The weekly clarion., 1880-05-26

:
the consciousness Of duty well performed
/ Our State, 'tis true, has once honored our %
/ loved Humphreys but it viii be for our cnll
dren to realize the nobility and purity OF II
+ character as soldier, Governor and eItlzen-
! Comrades: We who are gathered here TO
day, have lived long enough to see many Q
our soldiers in arms fAll from the ranks o.
/ the roadside overcome at last by WEAKNESS a q
burdens that they had carried in the shape Q
wounds 80 long and bravely; time who
sIlveFing our hair and wrlnkHng our Dro"s
is bringing US nearer TO our last olyouac, an
- We wrap our blankets about US for the las
time, and drop by GU camp-hres Tor tterha
sleep may we hear we close our droW :,
eyes the outpost call TO the reserve, and n
reserve to the camp, all quiet along tn
front
INCIDENTS.
A beautiful bouquet was presented to the
Burt Rifles. .iC0. K 18th Regt, which wa
received by j. c McCaskiu for the company
A handsome bouquet was presented TO IN
brigade in memory Of Capt. John A barKS
dale. Aijutant General. who lost his lie OF
May srh 1864 al Spots ylvaniS Court House,
which was received by Capt Woods. Gen
Humphreys said that "Chock' Barksdale wa
one Of the most gallant and perhaps the mos
beloved of all the officers or men IN the com
maud.
AtIIzo' clock the Convention took rec es'
until 4 0 clock.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Called TO order at clock. The followin 2
telegram was read
VIcKsBuRG MISS, May 25th 1880.
To GEO. K. BIRcHErT, Barksdale Humphreys
Reunion Convention:
Please express our sincere regrets at not
being able to join with the survivors Of
the old brigade in their reunion to-day. Our
kindly greetings and best wishes for each one
from the gallant Commander down to the hum
blest private. May Heaven smile upon them.
E 5. Butts. A. A Trescott,
J. VI. Collier, Warren COwan,
II. DEMO, J. V Il. Cramer,
A letter from Mai j. B. Gerald of Waco,
Texas late of 18th Regt) regretting his ina
bil:ty TO be present, also a letter from Lieut..
Patton date of Co. K, Sth) now Of Virginia
also expressing his regrets.
Col. J l.. Power Superintendent of Army Ac-
counts for the State, being called upon, said
To tA> Ssrrirors Of Barksdols- Humphrey, Brig
a5e.
GENTLEMEN The Committee of Arrange
ments having honored me with place in the
programme OF your Reunion Exercises, /
proceed to discharge the duty assigned me.
In explanation Of the historical data relatin 2
to your Brigade, OF which | am in possession,
I will state that in February, 1864 the Con-
federate Congress passed IAN act any State
in communicating with and perfectIng the
records concerning its troOps-conterring on
Eut hptDiHIt &c teiAdlu PRIV Ail ECs hHl dAioH
auces. On the llth of August following, the
Legislature of this State, passed a correspond
ing act, creating the office Of Superintendent
of Army Records for the State, and made it the
duty Of that office to collect and place IN a
form for permanent preservation and refer
ence, the names of all MississippIaus in the
Confederate service, with the personal and
military status of each also to procure from
the Commander of each Company n certified
statement of the amount due each decease ed
soldier. and to place the same in shape for
settlement. Under this act | had the honor
to be appointed by Governor Clark-receiVing
also a like commission from the Secretary OF
War: and although labored faithfully until
the general surrender of our armies, yet |
found so many obstacles to the successful
prosecution of my duties, that l was able to
accomplish but comparatively little. To
enter upon the compilation of these records,
after more than three years of active militia
ry operations, involving the loss of cOmpany Y
books and muster rolls, seemed indeed a hope
less endless task; and in order to attain any
thing like accuracy 1t was necessary to Visit
the camps, explain what was wanted furni III
blanks and assist in filing them out. The
greater portion of the troops from Mississippi
were in the Tennessee army; and that army,
at the time Of my appointment, and until the
end of the struggle, either in line of bat
tie or on the march--rendering 1t impractical
Bile to accomplish anything in the premises.
In the meantime, however, | addressed my
self TO the adjustment of deceased soldiers
proper relations with the necessary blanks
and instructions. The result of my labors in
that behalf was the settlement of claims
to about $500 / had estimated
that there was due the relatives of deceased
soldiers from this State about two and half
million dollars, which it was my ambition to
collect for them within twelve months, with
no expense to the parties, and no expense TO
the State beyond the necessary printing and
postage
On arriving at Richmond, in December, 1864
he Mississippi Division of the Second Audi
.ors office placed under my control and
1y dispensing with unnecessary circumlocu-
ion and red tape | was making rapid
progress in the adjustment of these claims.
Every facility vas Afforded me by the various
In this office, L had access to
he reports from Northern prisons where
,ur soldiers were confined, and ia this way,
obtained the names and dates of the death of
hundreds who had died while in prison.
But the great object of my visit to Virgins
vas TO complete the records of the three Mis-
issippi brigades in that army. was received, F.
: the representative of the State, in the most
ordial and appreciELiye manner by those
obIe vetrans of so many ~ell-fought fields. (
hey expressed the highest qualification that
hey were thus being remembered by their +
their names, their gallant deeds,
heir patriotism, were to be recorded and per-
etuaied, thst P0sterity might revert, with
ratitude and pride, TO an ancertry so patri-
tic, so chivalric and brave.
Nv first visit was TO the gallant brigade, so
,ng, and so ably commanded by him who pre-
des over this meeting to-day. -Four years of
ctive war had made sad havoc in the ranks
f the four regiments composing it. OF more
ran five thousand names on the muster rolls
nce the organization OF each command, not
xceeding four hundred now answered TO the
ugle-can for dress-parade. Where were the
bsent2 A glance at the tabular statement
erewith submitted shows that nearly two
lousaud were in their graves-that they had
ught their last battle-that no sound should
IL. fin Er,a hun
red or more young men who composed the
urt Rifles, and who left this city on the af-
rnoon of 24th May, 1861, with hearts ae
}peful and patriotism as pure as ever prompt
| man to action, and with accessiOns during
Le war, so that the aggregate on the company
II numbered lis; thirty-three only were
present or accounted for when | visited the
mp on Darby Town Road, March 9th, 1865.
he losses in this company will illustrate how
e ranks of the thirty mine others composing ,
e Brigade, were thinned by the four year ,
rugg,e. The casualties in action numbered !
killed and wounded killed %; missing and
opposed killed, ?; captured in battle, 80; dis
arged, 80; retired, Il; resigned, Z; trans
rred 20 promoted to other commands, IA. I
,tal loss, 142
But notwithstanding the absence of many
lm each company, most familla with their :
Yeral histories, l succeeded in few weeks,
securing full and l believe accurate rolls {
the entire Brigade, showing the personal ,
ID military status of every officer and private
Jfn the time OF enlistment TO tue Ootu hATCu r
IS. These rolls l have carfully preserved
ping the time would come when the infor-
ltion they contain could be utilized in per- d
,ting a History of the part taken by Missis-
)pi in the war. These records should at l
.st be transcribed into a avell-bouRd volume. L
e paper on which they are written was
,ictlr Confederate article, and the ink of i
me quality. They are at your service for
Y disposition you may wish TO make of them.
summary of these records, shows the fol- .
wing interesting facts:
lance pa.'s'pn..' For. sz@= : !
-----l- .