The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-07-29
STH MAINE RECT. AssOoLATI0N
REUNION. III

4 pie In that general uprising OF the North, nine
| years ago, when our very life a. nation was
Imperilled and the safety Of the national Cap
itoi itself endangered An American CORES
pendent writing from Prussia can find no othef
parallel than this for the excitement that at
present rcigns in that Kingdom. In obedience
TO the call Of their ruler, the Germans with one
common impulse have rushed to arms. The
] Universities have closed, enlistments are going
forward with great rapidity, contributions Of
money and supplies are coming In from every
quarter, and regiments are hurriedly marching
to the front 4 - ~ -
How this stirs the blood, TO merely read Il
| How many gallant officer who won 'snyiable
fame during our great war. and who now passes
listless life OF forced or voluntary retirement,
! has felt his pulse beat and jump at this simple
reminder Of the past All that was the golden
period Of life for him and for the nation. too,-
period when, excepting those cases Of indi-
vidual mcanness that never fall to appear, the
masses Of our people nobly proved themselves 10y
al to the country and its Tag.
The thought Of all this comes back TO rs with
rcdoubled force. as we participated In the Third
Annual celebration Of the 9th Maine Regt AS
SOC. alton which took place in this city on We'd
neslay last.
/
paigners ~ eeted each other Us they came togeth-
or, the spirit Of universal good fellowship that
animated every face were things we had no
difficulty In understanding. And II ought not
to be difficult for any one else to understand
them either. We oil know that exposure to
peril binds men together rs nothing else can.
And did not these men have their full share Of
that! ...
Few regiments Of this state or any other. can
show better record whether Of patient suffer-
ing. or Of heroic achievements than the old 6'h.
Its career was even brilliant as witness that
gallant feat Of arms on the 9TH OF Nov. 1868,
when just after night-fall. the regiment, count
ing not more than 2O0 muskets. and under the
gallant lead Of Upton, carried the rebel works
at Rappahannock station capturing In one bold
charge, 4 stands Of colos, 100 prisoners and
| 1000 stands of small arms.
To preserve friendships formed during that
stirring period Of our national history, and to
keep alive the sacred memories Of those who In
death paid the last full measure Of their deyo-
ton to our country, the 9th Maine Regt As
ISOLATION was organized, and held 1t first annual
Reunion two years ago. Warned by the mis-
takes Of other similar organizations, II avoided
at the start any false principles OF exclusveness
by which on the arrangement OF membership,
the officer was honored and the soldier was
neglected or slightel. Paying full justice to
the ranks, II welcomed every one as comrade
whose name bears an honorable place on the
muster rolls Of the Regiment. Thus not only
those who could boast an uninterrupted service
until the end Of the war, but also those who
from physical disability or from any other worthy
cause served out but q portion OF their term
were cordially welcomed as members OF the
association. This was wise policy to pursue,
for il ensured success from the beginning 1t
was a just one as well, since no man should be
refused the reward due to honorable effort be-
cause Of the mere rank to which he may have
attained, or Of the special circumstances by
which re was surrounded.
The Reunion this year was q marked success.
We say this in view Of all the circumstances. |
We did not have the pleasure Of attending the
Reunions Of last year and Of the year before,
but we have been assured by those who did that
the number Of members present this year was
an increase upon that Of the two previous years.
This is good sign. 1t is in fact the only true
test of the probable success Of any association
Of this kind. The officers and soldiers OF the
"old 9th" no longer held together by the severe
restrictions military rule, tbepurpose being gone
which originally united them, scattered as they
are through every part Of the State. some Of
them even residing In distant States, 1t augurs
well for the ultimate success Of the association
that so many Of the members were present II
shows that there is deep interest as we'll as q
growing interest in the undertaking. And i'll
as was suggested by Comrade Millett In his re- |
marks concerning the publication Of the Regi- |
mental History, all the members would only |
take hold of the cause individually aud make
themselves Committee of the whole, to search |
out the 10Th" Me. and bring the matter to their |
notice, then the society would become an as
sured success.
In this connection we cannot refrain from |
mentioning tie name Of one to whom perhaps |
more than TO any other single member Is due
the existence and present aourishing state OF
the association. COmradc Y. G. Patterson, |
originally Of &c" Co. Portland, the Secretary |
of the association, and one of the best men the
Regiment ever produced, has been untiring in
his devotion to the good cause from the very
outset. He has done an amount Of work ut |
tcndant upon his Office which entities him to the |
gratitude aud praise Of every one and IL at
the celebration last Wednesday no resolutions |
we're offered Indicative Of this feeling II was
simply because the feeling was 50 unanimous
that any formal expression Of II was not thought
Of at the moment.
There are others who have been prominent
leaders In the movement whose names readily |
suggest themselves and to whom great credit Is |
due !: but in thus spec ally noticing one who
has done so much we only do an act CT simple |
justice that we feel sure all will recognize and
heartily applaud.
The celebration this year embraced sail
down Saco river to the spool" where dinner |
was served at the Yates House and an GRAFTON |
II 4 A. o,.t;o b,,T IL n
D. Wlnship.
A business meeting was held in the parlor Of
|the hotel during the forenoon. II must DO con- |
fessed the accommodations in the way Of room |
for this meeting were scanty indeed and II Is |
he ped that the discomfort that was experienced
In consequence Of the members being |
obliged to stand during the entire scssion-will |
be warning to all future Committees Of ar
rangements That very thing, the most inn
portant in the whole affair, there was least pro-
vision for. There must be suitable room and
seats enough or the business of the association |
will be hurricdly and therefore bsdly managed. |
The prominent matters brought before the
meeting after the reading and acceptance Of
the customary reports, were the Constitution
which was read by the Secretary and then duly
signed by all present /: discussion as to the
proper methods TO be taken to obtain possession
Of any captured flags that may now be In the
possession Of Observation-Disclosures discussion
about the time and manner Of publishing the
Regimental history the election Of officers and
the selection Of orator and poet for the ensuing
year. r ar g..
The following were the selections made:
President, J. q. Wlnship.
list Vice President, II. 4. Dueknam;
Bird Richmond Edwards.
Dircctors-Ist, ii. p. Millett
III Lucius Clark.
ID N. Walker.
Secretary, Y. q. Patterson
Treasurer, 4. Y. Parcher
Chaplain, Rev. A. l.. bearing .. s.
Orator, Y. q. Patterson.
Poet. Geo. l. Brown.
At2 p. m. the association sat down to hearty
dinner and enjoyed IL too; the boys meanwhile
rccountng amidst much good humor many
,olo .ho,,t oId m r,riann raf;ono apd