USA > New Hampshire > A history of the Second regiment, New Hampshire volunteer infantry, in the war of the rebellion > Part 25
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46
An organization was effected and various committees appointed, but it is only justice to say that the heavy burden of preparation fell upon two comrades-" Harry" Clifton, of Company C, and " Al." Simmons, of I. They were the twin Pooh-Bah's of the affair. Simmons was president and treasurer ; Clifton, secretary ; both were on the finance committee, and one or the other on about every other committee.
The date selected was the 20th of June-the twenty-third anni- versary of the day when the regiment filed out of the old ropewalks at Portsmouth and marched down through the streets of that quaint old city on their way to the front. On that day, coming from near and from far, one hundred and sixty men assembled-the largest gathering of the Second ever accomplished since the war. There
314
SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
T
-7
Henry A. Bowman, Co. G.
He enlisted from Littleton, and was early disabled, losing his right leg at the first battle of Bull Run. He was for many years an em- ploye of the Fairbanks Scale Company, at St. Johnsbury, Vt., and held in high esteem. On the morning of January 23, 1892, while at work at his bench, he suddenly dropped dead. The employes were immediately notified that work was suspended for the day out of respect to his memory. The above portrait repre- sents him at the time of the war.
were Marston, and Fiske ("Old Double Quick "), and Bailey, and Harriet Dame. And to crown all, there were the tattered old flags that the Second had followed in many a battle. These had been boldly but judiciously abstracted from their case in the state house at Concord, and it is violating no confidence to state that the boys had the assurance of ex-Governor Frederick Smyth that he would stand by them if there was any trouble. The following account of the exercises of the day is mainly copied from newspaper reports.
General Marston and other officers were conveyed to Hotel Windsor in carriages, and the members of the regiment found their way to the city hall, which was headquarters during the reunion. Thither Marston, Fiske and Sayles soon followed, and for an hour or two there was witnessed one of those indescribable affairs, a gathering of old soldiers long separated. Little was done but shake
315
FIRST REUNION.
hands and exchange greetings until about one o'clock, when the assembly was called to order by Thomas B. Little of Concord, president of the regimental association, after which Chaplain John W. Adams offered prayer.
On motion of General Patterson, General Marston was elected president of the day, and as he stepped forward, his grim old face illumined by a smile of pleasure seldom seen upon it, the shouts of the veterans nearly started the roof. He spoke briefly on taking the chair, and was followed by Lieutenant-Colonel Fiske, at the close of whose remarks Mayor H. B. Putnam extended the welcome of the city, as follows :
MR. PRESIDENT AND VETERANS OF THE SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT:
In behalf of the city of Manchester I bid you welcome here today. It is not often that our citizens have the pleasure of extending the hospitalities of the city to so worthy a body of men as compose your organization, which has honored us by its presence.
It hardly seems possible that twenty-three years have elapsed since you left this state for the seat of war to help put down the most gigantic rebellion the world has ever seen. The people of this city and of this state have always felt a deep interest in the Second regiment, as it was the first of the three-years men that went to the front. When you left, the hearts and good wishes of all went with and followed you in all your campaigns. When you enlisted the sol- dier's pay was very small, with no bounty, so that could not have been an incentive which sent you forth. Your motives were of a purer and higher order; they were those of true patriotism. You volunteered to defend the old flag and keep entire the union of the states. How well you succeeded is now a matter of history. The union is stronger and rests upon a firmer basis today than ever before. The nation's thanks are due to you and your comrades by whose valor it has been maintained, and this and coming generations will hold you in remembrance. When your regiment went forth you were a thousand strong, but at the end of three years how depleted were your ranks! Many went forth never to return. The bullets, the malarial swamps and the prison pens of the South had done their work, and many of your number now lie buried in southern soil and in unknown graves.
The war of the rebellion has not been without its lessons. It has taught the people of this and other nations that this great republic is to remain intact, and that no foreign nor domestic foe can rend it asunder. It has shown that we need no standing army, that our volunteer militia can be relied on to protect us from aggression. During the war many thought that when it was over and the great armies disbanded, lawlessness might prevail. How mistaken those fears! Over a million men were disbanded in a few months, and all of them returned to their farms, to their work shops and other avocations in which they were formerly engaged, and took up the peaceful pursuits of life as though they had not been disturbed.
I do not propose to take up your time with any extended remarks; you have come here with other purposes. You are here to renew old friendships formed around army camp fires and to relate incidents of past campaigns. I hope that this, your first reunion, may be many times repeated, that your lives may be lengthened so as to enjoy the privileges of living under a free government which your valor has made secure.
Colonel Ed. L. Bailey and Hon. M. A. Haynes followed, and both were loudly cheered, although they spoke but briefly.
At two o'clock the veterans formed by companies, and with their old battle-flags over them, went over a brief line of march, preceded
316
SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
by the First Regiment Band and the Manchester War Veterans' Drum Corps, and followed by invited guests and disabled comrades in carriages. The procession marched up Elm street as far as Bridge, then countermarched to Monument square, where a halt was made in the shade of the trees near the soldiers' monument. During this rest a brief and patriotic address was made by Chaplain Adams, after which the veterans proceeded to Hotel Windsor, to partake of a most elaborate banquet.
The tables were adorned with flowers, among the decorations being two memorial pieces, one from Mrs. Josiah Srevens, in remembrance of her late husband, Major Stevens, and the other from Mrs. E. T. James, in memoriam of her brother, Solomon W. Foss, of Company D, who died in the service. General Marston alluded to the memory of these brave men, and calling upon all to rise and fill their glasses with cold water, he offered a beautiful sentiment to their memory.
At the close of the repast General Marston rapped to order and happily introduced ex-Governor Frederick Smyth, who was received with hearty applause. He said he had come to the reunion to listen to that grand old hero, General Marston, and others who were members of the Second regiment, but of all the men on this earth whom he dared to disobey, General Marston was one of the last. The privilege of being with you on this occasion is one I never expected to enjoy, and I realize that it is a rare privilege indeed. You have a record, and such a record as no other regiment in New Hampshire or any other state made. No regiment has filled the state with so much honor as the Second. There are one hundred of the men present here today who left old Portsmouth twenty-three years ago, and well I remember your departure when you were all in the flush of youth. General Marston, then colonel of the regi- ment, came to me and said, "Do you think I shall succeed?" I answered as I thought, yes ; and what a success ! But it was sad to me, so many of the youth and flower of the state to go forth never to return. I saw many of you afterwards on several of the battlefields of the war, and had the privilege of caring for some of you at Gettysburg. I remember twenty years ago next December when General Patterson led home the remnant of your regiment to
317
FIRST REUNION.
Lieut. Thomas Lees, Co. B.
Enlisted as a private, from Durham, and at the close of his term of service was second lieutenant of his company. He is now proprietor of the Sheridan House, at Wolfeborough.
Concord, and there surrendered your battleflags to the keeping of the state. I told him then that no hand should be laid upon them, and they were not touched until yesterday. If any one else but you boys had taken them, they would have been in state prison by this time, but none of you are likely to get there. Here at my right hand (pointing to Miss Harriet P. Dame) is the woman I love more than any woman on earth next to my wife, and I know there is not one here who has a wife or children who does not love her next to them. I thank you for the many courtesies which I have received at your hands, and I trust and believe that we shall all meet in a grand reunion in the world to come.
Following the governor's address, a quartet composed of Messrs. Charles F. Good, E. Parker French, David H. Bean and George E. Merrill, sang " Health to the Bravest " and "The Vacant Chair," the latter being in response to an encore.
Colonel Waterman Smith was the next speaker. He recalled
318
SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
recollections of the day when General Marston led the regiment away to the seat of war. In those days the manufacturing company with which the speaker was connected had three thousand people in its employ, and one hundred and ten enlisted in the service for the defence of their country. I said to them, "Go, brave boys, and when you come back, no matter whether disabled or not, your places will be waiting for you." When the conflict was raging, and every effort was being made to supply means for prosecuting the war, I asked Governor Smyth what we should do with the money accumulating in the bank in which we were both interested. " In- vest it in governments," was his quick reply, "help the government, and if the government fails we will all go to smash together." But the results proved the investments to have been wisely placed. I congratulate you upon being able to have so many present at this, your first reunion. I hope you may have many of them. The lapse of time is lessening your numbers, but I am one of those who believe that we shall all meet hereafter, where there will be no wars and no partings-on the other side of Jordan.
M. A. Haynes then read several letters of regret at their inabil- ity to be present, from various persons, of which the following have more than a passing interest :
SUNDAY, 35TH AVENUE.
DEAR COLONEL BAILEY: On my return to the city I find your letter of the roth inst., con- veying an invitation to be present at the first reunion of the glorious old Second New Hampshire regiment of volunteers at Manchester on the 20th inst. I can think of but very few things that would give me more pleasure than to meet once more the survivors of that noble battalion. If you will kindly call and see me on Tuesday morning, I will then be able to decide whether or no I can go with you. I shall certainly go if possible, and, if prevented, you must remember me affectionately to every officer and man of the regiment. Sincerely yours,
Col. E. L. BAILEY, U. S. A., David's Island, N. Y.
D. SICKLES.
PORT OF NEW YORK, NAVAL OFFICE, Fune 18, 1884. Colonel E. L. BAILEY, U. S. A.
COLONEL: Your courteous letter of the 6th instant, inviting me to attend the first reunion of the Second New Hampshire Volunteers at Manchester, N. H., on the 20th instant, was duly received, and an answer has been delayed until the last moment in the hope that it would be in my power to announce that I would be present on that interesting occasion. It is with exceed- ing great regret that I am compelled to state that it will be utterly impossible for me to attend, in consequence of sickness in my family.
My active military career commenced as colonel of the Fifth Excelsior (Seventy-fourth New York) Volunteers, in Hooker's division of the Third Army Corps, in which division were like- wise the noble Second New Hampshire Volunteers, then commanded by the gallant Marston. On several hard fought fields during the Peninsular campaign, it was my proud privilege to fight side by side with that well-trained regiment, and at the decisive battle of Gettysburg, when
319
FIRST REUNION.
it reported to me in the Peach Orchard, a thrill of joy nerved me to the very core, for I realized that if human power could sustain my command in that perilous position, the Second New Hampshire and the other heroic regiments attached to the glorious old Third Corps, which reinforced me simultaneously, would accomplish that fact. But if had been ordained otherwise, and the masses of rebel infantry which were hurled without cessation upon our exposed front, as well as the terrific artillery fire which continued for hours upon our depleted ranks, rendered that effort impracticable. On that field I particularly noticed the correct maneuvers of your regiment, and the brilliancy of one charge it made in regaining the salient point my command first occupied. The number of killed and wounded on that occasion testifies more strongly than can any words of mine how gallantly it conducted itself on that memorable field.
Cordially wishing that the survivors of the Second New Hampshire Volunteers may have a successful and enjoyable reunion, and that they may individually be blessed with happiness and prosperity, I am sincerely yours, CHARLES K. GRAHAM.
STATE OF NEW YORK; OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE, Albany, June 10, 1884.
E. L. BAILEY, David's Island, New York Harbor:
MY DEAR COLONEL: I am in receipt of your kind communication, under date of the 6th inst., inviting me to be present on the occasion of the first reunion of the survivors of the old Second New Hampshire regiment. Please accept my hearty thanks for this evidence of distin- guished regard, and for the honor which you and the regiment have conferred upon me.
The desire for social reunion is to me a gratifying exhibit. It is the outgrowth of strong friendship, which soldiers everywhere entertain for one another. It is a pleasant reflection to know that I have been remembered. Your letter aroused old associations. The scenes of Yorktown, Fair Oaks, Malvern Hill, Bristow Station, Second Bull Run, Fredericksburg, Get- tysburg and the Wilderness again pass in review, and I am confronted with the deeds of self sacrifice and patriotic devotion which marked the splendid achievements of the soldiers under my command.
To the survivors of the Second New Hampshire I extend the hand of fellowship. My heart swells with pride when I scan the record of their services in defence of sound principles, and for the maintenance of free institutions. The pleasure of meeting with you on the occasion of your first reunion is denied me. I wish I could sit by your camp fire and take part in your proceed- ings. An exchange of sentiment would be a source of enjoyment, while the recitation of incidents of life in camp and on the march would drive out the shadows which accompany the recollection of the battle field.
Greeting you with words of profound regard, and wishing you all an abundance of prosperity and success, permit me to subscribe myself, Very truly yours, JOSEPH B. CARR, Major-General. Sentiment. To the veterans of the old Third Corps as we understand it.
DARTMOUTH COLLEGE, Hanover, June 16, 1884.
DEAR MR. SIMMONS: I have today received your letter of Saturday, for which please accept my cordial thanks. It is with sincere regret that I feel that it will be impracticable for me to be present next Friday at the reunion of the noble and dear old Second regiment. There is hardly a day of my life that passes without the revival of some of the remembrances connected with the year and a quarter that I was with the regiment. Few things would give me more pleasure than again to take by the hand those I was then associated with. Should I find myself unable to be present. may I beg you to present my heartiest greetings to the soldiers who will be there, and my best wishes that they may fight the battles of life as well as they did those on the Penn- sula, at Manassas, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and before Richmond. I shall still pray, as I used to at dress parade and the Sabbath gatherings in '61 and '62, that God's choicest blessings may be upon them in this world and the next. I remain yours very truly,
HENRY E. PARKER.
320
SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
George P. Pendergast, Co. D.
Killed at Williamsburg, May 5, 1862. He was from Durham. The above portrait is from a faded ambrotype-the only picture he ever had taken.
NEW ORLEANS, LA., Func 14, 1884. HARRY CLIFTON, EsQ., Chairman Committee:
DEAR SIR AND COMRADE: Your kind invitation to attend the Second Regiment reunion, to be held at Manchester on the 20th inst., has been received, and it is with feelings of regret that I must inform you of my inability to be present. It would afford me much pleasure to meet with you and once more greet the men who compose the remnant of that grand old regiment which formed the nucleus of our loved Hooker's first command, and which followed him over so many hard fought fields. Though far away from the hills and valleys of the Granite State, and thus debarred the privilege of occasionally meeting the comrades of those years of hardship and anx- ious trial, still my heart beats warmly toward all the brave men who so nobly responded to the call for sacrifice for the nation's welfare, but especially near are those of the Second New Hampshire.
In the fulfillment of a sacred duty on Memorial Day, I placed flowers on the graves of some of the New Hampshire soldiers who, with thousands of others, known and unknown, rest in the national cemetery by the banks of the Mississippi just below New Orleans. 'T is but a simple deed we do, and yet by it we do but speak the debt of gratitude we owe to those who gave up all for their country and ours.
Though from your camp fire many comrades will be missed, never again to assemble there, still I trust your gathering will be a pleasant one, where all may receive new strength and cour- age, in which, standing shoulder to shoulder with each other and mankind, may we so fight as to come off victors and be ready to answer the final roll call at that glad reunion which shall continue forever. With cordial greeting to you all, I remain sincerely yours,
CHARLES H. SHUTE.
Brief remarks by Captain Joseph B. Clark, of the Eleventh New
321
FIRST REUNION.
Hampshire, concluded the post prandial exercises, and an adjourn- ment was taken until 7.30 o'clock.
The evening exercises were held at the opera house. The admission was by ticket, and at 8 o'clock, notwithstanding the heat, which was almost suffocating, every seat was filled. The regiment, accompanied by the drum corps, marched from the city hall to the opera house, entering the house and stage by the rear. The stage was flanked on either side by the tattered battle-bags of the regi- ment, and along the balcony front were displayed the names of the many battles in which the regiment had participated.
Albion R. Simmons officiated as president of the evening. He said that some time ago members of the old Second regiment sug- gested the idea of holding a reunion. It had only to be suggested, when the boys took the matter in hand. He saw by the large audience assembled that the interest in the boys of the old Second was as keen as when, in 1863, the regiment came home to fill its depleted ranks and was given a grand ovation in that city. He said they would commence in the same manner that the daily life of the soldier did-with the sounding of the reveille. The War Veterans' Drum Corps then came forward, and beat the morning call amid much enthusiasm.
Martin A. Haynes was then introduced, and spoke at length upon the history and characteristics of the regiment. He pictured it as made up of rollicking, boisterous youth, whose straggling was generally toward the front, although in green-corn time they some- times spread out on the flanks. On the march they were like a party of schoolboys ; but you would find them in battle where the minnies sang their merriest and the fight was the fiercest. The regiment's losses and sacrifices are set forth in cold figures that tell their own story. It performed innumerable deeds of heroism, and yet no one of its members ever received a government medal of honor. It built miles and miles of breastworks for other troops to fight behind, but except in one solitary instance did its own fighting in the open. It has a record that money could not buy, and the memories that cluster around those dear old tattered shreds of red and white and blue will live forever.
The quartet that pleased the assembly so well at the banquet
2I
322
SECOND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
now appeared and rendered "The Vacant Chair," and was followed by Colonel Ed. L. Bailey, who delivered a long address upon the battle of Gettysburg. While giving a general description of the battle and of the events leading up to it, still this was but a frame- work upon which he built the story of the Second regiment's part therein. " Our regiment," he said, " has never received the credit which of right belongs to it, owing to the peculiar circumstances under which it fought, such as its separation from its proper brig- ade to serve with troops of another division, being under command of General Graham, an officer unacquainted with it as an organiza- tion, who, besides, was wounded and then taken prisoner, while General Sickles, who knew the importance of the position and some of the merits of the defense, was, unfortunately, badly wounded, and thereafter separated from his corps. Nevertheless, all histori- ans of the war will be found to agree that one of the most important as well as bloody incidents of the battle of Gettysburg occurred at the peach orchard. But the historian seems to be exceed- ingly vague in placing any Union troops in the orchard to defend it. * Nowhere, in any description of the battle that I have seen, is any mention made of a single organization rightly entitled to it as defenders of the angle at the peach orchard. You and I know that force consisted of the Third Maine, Sixty-eighth Pennsylvania and Second New Hampshire regiments of infantry, Battery G, Fourth New York Artillery, at first, and later a regular battery of artillery, and that this force alone, unaided by the reinforcement of a single man, maintained the unequal action in the angle of the orchard, which made possible the eulogiums so lavishly bestowed elsewhere."
After a selection by the band, Miss Harriet P. Dame was intro- duced, who was received with loud cheers, and simply bowed her acknowledgments.
Orren B. Stokes, the champion drummer of the world, was next introduced, and beat the long roll with the same drum sticks and upon the same drum that were used by him in beating the first long roll ever heard in the camp of the Second.
Comrade George H. Patch, of the Nineteenth Massachusetts regiment, spoke eloquently in response to a call, after which the
323
OLD HOOKER BRIGADE AT BOSTON.
exercises closed with the singing of " Marching Through Georgia," by David H. Bean, the band acting as accompanist, and the audi- ence joining in the chorus. While the audience was passing from the opera house, the band played "Yankee Doodle." The Vets. gave three cheers for the tattered flags, and then left the building for city hall, where refreshments were served and a campfire held until morning, enlivened by songs, stories and camp reminiscences.
DEDICATION OF BOSTON MONUMENT.
[The following is a newspaper report of the participation of the old Hooker brigade in the ceremonies attending the dedication of the Army and Navy Monument at Boston, Sept. 17, 1877.]
It will probably be a long time before Boston will again see such a demonstration as that of last Monday, at the dedication of the monument on Boston Common to commemorate the deeds of the soldiers and sailors of that city who fell in the War of the Rebellion. Never, probably, will there be such a parade of the veteran surviv- ors as on that day. The procession numbered thirty thousand men, and was the most imposing pageant the city ever witnessed.
New Hampshire's share in the affair was most creditable. Her battalion numbered 450 veterans, and was commanded by General Aaron F. Stevens. This was exclusive of the old Second regiment, which, with the First and Eleventh Massachusetts, forming " Hook- er's Old Brigade," was assigned the honor of escort to their old chief, " Fighting Joe." Hooker. It was certainly a proud day for the veterans, and it must have caused the general's heart to beat with oldtime pride when he found himself surrounded by six hun- dred men of his old brigade, bearing their old battle flags, and wearing upon their hats the white diamond, the badge of the Second Division of the old Third Corps. Such a reception as was given him by his Vets. in line upon Tremont street ! Shout followed shout, and the carriage was surrounded by an excited crowd, all eager for a grasp of his hand.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.