The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-30
LOST MAINE SOLDIERS.
TRoUBLE Nv TRACING SOME OF THB
TETER4Ss or THE H.iR.

IIOt Nv Th-AtINS SOAE OET THH
BETER4Ss or THE H.iR.
--
Ths Search rsr John CsrberrJ. who served o.
Both sides Rnd had = Mania for stealing
Rattle ElaE~-an Old Nstcran Abasaouea
by His sons John steyIns's Crave.
AUGUSTA. Me-. May 2s.-The committee APP
pointed TO prepare and print a history Of the
First Maine Heavy Artillery is having a lot OF
trouble in finding some OF the members OF the
regiment who are presumably alive and in good
health. The committee has been at work for
Eve years. and there are a dozen men Still miss
ing. The regiment contained l,sOo men whSn
II lef. Maine for the front in 1859. sad needy 80
many moro joined the ranks to I'LL vacancies
made at the front. The strange part OF this
hunt Is that. while the committee can accouns
for every man killed or taken in battle, and has
a monument over every one OF the 523 boys who
fell in the charge at Petersburg on June Il,
1854. IL cannot ind all OF those who survived
and went into business at the close OF the war.
One of the stranSest cases met with by the
committee is that OF Sergeant John Carberry of
Company E, whose place OF residence has iust
been discovered. Carberry. according 70 his
story. was born in Kentucky and enlisted In thS
Confederate army at the beginning OF the war.
He was a reckless soldier. and was frequently
placed under guard for foolhAriy conduct. AZ
Shiloh he dashed among a regiment OF Federal
troops, captured the -esimertal colors, disabling
three mea before he Eot what he wanted, and
carried his trophy safely back to the Coufeder-
ate lines. For this piece OF work he was sent
to the guardhouse for a month and then was
ordered to Port Hudson. where he stayed until
the place was ~encompassed by the United
States forces During the siege he made two
foolhardy attempts to take other colors. and
was severely wounded, in addition to getting
placed under guard again. Soon after his recov-
cry he went on picket. and the very first night
out he stole two stands OF colors from Confeder-
ate regiments and deserted TO the Union side.
After this he seemed to go insane on the sub
tect OF taking colors, and pestered the Federal
officers with his endeavors to get employment
as Q Dag stealer. On account OF his cranky no
tons he was not allowed to enlist, but found
employment as q teamster. No sooner had he
earned money enough to pay his way North than
he gave up his Job and went to Virginia, where
he enlisted "a a private In the First Maine Heavy
Artillery. A week after he was mustered in he
stole out from camp one night and returned be-
fore daylight bearing e set Of Confederate
colors- Instead of being arrested he was COM
mended for his bravery and promoted to the
rank Of corporal A few days later he broke
out OF the ranks and dashed through the en-
envy lines for a similar purpose, but was dis
abled before he could reach the color bearer.
During Lees retreat to Appouattox. the day be-
fore the surrender, Carberry again quit his resf-
ment and jumped among a squad OF fleeing
Confederates. killing the color bearer. woundinS
two Others. and finally getting back to bis own
lines, bearing the colors upon his shoulder.
market in Baltimore and wrote several letters
from there to his old comrades in Maine. After
berry left Baltimore and disappsased. The huns n
for his whereabouts was begun ten years ago,
Later the restmentsl association iosned IN rbs
search. which was continued without avail until
this spriasi rim. 4 few wsek; ago a Veteran Of the
the hills. On learning that The invalid
ative. and told the visitor that he had seen ser
vtee on 6o:h sides. The story which the ranch
peated it when he returned home. Letters were
sent: and in a few weeks John CarbeEry had es-
He had been on the ranch since 1870. As he 10
well to do, he has never asked for a pension.
than Carberry's is that Of a private Who broke
his leg while building earthworks near Wash
before the regiment went to the front. The
mnit hunted for this man several years
bearinx the sanae name came 20 M IesisIatnre
as a Representative, and the committee called
Know. Though the Represensasive had been
born IN the same town. he did not know an e1.
sa td,s a p or onA' T Rs0S ye sHs l aaa anofbe ne perso on
OF OF i ;bs nam ron on. the he sane n, county was elected
such q person. This whetted the curiosity Of the
COMMITTEES SO much that a man was sent to
was then learned that the wounded soldier had
lost his leg after coming home, bue had stayed
IN town until about ten years before. when he
caused his death. Though the veteran had com.
mitced murder the jury took pity on him and
found him insane. He has been an inmate OF
the Augusta Insane Asylum for eight years,
and the Representative and the Senator who had
never heard OF such a person turned out to b
his sons. When the facts in the case were made
known the two aspiring politicians made haste
10 retire 70 private life, where they are likely 70
remain for some years
The case OF Private John Stevins OF Company
l. was a mystery for = number OF years. He
answered to roll call the morning before the
fatal charge at Petersburg, and was no douba
among the men who fell: but though the grayO
OF every other soldier was plainly marked with
board to show where Private John Steyins WAS
buried Six years ago the regimental association
purchased the bloody triangle" az Petersburg
and decided it to the State OF Maine, so the ls
would be kept in perpetual repair as a cemetery.
When the committee went to virginia 20 place
the monuments it hunted all over the battle-
conIrade. In q cemetery by an old church u halt
mile away from the battlefield was a grave
marked BY a board Containing the following in
scriptton: Col John stevins.- OK course. this
could not be the grave OF the Yankee soldier, be-
cause the man wanted was a private. and hero
was a full. Colonel. After looking over
who fell at PETERSBURG. and nndinG no Col.
John Stevins on the lists, the committee read
the headboard inscription again and made it out
as follows: c L. John Stevins.' As tho
John Stevins wanted was a member OF Company
L. as there was no Col. John Stevins in the bat.
tie. and as Go. L" and Col" arc made up OF
Committee did not hesitate any longer; but put ;
Vermont marble headstous over the lone grave
which it had found By the Old church.