The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-09-13
Veterans Of the Blue and Gray.

THE SOLDIERS REUNION At '5AHIETTA.
Mr.. EDIToR.-Believing that many OF
your soldier readers were not present at the
Reunion at Marietta, nor have read exten-
ded accounts of it, contribute this sketch
hoping that while It may bring to mind
war time seems, the bitter party spirit .
which the Reunion strove to soothe, shall /
be lost to sight forever. From the moment /
one entered the city he felt new life. His /
blood surged through his veins, the form
becomes erect and the shoulders are thrown
back as if in response TO the old time com |
mand, Attention-Battalion. The .house /
fronts presented fluttening panorama of
bunting, blue coats mingle with the crowd
which packs the street, and the constant
boom of the cannon wakes the valley and
re-echoing from the dark Virginia hills,
comes back the answer, "Peace, good will"
The.frst thing we want to see is the
FLAG ROOM
in the City Hall building: Any soldier
who has been in the flag room at Columbus
knows the feeling of awe that steals over
MIN JAS lie SukCI5 klG GOOLli ~ ASASJ 'iiI
other atmosphere seems to pervade the
place, and one is inclined to bow in rever
ence to those standards which bring such
memories to their veteran followers, and to
US all. Here are the shot riven colors Of the
seth, 9th, 63rd, and 43rd, regiments com
posing the Ohio Brigade. As we 60 round
the room we find the flags, some of them
only ribbon of faded shreds, of the Seth
92nd, 125th, 10th, 73rd, 18th, 25th, 18th,
62nd, 18th, 53rd, nth, .. V. l., and 1st
7th, and 9th, o. V. c. all testifying of gal
liant deeds of brave men. Amony them
breathing no longer defiance and hate
stands a Reble flag captured at Winchester.
From the top of the building, the Signal
Corps is constantly engaged in the trans
mission of messages. Amongst the crowd, we
find multitude representing Federal and,
Confederate regiments.
Among those from Ohio we find, a side
from those already named, the 174th, 18th,
7th, s3rd, 9th, 11th, End, 23rd, 30th 122nd,
o. V. I. with many others from this and
other branches of the service. Among the
military organizations present were the
Athenian Guards, Columbus Cadets, Cam
bridge Guards, Noble Light Guards, Scott
Dragons, Caldwell Guards, Salem Rifles
Marietta Zouaves, Guards, and Battery
Prominent on the Headquarters Registe,
are the names of Gen. R. r. Dawes, zen.
Powell, Gen. Fearing, Gen. Legget, Gen.
Pond, Gen. Lew Wallace and those OF
many others OF high rank. Omitting for
want of space the speeches and military re-
Jews. we pass to the second day and the
SHAM BATTLE.
=. The battle field was large level enclo
sure, half meadow and half corn field, Just
outside the city limits. The adjacent
bluffs, covered with moving life to the very
top, completed the vast amphitheatre il
which was to be this vivid re-enactment O.
the scenes of the Rebellion.
The entire force of Reunion troops was
divided into two armies; the one command
= ed by Major w. B. Wagner, represented
y the Confederates, and the other, led by
Capt. Judson Burlingame the Fedora
troops. Capt Burlingame placed his army
in position near the hill, and the pro. tie
"Johnnies" took their places out of sigh
in the corn6eld. Skirmish lines wer,
thrown forward and soon the fight com
' menced in earnest. AS the forces approach
each other, the swaying columns and tn,
yell of the charge carry one away from
. self and make him believe this reality O
war. The regular volley is soon succeeded
by the irregular rattle of the muskettry
> the smoke of the fight envelopes the surg
ing armies like fog, and the artiller,
; comes in with its double bass to complet
> by its "Grumble and rumble and roar" tn
tragedy of battle. Orderlies gallop to ant
fro, hatless men are flying to their places
9 and dead and wounded(?) strew the ground
There is not room for the details OF tn,
's battle, but old soldiers can supply by mem
. ory the flank movement, bush, assault
. and repulse.
" But we must not omit altogether tn
y warm words of re- union and reconciliatio
that were spoken at this feast of love
" Let me then speak of the
" SPEECH OF MAI. T. G. JONES
W gallant Confederate soldier, which wa
Il one of the grandest things of the Re e-unior
The speech was made in response TO Ger
J. Richardson, who in behalf Of a committe
IL Of Massachusetts soldiers, and in honor c
s. noble sentiments expressed by Maj. Jone
p at Montgomery Alabama, on Decoratio
day 1874, presented him with handsom
4 gold medal. In beginning he said: Ger
te tlemen, l know that this is not present
~ me only but feel full WE'LL that thoug
% the soldiers have rendered to me this beat
a. tiful medal, that the hand that wa
= stretched out was the voice of Ohio to Als
~ bama, the American to the American, bic
o' ding US to come together and look at eac
20 other in the eyes and be done with strif
81 and build up common country for th
future" In another place he continued
., "And when we went out among the Fec
" eral soldiers after the surrender, ifa fo
'n eigner had been there who never h ear
the war, he would have thought it W,
e the two g and fragments of the army M,
- together to recount their common suffering
% and trials. From that day have had hoI