The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-11-18
8 Ny wife, = remarked q prominent


. NO historian, OF the war will ever
write OF companies and battalions, and
: the strange fate which followed COM /,
pany Of infantry. attached to regiment
1fom Michigan need not be looked for
i In history, although it would make an, !
interesting page in. any work. :,
The company was mustered into serv- II
ice l00.strong and . better. lot ofsmenn.
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 feh
dead Insgoing into the camp anothar. ,
was accidentally shot through the heart.
inside OF three weeks there were seven
deaths in this company and mot even .,
case Of, sickness in any other. The
regiment was In camp near Washing gtofi'
for four weeks, and two more men died.
out OF this company, third, was
drowned and the fourth was shot dead u
in street brawl. 5st This made selsyens
= men, and y d.9g9 nQt another company had lost
,i3ln its first skirmish the company lost s.
Jour men, while no --otherAcompany had
man wounded! Its First, Lieutenant,
and Third Sergeant were two Of the
killed. Promotions had hardlyl been ~
made when tho company was detailed
for out post duty, and guerrillas killed
three of its men at one volley. Thessi
First Lieutenant and Third Sergeant :;
were two of the three. This made
eighteen men, and only one other com-sBt
pany had lost aman. Promotions were,
again made, and the regiment became
engaged in b battle.t Other companies 10
had men. wounded. but this one had,
i've killed. The First Lieutenant and
fhird Sergeant were among the huni-se3
Der. This made the total twenty-three.
Not man had fallen sick but to die. < .
Not man had been hit except to GO
down. faassa 1iRt 9egg
- Byithis time the ill-luck of the, come y
pany had become camp talk and men
were not ashamed to believe that there
was something lstrangeSand supersti- a,,.
tlous about it. 1t was hard work to find
men who would take promotion and
three of the rank; and file were SO Jun-. 4
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 y
its next fight the company, lost four ).
men,. The First and Fifth Corporals
were two of these. Within a week.
these two ssame positions were vacant +,
again. In six months, FIVE First and
five Fifth Corporals were killed, while1us
the First dieutenant and Third Ser.
geant were not scratched. Nor did it
lose any other cofnmi 3sioned or nof1aE
officers. as....a,.,,
When this company lad been re- y
duced to sixty-one men mo- other Iom-i
panY had less than ninety. Ten recruits
joined it on Monday and all were killed o.
in a.dght on Thursday. in . couple Of i
weeks seven more came, but in less
than d month death had reduced the ii
number to- sixty one again. IN FIGHT
in which this fated company was pur-
poselt held in reserve, The sother nine sfl
had fourteen men, wounded
and one killed. A rebel shell fell into
the midst of the reserve and killed four SOS
menofrcm the one company. i in two
years it lost 168 men, while no other :.
company had lost twenty. .five.f In its al
three years at the, front it never. had a
man wounded. Whoever was hit was
killed on the spot. sIt loste more .
commissioned and, non-commissioned !.
officers, than any six companies CON-
bined. In one year the man who went =;
out as Fourth Corporal was First Lieu !.
tenant and dead and almost forgotten.
For three months the company stood 4
at forty men. Twenty-three recruits
were added and in three months more
twenty men had either died of sickness -
been captured or buried ION the battle- !,
field. When it was decided to join this
company with another not one of the 4,
nine would consent and when it had !.
been reduced to thirty.eight men it was
to headquarters to do guard
and provost duty.-DetroI Free Press.