USA > Pennsylvania > York County > Shiloh > The Seventy-seventh Pennsylvania at Shiloh. History of the regiment. The battle of Shiloh > Part 4
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Only this morning I was informed that the friends of Col- onel Battle claim that he was taken prisoner upon his return to the field in search of the body of his son, who was killed during the conflict.
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Seventy-seventh Pennsylvania Regiment.
It seems almost a pity to destroy such a pathetic little story of parental affection, but the facts however, are that the Col- onel was with his regiment, where every good soldier should be at such a time, he had lost his horse, and being a large heavy man, was unable to keep up with his men in their rapid retreat from the field, finding it impossible to get away, he, concealed behind a large tree, fired three ineffective shots at Major Bradford, when, seeing the men of the Seventy-seventh Pennsylvania closing around him, he displayed a white hand- kerchief on the point of his sword, surrendered and was then brought before Colonel Stumbaugh as shown by the bas-relief panel there on the monument.
His actions gave no indications, other than his great de- sire to get away with his command.
It is a great satisfaction to be able to say that the conduct of the Regiment in this its first battle, met with the full ap- proval of its superiors, it having successfully performed every duty to which it was assigned. What more can be said of any command than that it did its whole duty, and when we con- sider that in this case those duties were performed almost without loss, who for one moment can doubt that we were under the protection of a power far greater than that of man?
General Sherman says, "I am ordered by General Grant to give personal credit where it is due and censure where I think · it is merited. I concede that General McCook's splendid divi- sion from Kentucky drove back the enemy along the Corinth road, which was the great central line of this battle. There Beauregard commanded in person, supported by Bragg's, Johnston's and Breckinridge's Divisions," General Grant hay- ing himself made no report, therefore these words from Gen- eral Sherman come as from the highest authority and require no comment.
We might, as has been suggested, follow the Regiment from here throughout its entire service, but you, my friends, want to see this beautiful Park, and our President has ordered us all to be brief and not to bore or weary you with too much talking, and as it is the first duty of the soldier to obey orders, therefore, I must, on this occasion, at least, try to be good and obedient, but I cannot refrain from telling you that the Seventy-seventh was the last of the Pennsylvania Regiments
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to be discharged from the service, and that throughout its whole long career it was never left behind to guard railroads. or bridges, or to do garrison duty, but that it was always at the front, always within easy reach of the enemy and always ready for any emergency that might arise, and that it never broke in battle and never ran from the face of an enemy, and what the boys called "soft snaps" was entirely unknown to the Regiment.
The men of the Seventy-seventh are justly proud of the record made by the Regiment, yet they are very modest about it. All concede that theirs was not the only Regiment in the service and that there were others just as good. The nearest approach to boasting that ever came under my notice was from our old comrade sitting there in your midst, with his crutches by his side, David Michael, of sturdy old company "G," when, a few years ago, he wrote in a letter now in my possession, "I do not wish to boast, but I will say, that for endurance and staying qualities, our Regiment was second to none." These appear to be the general sentiments of all the men of the Seventy-seventh. Our Colonel Rose, in his report on the Battle of Stone River, says, "During this great battle our little Regiment did no discredit to the old Keystone State." These words apply with equal force to the conduct of the Regiment at Shiloh and throughout its entire history.
The full significance of Colonel Rose's words will be better understood, when I tell you that, subsequent to that battle, the entire army of the Cumberland was drawn up in review, when its Commander, General Wm. S. Rosecrans, while riding along the line, paused in front of the Seventy-seventh, re- quested its Colonel to come forward, and said "Colonel, I see your Regiment is all right. Give my compliments to the men, tell them that the Senenty-seventh Pennsylvania is the Ban- ner Regiment of Stone River. It was the only regiment on the right wing that did not break ranks." Colonel Rose replied, "General, they never will break ranks." We can now, with all . truth, go one step further and say they never did break ranks.
This monument of granite and bronze materials, almost in- destructible, will stand here long after we shall all have passed to our rewards. It will tell to all visitors of the ser-
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vices performed on this field by the volunteer citizen soldiers from the old Keystone State. The statue of a private sol- dier surmounting it, shows the uniform and equipments as worn and carried by the men of the Seventy-seventh, and it, together with the basrelief and inscription panels, give al- most entire, a brief and concise history of the Seventy-seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers during that terrible 7th day of April, 1862.
Now, your Excellency, Samuel W. Pennypacker, Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Shiloh Battlefield Commission, without expectation of any reward, other than the approval of their comrades and fellow-citizens, have con- scientiously and fully performed and completed all the duties and purposes for which they were appointed, I now in their behalf, tender to you, this monument, a fitting memorial to the valor of the sons of Pennsylvania, with the hope and prayer that it may stand here in all its beauty, throughout ' all coming generations, unharmed or unmarred, by either the hand of man or the elements of nature.
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ACCEPTANCE ON BEHALF OF THE STATE AND TRANS- FER TO THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT.
GOVERNOR SAMUEL W. PENNYPACKER.
M R. CHAIRMAN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AND COMRADES: The Governor of Pennsylvania, the Ad- jutant General of Pennsylvania, two Brigadier Gen- erals of her National Guards, and all these distinguished citi- zens have travelled 1,200 miles to be at the dedication of this monument to the only Pennsylvania regiment that fought here. . This is an event of more than ordinary significance. All over these hills, and among all these valleys, through which these rivers pour, the State of Pennsylvania has made a lasting impression. In early times her citizens, leaving the Cumberland and Susquehanna valleys, came through Virginia
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and over the mountains to Tennessee, and many of the men of Tennessee, who won renown in battle and attained distinc- tion in the Legislative Halls, look back to the land of Penn, Wayne and Meade as that of their forefathers. Possibly I may be permitted to illustrate this close connection between the two states by a somewhat personal reference. A few years ago a Pennpacker was treasurer of the State of Tennes- see. My family contributed 147 men to the war of 1861. This was the largest single family contribution in the United States. The most intense sacrifice of the war occurred in the family of Mark Pennypacker, of Tennessee, all of whose five sons were killed in the Confederate army. I had a cousin, who at the early age of 23, was a Brevet Brigadier General in command of a brigade in the Confederate army of the south. He was wounded seven times and lives to tell of the virtues of the hospitals of this State. At Shiloh, when the attack was made, Major General Benjamin Mayberry Prentiss com- manded the front. His entire division was swept away by Johnston, whose name comes from the Perkiomen valley, and whose grandmother was a Pennypacker.
Pennsylvania bears a relation unlike that of any other state to that war. She was the first to step to the front in the struggle.
At 4.30 A. M. on April 12, 1861, the Confederates opened fire in Charleston Harbor. That very day, before the sun had . gone down, the Pennsylvania Legislature voted $500,000 to arm the State. Pennsylvania troops were the first to arrive at Washington. She alone had an entire division in the army. Her pro rata of dead is larger than that of any other state. The decisive battle of the war was fought by her sons on her soil. The Army of the Potomac was organized by Mcclellan and commanded by Meade.
It was fitting that, in this initial battle to get down the Mississippi to its mouth, she should be represented on this field. This fell to the 77th Pennsylvania, a regiment of brave men and efficient officers. Its Colonel was one of the bravest of the brave, a very Chevalier Bayard. He stood on the right at Chickamauga at the death of General Preston Smith. He dug out of Libby prison, and had a distinguished career, after- wards, in the regular army. Private Long still carries a frag-
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ment of a rifle, broken in his hands by a Confederate shell. This regiment came 30 miles in one day to be in this fight, and was at once sent to the front. They had a severe strug- gle, and captured two cannons and a Colonel. They shed their blood and sacrificed their lives here. What more, as a representation, could be asked of them? Later on they parti- cipated in many more important engagements, of their part in which we may well be proud.
To them the State has erected this beautiful monument. I now accept it. It will stand longer than those, which, 3000 years ago, Tiglathpilesar erected on the plains of Assyria.
. I now turn it over to you (addressing Colonel Cornelius Cadle), the representative of the United States, believing that a great people will never permit this monument to their memory to disappear from the face of the earth."
ACCEPTANCE ON BEHALF OF THE NATIONAL GOV- ERNMENT.
COLONEL CORNELIUS CADLE, Chairman Shiloh National Military Park Commission.
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G OVERNOR PENNYPACKER, AND GENTLEMEN OF THE PENNSYLVANIA SHILOH COMMISSION: Under these instructions from the Secretary of War:
War Department, October 16, 1903. "Colonel Cornelius Cadle,
"Chairman Shiloh National Military Park Commission:
"Sir: I beg to advise you that it will be impracticable to send a repre- sentative from the War Department to receive from the Governor of Penn- sylvania the monument ereeted upon the Battlefield of Shiloh to commemo- rate the services of the Seventy-seventh Regiment of Pennsylvania in the battle of Shiloh, which monument is to be dedicated November 12, next.
"It is, therefore. desired that, as chairman of the Shiloh National Military Park Commission, you will receive said monument from the State of Penn- sylvania on behalf of the Government of the United States.
"Very respectfully, ** ROBERT SHAW OLIVER, "Acting Secretary of War."
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it is my pleasant duty to receive from you, Sir, on behalf of the Government of the United States the magnificent monu- ment erected upon this field by the Commonwealth of Penn- sylvania to commemorate the gallant deeds of her Seventy- seventh Regiment of Infantry on that memorable day in April, 1862, and to assure you and the Pennsylvania Commission that the work, so well done by your State upon this field, will be cared for by the United States and stand as a perpetual memorial to the fidelity of the soldiers of Pennsylvania, and of Pennsylvania's gratitude.
Pennsylvania sent to the support of the Union, during the War of the Rebellion, 197 regiments, 5 battalions and 13 com- panies of infantry; 27 regiments, 2 battalions and 18 com- panies of cavalry; 4 regiments and. 3 companies of heavy artillery; 1 regiment, 1 battalion and 13 companies of light artillery, and 1 company of engineers.
The number of men furnished by Pennsylvania during that war was 337,936. It should be borne in mind, however, that this number represents enlistments (credits) and not the actual number of individuals in service, which latter has never been officially determined, no compilation of the number of re-en- listments ever having been made. It is estimated, however, from the best data obtainable, that the number of individuals from Pennsylvania in service in the Union Army and Navy during that war was 269,230.
This little squad of Pennsylvania men, way out in the woods of the west, numbered but 504 for duty, less than two-tenths (2-10) of one per centum of Pennsylvania's total. It was the only regiment in the battle from the East of Ohio.
The number of deaths among the Pennsylvania troops in service during the War of the Rebellion was 33,183, of which number 9,351 were killed in action; 5,914 died of wounds re- ceived in action, and 17,918 died of disease and other causes.
The Seventy-seventh Pennsylvania's loss upon this field is incommensurable with the total of Pennsylvania's casualties in the War of the Rebellion. Yet your Commonwealth, Sir, never forgetful of the deeds of her loyal sons, places here. even for the smallest fraction of its forces in battle, an ever- lasting tribute.
Here was fought the first great battle of the West. Its
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result convinced the Nation, both North and South, that it was a war between Americans that could only be ended by courage, blood and time. It was ended favorably for both sides in the success of the Union cause, and from and because of that war we, the American people, are now a Nation of the World.
Our National Commission feels a gratification at the fact that your State selected as its Commission soldiers with whom we have been in entire accord. The result of their labor speaks for itself.
I again say that this granite and bronze memorial is now in the hands of the Government, the people of the United States.
ADDRESS.
THOS. E. ROSE, Colonel 77th Pa. Vols.
C OMRADES OF THE 77TH REGIMENT OF PENNSYLVA- NIA: It affords me greater pleasure than I can summon words to express to be able to meet so many comrades of the old 77th at this historic spot on an occasion so fraught with interest as this. We have come here to-day to dedicate a monument which our countrymen of the State of Pennsyl- vania have caused to be erected at this place as a lasting memorial of the services, which we, the soldiers of the 77th Regiment of Pennsylvania, rendered to our beloved country when she was in the throes of dissolution. It was indeed kind of our countrymen towards us to do this, and it was particu- larly kind and good of them to provide us with free trans- portation from our homes to this place to enable so many of us to assemble together on this occasion. Our countrymen of the State of Pennsylvania, by these acts have given a very clear and expressive token of their gratitude to us for our faithful services which we rendered to our country not only on this historic field but on many other hard fought fields.
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On behalf of the regiment, I take sincere pleasure in thanking our countrymen of Pennsylvania for thus honoring us.
My Comrades, as we are assembled here now to-day, we are a very different body of men in appearance, as well as in circumstances from what we were when we formed line on the banks of yonder river on the morning of the 7th of April, 1862 with a powerful and victorious foe before us. We were then strong in numbers, in the bloom and vigor of youthful manhood, full of life's young blood, and of ardor for battle preparing to grapple with armed foes. Now we have dwindled to a small parcel of old men, decrepit and tottering under the weight of years and drawing very near to the banks of another and silent river, beyond which, in the language of Shakespeare, is that undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler returns. Then we had a tremendous battle right on our hands. On every side was the clash of arms and the smoke of battle. As we stood that morning on this spot, we were in the midst of a disrupted country, with the prospect of a long and exhausting war before us; how long no man could then foresee.
On the evening of that day, the enemy was driven from the field; and the battle of Shiloh was won, but the war was not over; it was but the beginning of the war, and though we were elated by our great victory, we still looked with gloomy forebodings at the dark and bloody prospect before us, for we, the soldiers of the 77th Regiment of Pennsylvania in- tended from the beginning to fight the war to a finish, and we could easily foresee that there was many another fierce and desperate battle to be fought; many another long and toil- some march to be made (we had already marched from Louis- ville, Ky., to this place); many another night of shelterless exposure to cold and snow and rain to be endured, and many thousands of other appalling dangers to be encountered be- fore our country could be freed from its awful peril. Such was the outlook on the evening of the 7th day of April, 1862, the last day of the great Battle of Shiloh. .
But more than forty years have rolled away since that day. And now, as we dedicate this monument, the War of the Re- bellion is over. It is long past, and many of its incidents are forgotten. The foes with whom we so fiercely struggled from
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'62 to '65 have become our friends, and the old battlefield on which we are now standing is no longer in a disrupted coun- try, but is in the midst of a great united and glorious country. On every side, instead of blood and carnage and the smoke and roar of battle, is peace and joy and safety-such is the wondrous change. None but those who went through that mighty struggle from first to last, endured its hardships and privations and fought its battles, can fully realize it; and none can realize it better nor more fully than the surviving soldiers of the gallant regiment, to the memory of whose ser- vices this fine monument is dedicated.
The 77th Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers was mus- tered into the service of the United States in October, 1861, and discharged and sent home in January, 1866, having vir- tually served through the whole war; for its enrollment in October was but the continuance of the service of officers and men who entered the three months service in April when the war began. The regiment was composed principally, if not entirely, of that class of officers and men.
The original Colonel was F. S. Stumbaugh, of Chambers- burg, Pa., who served as its Colonel for a little more than one year, when he was appointed by the President to be a Briga- dier General. The second Colonel was Thos. E. Rose of Pitts- burg, Pa., who was promoted from Captain of Company B., and then served as its Colonel a little more than three years to the end of the war, and until the regiment was disbanded and sent home. Its original Lieutenant Colonel was Peter B. Housum, of Chambersburg, Pa., who served as its Lieutenant Colonel for a little more than one year. He was killed at the Battle of Stone River, December 31, 1862. The second Lieu- tenant Colonel was F. S. Pyfer, of Lancaster, Pa., who was promoted from Captain of Company K., and then served as its Lieutenant Colonel for a little more than two years, until he was physically disqualified for further service, and honorably discharged. Its third Lieutenant Colonel was Wm. A. Rob- inson, who was promoted from Captain of Company E., and then served as its Lieutenant Colonel a little less than one year to the end of the war and until the regiment was dis- banded. Its original Major was Stephen N. Bradford, of Scranton, Pa., who served as its Major for a little more than
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one year until he was physically disqualified for further ser- vice and honorably discharged. Its second Major was Alex. Phillips, of Scranton, Pa., who was promoted from Captain of Company G., and then served as its Major for a little more than two years. He was desperately wounded and lost an arm at the Battle of Lovejoy Station, October. 3, 1864; was physically disqualified for further service and honorably dis- charged. Its third Major was Joseph J. Lawson who was pro- moted from Captain of Company C, and then served as its Major a little less than one year to the end of the war and until the regiment disbanded. Its original Adjutant was S. T. Davis, of Lancaster, Pa., who served as its Adjutant for a. little more than two years. He was desperately wounded at the Battle of Resaca, May 24, 1864; was physically disqualified for further service and honorably discharged. All of these field officers as well as its Captains and Lieutenants, with few exceptions had entered the three months' service and served continuously from the beginning of the war.
The Battle of Shiloh was only one incident in the long and faithful service of that gallant regiment. It was its first great battle however, and as it was the only Pennsylvania Regiment in this battle, no more appropriate place could be se- lected to erect and dedicate a monument to the memory of this regiment than on this battlefield of Shiloh.
The Battle of Shiloh was fought on the 6th and 7th of April, 1862. On the 6th of April, 1862, the Confederate forces under General Albert Sydney Johnston having advanced from Corinth, Miss., attacked the U. S. forces under General U. S. Grant at this place. The Confederates were victorious from the very onset, and throughout that fearful day, the bat- tle raged like the eruption of a volcano. The major part of Grant's forces was driven pell mell to the river, but there were at least, 12,000.men of Grant's army that held the field and fought with great obstinacy until night closed upon the awful scene and until they could be reinforced by the army under General Don Carlos Buell, who was approaching from the direction of Nashville to take part in the battle. On the evening of the 6th, the leading division of Buell's army under General Nelson arrived at and crossed the river and joined the stubborn remnant of Grant's army. The next morning,
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the second and third divisions of Buell's army under Generals Crittendon and MeCook also crossed the river and went into the battle. Up to this time the Confederates had been vic- torious, but they had suffered appalling losses, among whom was their Commanding General. The arrival of these re- inforcements at once turned the tide of the battle and the Confederates were driven from the field. The obstinate fight- ing of Grant's forces on the 6th had so worn out and dis- concerted the Confederates that they could not withstand the vigorous onslaught of Buell's fresh troops on the 7th, so that the victory for the U. S. troops from that time on to the end of the battle was comparatively easy. The 77th belonged to and went through the battle with McCook's Division. This · Regiment was highly complimented by its Commanding Gen- eral for its conduct in the battle.
At the time of the Battle of Shiloh, the 77th Regiment of Pennsylvania had been enrolled in the service of the United States about six months and had performed some pretty hard and important service, but this was its first great battle, and its career of actual war service as a regiment may be said to have begun right here on the 7th day of April, 1862. Had its career of war service ended here, in all probability we would never have been assembled here or elsewhere like on the present occasion. But its career of war service did not end here. It served faithfully and heroically through the whole war; it served continuously and saw all the phases of the war. There was nothing in the way of good conduet that ever was done or could be done by soldiers in war, that was not done by the soldiers of the 77th Regiment of Pennsylvania in the course of its career. It is not necessary to relate parti- cular incidents of dashing feats of valor, or of steadfast cour- age and endurance on the part of its officers or men. No regi- ment that went through the entire war, from beginning to ending as the 77th Regiment of Pennsylvania did, but that officers and men do such things many times over, and the relating of them in detail would make people tired, for it was not special occasions of heroic conduct, or particular instances of spasmodie bravery on the part of certain troops that served our country through its periods of great danger. It was the long and continuous service of brave men who stood by their
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country through every trial. This the 77th Regiment of Penn- sylvania's Veteran Volunteers did. It stood by the country not only through the Battle of Shiloh, but through every bat- tle that occurred within the reach of the army to which it be- longed during the entire war; not only through one long and arduous campaign, but through every campaign of the army with which it served. It performed its whole duty from first to last, and did every kind of heroic act that ever was re- quired of, or done by soldiers in war.
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