant reminder to you that we all appreciate your valuable services." Mr. Weymouth responded : " I thank you all heartily for this gift which you present to me and hope in the future that I may serve you at least as well as I have in the past." -- Kennebec Journal, Fan. 7th.
New Publications.
" Blue and Gray," by the Patriotic Publishing Company, Philadelphia, is a new monthly war magazine. on a purely patriotic basis. It publishes war stories and reminiscences from the men who wore the blue and men who wore the
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FIRST MAINE BUGLE.
gray alike, recognizing both as American soldiers, with a view of showing that the men of the two armies were equally brave and had only a soldierly feeling for each other. It allows no ill feeling between the northern and the southern soldier. Beside the articles devoted to the war in this spirit, it is full of patri- otism and is thoroughly American --- a magazine every patriotic father should place in the hands of his sons and daughters.
Our Editor in his above notice omits to state that one of the most attractive features of the magazine is an article from his pen describing his prison expe- rience while in the hands of the soldiers we fought. It contains an excellent cut of Tobie and is further illustrated. - J. P. C.
The 7th, Regiment Gazette, New York City, is remarkable for its special inter- est as our Bugle. The Easter number -- April-gives the Inaugural experiences at Washington and all its pages reflect the life and good fame of the regiment. "The Dignity of Sex," by Henry S. Chase, M. D., just issued by the Purdy Publishing Company, Nos. 168-179 Mad- ison street, Chicago, is a book small in size but large in contents -- a book which will benefit every one who reads it, espe- cially the young.
"The Grand Army Record," the organ of the Department of Massachusetts G. A. R., published monthly at No. 31, Cornhill, Boston, is edited by Comrade John M. Perkins, of Company I, and has the ring of the bugle in every column
The Land of Sunshine.
A UNIQQUE COUNTRY WHERE THE SKIES ARE ALMOST NEVER. CLOUDED, WHILE THE AIR IS COOL AND BRACING, LIKE PERPETUAL SPRING.
As an anomalous southern resort, by reason of the fact that there Cns may escape summer heat no less than. winter cold, New Mexico is rapidly be coming famous. Averaging throughor the entire territory 5,600 feet in altitud- above sea-level, and characterized by dry air which, unlike a humid atmosphere, is incapable of communicating he .t. the temperature in midsummer remains at a delightfully comfortable degree through the day and at night beconies invariably brisk and bracing. The sun. shine is almost constant, yet the most violent out-of-door exertion may be un- dertaken without fear of distressful consequences. Sunstroke or pros- tration are absolutely unknown there. It is an ideal land for a summer outing. Its climate is prescribed by reputable physicians as a specific for pulmonary complaints, and the medicinal Hot Springs at Las Vegas are noted for their curative virtues. The most sumptuous hotel in the west, the Montezuma, is located at these springs. Write to Ino. J. Byrne, 723 Monadnock Block, Chi- cago, for "The Land of Sunshine." an entertaining and profusely illustrate i book descriptive of this region, the most picturesque and romantic in the United States.
. . I've in
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BUGLE ECHOES.
BUGLE ECHOES.
For ties that bind eternal, comrades, For fellowship without surcease, One hour of battle touch-of-elbow Is worth a thousand years of peace.
LETTERS FROM THE COMRADES.
WETMORE, Colo., Dec. 23d, 1892. DEAR GEN. CIL.LEY,
I received the October number of the BUGLE last night; was very much pleased to get it; was quite interested in Lieut. Tobie's account of his trip across the continent. I was in Pueblo when his party passed through that place, and had I known he was one of the party should have made myself known to him, as I wouki have been very glad to meet one of the old First Maine comrades, espe- cially the historian of the regiment.
Yours truly, WEM. P. COLEMAN.
Ilist. p. 481 CALAIS, Dec. 234, 1892.
DEAR GENERAL,
I again write the BUGLE to give my experience in service without regard to spelling or form. In reading most his- tories or reminiscences (for instance, Boston Journal) I find contention, as each one wants to be the Great I Am. What I think you desire is personal expe- riences. Now I will try to describe the battle of Brandy Station as I have it in my mind. At Kelly's Ford, on the Kappahannock river, we stood at horse all night, and in the morning started out Borses on the run with dust so thick we could only see our file leaders, looking
grey as rebs. We struck Brandy Station and formed line under Maj. Boothby, charged through a line of what I called mounted infantry. The line we charged through I thought at first was our own men (we were as grey with dust as they ). When I saw them form to cut us off I lay down on my horse, rode up to Major and sang out "Rebs in our rear." He was the coolest man I ever saw. He took off his spectacles, took out his handkerchief, wiped the glasses, and looked, and then said, " Attention " (I thought it was two hours.) " Return carbine! Fours right about, wheel ! Draw saber! Charge!" We made for them, but their horses were fresh and we could not catch them. During this time other rebs had formed around a house more like a pack of scared sheep than soldiers, loaded up the artillery there with grape shot and canister, and as we got in a low place a short distance from them, they let it go and it all went over heads. We then turned to the right, forme.' line, and held it under fire of their shells till the rest of the division fell back. It seemed to me that if they were not more scared than we they could have capture 1 most of us. For this werk Gen. Kil- patrick got a star on his shoulder. I recollect him when he first came to us at
FIRST MAINE BUGI.E.
Belle Plain, Va., a mere stripling of a boy, inspecting us big raw-bone men of the State of Maine. The most promi- nent thing I recollect was his big nose and mouth and that "still voice," when he gave a command, You could hear it half a mile. One instance: when we were on review before President Lincoln, he was out in front of us, he saw one of the followers of Lincoln, little Thad, and sang out to him, "How are you, Bill." It did not look very military, but there were lots of things not very military in our first service. After the charge, we fell back and circled around between the Station and Rappahannock Ford and supported a battery. Here I lay on the ground to rest and fell asleep. The bat- tery opened, and you ought to have seen me come on my feet and poor Lieut. Kimball laugh at me. That night we fell back to the ford, where the Sixth Maine made their gallant charge the next sea- son. This ended the battle of Brandy Station. From there we went to War- renton Junction and had a jollification in camp. Very truly yours,
WILLIAM TRIMBLE.
Ist. p. 504.
DETROIT, Me., Dec. 25th, 1892.
GEN. J. P. CILLEY,
Dear Sir, -- The BUGLE for October came to hand recently, brimming over with good things, from the title page to the last ad. on the outside of the cover. It will carry good cheer to many an old cripple. Every article has an individu- ality, is in fact a picture of the one who wrote it, and as I turn the leaves old com- rades rise up one after another, just as as they stood in the dark days of the sixties. Maj. Brown's letter brings to mind a hundred incidents of the time when he commanded Co. M. Among them are two speeches made by him to the company. The first, "I expect you
to be equal to any company in the sor .. ice. If there is a battle to be foistr I expect you to win your share of g! ;; ; if there is any forage, anything to eat. any rails to be had, I expect you to t. on the spot as soon as any one and your share; but if I catch any of y - stealing I will put you under arrest." The other, it was in the early morning of June 21, 1863, he had been ordered, Ph his company, to carry a dispatch wher- four companies had been driven bock by guerrillas. With the order in his han ; he rode up to the six sets of fours, all that was left for duty of the sixty-five men who left Belle Plain in April, an I gave us its import and added, " Men, this looks like rough work, but it's a great honor. If I am killed, Sergt. Johnson is competent to command you; if he is killed, obey the non-commissioned ofi- cers down to the last corporal. If I show the white feather, shoot me. By twos. forward !" Slight wonder that a few hours later we followed him through Upperville without flinching, and when we struck the foe, as Burns put it, " he. no thought only just how to kill two at a blow.' The letter of Fitz John Pirte: reminds me that it was at the headquarters of Gen. Fitz John Porter that I performed the first service for my courtry, if esting damaged hard bread does not count: also that I have been twice christened Family tradition says that I was chris tened Reuch W. Porter by Rev. S. S. Tappan in what is now Winterport. The second event was performed in Co. M! b Sergt. Asa Hanson acting as master of ceremonies. As on the former occhi a I was not consulted and the name gi. ?? me was Fitz John Porter, this time bay. tized in blood. This is the way the BUGLE sings: let its music reverterate till the last First Maine Cavalry man pitches his tent beyond the shining river.
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