The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1888-04-26
Fall in, Fourteenth Maine.


glad to see that the Old 14th Maine Regiment
took some part in ihe late war of the rebellion.
During the years past. since the war, have
read sketches, from time to time, of the en-
pots of almost every other Maine regiment
but never a word of the gallant old 1ith. |
bers OF that regiment are widely scattered and
another is that the soldiers of that organization
We're noted for their modesty. However, Lieut..
Roberts. from his adopted Eome in the west. has
set the ball in motion. and now comrades lets
keep it moving. In Lincoln county it is gen
eray supposed that the 10Th Maine did all the
fighting. In Knox county the eighth Maine is
credited with putting down the rebellion. |
am now glad to know that the prospect looks
clear to prove that it was really the Fourteenth
Maine that caused the cessation of hostilties.
Seriously, the letters of Lieut.. Roberts and
Prof. Bateman will wake responsive chord in
the breast of every survivor of the old "Four-
tecnth," who reads them. The deeds and dc
ings of those days. unless called to mind i'm
some such manner. will soon become but misty
memories. Prof. Rateman's recollections of
that 'scnscle>s march from Savannah to Au-
gusta in the spring of 20, accor,!s exactly with
mine. During the first DAYS march parted
with everything but my canteen and rubber
blanket The Prof. does not fully describe
that first night at Sisters Ferry. 1t didn't rain
1T poured. Too tired to get myself any sup
per. | swallowed dry ''hard tack" cured
myself into as small compass as possible.
spread over myself my rubber blanket. and
slept the sleep of exhaustion until next morn
ing. shades of Mars. how did feel when |
aWokc. My blanket | found rolled into a
small wad. some distance away. while was as
completely parhoed by the pelting rain as the
proverhial army bean. 1t wasn't the least bit
of fun. However we struggled through this.
and succeeding similar experiences. and it has
why we did not all die then and there | rec
oilect Lieut.. Roberts well. but doubtless he has
forgotten me, a> | was one of a large number
of 'green" boys, and was assigned to Go. 'D"
just before we came home, having previously
served in Co. Sc" Lieut.. John T.. Kelley of
Co. Sc" now residing at Boothbay. Me-. was
another of those officers whose promotion to
very patient man and on this account was de
tailed to drill the awkward squad. There We're
siXty-ive recruits in that squad. and one of
them, think, was red headed. Lieut. Kelley
Is now the efficient sheriff of Lincoln county. a
fine and genial gentleman, and looks scarcely a
somehow gives the impression that Batelnan.
when i'll the army. was green and red headed.
Time has ripene1 Bateman and his hair is now
a rich dark shade of auburn. He wears Il fero-
cious mou>tache. and is rs tonguey As he ever
was, if not more He is one of Waldo
county's prominent men. As previously stat
ed, the survivors of the fourteenth regiment
are widely scattered. Col. :. W. Porter
0soot>) is 1t thriving lawyer in Boston, Mass;
Col. 4. X. Boan is in New York city; Capt.
Crowel is dead: Capt. Fowler is in Camden;
but most of the officers and men are lost o uIy
knowledge. Where. oh where is Barney"
and the man whose ''namc j. Palmer" and
other rcgimcnta celebrities: | should dearly
like to hear from them all. But | believe
was called on to give some "reminiscences of
our march through Georgia. | will tell of an
accident which happened 1T Augusta, ga. lar-
ing our soiourn there. We were q,,artcrcd in
what was formerly L. :. arsenal. near
which WAS a well, dug by the government
before the war. The location was on ">and
iIill. and the well was lfl feet in lcpth,
framed up inside instead of being walled.
owing to quickSand Al The bottom. over thi,
well was built a we'll house, nearly rs can
r,,.. nI,
curb was built around it. and winda>> Wa,
used to draw the water. with arms at both
ends, and half barrel of water was drawn at
a time, requiring the eNertion of four men. \
guard was constantly on duty there. to prevent
the men from washing near the well. and 10
see that no impurities We're impaired to the
water. One day, think about MAY %. while
the regiment was on dress parade. his well
suddenly 'raNed in" completely buryin- Tho
well house and everything around ii and within
IT.. The soldier on duty AS guard one uf the
cooks, and three negroes who We're drawing
water at the time. We're buried in that awful
vortex. how deep we never knew. | was
within two rods of the well when the ciltastru-
phc happened. As quick As a lash of light.
party drawing water. nothing remained but Il
hole in the ground, some two rods in diameter.
and shaped like Il tunHe. The name of the
soldier on guard was Dow. | think: from what
part of the state he came. never knew. This |
was one of the sad events of that trip.
We have also many pleasant memories Of
that time. am ong which the capture of in
pi">. chickens and w0iNIWciDh> are
prominent. might 90 on and write Of our
trip to Darien. Ga. and of our stay there,
where at one time nearly the whole regiment
was under the charge of Surgeon Sweat. And
here let me put in Il word for that Grand old
man. who has since laid down lfe'S burden
surgeon j. l.. Sweat was one of the htst
men ever knew. Gruil in manner the terror
of bummcrs, he was yet kind hearted. and to
many poor homcsick boy has his kind and
cheerful words done more good than medicine
lie died some two years ago. at Minneapolis. |
The comrades of the old .'Fourtcentl" will |
keep his memory green.
But, Mr.. Editor. must not tel! it all. So
viii leave the ''hoor' for my successor, who
will probably be Il better arrator than |.
should like to tell the story of how Bate
man captured the BoloQna sausnge and oRioaS.
but fear that it might injure his political pros
poets. Like Comrade Roberts. | have the name
Republican indelibly written on my heart. and
these recolectonS serve to imprint it still more
deeply there. Fall in. Fourteenth Maine.
Il. S. ROWDEN.