The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1901-10-17
THE BOYS OF 81.
Thirty Third Iowa Infantry in
Biennial Reunion.

AAs@A NACA SdA Va SSAoASSo@ ~
years ago, young and active body
of men is assembled again on the ole
camping ground. They have come
together for the eighth time tC
go forth to face death and disease or
southern battle fields, but to tall
over old times and renew friendship
that are as lasting as life. Though
the general headquarters is G. A. r
hall in the court house a line of tents
have been pitched in the park, an6
here the old boys feel more at home
The four mounted cannon recently
placed in the park, and the Spanish
torpedo, with the tents as a back.
ground, gives the place a military ap,
pearance, and one can almost scent
the powder and hear the rumble OF
battle. Fine weather greeted the as
sembling comrades and the proper
committees have looked after the
wants of the visitors. This first day
has been given over to receiving and
registering comrades, renewing &C.
quaintances, and a general prelimi-
nary good time. The exercises open
with a camp fire tonight, and fol-
lowing is the program for the re
mainder of the occasion:
EpeniHg O'Clock at Court Room
Welcome address, by Irving c. johnson.
l.
f. Lacey.
Campfire Chat, by Comrades Pierce, Mar
tin, Hiatt, Quick, Haydock, and others.
SECOND DAY.
Wednesday Forenoon
Company meetings and visiting among
comrades.
Afternoon 2 O'Clock at Opera House
Address by the President, COmrade Jno.
F. Lacey.
Reunion Grafton, by COmrade Juo. M
Baugh.
Dress Parade
EVeHfng, O'CLOCK at Opera House
Campfre-Toasts and Responses
Memories Of Camp Tuttle," Comrade w
A. Rankin.
"Our Country" Comrade c. Fl. Mackey.
william Mckinley" Comrade A. V. Ken.
drlck.
The American Woman in Peace and in
War;" Comrade s. B. Evans.
1.-The Closing Days of Abraham Lincoln, -
Comrade Robt. Klssick.
Our Dead" Comrade Jno. c. Kendlrck
THIRD DAY.
Thursday Forenoon
Puginacu Of Q ~ "a
court room.
All the above exercises will be interspers-
ed with vocal and instrumental music.
History of the Regiment
Robert Kissick, who was color SER
geant OF the regiment, in a little
"Reminiscences prepared for flag day,
gives the following brief history Of
the Thirth- Third Iowa:
1.-THE regiment was organized at
OskaIoosa, Iowa, under Lincoln's
call of 1852, for additional volunteers
to AID in putting down the great re-
billion, and was mustered into the
United States service at Oskaloosa,
October l, 1862.
1t was compose of four companies
from Mahaska county,-O., D., E.
and K; three companies from Marion
county "A, 1. and G.; and three
from Keokuk county,-B., F. and ID.
Samuel A. Rice, of Oskaloosa was its
first colonel, afterwards made briga
uier general and brevet major gener-
al; Cyrus II. Mackey, of Sigourney,
lieutenant colonel, afterwards its
colonel; and Hiram D. Gibson, OF
Knoxville, it's major, who resigned in
1864, and Captain Cyrus B. Boydston,
of Company A. was promoted to
major; Captain John Lohand of Com
pADy d. was made lieutenant colonel
after the promotion of Mackey to
colonel.
General Rice died July 8, 1864, OF
wounds received in the battle of Jen-
kins' Ferry, Arkansas, April 80, 1874
The regiment left OskaIoosa Nov
ember 20, 1862, for the front, went
first to St. Louis, Missouri, and from
there to Columbus, Kentucky, Dec
ember q, from there to Union City,
Tennessee, January 1, 1868, and from
there back to Columbus, and from
there to Helena, Arkansas, where it
arrived Sunday, January 10, 1868.
From February l to April s, it took
actice par in what is known as the
Yazoo Pass expedition, an expedition
undertaken by Genera. Grant to get
at Vicksburg in the rear by way of
the Yazoo Pass, the Gold Water, Tai
lahatchee and Yazoo rivers. This
was an extremely hard and danger
Gus expedition, much suffering was
caused by it and many died
At the close of that expedition the
regiment camped at Helena again
and on July A, 1868, took prominent
the regiment lost more men than any
other engaged. In that battle our
national colors received thirty bullet
holes.
On August 10, 1868, the regiment
left Helena with the army under
Major General Fred Steele to take
part in the capture of Little Rock,
on September 10, Little
Rock was captured and from that
time on was in the hands of Union
forces. While on the march, our
flag, which bad been so riddled with
bullets at Helena, presented a dilap-
idared appearance when unfurled to
the breeze, but succeeded with good
care in keeping it together until after
the capture of Little Rock. 1t be-
came so tattered, however that some
time in October or November, 1868, /
believe, the regiment received a new
set of eolors, and for some unac.
reason the "old flag" was
not preserved, SO the "boys" will
not be permitted to see itnext Friday
when the flags are all deposited in
their final resting place. The only
way in which that flag IL preserved
10 by picture had taken at Helena.
The only colors of the regiment at
he arsenal are tbe second national