Morning journal and courier., 1891-09-04
THEIn BANNER REUNION.

F
 Iment, Connecticut Volunteers, En-
 Joy the Hospitality of Orange Ciu- E zens-Large Attendance and Excel-
 lent Fare and After-Dinner Speaking
 -Remi of Thirty Years Ago |
 -Doings of the Veterans.
 The Twenty seventh regiment, Connecti- cut Volunteers, won it's spur on three fla nous fields of battle-Fredericksb ChancelIorville and Gettysburg. At Fred ericksburg the Twenty-seventh charged far beyond the lines of any other Union force and planted the federal battle-fag in the heart of the Confederates' position. At Gettysburg the regiment was one of the fated three that struggled in the itly- named "Whirlpool of Death, :" the historic wheat-feld that lay on the left side, and retired after a fierce contest with more than half their number dead or wounded on the scene of strife. There the gallant Henry 0. Merwin and Lieutenant Chapman were shot down, and there stands to-day the im- posing shaft erected by the state of Con necticut in honor of the courageous Brooks brigade, of which the Twenty-seventh formed so conspicuous part.
 The Twenty-seventh regiment has held twenty y-three reunions since it was mus tered out of service, July g, 1863. Never,
 however, have the veterans had more enjoyable occasion, both in the matter of the entertainment provided and the gener- al good fellowship of the gathering, than the reunion of yesterday, which the mem bers themselves style the banner reunion of their lives. The old soldiers were the guests for the day of the townspeople of l Orange. Royal preparations had been
 made for their reception. .c-->' | '.- | The members of the regiment left this city at 9:30 a. m. by the Housstonic road. | On their arrival at Orange they were
 met by apparently the whole popula- tion of the town and corps of twenty y-six young ladies in white dresses, rakish
 military caps, and sashes of red, white l and blue bunting. The veterans fell in
 line, headed by Landrigan's band, with the
 young ladies' corps at the front, and
 carriages containing the wives and chil-
 dren of the banquete1s bringing up the
 rear. The procession marched immediate | ly to the Orange Congregational church, l A half hours social chat was enjoyed, af-
 ter which the formal business meeting of
 the Twenty-seventy Regiment association
 was held.
 President Charles A. Baldwin of New
 Haven opened the session with a few
 words of greeting to those present. After
 reading of the minutes by Secretary w.
 w. Price of this city the election of off.
 cers was taken up. Everett B. Clark ot
 Orange was chosen president, E. B. Bald
 win of Milford vice president, Charles A.
 Harrison of Wallingford secretary, George
 J. Bade of New Haven, treasurer The
 following executive committee was elected | Tnhnonn Tborloa Ho- tT)
 B. Goodyear, Captain c. L. Ely, E. B
 Clark, John Hegel, H. c. Shelton, Rogel
 s. Baldwin, John A. Munson, William Holmes, Moses Thomas, E. G. Mansfield | A. D. Hall. s-: -. "A
 l The committee on rolls holding office last season was continued for the coming year. The only change made was in con ; sequence of the death of Captain Ruel P
 Cowles. Comrade E. G. Mansfield was ap r pointed to the vacant position. This con cluded the business of the day. The fol lowing is the list of members decease'
 during the last year as read by the secre
 tary: Company H, Samuel A. Potter, Fai
 Haven; Lewis E. Doolittle, Augusta, Ga Company B, Elisha Dibble, Branford; K
 N. Meninger, Togus, Me. Company c Sylvester Snow, Guilford; George E
 Treadwell. Company D, James Johnson
 Fair Haven. Company B, Charles O. West : Athol, Mass. Company G, Captain Sam
 uel G. Birdsall, San Francisco. Compan | H, Captain R. P.Cowles, New Haven. Com
 pany K, Fred Tiesing, New Haven.
 At 10 o'clock the veterans sat down t. a dinner provided by the hospitality of tn
 tent on Orange green long tables wer set, capable of accommodating nearl 300 guests. By actual count more tha, l 250 veterans with their wives and childre1
 occupied seats at the banquet. Of thes over one hundred were active member
 of the Twenty-seventh regiment. Th , dinner was exceptionally good. The far
 was various and bountiful and the veteran - ate as if they had just finished one c 5 their old-time forced marches. The ladie
 received praise on all sides for the e1 a nected with the banquet. To the dime l. committee, Mrs. Stiles Woodruff, Mir
 Charles Smith, Mrs. William o. Russe :, and Mrs. Platt Treat, especial credit u due for their untiring efforts both befor Il and during the affair. Certain it is tha t the occasion was thoroughly enjoyed b
 everybody present.
 z At 2 o'clock the assemblage adjourned T the Congregational church, where the afte l. dinner speaking was held. The litt v church was tastefully decorated with bun ing and flowers. Two immense battle flag
 were draped at either side of the orgal g surmounted by a beautiful five-starre s flower piece of red and white roses again, It background of green. Stretching beneat
 the flags on an ample crescent of whit
 were inscribed the words on three sides J. the curve:
 a Fredericksburg Chancellorsvil
 The wall and galleries were covered wit .e profusion ot bunting. A large crowd ( II people were present. n After brief introductory remarks l. B President Baldwin the Rev. H. w. Hun
 pastor of the local church delivered an at | dress of welcome on behalf of the peep 't of the village. "It is peculiarly fitting g said he, "that we of Orange should we W come the gallant sons of the Twenty-se' ,s enth to our homes. Many of our your men went forth from this village, an
 many of the citizens of Milford, our siste ,s town, accompanied them to the fgh l. Thirty years ago on Orange green was hel d the first muster of troops this quiet tow e had known, and the first sounds of prep @ ration for war awoke the silent echoes
 the place. Not few of those who wei V out fell on the field of battle and othe ' have been taken off in later years by u '- hand of time. Yet again to-day many IT Those familiar faces are gathered here n n longer as of yore, but scared by war an
 the lapse of decades. Afectionately W l. greet these veterans of the strife ono s more, both those who left our native vi @ lage to fight for the Union, and their bra, l. comrades from adjoining towns. Gentl, V men of the Twenty-seventh, to one and a of your number we extend hearty an s- whole-souled welcome" MT. Hunt the
 traced some of the lessons which might t e drawn from the great war of the rebellion l. He considered the evils of war punisl
 ment inflicted on mankind by God fe e their wickedness, evils which yet had r tt suited in great good to the race. IT @ hand of providence working of human a
 fairs might be seen in the strifes of th Jewish people, the battles of the Greek l. and Romans, the successive American wa, Il each contributing to the development of th Q continental till the civil strife of the Unite J States of America, out of which flowed il - calculably benefcient result. ''The one sii 's was freedom and the cause of huma d liberty; on the other, slavery and oppre
 sion. On the side was the enjoyment l. equal opportunities by all on the othe
 the hopelessness of human bondage an 'r degradation. On one side education co ,f tended; on the other, ignorance. Mob ,r sacrifice and spirit of absolute devotio - to the cause of truth prevailed in the ranl u of the north, while black selfshness an le desire for aggrandizement at others co sr egged on the people of the south. It w
 above all things, war of principle, and