Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-08-23

Inc toiiowlng letter was read at the l4th
annual reunion of the Third Me. Reg't As
'ociation at Oakland. August l6, 1888. 1t
explains itself:
BATTLEFIELD Fruit FARM,
GETTfsBURG, Pa, Aug. IA, 1888.
LIEUT.. IL. A. JOHNSON
Dear Sir-In compliance with your request
OF July "a, and also promise of my mother,
! forward to you by this mornings express
tlree crates Of ripe peaches in the patent ripe
Iruit crate, for your reunion, grown on the his
toric Peach Orchard the most advanced no.
'ition OF the Union lines, with a single ex-
ception, during the three days battle at
gettysburg % years ago.
This orchard was occupied bv Sickle's
Corps, and just where this fruit was grown
was where your regiment, the Sd Ne In
fantry, had its fiercest encounter with the
enemy; where you lost many men, and the
blood of your command baptized the earth and
enriched and hallowed this field for all time
The single exception" just referred to as to
more advanced position (than that occupied
by your corps as corps than my peach
orchard, was the position occupied and held
BY your regiment, the Sd Me-, when you
were ordered with small body of sharp
shooters on the early morning of July I'd
before the deadly work of the afternoon by
your corps in my orchard. Your instruc-
tons were to find out the position of the
enemy, who were supposed to be in a thick
wood in your front about one-half mile in
advance of the line of battle held by Sickles
men, find out his force, if possible, and
fall back to the orchard again. You know
how well you did your work under the COM
mand of your brave Colonel, for you engaged
a portion of Longstreet's Corps of ten times
your number, fought him forty minutes, and
then fought your way back to your com nand
IN fair order, but with quite loss of men,
and this spot where you made this stand is
conceded by both friend and foe as the most
advanced spot reached by Union soldiers on
the left of your line during this three days
struggle. The position occupied by the Sd
Corps in my orchard being SO advanced and
isolated made it one of extreme peril, and
Longstreet, who saw the position. thought he |
could break your Division by a concentrated
hre of artillery and then crush you out of
existence by his vast number of infantry and |
If his plans worked he hoped, he would be |
master of the situation, and have an almost |
unobstructed road open to the key of the |
position, Big and Little Round Tops, then
but feebly protected. The result is we'll |
known, for the plan was carried out as ar
ranged, and after as severe a contest as vet |
eran men ever saw by force of superior num-
bers your men were Obliged to retire from the |
orchard. just here is where the work of |
Sickles came of value. Not only had he |
killed and wounded hundreds of Longstreet's |
men, but he had delayed the advance of this
fighting body of Southerners so long that it |
had given Meade time to hurry up troops for |
the protection of the Round Tops, and when
LOngstreet attempted to take the positions he |
there found foe worthy of his steel where
he had expected to find only few and weak
ened body of soldiers. Here the battle again |
waged hot and fierce. II was give and take |
first in favor of the blue then the gray, but
at last the beaten but honOrably defeated foe |
sullenly falls back to the EmLitsburg Road |
and the days fighting on this part of the line
is over. My house, as you know, is situated |
on this road and midway between both lines
and the marks of both Yankee and rebel shot |
and shell are yet freely seen on the walls and |
trees.
| did not intend to give you history of
this fight, but in mentioning the position, the
location of your regiment and the birth place
of the peaches, it has grown into long letter
which no doubt has tried your patience.
But to return to the peaches. | have used
the patent ripe fruit carries, and hope to have
time tor your reunion. Would like you to
write me as soon as you have opened them
and state their condition.
Wishing you all, though strangers, happy
reunion, am very respectfully yours
JNo. l.. SHERFAY,
Battlefield Fruit Farm, Gettysburg, Pa.
At the banquet held in the pavilion F. W
Haskell presided. The address of welcome
was delivered by J. Wesley Gilman, chair
man of the Board of Selectmen. The fol-
lowing were the toasts and responses
"The Third Me. Regiment; its Battles for
the Union" Col. NJ. b. Lakeman, Maiden,
Mass
Twenty fifth Anniversary of the Battle
of Gettysburg" Maj, ID. +. Parsons, Med.
Director Dept of Maine, G. A. r., Oakland,
Maine.
The Grand Army of the Republic" A.
S Bangs, Augusta.
The Army of the Potomac" G. W,
Gouldng, Oakland.
The festivities were interspersed with sing
ing by Is children, and music by the Oakland
band of % pieces.
The following resolution was unanimously
adopted at the banquet of the Association:
Resolved. That our thanks are due to John
l.. Sherfay, Esq, of Gettysburg, Pa, for his
donation of three crates of peach
es grown on the identical ground on which
our regiment engaged the enemy on July I'd,
1868, and which has so much contributed to
the success of this reunion.
The following bill of fare was served at the
banquet;
COMRADES WELCOME.
We drank from the same canteen,
Now eat from free cuisine
Then smoke till clouds intervene,