Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-09-29

Infantry, at Charles City, Sept.
1871.
CoMRApEs:-Who that has endur
ed hardships-suflered privations-
overcome obstacles, and bravet
, dangers, in behalf of any cherished
object in life, but loves, after IT.
, successful attainment, to frequent.
) revert to the trying scenes through
which he has passed-recall th'
sentiments Of devotion which per
vaded him, recount the obstacles
he has overcome, and rehears'
; oftentimes the story of his success
Who, having been associated fol
, time with others in dangerou:
travels and perilous adventures, bu
loves, to meet again in after years
the companions of his wandering.
and his hazards, to renew the close
lv formed friendships incident t.
such circumstances, and with then
recall the tolls and dangers they
have together experienced? And
who, forsaking all the friendships
and associations which become sc
precious to one in the various walks
Of civil life, has gone forth with the
many hundreds who composed the
..,Il ~ volunteer regiment, and
s;ao h, -;de with them has periled
all aIIf for ~ the na,;.:a,'s defense; with
them has been called D,,, wa. s'e'
duties to stand time and ay2in,
where the terrible tempests Of death
have swept over and all around
him-lives there one among such,
who ought not, and who will not, in
| after years, love to embrace an op-
| portunity to meet his old comrades
Of tent and field, recall the thrilling
scenes through which they unitedly
have passed, the priyations and
| hardships Of camp and campaign,
relate their hair-breadth escapes,
replace in vivid memory the virtues
and the hcroism Of the absent,
bravely fallen, and tell again how
they bore, in direst battle, their
coun'ry's standard on to victory?
Under such circumstances, my
old comrades of the 27th Iowa IN
fantry, you are assembled here to-
day, by call of yonr own commit
tee, appointed by you year since,
at the general Iowa soldiers re-un-
ion. | would that other than my
self had been assigned the task of
publicly directing your thoughts on
this occasion. Sensible OF my ina
bility to do anything like ample JUS
tice to yournoble, patriotic service,
still, ! am encouraged to hope, that
any effort ! may make in this be-
half, will be received with that kind
consideration which you have hith-
erto so often extended to me.
Perhaps the months Of July and
August Of 1862 were two Of the very
darkest hours Of the long night Of
the rebellion. The heart OF the
Contederacy lay unqucstionably At
Richmond. Directly in front Of ii
few days previous, Was General
Mcclellan with magnificent amy
and who, it was iondiy hoped by
millions of patriotic men would
then and there, deal a last blow ut
its pernicious life. Unfortunately
for our country's cause, just at the
commencement Of the famous con
test, he found necessary to effect
an entire change Of base Of opera
tons, and the grand victory for
which we hoped, resulted in tie
loss Of many thousands OF our best
men, the abandonment OF the cam
paign against the rebel capital, a
depression Of spirits almost despair
ING Of hope for the Union, and a
call from the President to the peo
pie, for an additional enlistment in
the volunteer army of three hundred
thousand men.
In such gloomy days, recognizing
the dread necessities of the nation,
and aroused by its contemplation,
yourselves in com.uon with multi
tudes of men, all over the loyal
North, leaving every variety of en-
ployment, permitting nothing to de
ter, sprang to arms, and filled the
quota Of that marvellous aggregate,
which oitentimeS attcrward in the
tented field or on the march, you
used to shout in general chorus,
eve are coming Father Abraham,
/ Six Hundred Thousand more"
Gathering in from the counties of
Alamakee, Buchanan, Chickasaw,
Clayton, Delaware, Floyd and
Mitchell, nine years ago to-day, saw
a round thousand men rendezyoused
in camp of instruction at Dubuque,
awaiting "muster in' rs distinct
regimental organization. Let me
retrace with you to-day briefly as |
can, some Of the pages Of its his
tory. The hours upon hours each
day during which you were put
through the positions, the tacings,
the wheelings, the guard mountings,
the guard duty, with sticks for guns,
the corporal drill, the company drill,
| ana inc bttdiiloil ti1ll III iio' DN
sooner forgotten by you all than
any other seemingly preposterous
and irksome duty. Have you ever
at this late day, forgotten the loud
complaints which followed, if ths
new, soft bakers bread wasn't tht
very best the city could afford, or il
the ice in the pure spring water
gave out? All! how You were be
ing mistreated. Surely no othel
soldiers suffered such privations a:
these!
And the embryo officers, bless me
what splendid martial appearance
they put in at officers drill, march
ing around holding to II bit of
stick ut the end OF cotton string
TO sober man they looked for al
the world like children "playin.
horse" with Major Brodtbeck. Car
dor compels me to submit that a
neac beginners they succeeded better
when the Major invited them at Ia
expense to drink lager, and ca
brown bread and Limberg checs,
And when that distinguished PEI
sonagc arrived, who, rumor sale
was to wear the rcgimcntal cagle
u.,l.,ipo co erect thot tho bows Ill