The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-02-15
Voice of
the People
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To the Editor OF The News o,,.,...
rSo Rbode Island Veteran Cltizehs
t1IstoricaL association, has recently neiu '
q meeting. during which haa occas.ol
% sneak OF my experience anu .'n,.
IT, os a soldier. The published reports,
eio', ." s know OF my address Is OF
,,,,n 7, nature. that l fear one Woulu
.,,nnosa that such experience ana op
sorvation was gained, not from Wh"l
saxv t,non the march, In camp anu upy'
tho battlefield, but as mempel VI
na.nItal department OF the army, its ser
Vice being performed In large part TO
mote from danger. -,
I wish TO have the impressio', =.
,o,od removed so far az is possible 10
-. ac,act that I was never n member
-, the denartment referred to- 90 no.
n,,sb ,n so stating to have IL thousht
,hat am OF the opinion that service =.
the hospital or wherever the SICK anu
wounded are cared for is dishonoraple W
anv one either In civil or military me-
vet will say that | know that eNcis
brave soldier whom I have ever met pre-
ferred 10 be with his comrades ana snare
,n thair more active duties. rather thah
49, 49, ,a a,gage-a In any other kind OF ser
,Ica no matter how meritorious. hao
occasion during the meeting OF tho as
sociation to which reference has peen
made TO mention the fact that han ,he
honor 10 serve I'm the Second Army
corns UIancock's) army of tho Potomac
from 1862 TO 1855
II was under the command or GeneraIs
sumner. Couch, Warren. Hancock ana
uumphreys Its generals OF divisions
were sedgwick. Richardson, Howard
french Barlow, Birney. Miles. Moot
Gibbon. Webb and Alexander Hayes
History stated that 1T crossed the
c,hickahomihy TO the rescue OF the beaten
at Fair Oaks: that II made the great
assault at Marye's Heights; that on IL
fell the fury OF Isongstreets charge AT
Gettysburg: that IL was tho rear gusri
at Auburn and Bristoe; that II stormed
the Salienth at Spottsylyania, capturing
nearly 5000 prisoners. and that at Farm
Vile IL fought the last infantry patte
of the war against the army OF Northern
Virginia II Is also said that IL left near
ly 600 OF It's number kll9d and wounded
upon the battlehelds OF Virginia, Mary
| land and Pennsylvania. IL also cap
tured I'm fair fight with Gen. Lees great
army a confederate flags before IL lost
one color OF it's own
Rhode Island was well represented In
! the CORPS by three artillery companies
| each OF which had an excellent reputa-
| tion. both for their conduct ON the
| march. I'm camp and on the battlefield.
{ The artillery brigade OF the corps was
/ also for time under the command or
/ Gen. q. Hazard a Rhode Islander.
\ The Boys in Blue" connected with
/ Rhode Islands military organizations
during the civil war. we're. for reasons
already stated IN connection with the ar
| uiery service and for other good
| qualities very popular. both at home and
/ I'm the army. and 80 much so that
| could have shared more directly with
members of my family. my former
schoolmates and others In tho honors
given and bestowed In connection with
the service.
My residence I'm 1862 was IN Norwich
Conn. whore becoming very much at.
tached 90 the son OF my employer and
friend. I enlisted I'm a military company
which he organized and commanded. and
which became connected with the l4tf
regiment, Connecticut volunteers.
wish In closing this communicatior
to refer IN a special manner 20 ono nj
the commanders. mot forgetting others
OF the Second corps, whom many in thl,
state and elsewhere remember with spe
clal and peculiar love. respect and affec
ton. Reference Is made to that Knight,