The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-17
TIE PERsIMMON BRIGADE.



ton Held I'm Courthouse.
The Persimmon Brigade Association
composed of the survivors of four regi-
ments held an interesting camp fire in the
Criminal Court room last night. The bril-
gade was composed of the observation-disclosures
fifteenth, Observation-Disclosures sixteenth One
hundred-a d-seventeenth and One-hundred-
and-eighteenth Regiments. That the ranks
Of the brigade are rapidly being thinned
out was indicated by the small number of
veterans present from each regiment. The
Observation-Disclosures was represented
by fifteen veterans. From the One-hun-
dred-and-sixteenth there were fourteen
comrades present, the observation-disclosures
seventeenth was represented by fourteen
men and the One-hundred- and-eighteenth
by seven.
However there was fair attendance and
the evening was pleasantly spent. In an
swer to the question, ''why was the bril-
gade called the Persimmon brigade?" Maj.
Henry B. Saylor. of Huntington, has writ
ten: 'Persimmon knockers was first ap-
piled to the brigade as a plansantry to in
dictate the extremity of the command for
rations while In Kentucky when to have
rations was an exception, SO we had to
L.
Layman explains: II think we were first
called 'Persimmon Knockers by wilcox's
division of the Ninth Corps. One day when
We were ordered TO clear the road that this
division might pass, the men found occupa-
ton in knocking persimmons from the trees
beside the road and gathering them and the
name name stuck and was SO wel-liked that we
The exercises last night were opened
with the song, America by a quartet,
which was followed by the invocation by
WI Of
Ind. Then followed speeches by comrades
and songs by the quartet led by DIR. H. T.
Baum, of Paris, Ill. Oscar Mendel, a pian-
LIST of this city. was the accompanist. z.
T. Landers, OF this city, president of the
Persimmon Brigade Association. delivered
the address of welcome. In his remarks he
brigade when cut off from the ar
my In the winter of 1863 and
1864. But by being there" he said. 1--WE
made ma this country the land of the free and
sang 'Tenting on the Old Camp Ground"
Thomas Hanna delivered an address for
the One-hundred-and-ff Fifteenth Regiment.
Mr.. Hanna gave a brief history of the
movements of the regiment and brigade,
speaking of the suffering which the men
endured. He also spoke of those who are
tenting IN the camp grounds beyond the
| grave. In concluding his remarks he
said: History shows that as soldiers we
We did our whole duty but our work is
not yet complete: When enlisted in the
my's land, when / slept at night with the
earth for my bed. -ith my knapsack for a
pillow and the sts rs for a cover. thought
was doing patriotic duty. and obeying
the commandments of God himself
thought so then think so now I want
my children and the young rising genera
| ton to think the same way. Then let us
continue to teach the lessons and stories
OF the war as long as we
may live. lest our Republic may
not gather the richest fruits of
our victory. All for the purpose and to the
end that this government of the people, for
the people and by the people shall not per-
| sh from this EARTH
DR.. NJ. w. Adams. of Greenfield who was
to have spoken for the Northumberland
sixteenth Regiment, was not present, and
his place on the programme was taken by
Miss Florence Pugh. who gave a recitation.
Captain j. Rutledge spoke for the One-hun-
dred-and-seventeenth Regiment. He re-
ferred TO the progress of the fiag since the
close of the war and predicted that before
| 1850 the American flag will be the flag of
the English-speaking world.
Mayor w. w. Robbins was present to talk
| for the Observation-Disclosures Regi-
ment- He said that as he sat and looked
into the faces of his comrades he could not
help noticing that the veterans were show
| ing the effects OF age. He urged his COM
rades TO be more fraternal and the old
boys dropped out of line to close up the gap
| and stand closer together.
After another song. brief speeches were
made by Smiley ~. Chambers, DR.. r.. d.
| Blount. Robert Denny. Captain James T.
| Layman. Captain r. w. Harrison and Cap
| audience sang, God be With You Till We
Meet Again"