The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-20
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THE CAMPFIRE AT NIGHT.
Captain BieIer's Paper "a Feature of
the Evening.

The campfire last night was attended by
about three hundred people. The Bald-head-
ed Gee Club, with Burgess Brown at it's
head, was there and rendered some stirring
songs of war and peace, in the choruses of
which the audience joined. 1t was an enjoy
able time for the veterans and their friends
Col. j. r. Ross presided. After prayer by
Comrade Hornaday Mayor Taggart was in
troduced and bid the veterans welcome. He
said he would consider 1t a great pleasure
to be able to call those assembled there
comrades" and it was also a great pleas
ure to welcome to the city SO distinguished
body of gentlemen as composed the Elev-
enth Indiana Regiment. The record of this
regiment he said, was most complimentary
to the members. He doubted if any of In
diana's illustrious regiments did better for
the country's cause than the Eleventh, I'M
der the leadership of the distinguished Gen.
Lew Wallace. lie was proud to welcome the
survivors of this body to the city.
The response to the mayors address was
by Col. N r. Ruckle, of this city. He said
that the Eleventh Regiment, by reason of
the material which composed it, was very
dear to the people Of Indianapolis. Five of
the ten companies were from this city and
included the three crack military COM
panies of the day, the members of which
were the pride of the girls and the envy
of the other boys. He said the Eleventh
was the first to offer its services to the
Governor at Camp Morton and the frst TO
offer itself to the President after the Star
of the West was fired on in Charleston har-
Dor. Colonel Ruckle told of some of the
many incidents of the life of the regiment
and concluded by extending thanks to the
citizens of Indianapolis for the many kind
neSSes shown the regiment at various times
during its active service and 10 the surviv-
ors in times since they were mustered out
General McGinnis followed with a paper
containing some statistics concerning the
regiment From the beginning to the end
or the regiment S active service il had 2765
men and 2lS commissioned officers. There
were killed and wounded of the regiment
455 men, OF the members of this regiment
one has occupied the position of Governor
or New Mexico and minister to Turkey four
have been members of Congress, one com
missioner of pensions and United States dis
trlct attorney for limo ;, one United States
district attorney for Kansas two United
States pension agents for Indiana two sher-
ifs one auditor and one treasurer for Ma
rion county, one mayor of INDIANAPOLIS two
city treaSurers of Indianapolis three ad1u-
tants general and one quartermaster gem
eral of Indiana. In conclusion General Me
GinniS played upon the names of various
members and produced an amusing effect.
CAPTAIN BTELER'S ADDRESS.
The formal speaking was concluded by
Capt. Jacob Bieler. He was a member of the
Sixth Indiana Battery and was in the Shiloh
battle. He was in position to know wheth
er the charge that General Wallace took the
wrong road on the memorable march is true
and his speech was to disprove the charge.
His address in full follows:
Mr.. President and Comrades of the
EIeVenth Indiana Regiment: The pleasure
~ meeting you at your campfire here to-
hppn ed
Nitation of your presiding officer Major
Ross. While not member of vour old GAL
lant regiment, l always had the highest re-
gard OF your achievements and services I
at one time was a close neiehbor to von
but the neighborhood did not look as
peaceable as ii does tonight: there was a
disturbing element near. If / shall tell Won
something in the course of nv talk in
which your regiment, as Well as your old
commander. General Lew Wallace is inter
ested, / want YOU to compare notes with me
In what l shall say to you concerning prev
lqus reports from othef channels regarding
the Purdy road controversy / was q mem
her of the late Sixth Indiana Battery (or
ganized as Morton Battery) When the fleet
was organized at Paducah, KY. for the pur-
pose of Transporting the troops 10 the Zen
nessee river, our battery received orders on
March s. 1852, to embark the steamer
lancaster ana we leIt Paducah the same
''Our steamer was the third in line. after
the gunboats Lexington and Tyler which
took the lead up the river. When we ar
rived at Savannah-two gunboats with
three transports Including our boat pro
ceeded up the river under command of Gen
Sherman while the rest of the fleet an
chored at Savannah. We passed Pittsburg
Landing on March 16-about II O'Clock that
night We landed at Iyler's Landing near
PASSPORT and received orders TO have the
battery ready to move by 2 O'Clock In the
morning. This was a hard task because
the guns and battery wagon had been taken
apart and stored in the hull of the boat.
At o'clock, a m. we started in torrent
OF rain Il was 50 dark that were I'M
able to see the road and consequently our
march was slow. Everybody was anxious
to know what we were bout to accomplish
as the destination was not known to US II
was. however. runored that we were TO de-