USA > Maine > First Maine bugle, 1893 (history of 1st Maine Cavalry) > Part 17
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MONROE DAGGETT.
107 East 70th St., NEW YORK, Feb. 5th, 1893. GEN. J. P. CILLEY,
Dear Sir, - In looking through the pages of the BUGLE, October, '92, issue, I was much pleased to see a communica- tion from Maj. A. H. Bixby of the First Rhode Island Cavalry. It carried me back to the summer of 1863, when I was located for a short time at Camp Stone- man, near Alexandria, where Maj. Bixby and a few officers had their wives. Find- ing that I was located for at least a month I sent for my wife and found a boarding place near by. On the invita- tion of our quartermaster, Lieut. J. A. Goodwin of my regiment, who was acquainted with my wife before the war, 1 brought her up to the camp where com- fortable quarters were fitted up for us. A wall tent set up in the shade of a peach tree formed our sleeping apart- ment, while near by we had a larger tent with flooring carpeted with army blankets for a parlor. A good piano made up for the scarcity of other furniture, and as my wife was a musician it relieved greatly the monotony of camp life. She messed with the officers and their wives. while I messed in the First Massachusetts Cay- alry Band, just across the street, with the
rest of the scrubs. The ladies gracel the field with their presence at "dire s parade," and promenade concerts were the order of the evening. Nearly every day my wife and I mounted two of the band horses and visited the hospitals an 1 convalescent camps in and about that section. We made one trip ten miles beyond our lincs, of which I may some day write you. But a new campaign opened, horses and equipments were issued and we took ourselves to the front, while the band sorrowfully played, "The Girl I Left Behind Me." In our auto- graph album of that period we have the names of Capt. and Mrs. A. H. Bixby, Lieut. L. L. Barney of the Tenth New York Cav. and wife; Dr. S. Newinan of Newark, N. J; Lieat. Chas. A. Vernon, Third Pennsylvania Cavalry; Capt. E. C. Bigelow, First Maine Cavalry; Lieut. G. M. Fillebrown, First Massachusetts Cay- alry, and Maj. John E. Naylor, Second New York Cavalry. Finding old friends and old names in the correspondence of the BUGLE adds greatly to its otherwise valuable contents, and of itself is worth more than the subscription price. I appreciate the courtesy of the editor in placing at the head of the "Bugle Echoes " an extract from "The Bugler." May the BUGLE continue to revive old friendships and form new ones.
Yours truly, HENRY G. BARTLETT.
ITist. 1st Mass. Cav. p. 410.
READING, Pa., Feb. Sth, IS93. GEN. J. P. CIL.LEY,
My Dear General, -- Enclosed please find one dollar for the BUGLE. I have not hail time to read its contents. It is only a pleasure deferred, confident that if the First Maine conduct its manage- ment, their comrades of '61-'65 will gladly follow its lead and calls.
Yours truly, W. MURRAY WEIDMAN, M. D.
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BUGIE ECHOES.
HOLYOKE, Mass., Feb. 9th, 1893. J. P. CILLEY,
Dear Sir and Comrade, -- Yours of the 6th inst. at hand and contents noted. In replying to you would say it is out of my line to write articles for the press. I had not seen the report of our meeting Jan- uary twenty-fourth until I ba I read your letter. It would be impossible for me to write what I might have said at our Post meeting when Comrade Perkins of Bos- ton was present, and his remarks drew out some of the boys not accustomed to speaking 'in public. I learned from Comrade Perkins that he was a member of the First Maine Cavalry, which made it all the more interesting to me, and my very soul and spirit were stirred to know we had with us one of the First Maine Cavalry. I was much enthused by what had been said and inade mention of our experience June 17th, 1863, at the village of Aldie. The day was beautiful, but hot; we had been in the saddle many days. The 17th of June proved the most eventful of all to the First Massa- chusetts Cavalry during the civil war. The enemy were moving to Pennsylvania. We passed over the Bull Run battle fields about one to two thirty P. M., moving up the turnpike leading to Aldie; came in contact with the confederates near the village, pushing them back through the town, Kilpatrick's Brigade on the advance. Lieut .- Col. Curtis, commaud- ing the First Massachusetts, was ordered to send out a detachment to learn the strength of the enemy. We soon found ourselves engaged with a large force, the First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Virginia Cavalry and Breathed's battery, commanded by Col. Thomas Mumford. The confederates had the advantage, both in forces and position. Our work was successful until the Fourth New York Cavalry, commanded by the brave DeCesnola, was ordered in to our support, when the entire command turned to the
'rear, leaving their colonel a prisoner, with many of our boys, to go to Rich- mond. The enemy, encouraged by the cowardly work of the Fourth New York, pressed hard upon our boys, closing in on our tlanks, in fact hemmed us in for a time with little hope of escaping. Now Kilpatrick is seen dashing to rear for other support, soon to return with the First Maine Cavalry. Their yell greets our ears and we look upon one of the grandest sights ever witnessed by man. On they came in a grand charge, sabres glistening in the beautiful sunlight. The tide has turned, victory is on our side, a remnant of the First Massachusetts has escaped instant death or the prison pen, the confederates are routed and driven back to Upperville, leaving the federals in possession of the field to care for the wounded and bury the dead. Our loss was 198 out of the 294 engaged. The battle of Aldie was a success to our arms. The battlefield held the road leading to Loudon, but the field was deadly wos. Being the attacking party, our loss was the greater. I was much interested in an article which appeared in the Boston Journal recently, written by Lieut. L. N. Duchesney of the First Massachusetts Cavalry, who was captured at Allie, giv- ing a thrilling account of his capture, prison life and escape, traveling three hundred miles over the mountains to, East Tennessee. Speaking of his diet in Richmond prison, he told of entrap- ping large rodents, which were prepared by the blacks for food, making a first- class dish, which tasted like squirrel. I: was my privilege to visit for the first time since the war the old battle groun 1 of Aldie. About twenty of our boys left Washington, D. C., June 16, 1891, stop- ping in Leesburg over night. We were invited to attend a church fair in the evening and had a pleasant time, joining in singing many songs with the good people of the town. We took carriages
.
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FIRST MAINE BUGLE.
early in the morning, June 17th, for a drive to Aldie, about fifteen miles distant. Our mission to Aldie was to dedicate a monument to the memory of our fallen comrades. The monument stands in the bend of the road, by the wayside, on land owned by a Mr. Furr, who kindly gave the spot to our association. Mr. Furr was the son of one of the old plant- ers whose home was used as a hospital on the day of the battle. We were treated most kindly by Mr. Furr, a lusty fellow of three hundred pounds weight. Mr. Furr, in speaking of the battle, said he was with Mosby at the time. He said the confederates had all the advantage and ought to have won the day. He further aid the Yanks fought like devils against great odds. I remember a remark made by Kilpatrick the following morning, when we were engaged burying the dead. Said Kilpatrick, " I am sorry, boys, but I did all I could to save you." I have written more than I thought I could. If you find any part of this any help, I am glad to contribute this. Many thanks to the First Maine Cavalry for true and loyal men they were.
In F., C. & L., M. O. WHITE, Co. F. ist Mass. Cav.
Hist. let Mass. Cav. pp. 154-158 & 476-479.
MACHIAS, Feb. 14th, 1893. J. P. CILLEY,
Dear General, -- I received through the mail your First Maine BUGLE. I have read it through and am delighted with it. I knew your brave old regiment in the field. At the battle of Aldie I was quite closely identified with them, as the Sec- ond Division of the Fifth Corps, to which I belonged was the first infantry troops to support the cavalry, and I personally gave two of your regiment a support that I swore over at the time but which I have laughed over since. We reached the field of Aldie about dark, June 17th,
1863, and bivouaced. A guard was detailed and placed on the picket near the field hospital, which was in a brich building, I think, filled with the wounded from that day's battle. My post was within twenty yards of the building. The next day, the ISth, myself and a comrade were cooking our coffee when two men rode up and halted near our fires. The men told us they were of the First Maine and that their colone' way killed in that battle. One of the inen calmly filled his pipe and drew his sabre, as we supposed to pick up a brand to light it, when in a moment, before we could think of act, he had stooped from his horse and thrust his sabre under the bail of our coffee kettle, and both put spur to their horses and were rods away, holding nearly two quarts of our boiling coffee out at arm's length. Now what I want is revenge on the First Maine Cav- alry for that act, and if those comra les survived the war and will write to me through the BUGLE, I don't feel sure, bul I think I might forgive them. I have mailed the BUGLE to a comrade of the Second Maine Cavalry thinking he might subsbribe for it. The reason I do not, 1 am going to Southern California to be absent a year or more for the purpose of recuperating my health. My family will go with me. We leave in May. I am a totally helpless pensioner from the effects of a shell wound received at Spottsylvania and at times am worse than dead. I want to endorse your BUGLE by saying its historical value is worth ten times its money price to the children of our State. Yours in F., C. & L., L. A. ALBEE, Sergt. Co. B, 17th U. S. Inf.
POST OFFICE, AMESBURY, Mass., DEAR GENERAL,
The grit of olden time animates you still, and I feel it my duty to contribute my mite to help along the BUGLE cause.
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RUGLE ECHOES.
I thought it would be impossible after a few issues to keep up the high standard of such a publication, but still they come, chuck full of good lively matter. En- closed Post Office order for five dollars.
Yours very truly,
D. W. DAVIS.
Hist. p. 600.
BERDAN'S U. S. SHARPSHOOTERS,
SHAKOPEE, Minn., Feb. 15th, 1893. DEAR SIR AND GENERAL,
Yours of the 6th at hand. I will express you to-day copy of the Sharp- shooter History. Mr. Gould, of " Shoot- ing and Fishing," is at present making lengthy extracts from the history of that portion more particularly pertaining to rifle shooting. The cavalry arm of the service in the Army of the Potomac I have spoken of in the highest terms throughout the history, referring to their battles, and have inserted a reduced copy of a one-half tone plate of one of Gregg's Cavalry charges, an important as well as a gallant one, at a very important time on our Mine Run campaign (see page 284) ; and as the sharpshooters and cavalry were together a good deal, in advancing and in covering the rear while falling back as per following references, I cannot but feel a particular attachment for that branch of the service. See what I say about the cavalry at Gettysburg, page 286; last paragraph on 289, con- tinued to 299; also 283, part of para- graph three. At Chancellorsville, 256; Ellis Ford, 227; last part of last par- agraph but one on 411; last paragraph 503; Sailor's Creek, 508; cavalry and sharpshooter frequently skinmnished to- gether, page 482. The sharpshooters and other Maine organizations were fre- quently together, and I refer you to the great part taken by our corps and the Third Maine Infantry on the second day at Gettysburg in the famous recon- hvisance at Pitzer's Run, pages 303-14,
and later on the Fifteenth Regiment cf Sharpshooters was comumanled by a Maine soldier, Major Mattocks of the Seventeenth Maine, bottom of second paragraph, page 398; second paragraph page 401. While I have not named all the regiments that were more or less engaged with us in different actions, yet have I at all times endeavored to show that we had company, instead of pre- tending that we did it all, preterring to simply give our part performed that the reader may judge if we did it well com- pared to others.
I remain, yours truly, C. A. STEVENS.
NATIONAL MILITARY HOME, Los Angeles Co., Cal., Feb. 15th, 1823. GEN. J. P. CILLEY.
Dear General,-I ought long ago to have acknowledged the receipt of the several numbers of the BUGLE which you so kindly sent me. They were first read with the greatest pleasure and then sent to the Home Reading Room where they were also highly appreciated, I assure you. I hope you will pardon the delay, but I was for a long time very ill and I must acknowledge I forgot all about it. I herewith enclose one dollar bill, which please apply to past numbers and let me make a fresh start. If you will let me know when my year commences and the amount of the annual subscription, I will try to give you no unnecessary trouble in the future. We have two veterans of the First Maine Cavalry here, C. H. Bell, Company D, and Simeon M. Dawson. Company A. I met Capt. Bibber once in Los Angeles, but it was a good while ago, and I dare say you have seen him since. In renewing my acquaintance with you the temptation to go over old times is very strong, but if I allowed myself to begin I would never be able to pull up. Perhaps some day you will
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FIRST MAINE BUGLE.
follow the crowd and pay a visit to south- ern California ; if so you may be sure of a hearty welcome from
Yours very truly, CHARLES TREICHEL,
Bvt. Col. 3d Pa. Cav. now Cov. Nat. Home
Stalls 18 and 20, Washington Market, BOSTON, Feb. 16th, 1893. DEAR GENFRAL,
Enclosed find three dollars for BUGLE, half of it in settlement of BUGLE account against me and the rest to furnish a copy to some comrade less fortunate than myself. I hope that every man that served in the good old regiment may enjoy the privilege of reading these quar- terly Calls. Wishing you every success in the enterprise, I remain,
Very truly yours, GEO. F. JEWETT. Hist., page 611.
1
The $1.50 extra was used to send the BUGLE to Sergt. Loud .- J. P. C.
BANGOR, Feb. 1Sth, 1893. GEN. J. P. CILLEY,
Dear Sir,-Inclosed you will find check for $1.50 which please place to my credit on BUGLE account. I see in the last roll call, January, 1803. the rame of Addison W. Crowell as living in Aagusta. He died soon after coming home from the war in 1565 or 1866, at Dexter. William T. McCaushn died soon after being discharged, in Detroit; death caused by injury sustained by the pommel of his saddle. Levi Temple died in Detroit in 1866; Moses Stewart died fifteen years ago; Chas. Gould, (Hist. p. 652) was killed in some kind of an explosion out west several years ago; John L. Miner is dead !; Samuel Ingalls died several years ago in the vicinity of Mooschead Lake (say in 1887); Hiram B. Ingalls died here three or four years ago (say 1SS9).
A STRANGE STORY.
James Madison Woodthan is reported in the last roll-call and in history, page
608, as killed in action on Wilson's In and has always been so reported surge 1864. Now the fact is, he was not kiMet and he is alive to-day, or was a year or two ago. He was wounded, stunned and left for dead. flis comrades turist h.b. over, took his watch, money, valuables and trinkets from his pockets and sen: them home to his mother and sister with an account of his death, and his finer !! sermon was preached in Plymouth church:, Plymouth, where he was born and raised, not Stetson as the history has it. When the rebels came to bury the dead left on the field and were about to pitch bir into a trench, they discovered signs of life and took him to a hospital, where he soon recovered and was paroled, and in somne way he came directly home, havier no time or chance to write. The first thing known by his friends of his being alive was, his mother answering a knock on the door one evening, found her sup- posed dead son standing before her. 1: gave her such a shock that she faibte 1. He remained at home, got married, set- tled on the farm, and a few years ago moved to the western part of the State. This story written up by Woodman him- self or by some one who knows all about the facts would make a very interesting article for the BUGLE: certainly one of the most curious and strange true stories of the whole regiment. Reuel W. Por- ter or Thornton W. Mcintyre may knos his present address. Franklin E. Pratt resides in Dover, Me .: Eleazer H. Smith in Woodville, post office address Medway.
Yours truly,
E. G. INGALLS.
Hist. p. 632.
70 Winter St., PORTLAND, Feb. 19th, 1893.
CEN. J. P. CILLET,
Dear Sir,-BUGLE received all right. Inclosed please find one dollar for sande. I meant to have gone to Rockland der- ing Department Encampment, but get
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BUGLE ECHOES.
cheated out of it. I was in Washington more by good luck than anything else. I had not seen Washington since '65. 1 had to leave there before the reunion of our regiment on account of the limit of time allowed me. I enjoyed every min- ute of it. I should like to have seen a battalion of the old First Maine Cavalry in that parade but it would have taken quite a number from our Post. We should have a banner and parade under it once in a while. While at dinner there one day a gentleman whom I had not noticed much saw that I was from Maine on ! asked my regiment. On being told that it was the First Maine Cavalry he jumped upon his feet and put out his hand to mine which he shook heartily and said, " I am glad to meet you. You boys captured me once, I am a Geor- gian but served in a Virginia regiment and was gobbled up by your regiment," We had a brief talk and he wanted to see some of the rest of the boys, so I told him where he could find quite a lot of them. Owing to the rainy weather and a sick room mate, and being under the weather myself, I did not go around much and did not come away satisfied. I have Deering's picture that I told you about. bat I am going to see if he has one taken out there. We old vets are dropping out rapidly of late. The time is not far off when our children will have to do us honor on Memorial Day. They will have to keep our graves green. We leave the country and the flag we have kept unsullied in their hands to protect and cherish. I hope they may never be called upon to take up arms to defend it, but those who fought to destroy it and our government are now getting into the government offices and we don't know what may happen. An American that has gone back on the stars and stripes can never be depended upon. He has a Stain that can never be robbed out. But may peace prevail forevermore.
Hist. p. 536.
JAS. H. MERRITT.
ARLINGTON, Mass., Feb. 19th, 1893. DEAR GENERAL AND COMRADE,
The January BUGLE is at hand and its tones ring out as clearly as did its name- sake in 1861. I hope to see you in Bos- ton soon at our annual gathering. Kindly send me the amount due for the BUGLE from my old friend, Daniel J. Meeds, of Saco, Me., and I will either pay you personally or by check. I have not seen this old comrade for many years but I want him to enjoy as I do these valuable echoes from the past and I know that it costs money to construct BUGLES --- such as ring out from the old First Maine. I met Edgecomb last week and he said he expected Maj. Hall to issue his order for a Boston rally within a few days. I hope to be present.
Yours in F., C. & L., ALFRED PIERCE.
Fist. p. 463-545.
FORT KROGH, Montana, Feb. 24th, 1893. GENERAL J. P. CILLEY,
My Dear Comrade, --- I consider myself very fortunate in that, through your cour- tesy, I now own a copy of the famous "Battle Order No. 10," and also Call I of Campaign III. of the First Maine BUGLE. It was my privilege during the late struggle to walk in the ranks of the Forty-ninth Pennsylvania Volunteers (Infantry), having enlisted in Company I of that regiment as a private, on Sep- tember 3d, 1861. When I emerged from the service I was permitted to wear upon my shoulders a strap with a bar in each end of the open space thereof. I after- ward received a commission as a brevet officer entitled to the bars. In our brig- ade (the first body of troops commanded by the " superb " Hancock), we had the Sixth Maine Volunteers, one of the best regiments that ever faced the enemy. Between the " Sixth " and " Forty-ninth" there was a bond of friendship as strong and as tender as that of true brotherhood. For this reason I feel a very deep inter-
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FIRST MAINE BUGLE.
est in your association, because you belong to the same State as that from which came our greatly loved brothers of "auld lang syne." Now that the "prolonged unpleasantness" has ceased, I do not envy those who went to the front and into action with six feet instead of two. I can not, however, say truthfully that there were not times in the past when your elevated positions and rapid move- ments were not thought to be vastly more desirable than our wearied tramp, tramp, through miles of " sacred-soil-mush," I observe, however, in your extended roll of those who were " killed in action " and died in " prison pens," that the boys who rode into action gallantly stood firm and shared the fortunes of battle with their less favored comrades who went in afoot. I will not trespass upon your time but I would like you to say in your next Call that if at any time any survivor of the First Maine Cavalry should be pass- ing this way. I sincerely hope he will give me the opportunity of taking him by the hand and having him occupy a chair at our table for at least one meal if not more, and if your Call should reach any of the gallant Sixth, they will readily understand the sort of an invitation that I would extend to them, when I simply say that as a survivor of the Forty-ninth Pennsylvania my joy would be unlimited if I could onee more renew with them the bonds of love which made us one in those days of the " long ago." Wishing you ever-increasing success and satisfac- tion in your noble work as the historian of your distinguished regiment, I am
Yours sincerely, I. NEWTON RITNER, Post Chaplain, U. S. A.
Chaplain Ritner was pastor of the Eleventh Baptist church in Philadelphia from February 22d, 1874, to September 3d, IS91, when he was appointed and entered upon his duties as chaplain of the United States Army. He enhsted in
in the Forty-ninth Pennsylvania Infawn September 34, 1891, and thirty that later again entered the United > .. - service. This day, September 3d, 01, . also memorable as dating the best Chili- ment in the First Maine Cavalry .-- 1.0.
PORTVILLE, N. Y., Feb. 19th, 183. GEN. J. P. CIL.LEY,
Dear Sir and Comrade,-I believe you are right when you say the cavalry i. most effective when organized in a 'is tinct corps, and I will hereafter send my contributions to the BUGLE if I write any. I am in hopes to spur up other members of the regiment to write as I have already written more than anyone so far as I know. But it seems to be a hard job and I may have to do it myself if it is ever done. The Fifth New York Cay- alry seems to lack for writers, while some others seem to be overstocked. I sent an article sometime ago to the Nations! Tribune on the Fifth New York Cavalry in Pope's Campaign, which I am sorry now I did not send to the BULL :. Many thanks for the copy you sent to'. Yours in F., C. and L., F. S. DICKINSON, Historian 5th N. Y. Cav.
BROOKSVILLE. Feb. 22d, 1893. GEN. J. P. CILLEY,
Dear Sir and Comrade,-The BuoLr for January, 1893, is at hand, and I an: very much pleased with it. Enclosed please find twenty-five cents to pay for same. I think you have been very kim to send them to me without payment, but in the future I shall remit the twenty - five cents as I receive each copy. I think every member of the old Firs Maine should take the BUGLE for A reminds us all of good old times, as we read it. Yours in F., C. and I .. ,
A. P. FRIEND.
Hist., p. 567.
If comrades in arrears would folies Friend's example and remit when each C'all is received, the expense woul ! net . .. felt.
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BUGLE ECHOES.
EUREKA, Cal., Feb. 26th, 1893. ISFAR GENERAL,
i can thank you for putting me in mind of the duty I owe to my comrades. But you must excuse me as I have not had the time some others have. I am in the mission work, trying to get souls saved for Jesus. When He comes I pray that God will have all my comrades. I will send you $3.50 and pay up. It has heen my neglect. I want you to send me the badge of the regiment and I will send the money for it by post office order, which will make six dollars in all. I want to tell you about Gen. Freese, as he is dead and gone home. I did love that man; he was my best friend in Califor- nia as well as in Maine. I was given the place of honor at his burial. The guards and the G. A. R. had full charge of the service. There were two of the old reg- iment to follow him to the grave, Com- rades Howard Keene and myself.
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