The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-11-27
Fate. or what?

No historian of the war will ever write Of
companies and battalions, and the strange fate
which followed a company Of infantry attach.
ed to a regiment from Michigan need not be
looked for in history although il would make
an interesting page in any work.
The company was mustered into service 100
strong, and better lot of men never took the
oath OF allegiance to Uncle Sam Before leav-
ing the state three OF the men died. On the
trip from Detroit to Washington two were
killed by the cars In marching along the
streets of the capital another fell dead. In
going into the camp another was accidentally
shot through the heart. Inside Of three weeks
there were seven deaths IN this company and
not even a case of sickness in any other. The
regiment was in camp near Washington for
four weeks, and two more men died out of this
company, a third was drowned, and the fourth
was shot dead in street brawl This made
eleven men, and not another company had lost
Ia man.
In its first skirmsh the company lost four
men, while no other company had man
wounded Its First Lieutenant and Third
Sergeant were two of the killed Promotions
had hardly been made when the company was
detailed for outpost duty, and guerrillas killed
three of It's men at one volley The First Lieu
tenant and Third Sergeant were two of the
three This made eighteen men, and only one
other company had lost man. Promotions
were again made and the regiment became
engaged in battle. Other companies had
men wounded, but this one had five killed.
The First Lieutenant and Third Sergeant were
among the number This made the total
twenty.three Not man had fallen sick but
to die. Not man had been hit except to go
down.
BY this time the lllluck of the company
had become camp talk and men were not
ashamed to believe that there was something
strange and superStitious about 1t. 1t was
hard work to find men who would take pro.
motion, and three OF the rank and file were so
unnamed that they deserted Out of loss
of twenty-seven men in the regiment up to
this time twenty.sIX had been from one com.
pany
A curious change now occurred. In It's next
fight the company lost four men. The First
and Fifth Corporals were two of these. With
in a week these two same positions were va
cant again. In six months five First and five
Fifth COrporals were killed, while the First
Lieutenant and Third Sergeant were not
scratched. Nor did it lose any other commits
stoned or on.cOmmissloned officers.
When this company had been reduced toI
sixty-one men no other company had less than
ninety. Ten recruits joined it on Monday and
all were killed in a fight on Thursday. In a
couple of weeks seven more came, bat lii less
than month death had reduced the number
to siXty.one again. In u fight in which this
fated company was purposely held in reserve,
the other nine companies had fourteen men
wounded and one killed. A rebel shell tell
into the midst Of the reserve and killed four
men from the one company. In two years 1t
lost 1853 men, while no other company had lost
twenty five In its three years at the front 1t
never had man wounded. Whoever was hit
was killed on the spot. 1t lost more commits
stoned and non commissioned officers than any
six companies combined. In one year the
man who went out as Fourth Corporal was
First Lieutenant and dead and almost forgot
ten. For three months the company stood at
forty men Twenty-three recruits were added
anu in three months more twenty men had
either died of sickness, been captured or bur
led on the battlefield. When 1t was decided
to Join this company with another not one of
the nine would consent, and when it had been
reduced to thirty-eight men it was transferred
to headquarters to do guard and provost duty.
Detroit Free Press.