The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-10-24
AT SOLDIERS REUNION
RESPONSE TO THE MAYORS AID.
DRESS OF WELCOME.
Made by John L. spanaler, of This
city--In.cre sting "reminiscences
Of the War.

Of the War.
At the late reunion of the 104th regi-
ment, o. V. l., held in this city, Mr.
John l.. Spangler made the response to
the welcome address OF Mayor Smith.
1t gives interesting ans thrilling rem
iniscences of the experiences of the
soldiers of the regiment during the
civil war, and is, in full, as follows:
"We. the surviving members of the
104th o. V. l., here assembled in our
thirty-sixth annual reunion, extend to
you our sincere and hearty thanks for
your kindly words of greeting and cor
dial welcome to your beautiful and
prosperous city, and for your generos-
ity in throwing open its doors for our
comfort and enjoyment.
I'VE appreciate your kindness and
are gratified to know that we still have
place in the memory of those who
are today participating in the blessings
that we're handed down to them
through the efforts Of such men as
those before you, during the great con-
fict of the civil war, for the mainte-
nance of our free institutions and the
continuation of the union of these
United States when certain element
declared they would no longer be gov
erned by the laws of our constitution
and undertook to sever themselves
from the union, resorted to arms and
brought disgrace upon our grand old
republic.
This brought forth a response from
our honored President, Abraham Lin
coin, who had just been installed in
that high Office, to call for $4,000 vol
unteers to protect the capitol, and soon
thereafter another call for 100000, who
went down south to pursuade our re-
bellious neighbors to ground their
weapons and return and be obedient
children of Father Abraham. But they
would not become reconciled, and 1t be-
came necessary for Uncle Sans hero
In the White House to issue another
call for 100000 strong.
"It was at this time, in August, 1862,
that the men before you, many OF
them boys at that time enlisted under
our old flag, the Stars and Stripes, and
went forth to take part in the great
panorama of putting down the rebel
lion and protecting our glorious old
flag and keep it floating over every
state in the Union, both north and
south.
There was no lottery in the scheme
before us. War was waging between
the north and the south, and we knew
when we enlisted that we were expect
ed to enter the service at once.
THE 10Ath regiment was organized
and mustered into service at Camp
Massillon under the leadership of Jas.
w. Riley as colonel, as brave a man
as ever drew sword, and yet possess
ing kind and sympathetic nature.
"We had scarcely been thoroughly
organized until we were hurried into
the enemy's country and made TO face
war in reality.
The next morning after leaving Camp
Massil,on we were ferried across the
Ohio river into Covington. KY, with
out one round of ammunition in our
guns or cartridge boxes. and 1t was not
until in the afternoon that we received
these supplies. All things being now
ready, we were ordered out on the
Licking pike to head off the rebel gen.
eral Kirby Smith from coming into
Cincinnati.
81 shall never forget the charge Capt
Sterl of Company A gave the pickets,
Companies A and B, that evening ius'
before we were deployeli. when he told
us that IL any one was caught asleep
on his post he would meet with Certain
death. There was no sleepiug aEone
the pickets that night.
1T only took a day or two for Kirby
Smith to hear of the 10ith being in
his front, which induced him to change
his tactics, and we were hastily trans
ferred to position in fcout of Fo,
Michtel. Here we had our first en-
gagement with thu Johnhies, just ten
Gays from the time we were mustered
Ia at Camp Massillon, AMI resulted in
the loss of several of our brave and
good men. This lasted but two days
when the old confederate war horse
being convinced that the 104th o. V. l.
was again in his front, thought it best
to retrace his steps and seek a place OF
safety. He withdrew from this scene
and retreated toward Lexington, and
we followed him and never let up until
his whole army was driven out of Ken
lucky by way of Cumberland Gap.
"Then John Morgan, with his band oi
guerillas, began to make trouble in the
vicinity of Danyille, KY, and we were
ordered back in double quick after him
until he was compelled to cross the
Ohio river. Gt
Having completed our work in Ken
lucky in the summer of 1868, we were
ordered into east Tennessee, and
crossed the mountains to Knoxville
where we severed the line of direct
communication between the two
strongest Of the rebel armies.
Time will not permit going into de-