USA > Ohio > Auglaize County > Saint Marys > Ninth reunion of the 37th Regiment O.V.V.I., St. Marys, Ohio, Tuesday and Wednesday, September 10 and 11, 1889 > Part 4
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Comrades, I am glad and happy to-night that we have been . permitted, after these many years, to meet once more under more pleasant circumstances, with the knowledge that the friendship formed in camp and cemented by deeds of valor on the battlefield, have not been forgotten, and will not as long as life last. We were comrades in scenes that tried the souls and courage of us all, we were associates in a struggle that gave new birth to the Republic. Is it any wonder then that the men who were soldiers in the days when they were the Idols of the people, because in their hands lay the safety of the country, now look back to those exciting days with pride and pleasure. . We would not be true men if we forgot the past ; we were com- rades then and we are comrades now, and will be until the
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roll is complete beyond the skies. We are growing old and have no longer the smell of powder smoke in our nostrils, but we are as ready now to share our last crust with a needy com- rade as we were to divide the last bit of hardtack when the supply train failed to come in on time. As veterans of the war we are proud of the granduer and progress of our country and as we gather around our comrades, as we do to-night, who has a better right to recall the scenes of Camp, Campaign and Bat- tle than we who by our united efforts, made the present pros- perity of our fellow citizens not only a possibility but a solemn and glorious fact. Let us hope that the peace so dearly bought has come to stay and that we may be permitted to enjoy many more like meetings, and that the men of the North and South, with true brotherly feeling, will stand shoulder to shoul- der in support of our magnificent Republic, ready to carry the musket and the sword in united strength against any foreign foe that may dare to menace our common and glorious Flag.
Song-" T'he Vacant Chair." Quartette and ('horus. THE VACANT CHAIR
We shall meet, but we shall miss him. There will be one vacant chair; We shall linger to caress him, While we breathe our evening prayer.
When those years ago we gathered, Joy was in bis mild blue eye; But a golden cord is served, And our hopes in ruin lie.
CHORUS-We shall meet, but we shall miss him There will be one vacant chair ; We shall linger to caress him, When we breathe our evening prayer.
At our fireside, sad and lonely, Often will the bosom swell,
At remembrance of the story, How our noble soldier fell ; How he strove to bear our banner Through the thickest of the tight,
And upheldl our country's honor, In the strength of manhood's might. CHORUS-We shall meet, etc.
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Recitation-" The Drummer Boy of Mission Ridge." (By Special Request.)
MRS. ELIZABETH MANSFIELD IRVING.
THE DRUMMER BOY OF MISSION RIDGE. THE SERGEANT'S STORY.
BY KATE BROWNLEE SHERWOOD.
[To Jobn S. Kountz, Commander of the Department of Ohio, G. A. R. this story of his experience at Missionary Ridge, while serving as Drummer Boy of the 37th O. V. I .- the story being that of the Sergeant who bore him from the field,-is dedicated, as a slight testimonial to his courage on the field of Battie, and his fidelity to the veteran's bond of union-"Fraternity, Charity and Loyalty."]
Did ever you hear of the Drummer Boy of Mission Ridge who iay
With his face to the foe, 'neath the enemy's guns in the charge of that terrible day?
They were firing above him and firing below, and the tempest of shot and shell Was raging like death as he moaned in his pain, by the breastworks where he fell.
We had burnished our muskets and filled ourcanteens, as we waited for orders that morn-
Who knows when the soldier is dying of thirst where the wounded nre wailing forlorn ;?-
When forth from the squad that was ordered back from the burst of that furious fire
Our Drummer Boy came and his face was aflame with the light of a noble desire.
"Go back with your corps," our Colonel had said, but he waited the moment when
. He might follow the ranks and shoulder a gun with the best of us bearded men. And so when the signals from old Fort Wood set an army of veterans wild,
He flung down his drum which spun down the hill like the ball of a wayward child.
And so he fell in with the foremost ranks of brave old Company G.
As we charged by the flank, with our colors ahend, and our column closed up like a V;
In the long, swinging lines of that splendid advance, when the flags of our corps floated out.
Like the ribbons that dance in the jubilant lines of the march of a gala day rout.
He charged with the ranks, though he carried no gun, for the Colonel had said nay,
And he breasted the blast of the bristling guns and the shock of the slekning fray;
And when by his side they were falling like hall, he sprang to n comrade slain, And shouldered huis musket and bore it as true as the hand that was dead to pain.
'Twas dearly we loved him, our Drummer Boy, with a fire in his bright, black eye,
That flashed forth a spirit too great for his form, he oniy was just so high,- As tali perhaps as your little iad who senrcely reaches your shouide :. -
Though his heart was the heart of n veteran then, a trifle, in may be, the bolder
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He pressed to the front, our lad so leal, and the works were almost won, A moment more and our tlags had swung o'er the muzzle of the murderons gun. But a ranking tire swept the van and he fell 'inld the wounded and the stain, With his wee, wan face turned up to Ilim who feeleth Hils children's pain.
Again and again our lines fell back and again with shivering shocks They flung themselves on the reble works as the fleets on the jagged rocks; To be crushed and brokeh and scattered amain, as the wreeks of the surging storm.
Where none may rue and none may reek of aught that has human form.
So under the Ridge we were lying for the orders to charge again, And we counted our comrades missing and we counted our comrades slain; And one said, "Johnnie, the Drummer Boy, is grievously shot and lies Just under the enemy's breastworks; If left on the fleld he dies."
Then all the blood that was In me surged up to my aching brow, And my heart leaped up liken balt in my throat, I can feel it even now,
And I swore I would bring that boy from the field, if God would spar my
. breath,
If all the guns on Mission Ridge should thunder the threat of death.
I crept and crept up the ghastly Ridge, by the wounded and the dead, With the moans of my comrades right and left, behind me and yet ahead, Till I came to the form of our Drummer Boy, In his blouse of dusty blue,
With his face to the foe, 'neath the enemy's guns, where the blast of the battle blew.
And his gaze as he met my own, God wot, would have melted a heart of stone, As he tried like a wounded bird to rise, and placed his hand in my own: So wan and faint with his ruby red blood drank deep by the pitiless sward. Walle his breast with its fleeting, fluttering breath throbbed painfully slow and hard.
And he sald in a voice half smothered, though its wispering thrills me yet, "I think in a moment more that I would have stood ou the parapet. For my feet have trodden life's rugged ways, and I have been used to climb Where some of the boys have slipped I know, but I have never missed a time.
"But now I nevermore will climb, and Sergeant when you see The men go up those breastworks there, just stop and waken me: For while I cannot make the charge or join the cheers that rise, I may forget my pain to see the old flag kiss the skies."
Well, it was hard to treat him so, his poor limb shattered sore. But I raised him to my shoulder and to the Surgeon bore; And the boys when they saw us coming ench gave a shout of joy, Though some In eurses clothed their prayers, for him, our Drummer boy.
When sped the news that "Fighting Joe" had saved the Union right, With his legious fresh from Lookout: and that Thomas massed his might And foreed the reble eentre; and our cheering rang like wild; And Sherman's heart was happy as the heart of a little child;
When Grant from his loafty outlook saw our flags by the hundred dy, Along the slopes of Mission Ridge, where'er he enst his eye; And our Drummer Boy heard the news und knew the mighty battle donc, The valiant contest ended, and the glorious victory won;
Then he smiled in all his agony beneath the Surgeon's steel. And joyed that his biood to tiow his country's woes to henl; And his bright, black eyes so yenrning, grew strangely glad and wide; I think that in that hour of joy he would linve gladly died.
Ah, ne'e. again our ranks were cheered by our little Drummer's drum,
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When rub, rub, rub-a-dub-dub, we knew that our hour bad come; Beat brisk at morn, beat sharp at eve, rolled long when It called to arms, With rub, rub rub-a-dub. dub, 'mld the clamor of rude alarms!
Ab, ne'er again our black-eyed boy looked up In the veteran's fare, To waken thoughts of his children safe In mother love's embrace! O ne'er again with tripping feet he ran with the other boys,- His budding hopes were cast away as they were idle toys.
But ever in our hearts he dwells, with a grace that never is old, For him the heart to duty wed can nevermore grow cold]
His heart, the hero's heart, we named the loyal, true and brave,
The heart of the soldiers hoar and gray, of The lad In hls Southern grave!
And when they tell of their heroes, and the laurels they have won. Of the sears they are doomed to carry, of the deeds that they have done: Of the horror to be biding among the ghastly dead,
The gory sod beneath them, the bursting shell o'erhead;
My heart goes back to Mission Ridge and the Drummer Boy who las With his face to the foe 'neath the enemy's guns, In the charge of that terrible day;
And I say that the land that bearssuch sons, Is erowned and dowered with all The dear God giveth nations to stay them lest they fall.
O glory of Mission Ridge stream on, like the roseate light of moru, Ou the sons that now are living, on the sons that are yet unborn! And cheers for our comrades living and tears as they pass away!
And three times three for the Drummer Boy who fought at the front that day.
Song-" Just Before the Battle." Soprano Solo and Quartette Chorus.
MISS ELLA MANOR.
JUST BEFORE THE BATTLE, MOTHER.
Just before the battle, Mother, I am thinking most of yon, While upon the field we're watching, With the enemy in view- Comrades brave are round me lying. Fill'd with tho't of home and God:
For well they know that on the morrow Some will sleep beneath the sod.
Oh I long to see you, Mother, And the loving ones at home, But I'll never leave our banner, Till in honor I can come. Tell the traitors, all around you, That their cruel words we know,
In every battle kill our soldiers By help they give the foe.
Hark! I hear the bugles soumling, 'Tis the signal for the tight,
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Now may God protect us, Mother, As he ever does the right Hear the "Battle cry of Freedom," How it swells upon the air, Oh, yes we'll rally round the standard Or we'll perish nobly there.
CHIORUS.
Farewell, Mother, you may never press me to your heart again ;
But O, you'll not forget me, Mother, if I'm numbered with the slain. Farewell, Mother, you may never, you may never, Mother, press me to your heart again;
But O, you'll not forget me, Mother, you will not forget mne if I'm number'd with the slain.
Farewell, Mother, you may never, you may never, Mother, press me to your heart again.
But O, you'll not forget me, Mother, you will not forget me if I'm number'd with the slain.
Address-" Atlanta Campaign." COMRADE JOHN H. PUCK.
COMRADES, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN :-
You all doubtless know that it is a soldier's duty to obey orders, so in this case when our worthy President and Com- rade, Major Hipp, asked me to give the 37th Regiment and my own personal experience of the Atlanta Campaign, I hesitatingly complied with his request, knowing my inability to do justice to the subject, and will briefly recount the marches, battles and exploits as I remember them. It will of course be impossible to give the exact dates of battles and incidents as they happened, as for the most part I have to rely wholly upon memory,
As the Comrades all know the Veterans of our Regiment, and those of us known as the recruits of '62, after having had a most delightful furlough of 30 days duration, said good-bye to our wives and sweet-hearts the last days of April 1864 and started for the front.
Our first trip was from Cleveland to Cincinnati where we ar- . rived late in the afternoon, or about dusk, and where we were quartered for the night in the 5th Street Market House. After a strong guard had been put out, (made up from our own boys),
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our officers left us and I presume looked up more congenial quar- ters, but as you will doubtless remember the guard that was put out was of no avail, for the boys were in Ohio and would not be guarded, for I remember that when Company G was called on to furnish her quota of men for camp guard, Comrade Molen- kopt, who was our orderly sergeant, read off the names of the detail, mine was among them, but asour orders were not string- ent enough to allow us to resort to force, we of course were powerless to keep the men in camp, for as soon the officers were all gone the men also started to go and as they would leave in squads of from ten to twenty, we of course could not hold them; after most of the boys were gone I remember we of the guard stacked our muskets and also went away wherever inclination led us.
I will hero say that this was the only instance where, 80 far as I know, any member of our Regiment deserted his post, or refused to do the duty he was ordered to do.
Our next move southward was to Louisville, Ky., which trip was made without any special incident worth mentioning, but our next trip was ofa more exciting nature; we were to be remind- ed that we were soldiers, and that our business was of a more serious nature. As you doubtless remember our Regiment was put aboard four passenger coaches at Louisville, and attached to the rear end of a long train of freight cars that was filled with new troops. As I remember it, our train pulled out of the depot a little after dark and all went well until at or near mid- night when those of us that were awake were aware of the fact that something was wrong for the train came to a sudden stop near Mumfordsville Ky., and after detaching the passenger coaches, pulled out and left us standing on the track; but the worst was to come, for it seems that the engineer running at full speed around the curves that are so frequent in roads running through a rolling country had broken the train in several places, the last two coaches running independently by themselves, and the rear coach, which was filled by the officers of the regiment, jumped the track and rolled down an embankment of quite a
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heighth and in which our regimental clerk, E. Butter, was killed and a number of the officers were more or less severely hurt. The second last coach kept the track and ran down grade at a high rate of speed and as it struck the cars left standing on the track, it made a complete wreck of all and quite a number of boys were severely hurt.
The next day we were brought to Nashville by a special train without further incident; from Nashville we went to Chattanooga, where we arrived (if memory serves me right) about May 3rd or 4th and where we were newly equip- ped with Springfield rifles and marched within a few days to the field of action.
Our first encounter with Johnny Reb was at Resacca, Ga., May 13th, and our regiment was for the most part of that day and until the 16th, in line of battle. On that day we fought the battle of Resacca and Company G lost their Captain, who was 80 severely wounded on the skirmish line that he died the fol- lowing day.
Next came Dallas. May 25th where our part was not quite so dangerous, as our regiment was in the supporting column and happily for us, our line was not called on.
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June 1st found us at or near New Hope Church, at which place we were also in the supporting line and where some of us witnessed the shot fired from one of our batteries that killed the rebel General Polk, for I distinctly remember that a num- ber of us boys were lying on the ground near a battery when General Sherman came along, field glass in hand, taking a view of the situation and after looking intently for several minutes in one direction he inquired if there was a battery near and when an officer of the battery reported to him, Sherman asked him to look in the direction indicated, saying that he saw a recon- noitering party, and directed him to load one of his peices with shell and fire. This shot, as was afterwards ascertained, killed the Reverend General Polk of the rebel army.
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From this time until June 17th, when we were at Big Shanty the regiment was constantly at the front, engaged in picket duty,
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and frequently in short sharp skirmishes. From June 18th to 29th we were in front of Kennesaw Mountain and on the 27th of June wo>were in the general assult that was made on the rebel stronghold, and many of you doubtless remember with what misgivings and doubt we went into this assult, for to me it seemed impossible to successfully storm the mountain, for a force of one thousand men could casily hold it-against ten thousand.
June 30th we were on the move again, for it was found that the rebels had abandoned their position on the mountain caused by our army coming on their flank, and after one or two days march, we came to the Chattahoche river, which we cross- ed during a heavy rain and thunder storm, going into camp late in the afternoon, on what I should term the south shore of the Chattahoche. From this place we marched still further to the left, in the direction of Stone Mountain and many of the boys thought that we were to make another assult on a moun- tain but our fears were soon quieted, for instead of attacking rebel soldiers on Stone Mountain we were ordered to attack a rebel rail road known, I believe, as the Atlanta & West Point rail road. Many of you doubtless remember how diligently we went to work to destroy the road, tearing up the track, build- ing fires and heating the rails in the center and then twisting them into all kinds of shapes, in many cases twisting the rail around small saplings and leaving them in that position, (I will here say that in 1880 I had occasion to travel this road from Montgomery, Alabama, to Atlanta, Ga., when I saw quite a number of the rails still in that position.) From this place (Stone Mountain) we mached in the direction of Decator, Ga. but soon swung around further to the left, leaving Decatur in our rear and as you doubtless remember, encountered the rebels in strong position, some three to four miles from Atlanta, but General Sherman was at his old tricks again and pressed them upon their flanks, foreing them to retreat, for on the morning of July 22nd, it soon became known that the rebels in our front were gone and we were early on the move to follow
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them, but as we came to their abandoned line of works, it be- came evident that our further advance would be disputed. Our regiment's position v'as in the front of a 2} story brick-house that stood about two hundred yards to the right of the Decatur & Atlanta rail road, and from twelve to fifteen feet back of the breastworks. Of this house, it was said that some enthusiastic rebel, (I have forgotten the name,) was building when the war broke out, that he should have said to his workmen, that they would first go and whip the Yankees and then come back and finish the house. (I will say here that the house was never fin- ished.) But to resume my story, General Morgan L: Smit' , our Division Commander, had his headquarters at this house, and much of the conversation between staff-officers was overhead by us. I remember that Major Hipp, who was in command of the regiment at the time, made suggestions to General Smith about barricading the rail road, and burning a collection of houses, and outbuildings that stood to the left oblique in our front. But General Smith would not have it, saying that the buildings would come handy for hospital use, and to barricade the rail road would be labor lost, as he was confident that we would take dinner in Atlanta; but we were doomed to disappoint- ment, the dinner that General Smith promised us that day was not realized until the first of September.
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. It must have been near 2 P. M. when we could see that the rebels were making active preparations for an attack, when Major Hipp asked for volunteers to go into the brick house as sharp-shooters, some twelve or fifteen of our boys responded, being mostly from Company C and G, I being among the num- ber. Upon reaching the upper story of the house we immediate- ly distributed in the different rooms and began to break holes through the walls to enable us to fire upon the rebels as they advanced, and none to soon, for we had hardly made our port- holes of sufficient size to enable us to see and fire through when the rebels advanced in solid columns, but by the steady fire poured into them, they were forced to retreat. I will say that I have always been of the opinion that if General Smith had
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heeded our Major's suggestions, that our Division would have been spared the humiliation of being driven out of their works, something that had never happened to them before. It seems that the rebels only retreated far enough to come under shelter of the houses before mentioned and from there marched onto the rail road track and also a wagon road running parallel with the rail road, and there being a deep cut in both we could neither sce or hurt them and I am confident that if a battery with proper support had been stationed at these roads the rebels never could have broken our line, but as there was neither a battery or infantry there, the rebels had an easy task of it, for they marched through our line with right shoulder arms and opened fire on our line at right angles and with such tell- ing effect that our line soon gave way and the rebels again oc- cupied their works. It was in this engagement that I had the most thrilling experience of any battle that I was ever engag- ed in during my whole service, for we in the house were in blissful ignorance of what was going on below. We had been ordered to keep a sharp lookout in our front, and the house not having any openings in the sides towards the rail road we could not see what was going on on our left and I presume those of you who were there were too busy just then to pay any attention to us; in fact you might not have known that we were in the house, but we were there and as we thought were doing our duty in watching our front ready to fire on the first rebel who would dare to show himself. We of course expected that if they would make another attack they would make it in the same direction as the first one, but as from 15 to 20 minutes went by and no rebels in sight we supposed the fight was over when all at once we heard firing on our left but as it only last- ed a few minutes. We paid very little attention to it, never dreaming that we were in danger, or that our line could be broken, but after several minutes we became uneasy, we want- ed to see what our boys below were doing, so one of the boys in the room I was in leaned out of the window, in order to see the works below, when to his horror he discovead that our boys
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were gone and the works full of rebels. Upon learning this fact we hurried down stairs as fast as we could, but upon reach- ing the 2nd floor we found that the rebel soldiers were already 'in the house and some of them had started to come up stairs. Here was a dilemma; to stay in the house meant certain capture and perhaps many months in rebel prisons and to jump from the 2nd story window there would be but a very slim chance to escape, for we did not know but what the rebels were already watching every window in the house; but there was no time to investigate, if we were going to try to escape we must act, Bo I with perhaps a half dozen more, made a break from the windows and jumped down, not knowing but what the rebels were to take us in. The house as I remember it had five windows on the side we jumped out, and I chose the center window, I being in the lead of two more boys of my company. I will state here that when we went to work in the morning to change front to the rebel works, our Regiment unslung knapsacks and pilled them up in the rear of the house and I jumping out of the window came down upon a large pile of knap-sacks, which' of course broke my fall but sent mo sprawling on the ground and as I rose to my feet there were several rebels standing at the corner of the house to my right who commanded me to balt but without taking a second thought I started on a dead run and think better time was never made than I made in that run of perhaps four hundred to five hundred yards. After running this distance, I overtook a small squad of our boys and no rebels being in sight we started to where one of the boys said our regiment was, but we had only gone about a hundred yards when General Logan came riding along ordering us to s ... y where we were and in less time than it takes me to tell it he had gathered from 1200 to 1500 men from I should say at least a half dozen regiments. After forming this mixed force into line and making a short speech we went forward again with a' will, charging our lost position, coming out the woods a little to the left of the brick house and capturing a number of priso- ners. Our regiment was in this position until July 25tb, when
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