The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-11-04
Fate. or What

No historian OF the war viii ever
write of companies or 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 il
teresting page in any history.
The company was mustered into ser
vice 100 strong, and better 10. Of men
never took the oath of allegiance to
Uncle Sam. Before leaving the State
three men died. On the trip from De
troit 20 Washington two were killed by
the cars. In marching along the stree.s
of the capital another fell dead. In
going into camp another was accident
ally shot through the heart. Inside of
three weeks there were seven deaths in
this company, and not even case of
sickness IN any other. The regiment
was in camp near Washington for four
weeks, and two men died ont of this
company, a third was drowned, and the
fourth was shot dead in a street brawl.
This made eleven men, and not another
company lost man.
In the first skirmish the company .cst
four men, while no other company had
man wounded It's 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 its men at one Yoliey. The first
lieutenant and third sergeant were two
Of the three. This made eighteen men,
and only one other company had lost a
man. Promotions were again made and
the regiment became engaged in battle.
Other companies mad men wounded, but
this one had FIVE killed. The first lieu
tenant and third sergeant were among
the number. This made the total TWEEN
ty-three. Not man had fallen sick but
to die. Not man had been hit except
to so down.
By this time the ill-luck of the COM
pany had become camp talk, and men
We're not ashamed to believe that there
was something strange and superstitious
about it. 1t was hard work to find men
who would take promotion, and three
of the rank and file We're 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
company.
A curious change now occurred. In
the next fight the company lost four
men. The first and fifth corporals We're
Two Of tnese. Within week these tw o
same positions We're vacant again In
six months five first and five fifth cor
porals were killed, while the first lieu
tenant and third sergeant we've not
scratched. Nor did it lose any ether
commissioned or non. commissioned off
GERS.
When this company has been reduced
to sixty-one men no other company had
less than ninety. Ten recruits joined
on Monday, and all We're killed in fight
on Thursday. In couple of weeks
seven more came, but in less than a
month death bad reduced the number
to sixty-one again. In fight in which
this fated company was purposely held
in reserve, the other nine companies had
fourteen men wounded and one killed
a rebel she'll fell into the midst of the
reserve and killed four men from the
one company. In two years it lost los
men, while no other company had lost
%. In its three years at the front it
never had a man wounded. Whoeve
was hit was killed on the spot 1t lost
more commissioned and non-commis-
stoned officers that any six companies
combined. 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 at
forty men. Twenty-three recruits were
added, and in three months more than
twenty men had either died Of sickness,
been captured or buried on the battle
field. When it 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.