New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-12-22
Fate. or What?


write of companies and battalions. and
the strange fate which followed a COM
pany 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 serv-
ice 100 strong and a 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 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, third was
drowned and the fourth was shot dead
in street brawl. This made eleven
men, and not another company had lost
q man.
In it's first skirmish 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 out post duty, and guerrillas killed
three of it's men at one volley. The
First Lieutenant and Third Sergeant
were two of the three. This made
eighteen men, and only one other COM
h0I lNct
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 num-
Der. This made the total twenty three.
Not man had fallen sick but to die.
Not a man had been hit except to 90
down.
By this time the ill-luck of the COM
pany had become camp talk and men
were not ashamed to believe that there
was something strange and ,supersti-
tious about it, TWAS hard work to find
men who would take promotion and
three of the rank and file were SO I'm.
hammered that they deserted. Out of a
loss of twenty-seven men in the regi-
ment up to this time twenty-six had
been from one company.
A curious change now occurred. In
it's next fight the company lost four
men. The First and Fifth Corporals
were two of these. Within week
these two same positions were vacant
again. In six months five First and
five Fifth Corporals were killed, while
the First Lieutenant and Third Ser
geant were not scratched. Nor did il
lose any other commi ssioned or non
commissioned officers.
When this company had been re-
duced to sixty-one men no other com.
pany had less than ninety. Ten recruits
joined it on Monday and all were killed
in fight on Thursday. In couple Of
weeks seven more came, but in less
than a month death had reduced the
number to sixty-one again. In a figh
in which this fated company was pur
posely held in reserve, the other nine
companies had fourteen men wounded
and one killed. A rebel shell fell int
| the midst of the reserve and killed fou
men from the one company. In tw.
years it lost 1913 men, while no othe
company had lost twenty-five. In it,
three years at the front it never had :
man wounded. Whoever was hit wa
killed on the spot. 1t lost mor'
commissioned and non-commissione(
officers than any six companies com
bined. In one year the man who wen
out as Fourth Corporal was First Lieu
tenant and dead and almost forgotten
! For three months the company stoo'
at forty men. Twenty-three recruit
were added and in three months NOR
twenty men had either died of sickness
been captured or buried on the battle
field. When it was decided to join thi
company with another not one of th
nine would consent and when it hat
been reduced to thirty-eight men it wa
transferred to headquarters to do guar'
and provost duty.-Detrolt Free Press