Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-10-03

| Ios', pfhuu pulI, Miss TOrt tlDSOn, MISS
Champion Hills, Miss. Black River Bride
Miss assaults on Vicksburg, May 10 and 2.
1863; forty-seven days siege OF Vicksburg
its surrender, July 4, 1863; eleven day
siege and battles OF Jackson, Miss; all er
gagements under Banks in his first campaig
Ia Western Louisiana, toward Red River
capture of Fort Gaines, Mobile Bay sieg
and capture OF Fort Morgan, Gulf Of Mexico
siege and capture of Spanish Fort, Ala. ca.
ture of Mobile, Ala; and assault ? nd captur
OF Blskesley, Ala. 1, served under General
Grant, Sherman, Buell., Lew Wallace, Gordo
Granger, McClernand, Ord, A. J. Smith
Cauby. Banks, franklin, Lawler, Judah, Bur
bridge, Landrum, Arnold, Q. A. Gilmore
and others.
The battery entered the service with l5
men, and TO fill the ranks depleted by death
discharge and transfer, 2si names were adde,
to its rolls, making a total of 44O. OF tbi
number l5S returned for "muster out" max
ing the loss In the three years service b,
death and otherwise, 2s2. While 10 tie ser
vice the Battery fired over $4,000 rounds o
ammunition in engagements with the enemy
By joiut resolution the Ohio legislature, il
1863, rendered the thanks of that body, ant
of the people of Ohio, to the 7th Ohio Bat
terry, tor distinguished services and braver,
In the battle OF Arkansas Post" and II wa.
honorably mentioned in the official reports Of
Generals A. j. Smith, Jno. A. McClernand
5. q. Burbridqe, Wsshburne, and Col. Owen;
by the last named "for special and valuable
service in the battle of Grand Coteau." The
handful left of this organization have met a,
this reunion to talk of the days gone by
and recall memories Of our dead comrades
We have come here to meet 10 social re-
union, to talk over the scenes of the past
That we are permitted to come together,
in health and strength, after the lapse OF
80 many years-to recount the incl
dents OF those hours OF trial and
| danger shared together; events and ex peri
ences that can never be effaced from memory
is cause for deep ,hankiulness. While
sitting among you here tonight. the question
has come to me: why are we--the small
handful left of those who nearly twenty -four
years ago went forth in the vigor of youth
and lite to battle Tor Right and Jusice-whv
are we spared to enjoy these reunions while
others, more worthy, perhaps, to live have
been taken away. Thanking a good and
kind Providence for life and health, believing
II is our duty to enjoy with keen relish and
deep feeling of gratitude the blessinga be-
slowed; yet deem it our most sacred duty
to pause in the midst OF our social pleasure
and drop "ior remembrance" leaf Of
rosemary and the tear of friendship upon the
names of those gallant soldiers and true COM
rades OF the 10th and 18th Ohio Batteries
who have joined the "noble army" the
"grand army" Of patriots and martyrs called
to 'rest' by the last bugle sound OF the grea
Commander, who "has b4en from the begin
ing aud II be to The end" You see the
names tn r., upon this "Roll of Honor" OF
the l1b, Hunt. Clarke, Tuttle, Thatcher,
Strayer. Frey, Mahar, John futile, Davis,
Gowdy, Shipman, King and many Others, tor,
alas the list is long one.
They were with US in the wearisome march
through Kentucky; in the dismal aud bitter
days in Tennessee; on the transports decend-
ing the Mississippi, whose guards were daily
aud nightly crowded with the dead ami
whose cabins were almost hourly filled with
the prayers of the dying; poor sufferers,
passing into the portals of death with parched
lips and scorching with fever, they were with
US up the poisonous Yazoo, and in the desc
late swamps at Young's Point, La. In the
''march around Vicksburg" with brave hearts
they cheered the fOo,-sore and weary ones;
they ministered to the sick and wounded iu
the campaign in Louisiana toward Red
River; and never faltering "stood by the
guns" under the terrible FIRE poured upon
us a. Fort Morgan and at Spanish Fort. Up
on our banners and upon our tombstonss With
pride we ipscribe, "Chickasaw," "Youug's
Point" "Grand Gulf" Port Gibson, "Chan-
pion Hills" "Black River" "vicksburg,"
jackson" "Grand Cotesu," "Fo,t Morgan"
Spanish Fort" 'Bakesley," and mobile"
Other names OF battles and engagements
could be added, but these are enough. They
show that the service OF our dead comrades
and OF the 18th Battery was sin the midst of
the tray These comrades, "the heroic dead"
stood by our side in the long and weary
march; they exalted themselves by their self
denial; they were generous. and kind, aud
tender in their friendship; they were brave
and fearless, yet courteous and forgiving to
the enemy; they went into the army not tor
glory, but to save the country; they fought
tor the "old flag" that flag which waved in
triumph and victory over the lion OF King
George at Yorktown; that flag which Hosted
beautifully, serenely, sweetly bat in triumph
and victory over rebels and traitors at Vcks-
burg, Gettysburg, and Appomattox; that flag
which, to the soldier who fought tor the
Union against the most despicable and cruel
rebellion ever known in the history of the
world, is the symbol of all that is true, noble,
good and lofty; that flag which dying SOL
diers in the Union army with their last breath
kissed and blessed; that flag, the stars OF
which seem brighter, the blue OF which seems
deeper and the stripes more crimson because
its folds wave today, not over battle-6elds,
aud marching divisions, and glistening guns
and gloomy batteries, but over brothers,
gathered in peaceful communion and bound
by ties which only soldiers can know and
feel. Fighting tor this beautiful and glorious
banner, and dying for it, our comrades won
impershable renown for themselves and for
the grand old state (Ohio) which they rep
resented. They need no eulogy from
me. Their achievements tell in ST.
lent eloquence their own glorious history.
No cannon's sound, or bugle note, or "whist-
ling minnie can wake them. They are
sleeping their last, long sleep with the many
thousand who, like them, have gone to the
spirit land. Peace to the gallant dead
Eternal gratitude to our heroes!
"For SO sleep the byai dead,
Who seek TO rest
With all their country's wishes blest."
Comrades Richards and Garfield informed
me that | was to talk here tonight, and
when asked friend Richards what should
say, telling him that was not speech
maker, he said, 40 tell US about the girl you
left behind you" | confess that when |
boarded the train at the depot OF the Lake
Erie, Mad River Il Dayton railroad, as it was
then called, over yonder somewhere In the
rear Of the Catholic church, on High street,
on that, to me, eventual day in August, 1862,
AZ the train slowly pulled out taking US to
the war;" did, with a sad heart, leave "a
girl behind me-" was but z years old, and
like most boys OF that age, had a sweetheart,