The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-19
Veterans of the Civil War Talk Rem
iniscentIy of the Dark Days
of the Rebellion.
PERSIMMoN BRIGADE MEETS
AN INTERESTING SESSION HELD AT
THE COURTHOUSE.
Reunions of Other Regiments Held
and Omcers of the Assoc
Citations Elected.

Yesterday was "a day of reunions for the
old soldiers. That the ranks OF the veterans
are rapidly thinning was apparent when the
rolls were called when scarcely more than
one out of every ten answered here The
courthouse is convenient and favorite
place for holding reunions, and yesterday
there were seven in the building. All of
the court rooms were occupied and also
the grand jury room and the county COM
missioners' room. The veterans, with slow
step, walked up and down the corridors
all day talking old campaign scenes
and ventures and discussing in low tones
the recent assassination of the President.
Occasionally, the shrill note of fife in
martial time, then changing into quick
and fiery battle air resounded through the
Railways and caused the old soldiers to
raise their heads and a light to beam from
their faces. So the scene was almost con-
tinuous the day through, the constant
tramp of the veterans and the theme of
conversation never changing. There was
much visiting during the day among the
several regiments in reunion, and many
dropped into the Criminal Court room,
where the Persimmon Brigade was holding
it's meeting.
The Persimmon Brigade, organization
with a strong identity in the State OF In
diana, was in session all day and held
camp fire last night. There were ninety
seven members of the brigade registered,
divided into the regiments as follaws: one
hundred enthusiastically, seventeen; One~hun-
dred-and-ffteenth, twenty-seven; One-nun-
dred-and-seventeenth, thirty-nine; One-hun-
Observation-Disclosures, fourteen. Thls DelnS
the year for the One-hundred- eight
zenith Regiment to have the officers of the
brigade the following were elected: Presi-
dent, w. w. Robbins, Indianapolis; vice
president. 1. V. Wood, Indianapolis; secre-
tary-treasurer, ]. M. Cassel, Indianapolis
chaplain, c.. w. Stewart, Danvil1e, Ind.
With the exception of the chaplain the Of
ficers change each year so that each reSl-
ment is represented in regular order.
The greater part of the day was spent IN
transacting routine business and register
ing the members of the association. James
w. l.. Lane, of Milton, KY, brought with
which he distributed among the members,
and they were soon bedecked with the en-
blem of their brigade. An Official badge
was adopted at the meeting. The badge
will be of german silver, bearing the name
of the brigade, numbers Of the regiments,
with a persimmon wreath around me
anchor. A resolution in respect TO the
memory of President Mckinley was read
and adopted by unanimous vote. lew
short speeches interspersed the programme
and little outside of business was gwen at
tention, the speechmaking being reserved
for the campfire last night.
The roster of the dead showed that the
One ndred-and-eighteenth had lost eleven
members in the last year, the One-hundred-
and-seventeenth three members, the One
hundred-and-ffteenth one. and none were
reported from the One-hundred-and-s
teenth. The committee on history was I'M
able to report, but ii is said printed his
tory of the brigade will be ready Tor the
next reunion.
The Persimmon Brigade closed its re-
union with a campfire in the Criminal
Court room last night that was attended
Dy nearly all the members present during
the day and was swelled by many accom-
panied by their wives and families. The
campfire opened by singing America" in
which all the old soldiers heartily Joined.
After the invocation by Chaplain Joseph
Reagin, of Terre Haute, President w. w.
Robbins, of the association, delivered the
address Of welcome in the place of the Rev.
c.. w Stewart, of Danville, Ind. Leonard
r. Ruttlege sang ASLEEP in the Deep,
and Mr. Weldon, in the absence of Alex
ander Murphy, of Greensburg, delivered an
address fer the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
teenth Regiment. After an instrumental
solo by Miss Genette Monroe, of this city,
J. NJ. Cassel, of this city, spoke for the
One-hundred-and Regiment, in
stead of the Rev. A. ]. Nugent, of Veeders-
burg, who was not present.
"Oid Glory" was sung by DIR. q. T. Baum,
of Paris, ILL.,, and Prof. John Ii. Demott, of
De Paw University, delivered an address
for the Observation-Disclosures Regi-
ment.
After another piano solo by Miss Monroe,
Chaplain Joseph Reagin spoke for the One
hundred-and-fifteenth At this place in the
programme an unannounced but very
pleasant feature was added. w. p. Van
Pelt, of Monticello, fifer for the One-hun-
dred-and-fifteenth during the war, enter
tanned the audience with tale OF how he
ran away to the war and with music on his
fife
Some time was spent in short reminiscent
talks by members of the brigade and then
all joined in singing Nearer, my God, to
Thee" and Chaplain Reagin pronounced
the benediction.
The daughter of DR.. Iva e. Wright was
before the PersimmOn Brigade yesterday,
asking that association to assist in finding
her father or ascertaining if he is dead.
DR. Wright, who formerly lived in Green
field and later in Indianapolis, disappeared
three years ago, she said and nothing has
been heard from him since He left his
family with little provision for support and
his wife is unable TO draw his pension un-
til she can prove that he is dead. All
efforts to find him have failed ana he has
not drawn his pension for many months
II is believed by the family that he is dead
The brigade will do what it can TO assist
Mrs. Wright and her daughter