The Portland daily press., 1890-08-19
THE GALLANT SEVENTEENTH.
veterans Of Famous Maine Regl-
ment Hold their Reunion.

veterans Of Famous Maine Regl-
ment Hold their Reunion.
The twenty-eigbth anniversary of muster
IN" Of the Seventeenth Maine Regiment was
held at he Ottawa House. Cushine's Island
last event pg. Members of the regimental
association went to the island at various
times during the day. finally getting together
In business meeting in the early evening in
one of the parlors. The secretary read the
annual report. The treasurer submitted his
report showing balance in his hands Of
S68.25. The report of the committee on
monument at Gettysburg stated that the
historical tablet presented by the state COM
mittee has been cast in bronze and is ready
to be forwarded to Gettysburg. Measures
were taken looking to the erection of tablet
at the mound occupied by the regiment July
8, 1868, while supporting batteries engaged
In the repulse of Picket's charge.
The necrologist of the association Geo. w.
Yerrill submitted the following report:
Zenas S. Chase. private Company l. FEB.
Amos G. Winter, corporal Company d, a
few years after the close of the war.
Frederick n Wilkinson, corporal Com
pany A, about July, 1889. 'est
1889. -
James g. Sturgis. assistant surgeon, Oct.
16, 1889.
Henry L. BARRELS, first lieutenant Com
pany f, Dec. 6, 1889.
The following were elected officers for the
ensuing year. president, Colonel Edward
Moore; vice presidents, Major William
ii. Green, Captain Jno. c. Perry
necrologlst, Captain George W. Verrill /;
secretary and treasurer, Captain James w.
Webb; directors, Adjutant Charles W.
Roberts. Seth B. Day, Quartermas.er
Sergeant, Charles W. Richardson.
at 7.3O the comrades drew up in line and
to patriotic music by the orchestra they fell
10 in the rear of the guests and marched to
the dining room. The following members
and guests enjoyed the bountiful repast
gracefully served in the private dining room
adjoining the large dining hall:
Col. Edward Moore and Mayor Melcher and wife.
wife, Richard Abbott and wife,
R. G. ". Foster, Toe- Newton Written, Wash
cS az s. W. Richardson, T. lp ": Emerson
W. G. Osborne, j. 9. Perry,
John Doughty, James NJ. Webb,
Jhi A. ao ~ Roberts 4 As 3; Day rrctsv
William 81. Green, A. E. Grover,
Josiah Chase, George w. VerriI.
"reminiscences, army talk, incidents, ETC..
passed away the time between the courses
and every once in while phrase familiar
to the soldier would come from some veter
an loud enough for all to hear, as "Any one
ant tn for
When the repast was finished Col. Moore
called to order and introduced Gen. Seldom
Conner of the Seventh Mamie who expressed
great pleasure at being present, 1t being the
first opportunity he had had of meeting with
the gallant Seventeenth since the stirring
days ofthe war. He related many stirring Incl.
dents Of those days, eulogized the brave men
Of the Seventeenth, which suffered more in
losses than any other regiment of infantry
and congratulated and complimented
them In keeping up their regimental associa
tions of comradeship, the dearest and sweet
est ties men may ever know.
Mayor Melcher was then introduced by
Col. Moore. He said although he belonged
to the Twentieth Maine, he always appreci
ated the friendship of the comrades of tn,
Seventeenth, and had always turned to thi,
| regiment when he wanted men for service
| and men for command. He was glad to mee
with the association. He knew by the record
Of the losses of this regiment that they gave
their best blood to save their country, and
saw the survivors now as citizen soldiers as
staunch and brave as ever.
Major Green, being introduced, read an in
teresting address which carried the soldier
mind in memory back to war days, bringing
in humorous and peculiar incidents and char.
acters which. being recalled always, gives
pleasure to the veterans. In the course of
his address, Major Green said:
We recall many of the scenes of camp and
| OF the march. Who of us but remembers
| Potter of Company A, and his many antics
and experiences while with us; the govern,
soap or hot water and avery dull razor al
that ;of his attempt to borrow a washb0ard
of the colonel; Of the way he did picket
duty by struggling to the rear to be with
the reserve; of his efforts for furlough.
but that remembers Hugh Skillings of Com.
pany d, and the efforts made by certain
officer to have him show his feet, uncovered
of the commotion always made in Company
ID when Skillings was in camp; steady and
hsIa hs ws citizen now but p. In those
Company B. comes next, and 1 can
see him now-sitting In the road in the line
of march playing for stakes, sometimes a
newspaper when the funds have run low,
Sawyer was always around, particularly
upon this march, when they boys were get.
ting hungry and tired, and by his Jokes and
good nature, cheered up the spirits ofall with
In his vicinity. Who is there but what re-
members Skybones Of Company E, the drum
mer, and his celebrated speech to the johnny
when captured at Characteristic. Don't
shoot. good Mr.. REBEL never fired a gun
mer." We recall the cook Cornelius
Boyle, for short called Corn Boil, who by
reason of his position was inclined to put on
a good many airs with the boys, but his sud-
den collapse when Sawyer, for short called
Flop, and Miller his boon campanion, got
away with his beans and pies. But enough
of this, we again look at the panorama of
life and find that in spite of all we can do we
are growing old; we have reached the top of
the hill and are now marching towards the
dark river; there let us take up the steps
and close up the ranks, and march stead
lily on to the final barracks across the river
fully realizing that this Is so. 1t Is consoling
to know that at last, at last after many long
and weary years of waiting, the problem OF
what to do with the surplus has been solved
Capt. Geo. W. Verrill was next introduced
and read an original poem entitled "'Gainsi
ORDERS" which dealt with scene familiar to
the soldier and which was interesting to the
end.
The gathering then adjourned, the colors
of the Third Corrs were furled once more,
and the veterans look forward to happy re-