Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-04-20
REMINISCENSESO OF REV. MYRON
w. REEDS ARMY LIFE.


river at Decatur, Alabama, and while
the train waited twenty minutes for sup
per, went over the battlefield, where,
in November, 1864, Granger for time
held at bay, with six thousand men, the
thirty thousand men commanded by
Hood. | went over the part of the field
occupied by the Eighteenth Michigan
infantry, and as thought of that regi-
ment, could not but recall an acquain-
tance who was in it, Captain Myron W.
Reed, who commanded company |. The
regiment had a history. | first knew oe
it at Lebanon. Kentucky, when | was
leaving for the South. The officers and
men were all aboltionists, and, while in
camp near the city, had absorbed from
the surrounding farms large number or
quantity of that peculiar kind of proper
ty designated by General Butler as con
traband of war" When the regiment
was ordered South the negroes got ready
to go with it, but they were claimed by
citizens, under McClellan's order And
not only were the contrabands claimed,
but several free negroes, likely " fellows
who had accompanied the regiment from
Michigan, were spotted by the Kentucky
gentlemen. Among this latter class was
a servant of Captain Reed, who had ac-
companied him from the North. AS the
kentucky masters accompanied the pro-
vost marshal through the camp they
would point out the negroes whom they
claimed, and the guard at once forced
them to fall in. Protests were unavail-
ing, no evidence was heard against the
statement of the man who claimed the
negro. The thing worked well until
they reached company |, and ordered
Captain Reeds servant to fall in, and
then the Captain began to explain that
the man was a freeman from Michigan,
had never been a slave, and offered
proofs, but not the least attention was
paid to his explanations Marching up
to the officer of the guard, he said
That man who claims my servant as
his slave is liar. He never saw the
man before, and you cannot take him
from my camp, and | will not allow any
man to stay in my company quarters who
is infamous enough to claim as slave a
free man."
Nor did he, for he fell upon the claim
ant and kicked him beyond the limits of
! his quarters. No man could tell why it
! resulted so, but in less than minute
the provost guard and the Kentucky
gentlemen were fleeing fer their lives be-
fore the enraged Michiganders. This
was mutiny General Nelson issued an
order to the regimental commander,
which reached him as his men were be.
ing loaded on the cars, directing him to
eXpel every negro from his command, and
to send Captain Reed under arrest to his
headquarters. The Colonel refused to
obey the order, and Colonel Manson s
regiment (the Tenth Indiana) with other
troops and two pieces of artillery, were
rushed down to the depot to suppress the
mutiny. By the time we reached there
every soldier in the ranks understood the
cause of the mutiny, and in few minutes
the Michigan boys knew that we would
not fire on them with ball, no matter what
order was given. But General Nelson
thought better of the matter when he
saw that the Michiganders would fight
for the position they had taken, and he
allowed them to depart, and take with
them about fifty able bodied slaves, who
from that day on were free men. And
Captain Reed went with his company.
In June, 1868, was detailed at head
quarters Department of the Cumberland,
IN the Provost Marshal Generals depart
ment. The Eighteenth Michigan was
on duty at Nashville as provost guards.
Capt. Reeds company was detailed for
the especial work Of patrolling the streets
and preserving order, duty which made
the Captain sort Of chief of police and
detectives, and he did some as neat work
in that line as was ever done anywhere.
Capt Reed had passion for billiards,
and whenever he could get an hour from
duty he was at the billiard table. In time
his fame as a player extended through
the army, and crack players in the service
would always hunt him up when in
Nashville. On one occasion an officer,
who had been a student with Reed, came
to Nashville, and, after finishing his duty,
concluded to stretch his orders one day
and tackle the Captain at his favorate
game. They met, and at it they went.
L happened to be a looker-on Reeds
friend had just coaxed the balls into a
corner, and was on big run, when who
should come in but the fancy staff Cap
tain, whose duty it was to examine
the papers of officers in the city, and,
found there without them, to arrest
and send the officer to headquarters
Now, it happened that this Captain was
universally detested in Nashville. He
had never seen days duty in the field,
having been appointed by some politi-
clan, but he had an unerring guide to
the officer from the front in his Drowned
face and rusty uniform.
When the fellow came into the billiard
room he went straight to the officer, who
was just ready to make a shot, when
Reed said:
"That's all right, Captain the Lieu
tenant is with me-.
Yes, know he is with you, but his
leave is necessary to make it all right" }"
said the Captain.