Sharp County record., 1880-11-25
Fate, or What ?

Fates or hlat
No historian of the war will ever
write of companies and battaions, and
the strange fate which followed a com.
pany of infantry attached to regiment
from Michigan need not be looked fO
in history, although it would make an
interesting page in any work.
The company was mustered into Sery'
ice 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 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 sever
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 more men died
out of this company, a third wa
| drowned and the fourth was shot dead
in a street brawl. This made clever
men, and not another company had lost
q man.
4 In its first skirmish the company lost
! four mem wtrifr-no other sornpany ssa 7
a man wounded. Its First Lieutenani
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 its men at one volley The
First Lieutenant and Third Sergeant
were two of the three. This mads
eighteen men, and only one other com
pany had lost a man. Promotions wer
again made, and the regiment becam
engaged in battle. Other cOmpanie
had men wounded, but this one had
five killed. The First Lieutenant and
Third Sergeant were among the mum
Der. This made the total twenty-three
Not a man had fallen sick but to die
Not man had been hit except tog
down.
By this time the ill-luck of the CON
pany had become camp talk and me-
were not ashamed to believe that then
was something strange and superSl
tious about it. 1t was hard work to lin:
men who would take promotion AM
three of the rank and file were so uH
hammered that they deserted. Out OIL
loss of twenty-seven men in the reg
ment up to this time twenty-siX ha
been from one company.
A curious change now occurred.
its next fight the company lost toG
men. The First and Fifth CorporS
were two of these. Within wee
these two same positions were vacaA
again. In six months five First I'D
five Fifth CorpOrals were killed, VIM
the First Lieutenant and Third Se
geant were not scratched. Nor did
lose any other commissioned or no'
commissioned officers.
When this company had been =
duced to sixty-one men no other co.,
pany had less than ninety, Ten recru
joined it on Monday and all were klD'
in fight on Thursday. In a coupe
weeks seven more came, but IN ls
than month death had reduced Y
number to sixty-one again. In ny
in which this fated company was
posely held in reserve, the other n,
companies had fourteen men wound,
and one killed. A rebel shell fell "
the midst of the reserve and killed ~
men from the one company. In
years it lost 1853 men, while no o'G
company had lost twenty-five. III
three years at the front it never na1
man wounded. Whoever was hit
killed on the spot. 1t lost my
commissioned and non-commlsSlop
officers than any six companies co
bined. In one year the man who W.
out as Fourth Corporal was First ",
tenant and dead and almost forgo.s
For three months the company S%
at forty men. Twenty-three recls
were added and in three months pS
twenty men had either died Of SICKLE
been captured or buried on the oa,
field. When it was decided to JON
company with another not one oi
nine would consent and when ~
been reduced to thirty.eight men ~
transferred to headquarters to 90 g.
J,,t, nof4oJt HTp1 Nv