Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-01-19
jan9-d2w

RECEPTION or THE l9TH lNDIANA-This vet
eran regiment publicly welcomed home by
Governor Morton, in behalf of the people of In
diana. at Masonic Hall yesterday afternoon The
gallant men. only two hundred and eighteen
were by his Excellency duly honored He ac-
knowledged the debt of gratitude the country
owed its brave defenders. He recapitulatcd the
battles in which the regiment had been engaged
prominent among them the second Bull Run
Fredericksburg. Charlottesville. South Noun
tain. Antietam and Gettysburg. At Gettysburg
the 18Th had gone in numbering two hundred and
cighty-eght men lt came out with but nine
officers and sixty nine men. No regiment that
had marched from Indiana had more distinguish
ed Itself. Each man in it had proved himself
hero. His Exeellency spoke feelingly of the
brave who had fallen in battle Their memories
would be forever cherished He concluded by
appealing to each man o. use his individual efforts
to I'LL up the ranks of the glorious old 18th
Gen Meredith came forward and was received
with enthusiastic demonstrations by those he had
formerly commanded. He spoke of the many
great achievements Of the 18th and gave expres-
sion 10 their determination not to lay down their
arms until the flag of the Union ioated over every
State and the last rebel mad disappeared When
Gen Meredith spoke "a soldier, his remarks
were happy and characterized q good sense and
prOprety But unfortunately and unlike GOV
Morton, he could not. in mtter in which men
oil ali parties were interested. refrain from poll
tcs- he forgot that those Who heard him-he
forgot that the people of this great State every
where and of every political reed have 4 com
mon interest IN the renOwn y our armies. the
glory Of our flag and the salv .ticn of our coun
try But the General a william had agri-
cultural weakness. and. as a military mau, he
seems TO have partizln and political one
Col Wilder followed briefly but earnestly
He said he had seen fifteen regiments of the
Army of the Cumberland voluntarily re-enlist-
thus giving the lie TO the ''copperhead" talk that
the soldiers were compelled by their officers and
their oaths to continue fighting "Lincolns war. =
He felt so deeply with regard TO the infamous
course Of the "copperheads." that he could not
talk he would a Numbering sight rather fight
than talk. anyhow
Gen. Hovey then spoke He was eloquent up-
on the glorious deeds Of the 18th. With the SOL
der, were all his sympathies His sole aim was
the re union Of the States. He would saw. perish
the boasted trial by Jury; perish your hsbeas
corpus perish liberty OF speech, perish liberty of
the press, perish all other Institutions rather than
thIs nation should be disanited and become a
scorn and bye word in all Christendom-
Gen. Noble followed. per,inently urging upon
each soldier MS duty With regard 10 using MS ut
most Efforts 20 recruit his regiment
The Indianapolis National Band enlivened the
proceedings with martial Hail 10 the
Chief. when Gen Meredith made his appear
ance, Hail Columbia" aud the Flag of Our
Union" on other occasions They also played
"John Browns soul Is marching on"
On the stage were grouped around Gen. Mere
dith, Col. Williams. Lieut. Col Dudley. Major
Lindley aud the line officers. Their regimental
hAg battle torn. ~as unfuried to the right