The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-08-29

/
The Northwestern Veteran Soldiers Reunion
at Aurora, Ml.--A Big Attendance-A Sham
Battle, with All the " Pomp and Circum-
stance Of Glorious War;"
| Tho great volunteer soldiers reunion of the
Northwest, held at Aurora, ILL.,, on the Goth,
2lst and 22d days Of August was one of the
biggest affairs of the kind ever witnessed.
There was Q good deal said, q good many
things done, and good time generally, and we
an extended report of the affair.
The first day was devoted to the business Of
reporting, organizing camp, equipment of COM
panies and assignment Of quarters.
On the second day there was competitive
e-shooting by the veterans, company and
battalion drills, an address Of welcome by Gov
3. M. Cullom and response by Hon. j. c. Sher-
win, an address to the soldiers and sailors by
Gen. John A Logan, skirmish fighting and
artillery and battalion drill
But the grand feature OF the encampment-
the sham battle and capture of the Confederate
Fort Wade-was reserved for the third and last
day An immense crowd, variously estimated
at from w, 900 to $1,000, Witnessed the exciting
event
| This fort was named after Col Wade who
assisted Gen. Henderson in commanding the
rebel Notifications, only slight stretch Of the
imagination being required to suggest the name
of that well-known Confederate, Wade Hamp-
| ton.
The Rebs had pickets thrown ont before the
fort, and a line of skirmishers besides a regi-
ment Of cavalry. The guns-four in number,
being the Altoona battery, captured ut Atlanta,
Ga, at the time Of the war-were ably manned,
and the orders were given by an experienced
| gunner. They are cast-iron, twelve pounders.
! ms or wv
feared that they might be honey combed and
unsafe. No accident happened from this
source, but one of the pieces refused to do
duty.
The Union army besieging this fort consisted
OF three divisions, reported in all as 75, 600 men.
| The right wrng was composed of the Grand
Army of the Republic, and was commanded by
Col. L. ID. Swain, of Chicago.
The right wing commenced the engagement
by throwing out company of skirrnishers, who
crept in, in true military fashion, until within
riie-range, when they opened fire upon the
Rebel outposts, lying upon their faces in the
grass. The firing was returned by the skirmish-
ers supposed To be dressed i'm gray, and was
kept up for some time, the Federals steadily
advancing and making 1t warm for the John
MES.
The cavalry company, which was made up
of men costumed in the genuine butternut
garb of Seceshdom, with calico hatbands, huge
straw hats, and calico sashes, rode up to the
fort and, after obtaining orders, made gallant
charge upon the enemy's skrmish- line, scat
tering them in confusion, and taking few
prisoners
Then the First Regiment threw out skirmisn-
ers. which drove portion of the Rebel troops
into the fort From this time firing began TO
get quite general. The "heavy artillery" in the
fort opened its iron mouths and belched forth
fire and smoke with deadly effect, causing the
Federal lines to fall back trife
l.--t-A IL
in which Maj. Tarbe, member of Gen. Mann's
staff galoped up to the tort bearing flag OF
truce, consisting of a white handkerchief upon
the point of his sword, and delivered a message
to the effect that Gen. Mann would ike to have
an interview with the commander Of Fort
Wade agreeing that there would be no firing
by the skirmish- line while the treaty was going
on. Gen. Henderson declined the interview in
q peremptory manner, and the firing was re-
sumed with increased vigor
And now one of the grandest sights of the
battle field is presented, that Of eight men,
stretcher- bearers, with stretchers, wearing
white shirts and having their heads tied up
with white handkerchiefs, rushing about the
battle field at full speed, picking up the wound
ed and dying, and carrying them back into the
trenches TO place OF safety. But this was
burlesqued to a certain degree for one alleged
corpse arose from the ground and started on
dead run when he saw the stretcher- bearers ap-
preaching him. Two of the bearers ran him
down, and endeavored, by maiD strength to get
him upon the stretcher, fail Dg at last in the
attempt.
The left wing began to ADVANCE, drove back
the Confederate skirmish line into the rife-piis,
were in turn repulsed, rallied and routed the
Kebs effectually, CARVING of prisoners.
In this way the warfare was kept up until at
last the engagementbecameg general, the Confed-
crate skirmish lines were driven into the fort
and tho Union troops advanced in solid pha-
70 sly pln
about the fort. The Joliet battery, consisting
of park, or four pieces, of light artillery. COM
manded by Maj. Young, was now brought into
active service by the Federal forces for the
first time The guns were trained upon the
fort, the heavy timbers of which were sup
posed to have suffered from the effects of the
firing to an alarming extent, and deafening
shouts arose from the assembled thousands.
The right wing, commanded by Col Swain,
which commenced the battle, was also the first
division Of troops TO scale the walls of the
fort A desperate hand -to-hand encounter
took place. the rifle rafting aud the cannon
roar, coupled with the yelling of the contesting
parties, making bedlam as perfect az one
could imagine. Gen. Swains troops were
speedily reinforced by the left wing undr Gen.
billiard and Col Owen Stewart, the latter force
scaling the walls on the opposite side and pour
ing destruction into the ranks of those who
were attempting TO hold the fort. Directly
afterwards the Fret Regiment, under Col
huoA, CAorcu III upon Ouly gap
and the combined forces soon caused the sur
render Of the besieged. Shouts of victory went
up from thousands Of throats, and the day
was won by the Union troops-which was
result, of course, in accordance with the pro-
gramme.
And now an incident occurred which struck
terror into the hearts of q humber Of brave
men, who were not backward in admitting their
superstition to the extent that they considered
1t an evil omen. Directly upon scaling the walls
by the Federal troops, there was, of course, a
grand rush for the flagstaff over which the
Confederate flag was still proudly floating, and
score of hands seized the rope and attempted
to pull it down. 1t caught at the pulley and re-
fused to bulge an inch. In the attempts Of the
men upon IT, the rope parted high up in the air,
fifteen feet above the reach Of the talest A
young man pulled of coat and boots and es-
sayed to climb the smooth pole. He assembled
only few feet when his strength gave way,
ana he was compelled to give it up. Another
tried II and failed but, finally, Pete
Gardner, powder-monkey of the Joliet bat
terry, undertook to haul down the Rebel colors.
He ascended higher than any of his predeces-
sors; he reached the rope amid the encouraging
cheers Of the multitude, and pulled with all his
strength. The flag still refused to come down,
but waved saucily in the breezes, as if taunting
the feeble efforts OF the young man to destroy
its greatness. But still the boy climbs upward.
He has gotten within reach OF the bunting it.
self and prasps il with his slender hand A