Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-09-20
TIVE GAllANT FIRST !
The Reunion Yesterday---
Banquet aad speeches.
GEN. WaODAlL's ADDRESS


ELECTION or oFFIcRRs, ETC.
wednesday fthe eleventh anniversary of 1
the battle Of Antietam. the first regular |
engagement In which the First Delaware
Volunteers were cngaRed, was celebrated |
by the survivors of thai regiment by a re- |
union 1.-THE second since the war; in the !
afternoon and banquet AZ night.
The meeting was called to Orner ia Brad |
fori's building, m East Third street, hy |
Got Andrew NJ 2lb p. m. and the minutes |
of the first reunion and roll coll were read |
General Wo1lall then delivered the FOL |
lowing historical sketch. covering thu
operations Of the regiment from the time II |
left Suffolk until after the well-fonght
battle of Antetam, September 1Tth, 1892
Eleven years ago 10 day we stood upon
the battle field Of Antietam, part Of that
barrier OF armed men which guarded our
homes and our National liberties from the
invasion of the recentlv victOriOus and
proud army of Northern Virgilia. To-day
we meet. not TO eXult over that fallen foe.
not as nroud victors TO boast our battle
wen, hut TO renew the old friendship hcgnh
in the common and fervent love Of country
refined. elevated aud welded in the cRmp
on tho march, and ON the field Of battle. If
shall say anything to-day that will re
kindle the patriotic fire in your hruts.
r6ngihen the fraternal feeling between
old comrades and induce YOU to feel that you
arc the better citizens for having 1een the
defenders ct VOur country. Ahhll teel more
than repaid for being VOur historian upnn
| old Colonel las he was fnmilisrlv know IN
| the regimcnD John W. Andrews. is able 10
he with MS to-day and to preside over This
our social meeting. We welcome him
| among rs ~ the Father nf our regiment II
was his military knOwlcdge and .pa'rioti"
| zeal that organized the First Delaware
| three months regiment, then mOdostly took
| the second position. giving The hrst 10 mat
| able aud thorough tacticiAn and dlscinlina-
! rian. Colonel afterwards feneral Henry
| II. Lockwood. II was under his guiding
| hand that the three months regiment was
| teOrganizeh for three wears. II was under
his personal command, his thorough knnvl
edge Of military tactics and mon. thlt ihc
| First Delaware Regiment attained 10 thRt
| perfection in drill which made u one Of the
| hest regiments in the army that gave u
that mOrgir and individuality which cnueed
each member to feel and act AZ if tho honor
| Of tho regiment rested upon him alone q
| spirit which remained with IT 70 the end u
| its military career and animates IT'S mem
| hers today. He commanded rs upOn fhi'
| memorable day of our history eleven year
! ago at the battle of Antietam, which even
| have chosen for my theme to-day.
| propose TO sketch briefly the part taket
| in thst great battle and the events whiri
, Immediately preceded and followed II. 10y
the First Delaware regiment. beginning q
TIE time we left Suffolk. Virginia. Ourinl
| the summer Of 1862 the army Of the Potomac
| went through the memorable pcninsul
| camuqiru and, though not broken In spirit
its ranks were shattered and broken. and i
had failed in its object. viz, tic taking q
Richmond, and the moral results tina
would necessarily follow the Union caus
| had sustained a severe reverse, tho rebel
c were eorrcspondingly elated. Lee, by
| vigorous march, transferred the scene q
[ | action 10 Bull Run, where the Union army
I under Pope, was again beaten ana drive
= | In great confusion back upon Washington
Z | where CONSERVATION reigned supreme. Thi
| was one of the darkest hours in the histor
q Of the recent war. Lee had opened the wa
!. | for An advance into western Maryland o
l. | flushed with victory, he might auVanc
i, upon the capital he chose the forne
! | Mcclellan was again placed in command {
/ | the army of the Potomac, which he REQ
/, ganized and Immediately pressed iorwar
to intercept Lee Ia his progress north OF W
, Potomac. In the meantime, our hrigad
u | under General Max Weber, which WAS the
s, LAYING at Suffolk Virginia, received orde
o | TO ioin the army of the Potomac in Mar
,p land. and on the Sth of september we hfnF
| camp II was day Of rejoicing In our reg
" mrnt. we had heon drilling for more than
wear. and with the exception OF nm o''
~ siopal scout up The peninsula towfr
lr York nwn during the winter of 1871 10
a.. lsr2 and the taking OF Norfolk and Nuiln
, ia the spring Of 1862. we brad not active
participated in the war, hut now we we
10 have An opportunity TO test our enurt
ne | aud powers of endurance. We took INC G.
,e at Suffolk, arrived at Norfolk, and took +
~ transport. State If Maine. Tor WhHhit
~ ton, steamed out the Elizahe
r River. passed the sunken III
., Of the Merrimac passed Crancy island 90
Se,rplrs Point aud came in full view
! E,r,rns5 Nnnroe Kim Haua and our a.
y s.r,,, ,,rouub at t'amt, IInmtltor. We "a
no dcsirc TO larry there. our schoollt
u. were over, we were well drilled solli,
aud lungcd to participate ~ the s'rhsg
of which were awaiting us. We passed nut
VI ii,u,,,ton Roads tntn the tihesappalte "a
nm thp potumnc. arriving At Washington
n' the 9TH; that night we slept in The atie
n itne al march for Antiptaiu. paascd ont Per
%" ,,i,s,,,, a,rntga in column of couD4nI
=, ~, ich extended from sidewalk ~ sidewA
N CrLree vears later the First Delaware, u
rtcrans, naesed ont that same avenue
la ia triumnhal review hut how chang
sn.rcci,- a shnIn,y of its former self
, ,n'itbfil buovnut suirit wa. zone; havi
VI" mssrd through untold trials. defeats =
irumrhs, us work WIS sat last fct. rir.is'
w snd now N' Aii'Hhs,'nlh VIZ ~, "''" TO
was fnr h"nc Hul.r"st We 'hr' l.7
= fhotgn 'ieulg"i"Nn, inil1NtNE I' Il Pr
hlli PIKE ihrnush c'lhtil hr"diil4iN
10 duiAiIng. aud helhs zen WIN Vrn" ,'1 ~
'' and orchards lalrheh WIN iihlE !" W"
we helped ourselves, hlNoI. eEeu iot
oil night near tao village Ot knckNlllti
mr. resumed our march'on.the morn!hl Oh
nth, pressing eagerly iorwarh' nnt enl ..',
the beauty Of the Landscape, Whlch var
with every turn, now hllltop' tleh q
re- leg clothed with verdure met our zen "a
I'm gaze, and VIC haHtened forward 20 gam
lie top of the next range OF mis- mat
1is might enjoy the scenery hcNohd. soon
W deserted the blue peak ol sugar LON lf
lnc the distance, aud watched IFS vary
ms | height As we approached " lhi7
uld marched day after DAY, FAtheIlhS lVhs
,rrv by the roadside, passing ihrouEh iI''
III. cucampiug near PuolcsNltle'.ahd eros
~ the MOnOcacy river on the evening 81
ldN 18th ind cnCamplug near It's western hA
srs. Our rations of salt meat had nearly g
the out and here we received n supply ol u
NV mutton, &c. During our mhrth on ne
~, we could hear the eannonaling 81 the
llee tie Of South Mountain; that night We II
the near Frederick; where We came mp
4 of the rear of the army. We afternoon "'
hes 18th we reached MHuie'"Wu Nn''r
,ions were almost exhausted, AMI no 3
prct OF geiunH nuIe ~ inc neN' "'S' W
we would JON the MAIN army
On the morning of the loth we pa
.,o through Tuners Gap over the rlttle
'hce of the l4th where the gallant Keno
From that dark and gloomy held, where
non dead still remained unburieh. we could
over MiddletOwn valley, one Of the !
beautiful in Americas. the Catoctn lay
pda- "A silvery thread in the meadows quiet
uenceful while lines Of troops ana a
Wagons added life Ia the scene, maxim
lice one to be long remembered We pa
down the western slope OF south Nlounl
Though BnonshOrOugh and keldysvilie
Pleasant Valley, hiVuuAckcd on the
aide of Antietam creek and were ASST
800. | - -, mind ntrfatnu Second GOrtta
NlEs' 70 tHS IT, ~, ,a,,crsis Erenrh and Sim
that HialiN'u ~ ,{},,,s ,,srs issned during ~
Rife nere ',,','s hes,., cs,nnus,i,m7, in
anu press A shell struck barrel OF b,
Will tahslns ,,,t at tho ,..rc s,iJien dentrti,
~ ono of our comrades who had been Qu
r i,h euioving a seat upon the barrels he
M in51 lives " to tell the tale, and is here wit
Ahso- AZ W NV thc erene has not heen fOru,
i'"" by any who witnessed 1t. That nigh