The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-06-15
coMRApE oE aeuFFALo sILLn
"reminiscences Of Joshua Hyde, Veter-
an Soldier and Actor

The following "reminiscences of
Joshua NJ Hyde, civil war veteran,
Indian fighter and personal friend and
comrade of Buffalo Bill and now an
inmate of the Vermont Soldiers
home, has been edited for Mr.. Hyde
by Or. ]. d. Lane of this village.
"The spring Of 1861 found the coun-
try on the verge Of the great rebel
lion. President Lincoln issued his
first call for $4,000 volunteers for
three months service, and the call re-
ceived an immediate response from
Vermont.
81 enlisted in the First Vermont
regiment May 2, 1861 at Middlebury
and the regiment was sent TO For
tress Monroe, Va Enroute the regi-
ment paraded down Broadway, and
was given a great ovation. One
night was spent at City Hall. The
next day the regiment embarked and
sailed for Fortress Monroe, being, it
is claimed, the first northern regi-
ment to reach Virginia soil.
The regiment was later sent from
Fortress Monroe to Newport News
Va, and went into permanent camp
there
AT Newport News the regiment was
chiefly engaged in erecting stockades,
skirmishing with the enemy and
drilling. The famous Gen. Ben But
Ter was commander in chief and many
funny anecdotes are recorded of him
One very hot day he paraded the
troops in heavy marching order. His
daughter applauded and asked him to
March them around again, papa,
which he did, TO the disgust of the
sweltering soldiers. After that
March them around again, papa" be-
came catch phrase in the list Yer
mont regiment
THE action Of Importance during
this service was the battle of Big
Bethel. My company played a con
spcuous part in covering the retreat
of the beaten union forces.
The period of enlistment drawing
to a close, the regiment broke camp
and embarked for the north, being
serenaded upon their departure by
the band of the sixth New York regi.
ment.
"The regiment landed at New Ha
ven, Conn, and proceeded by rail to
Brattleboro and was discharged on
August 10, 1861.
1T was not apparent that the coun
try was facing a long war and that
large number of men for long ser
vice was necessary.
''In December, 1861, enlisted in
Company c, 7th Vermont regiment
The regiment left Rutland in March
1862 for New York city where it wa:
divided and sent aboard two old con
demned sailing ships. the TamerlanC
and Premier On March 14th the
ships put to sea under sealed orders
When the orders were opened they
gave directions to proceed to Ship Is
land, Louisiana, Shortly after leay
ing New York the ships separated
and did not sight each other unit
they arrived at Ship Island Thu
vessels were leaky, the food bad ant
every one sick These Incidents will
a number of storms combined to rem
der the voyage which lasted about ;
month, very disagreeable.
THE service at Ship Island was no
particularly eventful. A part of thu
regiment was sent to Lake Borgne
Louisiana to attack the forts of tn,
enemy, but found the forts had beer
abandoned
after spending three months a
Lake Borgne the regiment was or
dered to Baton Rouge and participat
ed in the battle at that place.
In the battle of Baton Rouge ] saw
Col. Roberts of the regiment killed :
comrade, Aaron Piper Of Middlebury
had his arm carried off by shot ant
was rapidly bleeding to death. has
tily improvised a tourniquet with
ramrod and cord and staunched tn,
flow Of blood until a surgeon arriv
ed. Mr. Piper lived until about tw'
years ago.
after the battle of Baton Roug,
the regiment was sent to New Orleans
thence to Pensacola. Fla, and wa
stationed in the harbor forts at tina
place.
Il re-enlisted in the army in 1856.
and came home on veteran furlough
Upon expiration of the furlough
served in the provost marshall's OF
fee in New Orleans and was FINAL,
discharged from the army on accoun
OF disability May %, 1865. The reg
iment was sent to Texas on frontie
duty until 1866
Upon being discharged from tn,
army in New Orleans | engaged pas
sage up the river on the steamboat
Sultana. but fellow soldier who wa
unable to get away at the time per
suaded me TO wait two days for hin
and go up on the steamer W. Il. Al
thur This | did and to the chang
of plans owe my life. for the Su
tana was blown up and destroyed an
over two hundred lives lost 500
after ! arrived in Chicago. In 1S6
this great city was wretched lool
ing place. The sidewalks OF Clar
and Randolph streets were boar
walks raised on posts. In Decembe
1867, enlisted in the 9Th Unite
States cavalry and with the regimen
was sent to Jackson, Miss, to mali
tain order, support the carpet ba
gers and aid in the reorganization
the defeated states.
Upon our arrival at Jackson "
found the Klu Klux Khan very activ
The Khan was secret order of n
. Southern whites and had for It's o
jects protection of the now defens
less southerners against the tyranI
and oppression of carpet bag ofiicia
| and the insolence of the freedm,