Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-09-11
OLD BOYS IN BLUE
Meet for the First Time in Thirty
three Years.
Reunion Of the Twen.Y-first Maine Regimen
in This City.

unteer Infantry went into quarters at
| Camp Reyes in this city.
The members of that regiment had
| left their homes in response to the call
of the President They We're then
young. full of vigor. Yesterday for the
first time since their muster out in '63,
the members Of that gallant command
met in reunion. In all these years
| only Companies D and l have met in
reunion. the former for several years
and the latter only once. The morn
| ing trains. Thursday. brought over 100
| of the veterans to this city, and the re
union was held in G. A. r. hall
The 21st Regiment was mustered into
the United States service September
follows: Colonel Elijah ID. johnson of
Lewiston; Lieut.. Colonel Nathan
Stanley of Nassalboro Major Benja-
min G.. Merry of Bath; Adjutant Joseph
r. Woodward of Sidney; Surgeon DR.
George +. Brickctt, Assistant Surgeon
Dr. ID. G. Bolster of Augusta; Quarter
| master William S. Brown of Waldo
boro. When the regiment went to the
| front it was stationed in Louisiana,
| under General Banks. 1t was a nine
months regiment, but served some
| over eleven months on account of be
rg in front of Port Hudson during thu
seiee of that place. A member of the
regiment with the journal yesterday,
said:
| our time was out but old Banks
| didn't ask us if we wanted to come
| home. He kept us there simply be
cause he wanted to, for he could not
spare any men just at that particular
time. and that was right, too We have
never regretted the extra service for
we We're there when Port Hudson sur
rendered"
| The service of the regiment was al
most entirely confined to the sege of
| Port Hudson. In all that period dis
ease worked sad havoc in the ranks
and the three engagements in which
| the regiment participated greatly de
| plcted the roster Of some of the finest
men that ever left Maine for the war
The first engagement was that of the
| l,attle of Port Hudson Plains, May 81
| 1853, in which the regiment sustained a
heavy loss in killed and wounded On
| May ~, a general assault was made
| on the works of the enemy, but Banks
| men were repulsed, In this engage
| nient the regiment lost about onc-third
OF the men that went into action.
on June II occurred the third and
last engagement Of the regiment when
Banks made another general assault
and was again driven back. Port
Hudson surrendered on July 9, and the
| II Giment was sent home, being mus
| tered out of the service, August %.
No one. yesterday. could tell how
service, but only about one-half of the
men who left the State for the front
returned with the command. Col.
johnson died in Alabama since the
close of the war. and Major Merry died
in Minnesota several years since, the
rest of the field and staff are living.
The meeting was called to order a.
10 O'Clock. and Lieut.. NJ. V. b. Chase
was chosen chairman The matter of
forming n regimental association for
reunion purposes was very generally
discussed. and by vote it was decided
to organize at once.
A roll of companies was called and
the members of such companies as
We're represented went up to the ad-
| iutants desk and signed the new
muster roll, and each company was
| loudly applauded as the muster was
made Just think of this, it was the
| first time in SO years that the men had
heard the roll of companies called
A committee consisting of one mem
| Der from each company present was
drawn to present list of officers for
the ensuing year, and that committee
reported the following:
President, Lieut.. Roswell c. Harris;
| vice presidents, Lieut.. NJ. V. Il. Chase.
| cant. A. j. Erskine, w. Fl. Mccartney:
secretary. j. T. Woodward; treasurer,
| n. II. Fossett; chaplain, E. Gould
! The first four officers constitute the
executive board. At this time the
meeting adjourned for dinner The
ladies had prepared a fine spread on
tables set up in the main hall. and the
comrades fell to" with will.
When dinner was finished the regi-
p,ent went into session again and after
a couple hours talk on matters and
things that are always for the good
of the order'' the reunion was over.
| Among the veterans present was tha'
snrv Young man of 76 years. Capt
| uoIa,, Of SkOWhcUan. and