The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-11-03
a ROuSING REUNION.
Gen. Gregg Attended that of the 18th Pa.
Cav, which Exceptionally Interest

1
Cav, which Exceptionally Interest
ing
l. is not often that so successful Re
union is held of veteran regiment so lon
after the war as that by one of Gregg
cavalry regiments, the 18th Pa, on Oct. Il
at Harrisburg, Pa.
Post So kindly rendered the use OF thei
room, and the vets gathered according t
arrangement at , u. M: Capt. Il. ID. BIck6
OF + Troop, in the cha r. Af er on address Q
welcome by the President and n bu ines
session, Gen. Michael kerwin fOrnerl- Col
oncl of the regiment, made an address; alsC
Mai. Timothy y. Byrnes, one OF the favorite
of the command. This was the first time n
had met these men for many years, Eavi E,
been out IN the indi IN county since tn
war. But the hero and lion of the occa
sion was Mai. james NJ. Bell fcrmcri
Captain OF ID Troop; he was Major OF th
LIST u. }. Cav, commanded the fur com
panleS at Santiago &c Cuba, ard was
severely wounded n the figat This wa
the first meeting since The mu ter out il
1865 that ire gallant Major had attended
as he joined Clusters 7th Cav. inmedi
ately after nu ter-out, fought through thu
1nGian campaign, and as finally pr motet
to Major in the lst before the Spanish
war.
In the evening n Campfire was held in IN
Supreme Court room, on Capitol Hill whei
the presence of Mai.-Gen. David Mem
Gregg, under whom they saw most OF thei
lighting in $3.50.
Gen. Kerwin presided at the Campfire
and short addresses were made by Gen
Gregg, Gen. Kerwin, Maj Byrnes, Maj
Stephens, OF Altoona, who left an arm a
Hawes's Shop, Va. Capt. Delaney, o
Harrisburg, and many others, and DR.
Harry Buchler, of Harri sburg entertained
the comrades with songs. Comrade Heey
and Mrs. Hoey also gave entertaining reel
tatlonS.
Major Byrncs related an incident of the
war, which enthused both the Commando
OF the 18th Pa. and Gen Gregg as well. Ir
the Spring Of 1865, about the time Gen
Gregg resigned, the 18Th Pa. were sem
from the Army OF the Potomac to Gen
Sc hofeld, at Wilmington, n. c., to follow
u the ca ture OF Fort Fisher nd open
communication with Sherman at Fayette-
vile, n. C.. This duty performed, and
Schofi Ids command beiig absorbed IL
Shermaa's. the 18th Pa. was assigned tc
kilpatrick's Second Cavalry Brigade
where on account Of his comm Sson, q IN.
kerwin ranked and was given command.
The brigade Icing in advance wher
Raleigh, n. c., was taken, Gen. kerwin
naturally allowed the 18th Pa. to first dis
play Old Glory from the CAPITOL Buildi c
OF North Carolina, and upon getting into q
fight just outside the town. Gen. kcrwin
directed that the 18th Pa, alone, with the
three-inch rifles of the battery, should &C
in, holding the other regiments OF the
brigade in reserve.
The 9Th did go in, and soon had the
rebel brigade on the run and Captured
Headquarters wagons and other impedi
mcnta. The fight finally wound Up al
Durham's Station, where tho whole com
mand lay until Johnston surrendered, the
brigade holding the picket line and al
flags OF truce being met by the command
at the meeting of Sherman and John
ston to arrange for the surrender, Gen
Fitzpatrick and Gen. Hampton, with then
staff officers, gathered under the apple
tree in the yard of the tile, old farm
house in which the meetings were held
and Gen. Fitzpatrick having made some
remark which ruffi,d Hampton's temper
he replied:
Well, you never yet ran me cut CT Head
quarters in my stccking-fcet anyway -
AS this was home thrust and too true
20 be funny, Fitzpatrick answered:
You rcver succeeded in whipping one
of my brigades with single regiment
and that's what did in front of Raleigh =
Very gooa, said Hampton. But you
had to send to Gregg to ges the regiment
didn't you, now"
Capt. Bells account of tie Santiago
fight was most interesting. The Reunion
adjourned to meet in Philadelphia, Septem-
Der, 1899, on the first day of the GAR.
Eucam nTnepf