USA > Pennsylvania > Dauphin County > History of the 127th regiment, Pennsylvania volunteers > Part 22
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April 27th. Returned to camp. Sent my written re- port to headquarters. Several days ago a discovery was
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made in Falmouth, of a submarine cable or telegraph across the Rappahannock, where the Rebs got all the news froni our side as fast as we got it. Several men were caught in the act of telegraphing, in a brick house near the river. They were arrested, and on Saturday General Hooker had the old man shot, and his son put in irons. Orders to be ready to move at a moment's notice. Eight days' rations and horse feed, etc. Colonel Hall, of the 7th Michigan, and commander of our 3rd Brigade, called on Colonel Jennings and ordered the Regiment to move at 9 P. M., (after taps), with everything. Company "H," Captain Shott, remains in camp to guard the baggage, etc .. also the camp of 59th New York. The regiment moved to Falmouth and encamped on the plain near the town, and bivouacked for the night, without tents, a bright moon- light night. Snow towards morning.
April 28th. Men ordered to put up shelter tents. Quar- termaster Orth and self rode up to our camp, (Alleman), all the camps around had left except our division. Trains of baggage and army wagons going out the Harwood Road, up the river. The field officers' tents were put up. Dress parade at 5 P. M. This camp named Rohrer. Strict orders from headquarters to be ready to move at a moment's notice. Our band serenaded Colonel Hall, com- manding our 3rd Brigade.
April 29th. Damp morning. Distant firing of cannon heard. Artillery moving. Troops crossed three miles be- low Fredericksburg, Sedgwick's corps of 23,500 mien.
Thursday, April 30th. Rained during the night, and still raining. Part of our camp drowned out ; we will look for a better locality. Took a look, from the hill, at the Rebs and Sedgwick's skirmish line on the other side of the river. Our balloons are up on the right and left. This
t
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is, by President's proclamation, Thanksgiving Day. Five P. M. Major-General Hooker just rode by our camp with his staff of lancers. Report of artillery on our left. Our regiment mustered for pay today. Seven P. M. Ordered to be ready to move at break of day. General Hooker is- sued a circular, that the enemy must evacuate or come out of their trenches and fight. General Hooker is a good or- ganizer. The army never was better equipped in every respect than now ; not even a shoe-string was wanting.
May Ist. Arose at 2.30 A. M. Ate breakfast at 3.30 A. M. Ready to march at break of day. The news quite flattering of yesterday's work on the right. General Hooker issued a circular, that we had the enemy, that they must either flee or come out of their entrenchments and fight, and if they do so, we will annihilate them. One P. M. Heavy firing of cannon on our right. One hundred and eighty prisoners just brought through Falmouth from our right. I was detailed to go on picket in the morning as commandant of the line. Lieutenant-Colonel Alleman was also detailed as General officer of pickets for to-mor- row at 8 A. M.
May 2nd. Lieutenant-Colonel Alleman and self re- ported to General Gibbon for instructions. For some days previous, our cavalry had crossed the river and made a raid down near Richmond, destroying railroads and all communications with General Lee. Some of the cavalry came east of Fredericksburg and the Potomac river, des- troying all communication with Lee. They made a com- plete circuit.
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BENJAMIN F. BRANDT. Private Co. "II." 127th Regiment, P. V. Treasurer Regimental Association. Middletown, Pa.
CHAPTER X The 127th Regimental Association.
T WAS a quarter of a century after the muster- out of the regiment, that an organized Associa- tion of the survivors of the 127th Regiment was formed.
Considering the strong company attachments, notably in Companies "B" and "E," and to a considerable extent in Companies "C" and "H," with more or less company ties in each of the other companies, and withal, the bond seasoned with pride of the regimental ties, it seems strange that what was accomplished at that late day, should not have been effected earlier. Generally, those ties of broth- erhood assert themselves in the early stages after regi- mental dissolution, as they are then considered strongest and most forcible,-certainly stronger in numbers, as each year decimates the ranks, and years, presumably, weaken the ardor. It is sure that some of the comrades favored such an organization from the date of honorable dis- charge ; but while the war was prolonged, many, and in- deed most of the members of the regiment entered the service in other companies, and other regimental or- ganizations, forming later camp and field ties; while the general excitement incident to the war diverted the thoughts, and made the reminiscences of '62 and '63 but a mere shadow of the actuality ; but after peace had been as- sured, and the comrades returned to civil life, and had ample time to think over their experience in the 127th
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Regiment, the surprise heightens that such an organiza- tion was not formed in the middle of the sixties. Some ex- pression was given to that idea; but Colonel Jennings frowned upon it, and without his full co-operation, such an undertaking would have been considered injudicious.
Comment was freely made upon the fact that the three field officers, cach and all with splendid military records, should have entirely eschewed military display, and fame in that line, after the war. Notwithstanding the fact that both the Colonel and the Lieutenant-Colonel recruited emergency regiments, and again entered the service, re- spectively as Colonels of those regiments, yet neither of the field officers, after the termination of hostilities, con- nected themselves with the militia, or showed the slightest wish or pleasure in "Sunday soldiering." They made their military records on the bloodiest fields of battle fought in the great Civil War, and they rested upon their laurels, content with the military fame which they then and there acquired. The same feelings prevailed generally among the staff and line officers.
It is a notable fact, which redounds to the honor and glory of the 127th Regiment, that, notwithstanding the reality, that so many of the officers and men of this regi- ment served subsequently, in other regiments, until the termination of the war, that their hearts seemed to be with the "Dauphin County Regiment;" and they manifested their love for it, in giving it their preference in the forma- tion of regimental associations.
While Colonel Jennings yielded to the persistent en- treaties of his old command, and concluded, after so many years of separation, to call the boys together, its popu- larity was manifest, as the response was general and hearty. Even though they had scattered all over the
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country, they came together to do honor to their old com- manders, and grasp their fellow comrades by the hand again.
At the first meeting, under the call of Colonel Jennings, he was unanimously selected as President of the Associa- tion. A committee on constitution and by-laws was ap- pointed, and it was agreed that regular annual meetings should be held thereafter, during the life-time of the sur- vivors, on the 3rd of May,-the anniversary of the battle of Chancellorsville.
At the meeting of the comrades, which was held at Har- risburg on the 3rd of May, 1889, the committee appointed at the former meeting, reported a constitution and by-laws, embodying the primogeniture feature of the Loyal Legion, with rules governing the Association, and naming the or- ganization "The 127th Regiment Association."
Colonel Jennings refused to permit his name to be used again as President of the Association ; so Dr. S. H. Guil- ford, of Philadelphia, late of Company "E," was elected President ; Colonel W. W. Jennings, President of the First National Bank of Harrisburg, was elected first Vice-Pres- ident ; Colonel J. Wesley Awl, a lawyer, of Harrisburg, late captain of Company "B," was elected second Vice- President ; and Colonel H. C. Alleman, of New York, late Lieutenant-Colonel of the regiment, was elected third Vice President ; and Major J. Rohrer, of Lancaster, was chosen as Marshal.
Comrade George D. Rise, of Lebanon, late of Company "E," was elected Historian and Treasurer; Major Chas. H. Small, of Harrisburg, late sergeant-major of the regi- ment, was elected Recording Secretary; and Lieutenant Albert J. Fager, alderman of Harrisburg, was elected Cor- responding Secretary.
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The following executive committee was elected : Com- rades LeRue Lemer, Company "A;" John F. Kerper, Company "B:" George C. Buser, Company "C;" Captain James B. Keene, Company "D;" S. S. Shirk, Company "E;" Andrew Santo, Company "F;" Samuel Eberly, Company "G;" H. H. Brandt, Company "H;" David Early, Company "I:" and Sergeant Henry J. Euston, of Company "K." This launched the 127th Regimental As- sociation, which has since become the pride of each and all of the surviving comrades.
Comrade Rise filled liis dual position with very great credit to himself, and to the entire satisfaction of the As- sociation, for several years. He made a statement at one of the meetings of the Association that he thought it only fair that the honors should be divided ; so he voluntarily resigned the office of Treasurer, and continued to act as the historian of the regiment up to the time of his death.
Comrade Benjamin Brandt, of Middletown, late of Company "H," was elected Treasurer, and has continued to fill that position very creditably, and his re-election each year is the best indication of the appreciation of his fel- low comrades.
These Regimental reunions, or annual meetings of the Association are held alternately at Harrisburg, Lebanon, Hummelstown, Middletown and Steelton on the 3rd of May in each year.
It is the custom of the President of the Association to deliver an address on taking the chair, after which there is roll-call, and reports are noted by the Secretary of the deaths from each company during the past year. After the election of officers for the ensuing year, and the transac- tion of routine business, an adjournment takes place for a banquet ; and in the evening a camp-fire is held, at which
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set speeches are made, and each and all of the comrades have the privilege of the floor, and they invariably manage to thoroughly enjoy themselves.
As the several comrades successively reached the Presi- dency of the Association, the following addresses were re- spectively delivered by them :
ADDRESS OF COLONEL W. W. JENNINGS.
Before the Association, at Its First Reunion at Harrisburg.
While the regiment was in the military service, I was in the habit of relying upon my Lieutenant-Colonel to make speeches ; but now, since I am out of the service, I am compelled to rely on myself. Making speeches is not in my line; but I have never yet refused to respond to a call, and I am not in the habit of refusing to discharge a duty.
I hesitated a long time about calling my surviving com- rades together, and only concluded to obey your bidding after receiving appeals from many of you, strongly urging me to do so; and now that we have come together, I rejoice with you, and trust that our annual reunions will be enjoyable and profitable. Surely the older we grow, and the oftener we meet in these annual reun- ions, the interest will necessarily be increased from time to time. It is always a pleasure to me to meet the officers and men whom I have commanded, and I have no doubt that the feeling is more or less reciprocal.
I have always felt proud of having commanded the 127th regiment, which should have been numbered the 122nd, as we were the first ten companies recruited and
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accepted ; but the fight which was made on the organiza- tion of the field officers kept us back, and we lost five num- bers through that delay, in settling the controversy.
It was a matter of regret that only nine companies went to the front; and it is consoling at this late day that we acted like soldiers and obeyed orders without questioning the propriety of those orders; and I have always felt that the men were not to blame, and should not be held ac- countable for the disintegration, caused by the detail of Company "A" during our entire term of service.
It has always been a feeling of pride to me that the regi- ment, or nine companies which saw active service in the front, received the high praise in "general orders" at the termination of our service ; and too much praise cannot be bestowed upon you for your manliness and your patriot- ism in going into the last battle which we fought, really after your term of service had expired. The question was not raised, and not a single objection was made to me, and I never heard even a murmur that was ever made by any officer, non-commissioned officer or private against going into battle, simply because of the expiration of our term of service. We would have been entirely justified in re- fusing to obey an order to march in the face of the enemy under such circumstances, and disregarding such an order was clearly our right ; but on the contrary, instead of dis- obeying orders, or even feeling inclined to do so, every man seemed eager and anxious to march against and fight the enemy, notwithstanding the fact that the term of our enlistment had expired, which is very much to the credit of the 127th Regiment, and every officer and man con- nected with it. I feel a greater pride in this fact than in any other, as it shows conclusively that the 127th Regi- ment was made up of patriotic material, and was entitled
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COLONEL WILLIAM W. JENNINGS. Late Sheriff of Dauphin County. President First National Bank. President Commonwealth Trust and S. D. Co. Harrisburg, Pa. Died February 24th, 1894.
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
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to the very highest praise, fully justified by general orders, issued by General Gibbon in May, 1863.
I congratulate you on so large an attendance, and while we cannot expect subsequent meetings to be as large, there is no reason why they should not be fully as enthusiastic, and as thoroughly enjoyable, with a less number of our survivors meeting from time to time.
ADDRESS OF DR. SIMEON H. GUILFORD,
Of Philadelphia, Late of Company "E," on His Election as President of the Association.
We rejoice that after the lapse of more than a quarter of a century, so many of us are able to be present and take part in the celebration of this, our second reunion.
It is eminently fitting that our gathering should be held in this city, for it was here that the regiment was organ- ized, and here too, that it was mustered out of service.
More than this, it was in large measure a "Dauphin County Regiment," for this city and county not only fur- nished four-fifths of the rank and file, but also supplied all of the regimental officers except one.
A new class of men promptly came forward and offered their services. Students fresh from college; young men pursuing their professional studies; teachers in educa- tional institutions ; men from the bank and counting-house and railroad office; lawyers, physicians, merchants and clergymen came forward in response to the call, and were mustered into the service. Of such men as these, for the most part unused to manual toil or hardship, who were accustomed to labor with their brains rather than with their hands, were our ranks largely made up.
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They were not carried away by exuberance of patriot- ism begotten of the drum-beat or bugle-call, but they went calmly, actuated only by the sternest sense of duty to their country.
Our regiment was singularly fortunate in having among its officers and privates so large a proportion of men of liberal education and refinement.
Equally fortunate were we in the personnel of the line and staff, for they were gentlemen of the highest type; upright, honorable and brave, who knew, not only how to preserve the dignity of their own manhood, but also how to care for the comfort and well-being of those whom they commanded.
Not one of them sullied his reputation or lessened his influence by dishonorable act ; and none flinched in the try- ing ordeal of battle. Some had considerable experience in military affairs ; others were men whose rare intelligence and experience in the world well fitted them for the posi- tions they held; while others, by their lack of fear, in- spired and encouraged those whom they led.
Of our commanding officers we also had reason to feel proud. Our young and gallant colonel-long may he live ! -was the possessor of many qualities that admirably fitted him for the position he held.
Well versed in the handling and training of men in camp, he entered upon his first field service with the ability and confidence of a veteran. Strict and stern when on duty, he was at other times on companionable terms with every member of the regiment, the private receiving as much consideration at his hands as the officer. Kind, gentle, dignified and brave, he easily won the love and re- spect of all.
Assigned to duty with the Army of the Potomac, our
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regiment experienced the same vicissitudes during our terni of service, as fell to the lot of the army in general. We marched hundreds of miles, garrisoned forts, guarded bridges, and participated in two of the bloodiest battles of the war. We suffered at times from the heat of southern suns and winter's cold; from hunger and thirst and sick- ness. We experienced the varying sensations of victory and defeat, and were made fully acquainted with the hor- rors of battle, and the hardships of army life. We honor- ably and faithfully performed all duties assigned us with credit to ourselves and the satisfaction of those under whom we served. Who could do more ?
We are not here today, however, to laud ourselves and tell of all we did. We have come, instead, to meet one an- other, and renew the acquaintance of twenty-five years ago. Some of us have met in the intervening time, but most of us have been as strangers since the day of our disbandment.
To-day we come together virtually for the first time as survivors of an organization, and as hand clasps hand, and eye meets eye, long trains of memories will start un- bidden from the dark and hidden recesses of the brain, and stand forth illumed as in the day of their creation.
Scenes and incidents of camp, and picket, and marclı, and battle, will be recalled, and youth will be temporarily renewed in their recital. Strange and yet not strange, is that undefinable bond of sympathy and friendship that ex- ists among comrades of a once great army. Thrown to- gether as strangers at a time of life when the affections are fresh and new, and friendships easily formed, the intimacy of camp life, conjoined with community of interest, and common sense of danger, bring about new associations that grow in strength as the days go by.
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To drill side by side in the same company or regiment, to bunk in the same mess, to march over the same ground, to fight in the same line, and drink from the same canteen, must necessarily result in that intimacy which is often the forerunner of true friendship. Friendships formed under such circumstances can never die, though they may long lie dormant underneath the cares and responsibilities of civil life. The renewal and quickening of these old friend- ships will constitute the chief pleasure of our assembling on this occasion, and as we recall the jovial incidents of camp, or picket, or march, or the more serious ones of bat- tle, heart will go out to heart, and the bonds of sympathy be strengthened.
Who of us can ever forget our first experience in battle ; the deafening roar of 175 pieces of our artillery as their 9,000 shot and shell rained down upon the doomed city of Fredericksburg? After that the crossing of the volunteers in the open boats; the completion of the bridges; our march to the other side under the fire of scores of batter- ies determined to prevent our crossing. Then our skirmish through the city, by night, fired upon at every step from rifle pit, and cellar, and garret, our way lighted by the lurid flames of the burning buildings, and our subsequent seeking of rest in house or stable, or on side walk. Can we ever forget how, a day later, we were formed in line in one of the streets and marched out upon the field of battle, the greater portion of our way exposed to a terrific fire of shot and shell and bullet ; how, once there, we were quickly formed in line of battle and ordered to advance upon the enemy's works, all bristling with cannon and gleaming with bayonets; or how, after a vain attempt to gain our point in the face of a leaden hail, we were forced to retire and occupy a less murderous position, while other
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troops, division after division, were in like manner re- pulsed ? How can the scenes and occurrences of that fate- ful afternoon in December, 1862, ever be effaced from our memories? Occupying, as we did, the most deadly posi- tion of the entire line, which has since been designated the "slaughter pen," our ranks decimated in the first attack, we were destined to witness, during the five hours we were in the conflict, some of the most terrible scenes of carnage and destruction that war can produce.
Hard fighting, gallant charges and unexampled bravery had failed to accomplish the impossible, and the result of the day's fighting on our side could only be seen in the thousands of our comrades' bodies that covered the bloody field.
Toward midnight of Sunday we were again noiselessly marched out and placed in our old position on the field to await the renewal of the fight which came with the early dawn. In that second day's fight the scenes of Saturday were repeated, though in less degree, until the hopeless- ness of our attempt becoming apparent to the command- ing General, we were withdrawn and ordered to our old camps among the Stafford Hills.
Disappointed and disheartened, we passed the succeed- ing months in our winter quarters, the monotony of camp life only relieved by picket duty on the river's bank where we could plainly see, and at times converse, with the enemy's picket on the opposite shore.
One more battle awaited us early in May. General Hooker, having been appointed to the command of the Army of the Potomac, determined to march on Richmond, partly by way of Fredericksburg, and it again fell to our lot to occupy the old city and attack the heights beyond.
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Those eventful days of the 3rd and 4th of May, 1863, we shall never forget.
The gathering of the troops of the Center Division at the Lacy House about midnight; crossing the pontoon bridge at daybreak; marching through the city to a plain at its western end ; the hot shelling that greeted us as we made the feint of an attack at that point ; our withdrawal to the city and march southward along the old plank road covered with the dead and dying of the 6th Corps who had just fought over this ground and captured the heights ; our further march of four miles in the burning sun, to old Salem church, on the way to Chancellorsville, and then, when our further movement was prevented by Jackson, our return to Fredericksburg under orders to hold the city and await developments.
Then, though weary and exhausted, we were again marched out upon the picket line to spend the night on duty instead of in rest. After guarding the city for an- other day, we re-crossed the river in the dead of night, for defeat had followed close upon the heels of victory.
A few weeks later we parted with the army and returned to our homes, our term of service having expired.
We did not return, however, as we went out. No regi- ment ever does. There were many who started with us never to return, and in our welcomings and rejoicings to- day they must not be forgotten.
Some, bearing in their systems the hereditary taint of that dread disease, consumption, had it developed so rap- idly through exposure and hardship, that they were hur- ried home to die ; others not hardy enough to stand the or- deal of soldier life, were stricken down with fever and died in camp; while others still, and by far the larger portion, yielded up their lives upon the field of battle. All these
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we miss today. They, with the hundreds of thousands of others who met the same fate during the four years of war, died that the country might live. Brave men all, who made the greatest sacrifice that men can make. Some sleep their last sleep in the quiet church-yards of their boyhood homes, while many lie in the long rows of graves in the National Cemeteries, their last resting place marked by a head-board, inscribed, "Unknown." Peaceful be their rest until they are called to receive the reward of their brave deeds and noble sacrifice.
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