Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1880-12-28
Fate, or What.

from the Detroit Free PressJ
No historian of the war will ever write of
companies and battalions and the strange
fate which followed q company of infantry
attached to a regiment from Michigan need
not be looked for in history, although it
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 leaving the State three of the men
died. On the trip from Detroit to Wash
ington two were killed by the cars. In
marching along the streets of the capital
another fell dead. In going into camp another
was accidentally shot through the heart. In
side of three weeks there were seven deaths
in this company and not even case of sick
ness in any other. The regiment was in
camp near Washington for four weeks, and
two more men died out of this company,
third was drowned, and the fourth was shot
dead in a street brawl. This made eleven
men, and not another company had lost a
man.
In the first skirmish the company lost four
men, while no other company had man
wounded It's LIST lieutenant and Sd sergeant
were two of the killed Promotions had
hardly been made when the company was de-
tailed for outpost duty, and guerillas killed
three of its men at one volley. The 1st
lieutenant and Sd sergeant were two of the
three This made 19 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 1st lieutenant and Sd sergeant were
among the number This made the number
23 Not man had fallen sick but to die;
not man had been hit except to go down.
By this time the illluck of the company
had become camp talk and men were not
ashamed to believe that there was something
strange and superstitious about it. 1t
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 27 men in the regiment up to this time
26 had been from one company.
A curious change now occurred In its
next fight the company lost four meu. The
1st and 5th corporals were two of these.
Within q week these two same positions were
vacant again. In six months five 1St and five
5th corporals were killed, while the 1st lieu
tenant and 3dRsergeant were not scratched.
Nor did it lose any other commissioned or
non commissioned officers.
When this company had been reduced to
81 men no other company had less than 80.
Ten recruits joined it on Monday, and all
were killed in fight on Thursday. In a
couple of weeks seven more came, but in less
than a month death had reduced the number
to 81 again. In a fight in which this fated
company was purposely held in reserve, the
other nine companies had IA men wounded
and one killed. A rebel shell fell into the
midst of the reserve and killed four men
from the one company. In two years it
lost 1853 men, while no other company had
lost 25. In its three years at the front it
never had man wounded. Whoever was
hit was killed on the spot. 1t lost more COM
missioned and non-commissioned officers
than any six companies combined. In one
year the man that went out as 4th corporal
was LIST lieutenant and dead and almost for
gotten. For three months the company
stood at 40 men % recruits were added,
and in three months more 20 men had either
died of sickness, been captured or buried on
the battlefield. When it was decided to
join this company with another not one of
the nine would consent and when it had
been reduced to IS men it was transferred to
headquarters to do guard and provost duty.