The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-05-29

l. Corporal of X, Thos. Il. Helm, of X! j.
Bennett, of X, James Trip, of X, Rob
/ Bradley, of X, II. f, MeGill, of X, (Stey
G ard at Winder HospitaD Il. Watkins of Il
4 Samuel Virden, of X, Marion Smith, of i
y L. @. Catchings, of X, Il. NJ. Scott, OF Il
u Harris Barksdalc, of X. All companic
y represented.
2lst REGIMENT.
f FIELD AND STAFF.-B. G. Humphric,
Colonel, Goo. X. Birchett, Adiutant; j. W
McNeely, ,Sergcant-Maior II. Kost, Buglel
4 LINE-Jas. W. Beatty, Company A, W
IL. Barnett of A, Jas. IL. King, of A; W
E j. Jackson, of Z: j. p. Mills, list Leuter
$ ant of II, }. B. Hughes of II, Winfield !
Black, of IL, &. W. Cummings, of II I
E Il. Sloan, LIST Lieutenant of |.
Companies c, ID, Il, q, X and l. not req
resented. This regiment was organized
with eleven companies. Company wa
= transferred to the 4Sth regiment, conSc
, qucntly the regiment had no company o
that letter.
After the conclusion Of the roll call
Gen. Humphreys, the Chairman, arost
and addressed the meeting. 1t hat
been put down in the programme, he
said, that he would read the history
of the brigade, but while his old brig
ade had many promising men in it
there were some who promised more
than could be performed. And the
man who made the programme fol
this reunion, was one who promised
rather too much. 1t was true that he
had written history Of the operations
of this brigade, but there was enough
of it to make good sized book, and
unless his comrades were provided
with II weeks rations, it would, per-
haps be better not to commence it,.
| The brave old man then ran rapidly
over the leading exploits of the brigade,
dwelling with much feeling on the
engagement at Gettysburg, where the
heroic and beloved Barksdale fell
under the most brilliant of all the
achievements of the brigade during
the whole war. Gen. Humphreys
spoke with a voice somewhat impaired
by long silence, and broken here and
there, by the emotion which shakes
the nerves of the strong man, as the
scenes and recollections of the war
rushed upon him. He was listened
to with Il grave-like silence, and over
that audience of stout-hearted men
there were eyes that could not push
back the tears that would ooze out.
When Gov. Humphreys ceased
speaking several gorgeous and hand
some bouquets We're sent to the stand,
arranged and presented by the fair
hands of our ladies, which were re-
ceived with tender and eloquent ac
acknowledgements. Gen. Catchings, in
behalf OF the Burt Rifles, made a
graceful acknowledgement of the re
ceplion Of magnificent bouquet pre-
scnted to that company.
The Chairman announced that while
the war was in order, he did a good
deal of bossing over the boys; now
the tables were turned, and the boys
were disposed to order him to stand
and deliver. However, on this occa-
sion he meant to go back to the articles |
of war, and command again. "Tom
Woods let's hear what you have to
report Numbered the President
Capt. T. II. Woods, of Meridian, the
popular man and the strong lawyer of
the East, rose promptly to his feet in
to the command. But he |
could not speak. There Were times,
he said, when the heart refused to re- \
cogniZe the office of mere words. He
was glad to be here, proud Of his right
to be a member Of this body of sur
viying remnants, happy in the thought
that he got out of the scrape with
whole body, but further than that he
would not pursue the subiect,-there
was something in his throat that chok-
ed out all the words in his vocabulary.
He insisted that he had bad cold
that made his voice culver like FOOLS
ON account Of which he couldn't
ak clear. His heart went out to his
but he did his level best
lu ing the remarks Of the Chairman,
IS that revered old chief briefly retro
'pcc'cd the history Of the brigade, to
maintain the dccency AID dignity of
lis manhood, but had to confess that Z
ne broke down in the effort. The !
Grave and good old man, who was
o this brigade all that Washing
on was to the original colonists, first
II war, first in peace, and first in the
leartS Of his comrades, had, perhaps, ;
vi bout intending it, rashly pulled !,
side the veil which concealed his =
OWardice, and exposed him in all of ,
lis childish weakness. He was not t
bic to respond. "Call somebody else" '
1t was little singular, but the voice
4 the gray-haired chairman also be-
raycd a bad cold, and he found diff
ulty in cnunciating with clearness.
However, he overcame the obstacle, =
nd cal ed out in the tone of authority t
-" Where's the Sergeant-Major ~ t
IN CHANGING at the door he discovered L
man who was trying to get out, as O
he was thirsty, or thought he had
THOUGH.
" stop that man, ordered the COM :
handler. "There must be no deserters
ere to-day" i
And that man WAS according y stop
!, and brought forward to face the Il
lusic. r.
" The Scrgeant-Major will now pro- :;
ed t. make hi. report" commanded =
le General. =
Tim Il. Cooper, Esq, of Copiah, a Il
IAN whose youthfulappearance would
lrdly Justify the supposition that he Il
$50 TO the rank oi Sergeant Major in "
lc late war, yielded with grace to
lc inevitable, and spoke of the
arches, countcr-marchcs, bivouacs,
an ~ lii, l.,