Morning journal and courier., 1890-09-04
DINE ANprALk.

by Many Prominent Guesss oA~ Comrades.
 Under the long white tent upon the lawn before Hills homestead at Savin Rock was a large gathering of the veterans of the Twenty-seventh regiment, C.. V., with their wives, daughters and friends l yesterday afternoon. It was the annual reunion of this regiment and some two hundred people sat about the two long banquet tables. A short business meeting was held in the forenoon. The regiment was composed chiefly of men from New Haven and includes many prominent ,citi- zens among it's members. President E. H. Darlington sat at the head of the tables and about him were Mayor Peck, Governor Merwin, ex-Mayor Miles of Meriden, Postmaster N. D. Sperry, and Colonel R. s. Bostwick of Brooklyn.
 After the annual report had been van quished, President Darlington began the speech-making with few appropriate wrods of welcome to his comrades.
 Lieutenant Governor s. E. Merwin, the first speaker, expressed his thanks for be- ing made 8 member of the association and only regretted that he could not have been with them twenty-five years ago at the front You have been fighting since, he continued, the battles of life which, in many respects, resemble the battles of war. Men fall by the wayside and meet all sorts of troubles. But we finally must all surrender and we are thankful that this final surrender is to one omnipotent in mercy and kindness. I know we are all loyal to ourselves and to Connecticut. Teach your children loyalty and rear them up as good men as yourselves. There are peculiar ties which binds me to the Twen- ty-seventh and you are all dear to my heart
 Postmaster N. D. Sperry was next intro duced. Not being member of the regi- ment, he supposed he had no right to call those around him Comrades" but he al- most felt ashamed of himself because he couldn't. He was not soldier. He was one of the home guard, he declared. He was thankful that the regiment had been united in one solid phalanx around the stars and stripes against the stars and the bars. He not only likes those who main tained the honor and the glory of the flag, but likes their descendants as we'll. He liked to hear old soldiers talk of their ex- ploits and adventures. It is joyful thing to see you all here and enjoying the glori- ous union of the states, he continued We now have forty-four of them. The whole continent is ours. We are spreading out. joy the prosperity you deserve.
 Ex-Mayor Wallace Miles of Meriden, said he did not attend regimental unions often and felt like a stranger, but he was pleased to see so many of his comrades to- gether and blessed so abundantly with prosperity He was sure that the mem bers of the regiment had become as good and valuable citizens as they had been soldiers.
 Mayor Peck of this city spoke interest ingly of the first battle in which he par ticipated, that of Fredricksburg. He said he puts three rounds of ammunition in his gun before the first shot, He was uncer- tain whether the gun did more execution at the breech or at the muzzle and at an- other time he put his ramrod into his gun and fired it. He gave it as his opinion that some rebel is now running around with this ramrod sticking through him. He turned to the recent G. A. R. gathering in Boston and said he noticed that the old soldiers were growing gray and feeble and that it would not be long before their number would be greatly diminished.
 Colonel Bostwick was greeted with much enthusiasm. He presumed the good feeling manifest everywhere among his comrades was due to that forgiving dispo- sition which is due to age. The petty grievances of camp life have been forgot ten. That comrade who borrowed an others canteen of water and forgot to re- turn it has been forgiven. The inadvert- ences of the commissary and of the quar- termaster have also been forgiven. He hoped this forgiving disposition would continue as long as the regiment contin- ued to meet.
 Captain Ira s. Beers was introduced as one who always made excuses. He said he would only say that he had enjoyed the day immensely and hoped to enjoy many | more like it. '--,----.
 Major Cowles, ths- resinaentel quarter master, was introduced as another who had been forgiven. He said he was ready te be forgiven and was ready to forgive ths man who had stolen his canteen of whisky While we are willing to forgive each other he continued, we should cultivate spirit | of unselfishness and I think this should bt the keynote of this regiment. We art banded together to take care of each other | The first thing every man in this regiment should do, if he has not done it, is to joi1 the Grand Army. I think this regiment should also have fund. If any man il the regiment is in need, know and yo, know that he will not suffer if we can hell him.
 Mieutenant Van Wooster was called upol but he had gone.
 Adjutant Paterson told how the regi
 ment had saved its colors at Chancellors
 vile. He and Colonel Bostwick becam
 separated from their men during the ex ploit and they asked General Hancock
 whom they met, where their regiment was "The rest of your regiment has gone t. h-l," was the answer, "and you can ge into line just where you wish" Genera Hancock meant that the regiment ha, gone to Richmond, but the two place were then considered synonamous.
 ''If was in the habit of talking" char acteristically began Assessor c. A. Bald win, the next speaker, 'I would rathe talk to you than to any othe body of men I know off He remarke that he had heard it said that men enliste in the latter part of the war because the
 received large bounties. This, he was sure
 was not the reason why any one of tn Twenty-seventh had enlisted. The reaso of this regiments existence was because ii members had faith in the government an in the institutions of the country. The were willing to sacrifice home and forum for generations to come. The next lesso I would draw, he continued, is that ( charity and forgiveness, which have bee so forcibly presented here this afternoon I would build the three words, faith, hop and charity up into a monument abor
 which our lives in the future may | clustered.
 Comrade Stiles Woodruff of Orange sue
 gested change in the next years reunion
 He extended an invitation to the member
 of the regiment to hold their next reunio
 in Orange He said there were but fe
 members of the Twenty seventh in Orane
 but they would give rousing reception
 their comrades.
 Assessor Baldwin made 8 motion tn, this invitation be accepted and it WI ], unanimously with thanks,
 Comrade Russell of Orange made fe
 remarks in which he expressed pleasu1
 at the selection of Orange as the place
 the next reunion.
 Dr. Henry, the regimental physician , also spoke few words.
 Among those at the reunion were Colon
 Richard s. Bostwick and family of Brool : lyn, President E. H. Darlington of Naug tuck, Secretary Charles A. Bollman 3 New Haven, Major Theodore Byxbee : Meriden, Moses Thomas, w. w. Price, w. Hastings of New Haven, w. ' , Holmes of Meriden, Charles Paden
 Wallingford, William Barnes of P
 Island, who sailed over in his naptl
 launch, with Mrs. Bostwick, wife of Cc : onel Bostwick.
 , Ofhcer Tighe,s Vigilance. I A lady living in the western part of u : city dropped pocketbook containi,
 about $10 on Church street, near Char
 street, yesterday morning, and it was ],
 covered through the vigilance of Ofic 2 Tighe. This officer espied an urchin sly making off with the lost pocketbook. ]