The Republican journal., 1912-10-31
First Maine Cavalry.
what California Paper Says OF the Re
cent Reunion in Waterviile.

6ept. 18th and 18th last, appears IN the
Columns of the San Jose (Canf.) Mer-
curry and Herald of Sunday, Oct. 18th,
particular reference being maze to the
Iact that San Jose woman (Mrs. Maud
Davlson) was the guest OF ner Iather's
comrades on that occasion ana was re-
celved most cordially by them. A copy
0! the paper. which contains likeness
OF Gen. J. P. Cilley of Rockland, the
colonel of the First Maine Cavalry, has
been received by Sergeant Thomas A.:
Davis of the Bangor police. force, and
from it the Commercial reprints the fol-
lowing:
For We drink from the same canteen, boys;
We drink from the same canteen.
There are reunions and reunions, all of
more or less pleasure and interest, all re-
spending to a greater or lesser degree to
the prime motif for such gatherings
the renewal of old friendships, the re-
living of former days.
In the pretty, picturesque city of
Waterville, Me-, was held September
18th and 18th of this year the annual
reunion of the First Maine Cavalry as
ISOLATION, of which Henry 7. Welch of
San Jose is a-member, he having been
bugler of Company E, during the Civil
War. Unable to attend IN person, Mr..
WEIGH delegated his daughter, Mrs. C.
w. Dawson, and his grandson, Henry,
to represent him, they being on visit
to the Atlantic coast. The spontaneous
cordially with which Mrs. Dawson was
greeted by her fathers former comrades
and the joy that shone in their faces as
one after another grasped her by the
hand exclaiming, "Oh, yes, remember
him. added another red-letter day to her
life.
But the GROWING glory Of the visit
was the privilege accorded to Master
Henry Davison-that of meeting, greet
ing, dining with and facing the camera
with that famous fighter, General j. P.
Cilley of Rockland, Me. General Cilley's
name is a household word in the Pine
Tree State. His war record, his high
standing in both private and public life,
his genial personality, his keen intellec-
tuality-all these combine to make him
the idol of the people.
The war record Of the First Maine
Cavalry is no secret. Many of the blood
lest battles of the rebellion found the
"Old First" in the thickest of it. their
arrival at the critical moment often turn
ing the tide to victory.
The First Maine Cavalry was recruited
in six weeks time, in the fall of 1861,
the whole State being the mastering
field. This being the first call tor troops,
and the quota allowing but one cavalry
regiment, none were chosen but ''sound,
able-b bodied men, between the ages of Is
and IS years, of correct, moral and tenn
perate habits; active, intelligent, vigor-
Gus and hardy, weighing not less than
125 nor more than 100 pounds
The first man to enlist was Jonathan
P. Cilley, and he was also the first man
wounded in the regiment. This hap
pened at Middletown, Va, during the
retreat Of Gen. Banks from the Shen-
andoah valley, May "a, 1862. Personally
he knew nothing of being hit, nor of any
pain. His first consciousness was two or
three days afterwards, when he discov-
cred himself lying on lounge, unable to
move. 1t fell to the majors orderly 10
inform the wounded man that his recov-
cry was very doubtful. The orderly was
almost made to beat hasty retreat
when the major shouted at him: ''Thun-
der, am not going to die-what do you
mean?' The orderly stammered 'The
doesn't know as much about it as | do.
1
assistant surgeon of the First Vermont
cavalry who had been left at strasburg.
hearing of Maj. Cilley's wound, went to
butcherknife and tried to insist upon
amputation, giving as his best reason (?)
that he mad been in the service six
months and had not seen a single ampu-
tation performed. 1t is needless to say
that the major objected, thus saving the
arm, and he lived to be the last COM
mander of the regiment, which he led in
the last ten battles on its list.
The First Name Cavalry was on the
Fighting line" first in the campaign of
the Shenandoah valley, in the spring of
'62. where they met with disaster that
taught them useful lesson. In the next
battle, at Cedar Mountain, on the Rapi-
dan, the regiment stood for hours under
the fire from artillery without fiinchng.
The First Maine participated in the bat
ties of Second Bull Run, Antietam,
fredericksburg, and in the Chancelors-
vile campaign with General Stoneman
On his famous ride around Lees army.
In SO the regiment took part in the bat
ties of Rappahannock Station, Brandy
Station, Addie, Va. Middleburg, Va;
Gettysburg and several others, and in
February, '64, a detail of 300 was
chosen to ride on the famous raid to
Richmond, five companies of the First
Maine heading the little column that
Dahlgren led with such fatal result
against the works of the Confederate
capital. Then followed swift rides and
sharp fights of dismounted cavalry,
battles at St. Mary's Church, Black
water, Deepwater, Reams' Station,
Vaughn Road, Bellfeld Raid, and finally
the series of battles and events that led
to Lees surrender. In the fight at
Dinwiddie Courthouse, March, 81, 1865,
and at Appomattox the regiment played
an important part. The fighting or Sun
day, April 9, that ended in Lees surren-
der began on the front of the First
Maine, and its loss was seven killed and
Is wounded.
Major Cilley, who recruited as pri-
vate and had been promoted to the top,
lived to see the war finished, as he said
he would, and to see inscribed on the
First Names battlefag the names of Sc
engagements.