Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-07-26
For,y-sooond Regimen, Reunion.

The third annual reunion of the AID regiment,
Massachusetts volunteers, took place at Har-
mOny grove, birmingham, yesterday. The
lowering weather, terminating in storm, kept
at home many who would otherwise have at
tended, yet over one hundred of the veterans
were present, many of them with their families,
constituting very interesting assemblage.
Among the officers present were General Isaac
s. Burril, who went out as commander of the
regiment; Major F. G. Stiles of Worcester, who
recruited and first organized the company f Of
the regiment; Lieut.. Col. Titus of Worcester,
who went out as orderly sergeant in Capt. j. D.
CoggswePs company (F), recruited from
Leicester, Spencer, and North Brookfeld; Major
Charles A. Davis OF Roxbury, adjutant of the
regiment; Rev. George P. Sanger, chaplain,
originally first lieutenant in Capt. Coggswell's
company; DR.. A. B. Robinson, surgeon, and
some fifteen or twenty captains and lieutenants.
The three Worcester county companies of this
regiment went to the war in the fall of '62, Of
icered as follows:
Co. e, Captain, Charles Pratt of West Boylston;
Lieutenants, John Emerson of Mllbury, and Brown
i. StOwe Of Boston.
Co. F, Captain, ohm d. Cogswel of Leicester;
Lieutenants, 7. NJ. Duncan of North BroOkfeld,
and Lyman A. Powers of Spencer.
Co. X, Captain, Geo. L. Davis of Ware; Lieuten-
ants, Henry H. Harding of Worcester, and j. Mar
tin Gorham Of Barre
The forenoon of the day was passed in dane
ing and various diversions about the grounds.
At one o'clock they sat down to picnic. One
of the interesting exercises at the table was the
presentation to Gen. BurriIl of a mammoth
cake, by Dermis Towne of the 31st regiment,
one of the four volunteers called for by General
Banks TO blow up the mine under the fort at
Port Hudson. The presentation speech in behalf
of the donor was made by Lieut.. Duncan of
North Brooxteld, to which the general made a
felicitous response, closing by distributing the
cake among the soldiers.
The rain coming on in the afternoon, the
company gathered in the building upon the
grounds, where they were called to order by
Gen. Burrill, president of the regimental organ
ization, and the association was organized for
the year ensuing by the choice of the following
officers:
President-Gen 1 S BurriI of Roxbury; Vice
Presidents, Major q Stiles of Worcester, Capt
d COgswell of Leicester, Lieut. Col Joseph Stead
man of BroOkline, Capt White of Plymouth, Capt
Geo Sherrive of ROxbury, Lieut. Col Proctor of
Boston, Capt Cyrus Savage of Taunton; Chaplain,
O0O sanger OF BOSTON; secretary, hiJOF CuaTies
Davis of Boston; Treasurer, Lieut. Col A Proc
tor OF Boston; Surgeon, A B Robinson of RoXbury;
with an executive committee, consisting of Capts
ID Bailey of Hingham and B Lowell of Wey-
mouth and Capts Sanderson, Baxter, Wales, Water
man and Stowell of Boston.
While the nominating committee were out,
after appropriate remarks by the chair calling
out several speakers, the meeting was eloquent
ly addressed by Rev. Geo. p Sanger, chaplain,
and DR.. S. A. b. Robinson, surgeon of the regi-
ment, and by Major H. G. Dane, signal officer,
formerly of the 41st regiment, who made feel
ing reference to the service rendered by the 42d.
Major Dane was prisoner for eighteen months
at Galveston, with Gen. Burrill ami Capts. Cow
din, Newcomb, Proctor, and Sherrivc of the Add
regiment. Major Dane concluded his remarks
by reading the following letter, never before
published, from Gen. J. B. Magruder, com.
handing the rebel forces in Texas, to Gen. Bur
rill, as to the conduct of the ADD, in the action
during which they were taken prisoners. The
letter is dated Oct 20, 1869, when Gen. Magru-.
der was at the Parker house in Boston, and reads
as follows:
ITO your question of the other night have
deemed it not only advisable but expedient to give
youa written reply. In the management ofyour small
command of some 250 men, who were on the end of
wharf, cut off from the federal ships and the land,
you displayed courage and fidelity equal to any l
have seen exhibited by any troops under any cir
cumstances. Your skill, order, and management
were such that the first shot, which fired myself
personally, twelve FOUNDER, passed your house
where your men usually slept, harmessy. The
bravery and GOODNESS of your troops, under most
trying circumstances, were unsurpassed by any
men ever heard Of You were attacked by a force
of infantry many times larger than your own, which
you repealed most CALAMITY. l shall return to
Texas this winter and take great pleasure in speak
ing of you to the many friends you made while
prisoner in my hands"
Col. Titus made the closing speech of the oc-
casion, in which he made feeling and eloquent
reference to the unfortunate incidents of the SER
vice alluded to, as showing the bravery and
courage of Gen. Burrill and those under his
command. He trusted the next reunion would
call together company of 500, including the
wives and children of the veterans.