The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-09-02
\ GRAND REUNION.
Meeting of the Veterans at Kala-
mazOO.---Gen. Berdan'S Address.

To THE EDITOR: In accord with the request
of those survivors of the Bcrdan SharpshOoters
who, after many years, assembled in Reunion
this week at Kalamazoo to meet and greet their
old commander, am to outline for your read
ers some Of the incidents Of the meeting. The
annual meeting of the Soldiers and Sailors
Reunion Association of Southwestern Michi-
gan began on the 18th inst. and closed on the
Goth, and has been one of unusual interest.
Rarely indeed has so large a gathering of vet
Grams and their friends been held in any State
since the close Of the war, 21 years ago About
5000 of the ex-soldiers and sailors OF Michigan
and between $4,000 and 10000 OF their citizen
friends were present on the second day. The
arrangements of the committees both of the
association and citizens, were complete and adj
mirably carried out. True, on the first day it
became necessary to effect some changes in the
commisSary department., owing to the fact that
more than twice as many veterans arrived in
camp than ever came before ON the first day :;
but this did not lessen the pleasure of the
guests, who filed the camp and overtlOWed on
all sides.
Among the many agreeable incidents of the
Reunion was the meeting, after more than %
years separation, between Gen. III. Berdan,
who % years ago organized and led the famous
regiment which bore his name, and about 40 of
the survivors of his old command, who gath
cred here from many States to meet him. The
scenes which occurred as train after train
brought the Scared veterans to camp defy de-
scription. They crowded around their stall
wart white haired ehieftain with such words
of cheer and welcome, such warmth OF greeting
as only comrades who have passed through the
furnace of war could give. There was no dis
tinctiOn between those who had at the front
worn straps or stripes or the private blouse all
were enthusiastic and of one accord in their
frank expressions of the pleasure it gave them
to meet once more. AlaSI not as of yore, for
none were unchanged, while many were so
strangely transformed from the 1.-the, vigorous
youths who went gaily forth in 81 to do battle
with secession at long range, that even the
fond eyes of old meSsuateS could scarcely recog-
nize them. But on the whole the meeting was
a very pleasant one. The salutatiOn of one
officer to another, g Why, Captain, if you were
q woman / would kiss you," raised shout,
and the familiar interchange of sentiment be-
tween the veteran Chief of SharpshOoters and
the men who who had followed him on many
hard-contested fields often gave rise to shouts
of laughter. For instance, when Gen. Berdan
explained to one man why he had ordered him
into the guard-house because live chicken
was found in his haversack, that You left the
chickens head on, my man, and he peeped.
could not stand that. The peeping of that
chicken was subyersive of all discipline, and
you were made an example of. Had you quiz
eted the fowl by removing his head there would
have been no trouble about it. Please to re-
member that next time" This grave chargs,
which was received By the culprit with puz-
zled look, but increased the merriment of his
comrades. hesong and jest which had done duty
years agone around eampfres kinded under
different circumstances were all eonned over,
"reminiscences were exchanged, the hour to
separate came all too soon, and all went away
feeling better and stronger for the meeting
might tell you of the sham battle on the
18th, which was wonderfully real for o sham
you See, the rebs were gritty, and did not fancy
being whipped, rs OF course they had to be- any
more than did the rebs OF yorel of the parades
and marchings, the sweet notes OF the bands
and drum corps, the mounting of guards the
attendance OF the usual row OF lugubriOus faces
at 'sick-call." The magnificent grafton of
Gen. Stewart L. Woodford, of New York, held
the vast audience for an hour as ii spellbOund.
On the 18th Gen. Berdan made his address,
which was listened to with the greatest atten-
ton by the veterans. We give 1T in full as fol-
lows:
MR. PRESIDENT AND COMRADES: Through your
kind invitation am an honored guest here to-day
at this, the eighth Reunion of the gallant soldiers
and sailors of the ever-Oyal State of Michigan for
which beg you TO accept my thanks. say hon
ored, for to me no greater honor could have been
conferred. This feeling you will readily UNDER
native state, rs i was brought here when but nine
years old and remained the most of the time for 20
years, and my brothers are still living here. For
these reasons never meet q person nom Michigan
or even hear her name pronounced, without bring
ing to mind not Only loved Ones but early ssocia-
tOns which will ever DE dear TO me.
When add to this the proud recolIectiOns of the
quick and full respCne she made to my call for
skilled rifemen for my Corps of SharpshooterS at
the breaking out of the civil war, my only regret
is that was not born in this State. / shall never
forget the kind and brOtherly feeling felt for these
men when they arrived NJ my camp of instruction
near Washington. From that moment 1 felt nv
the pride and love had for these skilled rifiemen
no offer of larger commands, with promotion, ever
tempted me.
From that moment we became a band of BROTH
ers, sworn to do and if necessary die together The
services they rendered our country during the 3S
enSagements large and small in which they par
tcipated, will ever be memory more dear to me
than any promotion which could have received.
1t Is highly gratifying to me TO know that the OH
GERS in the War and Ordnance Departments as well
in the army, refer to-day with pride to the fact
that they have (iu their little army of .. GEO
mem lSOO sharpshooters that up to the stand
ard Of craftsmanship established by me for our
corps. They say they will continue To give prizes
and medals, and hope in few years to have sew
eraI thousand that are up to the same standard
All this proves that the valuable services which
this corps rendered has created % passion in the
army to become sharpshOOters that will in time
more than quadruple its efficiency.
quarter of u century has passed away and
there still u few of these gallant soldiers left.
Some of them are here to-day; wish they were all
here, that i might take them by the hand and
thank them in person for the gallant deeds they
performed. Mr. President, il would be quite inn
possible for me to do Justice this occasion to the
valuable services rendered by these picked riflenen
from your State with their special arms. This must
be left for my history of the corps, which hope
will be published during the next II months.
When the gallant deeds of these brave men shall
have been made known feel sure that the ever
grateful State of Michigan, which furnished four
companies and many recruits TO this organization,
will show her appreciation by contributing hand
Washington 10 the memory Of those gallant OIL
GERS and men whose lives had to be sacrificed that
the Union might be preserved.
AIIcfresident, all Europe looked on with perfect
amaTment at tue enormous sacrifices We were
making in blood and treasure for what they called
abstract idea that of preserving our union
Of States for as they said, the Union was not only
to be divided but subtiVided: that this senti-
ment for the Union could never be sustain cd against
the strong sectional interests that existed This
enthusiasm for the Union II a point which have
been asked to explain very many times to high
officials III Europe during the pnst Is years. be-
leve never failed to satisfy them that there were
two fundamental principles adopted by the ma
jOrity of Americans, for which they were ready TO
make any sacrifice, and that this majority included
the educated. thinking men who had, they felt,
their all at stake In these general principles. One
was the so-called Monroe doctrine, which forever
forbids any European power from obtaining foot
hold on this continent; and the other is that the
Union shall never be dissolved.
IL was not difficult to make them see the impor-
lance of these principles, but il very difficult
for them to understand why or how the majority of
the people were willing To sacrifice their all their
lives even in the defense of these principles Here
comrades. as explained To them, Just the diff
ference between Americans and Europeans. The
Americans feel that they sovereign, and are
therefore responsible TO their children and descend