USA > New York > The Ninth regiment, New York volunteers (Hawkins' zouaves); being a history of the regiment and veteran association from 1860 to 1900 > Part 26
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461
SUBSEQUENT SERVICES OF EX-ZOUAVES.
in the Veteran Reserve Corps and served until the end of the war, leaving the service a major ; Emil Boese, after being discharged for disabil- ity by reason of wound received in battle, joined a New York cavalry regiment and became a commissioned officer; Charles F. Roe, after his muster out, entered the regu- lar army, and was promoted through the various grades to commissioned officer; Wil- liam Paulding, of Company H, served his time with his regiment, then joined the artil- lery, and before being discharged for disabil- ity from wounds in action, reached the rank of major; William S. Hudson, of Company C, was promoted to a lieutenancy in the 49th New York Volunteers, and became a captain ; Matthew J. Graham, who lost a leg at Antie- tam and was mustered out with the regiment, was commissioned in the Veteran Reserve Corps, and served till the close of the war; Captain A. S. Graham, a brother of the forego- ing, saw the end of the Rebellion while serving as a commissioned officer in the department of the gulf; Edwin Dewes, who was mustered into the Ninth as Sergeant of Company B, and discharged with the regiment as lieutenant, entered a Massachusetts regiment and before the end of the war reached the rank of major; Louis Fucot, a private of Company F,
462 NINTH REGIMENT, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
became a commissioned officer of United States Volunteers, and served as a staff officer in the department of the gulf, during the latter part of the war.
This incomplete list, which does not include the names of any from among the scores of ex-Zouaves who entered various regiments as enlisted men, will serve to show the spirit which animated a majority of the men of the regiment. These men of the Ninth had re- sponded to the President's first call for troops, at a time when no other inducements were offered to volunteers than the knowledge that the life of the nation was in danger, and a majority of them remained at their posts until the last armed enemy had thrown down his weapon and surrendered.
CHAPTER XV.
INTRODUCTION TO THE THIRD GEORGIA-VARIOUS MEET- INGS ON THE BATTLE FIELD-SEEKING OLD FOES AFTER THE WAR-THE NINTH VISITS THE THIRD- INCIDENTS OF THE VISIT TO GEORGIA-SPEECHES -RECEPTION OF THE THIRD GEORGIA BY THE ZOUAVES-HOW THEY WERE TREATED BY THEIR OLD-TIME FOES - BANQUETS - SIGHTSEEING -EX- CURSIONS-DEPARTURE OF THE GEORGIANS.
T HE fortune of war, or the accidents of service, brought the Third Georgia Vol- unteers and the Ninth New York into contact on several occasions during their respective terms of enlistment. At Hatteras in 1861, while the Zouaves were occupying that breezy watering place, the Third Georgia was for a time acting as a corps of observation for their side, being encamped at a point about twenty-
five miles above the inlet. The regiment be- came known to the men of the Ninth in some unexplainable way, even to the extent of their being familiar with the names of some of its officers. To illustrate: Sergeant Graham of Company "A," of the Ninth, was drilling an " awkward squad" one day among the sand-
464 NINTH REGIMENT, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
hills on the beach, when the commanding officer, General Williams, appeared on the scene. He at once mounted his hobby-"rifles and rifle practice"-and proceeded to give them all a lecture on the subject and on the import- ance of accuracy in the fire of infantry in battle, etc., etc., and to make his meaning clear and to illustrate the difference between what was and what should be, said, addressing the ser- geant, "Suppose Colonel Wright (The colonel of the Third Georgia) should come down here tomorrow and attack us, and I should take your regiment out to oppose him, and you should expend forty thousand cartridges --- empty your boxes-what would be the result ? Probably forty men killed and a hundred and fifty wounded. Why d-m 'em, we should have annihilated them at the first fire." This serves to show how familiar the General was with the regiment, designating it as he would one of his own, by the name of its colonel.
The regiments were afterward in contact at South Mills or Sawyer's Lane, South Moun- tain, Antietam, and part at least of the Third, at Suffolk, so that the name "Third Georgia," became in a measure like a household word in the Ninth.
After the war was ended and peace restored some of the survivors of the Ninth whose busi-
463
PRELIMINARIES TO THE REUNION.
ness took them occasionally into the Southern States-Georgia more particularly-endeavored to find members of the Third Georgia, with whom they would like to compare notes on the "late unpleasantness," and talk over the " old heroic days." Former members of the respec- tive regiment did occasionally meet, and in- formal invitations were extended in a general way from one to the other, to meet one or the other of the regimental associations at their annual reunions. Mr. Richard H. Jackson, a survivor of the Ninth, finally put himself in communication with the officers of the Third Georgia Survivors' Association, which led to a correspondence between said officers and those of the Hawkins' Zouaves Association, and a formal invitation from the former to the latter, to attend their annual reunion, to be held at Fort Valley, Ga., on July 3Ist and August Ist, 1889. The invitation was extended by the 3d Georgia Survivors' Association at their annual meeting assembled, the motion being carried unanimously amidst great enthusiasm. The reading of the correspondence which led up to it was received with hearty cheers by the survivors present. One of them shouted: "Thought we killed them all off at Sharpsburg; sorry we killed any of that kind !" another said: "Let us run the reunion until we can telegraph and have some of them down."
466 NINTH REGIMENT. NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
The correspondence between the officers of the two asssociations, together with the invita- tion, was received and read at the annual meet- ing of the Hawkins' Zouaves Association, April 19, 1889, together with the following letter transmitting the same :
THE SURVIVORS' ASSOCIATION, 3D GEORGIA VETERANS, MADISON, GA., July 24, 18SS. MR. J. C. J. LANGBEIN, New York City.
DEAR SIR : - In behalf of our Association, most cordially do I second the enclosed invitation to attend our reunion. Come if possible. Taste the sweets of peace with us in partaking of a Georgia Barbecue. That is what " Banquet " means, as stated in the invitation card.
We were foes-Let us be friends.
Yours very cordially, W. A. WILEY, Asst. Secretary.
The communication was received with cheers and amid great enthusiasm the invitation was accepted ; resolutions expressing the kindly feelings entertained by the members of the Ninth New York for their old foes were passed, and the Secretary directed to forward the same to the officers of the 3d Georgia Association, and committees appointed with power to make all necessary arrangements for the trips to Georgia in July following. Every- thing being completed, the delegation to attend the Georgia reunion left New York by steamer and arrived at Savannah, July 30, 1889, where they were met by a committee of the 3d Georgia Survivors, headed by Secretary A. A. Winn, of the Association. Other committees,
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HOW THEY WERE RECEIVED.
both military and civic, also called upon them to welcome them to the soil of Georgia. The speeches delivered were brimful of fraternity, patriotism 'and kind wishes, and the delegation was literally overwhelmed with invitations to partake of the hospitality of the citizens and of the various organizations represented by the committees. Extended notices of the arrival of the ex-Zouaves, their object in coming to Georgia, etc., with sketches of the war services of both regiments-flattering to both-were published in the press of Savannah, Macon, Madison, Fort Valley, Atlanta, and other towns throughout the State, all of them filled with expressions of fraternal greetings and cordial good will, and in every instance breathing a spirit of earnest patriotism.
Short excursions to nearby points of interest, organized and carried out by the citizens of Savannah, occupied every moment of the time the delegation was in the city. At Macon, on the way to Fort Valley, there was a repetition of the friendly reception received at Savannah.
Upon arriving at Fort Valley the 3d Georgia Survivors were drawn up in a body at the depot to receive them. These were supported by a great crowd of citizens, and the welcome extended was flattering in the extreme. A salute of thirteen guns was fired, and an in-
468 NINTH REGIMENT, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
formal reception held amidst great enthusiasm and excitement, cheers and hand-shaking, when they all proceeded to the grand-stand where the formal reception was held. The Macon Telegraph of August 1, 1889, published the following from its Fort Valley correspondent:
"Fort Valley, July 31st .- The people here are all wild with enthusi- asm over the reunion of the 3d Georgia Regiment, which opened for- mally to-day under the most favorable and pleasing circumstances.
" Fort Valley is proud of the opportunity of doing honor to herself in honoring the grand old 3d Georgia Regiment, and a delegation of the 9th New York Volunteers - Hawkins' Zouaves -- of New York, whose coming so far from home for the sole purpose of meeting. fra- ternally, a former foe in one of their regimental reunions, evinces a spirit of magnanimity and manhood worthy of the highest admiration, and upon whom it has been most lavishly bestowed by the men of the 3d Georgia Regiment and the citizens of Fort Valley.
" Upon the arrival of the New Yorkers, on the 11. 30 train this morn- ing, thirteen rounds were fired in their honor by orders from Colonel Claiborn Snead, Colonel of the 3d Georgia. They received an old- time Georgia welcome and one which they will never fail to appreciate, or which they will ever forget.
" After the reception a column was formed on Main Street, headed by Card's Band, and the regiment together with their guests, marched to the grand stand, where the address of welcome was most eloquently and touchingly delivered by Mayor A. C. Riley, who formally turned over to Fort Valley's guests a quit claim deed to the town and the keys to the guard-house."
During the course of Mayor Riley's remarks, he said: "Survivors of the Ninth New York, veterans of the Hawkins' Zouaves, we give you a cordial welcome. We are glad you were volunteers. Your presence does more to cement the bonds of love and fellowship than all the words of eloquence of all the politicians and philanthropists. It is an honor to your
469
OLD FOES MEET AS FRIENDS.
1 own grand State, to our common country, to yourselves, and is a living monument to the civilization and Christianity of the nineteenth century. If you were not brave men you would not be here to-day. You could not look these old veterans in the eye if you had not met them with unfaltering courage on the field of battle. We congratulate you-the Blue and the Gray-that God has lengthened out your lives to see this day."
After the formal response to the Mayor's greeting had been made by the representative of the 3d Georgia, Judge Langbein, the Secretary of the Hawkins' Zouaves Association, asked permission to read the following telegram :
NEW YORK, July 31st, 1889.
To J. C. J. LANGBEIN :- Boys at home send greeting to absentees. All hail, Third Georgia ! Once foes-now friends.
(Signed) HAWKINS' ZOUAVES ASSOCIATION.
This was received with wild enthusiasm by the Georgians, and a hip, hip hurrah !
At the regular business meeting of the. 3d Georgia Survivors, which followed the recep- tions, these resolutions were adopted :
Whereas, The Hawkins' Zouaves have sent to this, our annual reunion, a delegation to meet with us as our friends,
Resolved, That as a manifestation of our appreciation of their friendship, and as a testimonial of our lasting friendship for them, we hereby set apart a page on the minutes of our Association on which shall be entered the names of the delegates.
Resolved, That we hereby tender to the Hawkins' Zouaves, and send them through this committee, our grateful greeting of their friendship and fraternal union forever.
-
470 NINTH REGIMENT, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
A copy of these was delivered to the delega- tion to be presented to the Hawkins' Zouaves Association at the next meeting.
A reception and ball was tendered to the vis- iting Zouaves that evening, at one of the lead- ing hotels. The ball was held at the hotel, but the reception extended to every place where a member of the visiting delegation presented himself. Every house was an open one to them and they were received as old friends by all.
.On the next day a formal and official wel- come to the Zouaves alone was tendered, and speeches were made by several prominent Georgians, members of the 3d Georgia, and others. Colonel Snead, Capt. J. W. Matthew's, C. B. Barrow, John W. Lindsey and others, all spoke eloquently in reference to the era of peace, good will and fraternity, which was so practically illustrated by the presence of their old-time foes, now mingling among them as friends.
Joseph M. Richards, of the 9th New York, replied on behalf of his comrades, in an earnest, patriotic and soul-stirring speech, closing in the following words :
"Fewer and still fewer, as the years roll on,' will be the trembling hands that will scatter the fragrance of the spring. Fainter and more faint
.
471
COMRADE RICHARD'S SPEECH.
will the voices grow that once answered with a cheer the word of command, until at last eternal silence and peace shall rest over the two great armies whose volleys once shook a continent. Only a few days ago, as we count time, the flowers which were strewn by the gray-haired father and mother, by wife and child, upon the graves of the Blue and the Gray alike, were symbols not only of the sacrifices of those who slept there, and tributes to their bravery, but they were significant of the peace which has dif- fused as with sunshine this entire land, and of that brotherly feeling which has taken pos- session of the soldiers' hearts, significant of the determination that there shall be but one nation ; significant, also, of the fact that there has been and is still growing a wider area of brotherhood and good feeling among the soldiers of both armies, and a conscious sense that in honoring the grave of the other as well as our own. we are paying a deserved tribute to the courage of the American soldier.
"Mr. John Ruskin tells us, in one of his essays, of the possible changes that may be wrought from a handful of dust which may be gathered up from the streets or highways, or from the valley slopes or mountain tops; that in that handful of dust are clay and sand and soot and water. Give it time enough,
.
472 NINTH REGIMENT, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
and the clay becomes a sapphire, reflecting rays as blue as the dome of heaven yonder; the sand becomes an opal, the soot a diamond, and the drop of water a blazing star of snow, so wonderful is the chemistry of nature, with its laws of co-operation. Comrades, the dust of our heroes lies along the roadside and high- ways, in the valley and the thicket in the hidden ravine; it lies along the mountain tops and the riverside. Spirit of our heroes! Wherever you lie, the ages 'are thine, and the economy thereof is God's. His chemistry never fails, and your dust and your ashes-whether you lie in name- less graves or stone-marked plots-are being wrought upon in the laboratory of the ages, and are the foundation-stones-opal, sapphire, dia- mond-of this vast country, reaching from ocean to ocean, and from gulf to lake."
Comrade Richards' address was followed by impromptu remarks by other of the Zouaves, among them Walter L. Thompson and Robert H. Alberts. Judge Langbein read a communi- cation which had just been received from New York, as follows :
J. C. JULIUS LANGBEIN :-
NEW YORK, July 31st, 1859.
Peace and good will from those of the Hawkins' Zouaves Association who remain behind, to the 3d Georgia.
The Hawkins' Zouaves Association, composed of survivors of the Ninth New York Volunteers, at a meeting held at their headquarters, on July 16th, isso, unanimously resolved, that we hereby empower those of our comrades who attend the reunion of the 3d Georgia
473
EXTRACTS FROM THE LOCAL PRESS.
Survivors' Association at Fort Valley, Ga., July 31st and August Ist, to cordially and fraternally invite them to the next reunion of our Asso- ciation on April 19th, 1890.
J. C. J. LANGBEIN, Sec'y,
WALTER L. THOMPSON, Chairman Ex. Com.
The Fort Valley Enterprise, which devoted almost an entire edition to recounting the pro- ceedings of the reunion, thus speaks of this detail of the reception :
" The Judge also read an extract from a sermon delivered by Rev. Clark Wright (one of the survivors of the Ninth) to the Hawkins' Zouaves at their memorial services last May, and published in the Westchester (N. Y.) Times, full of noble sentiments towards southern soldiers, and especially toward the 3d Georgia, which the Zouaves met in several battles. He also read a letter of great cordiality addressed to Commodore Dexter, commending him for his praiseworthy efforts to bring about a meeting between these two commands. He also pre- sented the regiment with a souvenir from Mrs. Johnson (handed to him when he was boarding the steamer for Savannalı), being a stone taken from a wall at Antietam, in which Federal and Confederate bullets are imbedded. But the tide of enthusiasm, which at this point was well-nigh lapping the highest dike, burst over all restraint when Judge Langbein brought forth a shield of immortelles of blue and gray, bearing across its face the words '9th New York Volunteer Zouaves to 3d Georgia Regiment-Peace and Good Will.' This was presented in eloquent words and was a charge in this contention of fraternal feeling which made the veterans of the 3d Georgia waver, and when the Judge concluded, the Colonel of the old Third, seeing that he was about to lose the day, rushed in the Commodore -- the great standby who never flinched in times of trial - to recover the lost ground, which he did eloquently and in well chosen words."
Commodore Dexter's speech was brimful of fraternal greetings, sentiments of good will and patriotic utterances, many references being made to incidents which occurred during periods the two regiments were facing each other as foes, and brought the public part of the reception to a close in a storm of enthusi-
474 NINTH REGIMENT, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
asm in which the rebel yell and Yankee cheer were again blended.
The return trip of the Zouaves was attended with the same enthusiasm which had marked their journey to Fort Valley; the people of Macon and Savannah extending every atten- tion possible, making their stay among them seem all too short.
At the annual meeting of the Hawkins' Zou- aves Association, held at 136 Fifth Ave., New York, on September 30th, 1889, Comrade Rich- ards, on behalf of the visiting delegation, re- ported the details of the visit, and the kind of reception accorded them by the survivors of the 3d Georgia, and the treatment received at the hands of the veterans and their people, which aroused the greatest enthusiasm among the members present.
A committee of seven was appointed to pre- pare and forward to the 3d Georgia Survi- vors a resolution expressive of the feelings of the Association at the kind hospitality with which they had received the delegation, and to extend a cordial invitation to the mem- bers of that Association to attend the reunion of the Hawkins' Zouaves on the 19th of April following.
The committee presented the following, which were unanimously adopted :
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INVITATION TO THE THIRD GEORGIA.
Resolved, That the reception of the delegation of this Association bearing our token of " Peace and Good will " to the Survivors' Associa- tion of the 3d Georgia Regiment, at their reunion in July and August last, as described in the report of our delegation, was marked by so warm a hospitality and brotherly attention, that it is meet that an expression of our heartfelt appreciation and grateful acknowledgment be made therefor.
Resolved, That it is our sincere desire to have the opportunity by a return visit from our friends to express also to them at our homes the warm attachment which animates the hearts of the survivors of the old 9th New York Volunteers toward their oft-repeated foe in battle and friends in peace, the survivers of the old 3d Georgia Regiment, and that we extend to them a hearty invitation to be with us at our next reunion, to be held in this city on the 10th day of April, 1890, and that a copy of these resolutions be spread on our minutes, and a copy be forwarded to the Survivors' Association, of the 3d Georgia Regi- ment, with the urgent request that as many as can will be with us on the 19th of April next.
(Signed) JOHN HASSALL, CHARLES CURIE, JOSEPH H. STINER, JOHN T. MILLER, SAMUEL L. MARSH, JAMES DUFFY,
CLARK WRIGHT.
JOHN B. PANNES, President, Hawkins' Zouaves Association.
J. C. JULIUS LANGBEIN,
Secretary.
These were forwarded to W. A. Wiley, Sec- retary of the 3d Georgia Survivors' Association, on February 20th, 1890, but as the Association did not hold a meeting until the annual reunion in July following, no action could be taken until then, when the following answer was received:
SAVANNAH, GA., September, 10, 1890. JUDGE J. C. JULIUS LANGBEIN, Secretary,
Hawkins' Zouaves Association, New York.
DEAR SIR :- At the annual reunion of the survivors of the 3d Georgia Regiment, held at Irvington, Ga., on the 30th and 31st of July, 1890, the following resolutions were adopted by a rising vote, three cheers, and the famous " Tiger." Very truly yours,
A. A. WINN, Secretary.
476 NINTH REGIMENT, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
Resolved, That the kindly expressions of fraternal feelings shown by the 9th New York Volunteers (Hawkins' Zouaves), at their annual business meeting, held in the City of New York, September 30th, 1889, for the Survivors' Association, 3d Georgia Regiment, be, and the same are hereby reciprocated individually and collectively.
Resolved, That we accept with heartfelt thanks the Hawkins' Zouaves kind invitation to be present with them at their reunion, April 19, 1891, and we urgently request our Association to see that a delegation attend said meeting.
Resolved, That the 3d Georgia Survivors in reunion assembled, send greeting and kindly remembrances to the Hawkins' Zouaves, their foes in battle-their friends in peace.
Resolved, further, That our Secretary furnish to the 9th New York Volunteers (Hawkins' Zouaves), a copy of these resolutions.
CLAIBORNE SNEAD,
President of the 3d Georgia Veterans,
Augusta, Ga.
A. A. WINN, Secretary, Savannah, Ga.
WALTER A. WILEY, Asst. Sec'y, Madisor, Ga.
. As soon as the above resolutions, with the letters of acceptance which accompanied them, were received, the preliminary movements to- ward making the reunion a success were in- augurated. Inasmuch as the coming event was not only the thirtieth anniversary of the organization of the Ninth New York, but was also the anniversary of the battle of Sawyer's Lane, or South Mills, as known by the Con- federates and Federals respectively, and in which these two regiments took the most con- spicuous parts and suffered the greatest loss, it was the determination of the veterans of the Ninth to make the occasion an historic one in every respect. It was also their wish and intention to enable their friends from Georgia,
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RECEPTION TO THE GEORGIANS.
most of whom had never before visited New York, to enjoy the pleasure of seeing as many places in and about the city of interest and of novelty to them, as it was possible to reach during their short stay, and to make every moment of that stay enjoyable and interesting.
The regular Reception Committee consisted of George F. Betts, Edward Jardine, James R. Whiting, James B. Horner, Richard R. Jack- son, George W. Debevoise, Robert H. Alberts, John WV. Jacobus, Walter L. Thompson, J. C. J. Langbein, Latham A. Fish, Charles Curie, Joseph M. Richards and Richard H. Morris.
On Sunday evening, April 18th, the delega- tion of the 3d Georgia, consisting - ladies included - of seventeen persons, arrived by steamer from Savannah. They were met at the wharf by the committee and others of the Zouaves, and an enthusiastic reception was given them. Carriages were in waiting, and after the first salutations were exchanged, they Were driven to the Hotel Brunswick, where accommodations had been provided for them and where they made their headquarters during their stay in New York. Monday was devoted to sightseeing. Carriages were provided and the visitors, escorted by members of the Ninth, enjoyed a ride in Central Park and Riverside Drive, and had an opportunity to visit the
478 NINTH REGIMENT, NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
Museum of Fine Arts and of Natural History, and several other interesting places.
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