The Portland Daily
Commercial, Wednesday, September 19, 1899 p1 c1
At the Camp
Fire, Good Talks made Tuesday Evening, Visitors served with a fine
dinner, Wednesday, Notes and incidents of Fortieth's Reunion Together with the
election of officers and the selection of the place to hold the next meeting
as given to yesterday's edition to the Commercial, the veterans of the
Fortieth Ohio, Regiment Volunteer Infantry, listened to a number of letters
of regret from comrades who were unable to be present and transacted some
minor business.
From the afternoon adjournment until the campfire last night the visitors
were engaged in renewing old acquaintances and making new ones, enjoying
themselves in general. At
the campfire last night there was quite a large crowd in attendance and the
exercises passed off very pleasantly. The gathering was in the Grand
Army of the Republic hall.
Captain Alex A Knapp, being ill, John Hamilton, the newly
elected vice-president, called the assemblage to order and introduced Mayor Isaac
Simmons, who delivered the address of welcome. In his address,
Mayor Simmons said: Gentlemen and
ladies, I say gentlemen and ladies from the fact that his is a soldier'
gathering and men before me tonight are the boys of ' 61 to ' 65--not that I
mean any disrespect to the ladies.
"My countrymen, in looking over this company, Is see gray hairs and
physical changes reminding me of the hardships endured. Your regiment,
the Fortieth, Ohio, I never saw except part of Company F and this in the
southeast part of the county. I had a brother in the regiment, which
endears me to you, though he now sleeps in the far west. "My Countrymen,
the ex soldiers are not like those of any other country. How was it
when the news flashed over the wires that Fort Sumpter had been fired upon
and our martyred president's call came for volunteers. The greatest battles of history were
fought by men who went from the plow in the field. "The soldiers of
the army were the educated men of the country. Could the men of any
other country have abandoned the army and returned to the civil pursuits of
life?? In the last struggle- the Spanish American War-- our soldiers
came from the bone of the country, the educated. "Now gentlemen of
the Fortieth, Ohio, I see you with your heads frosted over with the frosts of
many winters. Nearly fifteen hundred of you started out but only a
handful now remains. The American nation has provided persons of honor
such as no other nation has ever produced. Our country has provided a
home for those who shouldered a musket and went to the front. " That great
battle of Chickamauga, you boys will remember, but now my countrymen,
you sit tonight in the Grand Army of the Republic Hall in the peaceful city
of Portland, I bid you welcome. No class of people could I more
heartily welcome to our city.
" I want to turn over the keys of the city, our doors are open and we
say come in. Therefore gentlemen, to you, your wives and your children,
we bid welcome, I thank you". The
address delivered by Mayor Simmons was briefly responded to on behalf of the
regiment by vice president Hamilton, who said, "We accept the keys of
your good city and thank you for the kind regard shown the comrades and
appreciate your hospitalities"
Col. Nimrod Headington, was called upon for remarks and began by
addressing himself to the comrades of Fortieth Ohio, "who live in God's
country" He said he did not want to insult the boys who live in
Indiana, but there is Bill McLaughlin, O.B. Snyder and Jerry
Tomey, who are quite common. He said he was back in the Ohio
country to attend a reunion and never saw so much chicken in his life.
He said his brother Judge Headington, cleared twenty square feet of
the table and would leave today for another reunion. He said he
regretted that some of the boys had not called upon him, as his white headed
wife is a good cook. W.
H. McLaughlin told the "boys" to make good use of their
opportunities and O.B. Snyder said "I will go you one" and
continuing said that he was surprised at Co. Headington's speech, as
he had been in Jay County so long that the moss has grown on his back and he
can't tell a good thing when he sees it" Oscar was Captain
Knapp's youngest soldier and thought he had the nerve. One night he
had to sleep on two rails for a bed and the mud was shoe mouth deep. He
turned in and the next morning would rather have seen his mother, than any
one else. Major
Reeves, said he was in favor of woman's suffrage and believed that a lady
had as much right to cast a vote as a man. During the forenoon the
members of the reunion had refused to elect him or O.B. Snyder as
chaplain of the association and in a joking way, Major Reeves referred
to this and the deep humiliation (?) he felt in having come her after a position
he long coveted and having been cast down in the presence of those who
accompanied him. Milton
Wasson of Rensellaer, told of entering the service because he felt it his
duty. Thirty of the members of Company H. were taken prisoners and he
was one of the men who crawled through the tunnel at Libby prison. Col.
J. W. Headington, expressed his pleasure at seeing the members of the
Fortieth in Portland. Col. Headington related some of this army
experiences, sleeping with one rail for a bed and living on half or quarter
rations.
Comrade Dean said that it is not often he gets to reune with the Fortieth and
then read a paper giving a resume of the Chattanooga campaign. The
paper was fraught with good things relating to army life but was quite
lengthy. O.B.
Snyder, said the read of the paper ought to be sent to the guard house
for saying it was not long.
Secretary Worthington made a spicy talk telling of some experiences
which fell under his observation in the service. Wm.
MCLaughlin related a number of amusing instances and then solemnly
asserted that he never stole but one chicken and had been provided with a
kodak, he would have taken a snap shot of it. He said at the coming
reunion at Ft. Recovery, Ohio, Oscar Snyder will resemble a big
sunflower and that all the boys will be there. He also mentioned Billy
Mite, the little drummer boy.
Sam Reeves said he started out when a little boy, kicked out of home without
a mother. He started out to make a record for those who were born in
Ohio. Co.
Putman of the Sixty-ninth said, he commanded a little regiment, but soon made
a big one out of it and from the ranks the benches were filled with
judges. He said they all ought to be proud of having been
soldiers. Mrs.
Beerry, said she did not remember very much about the war, and said that
a good deal of her time at her home in Washington is spent in the interest of
the old veterans and their families, traveling over the city looking after
their wants and supplying them as much as possible. Her talk was a very
interesting one in every way. F.M.
McLaughlin made a few interesting as well as laughable remarks and spoke
of the canteen which had no water in it but was liberally supplied with apple
jack. A
strange gentleman talked quite feelingly of the reunion, of the grandness of
the of the country and the abolishment of slavery. At
10 o'clock the campfire was brought to an end by signing "Marching
Through Georgia? and an adjournment was taken until 10 o'clock this forenoon
This forenoon at 10 o'clock all those of the regiment present were lined up
and a photograph taken of the group by A.E. Wiest Jr.
Immediately after this the members of the individual companies conceived the
idea that they would like to have their photographs also and a number
of other sittings were then in order At
noon the regimental association was invited to partake of a feast served by
the Woman's Relief Corps, in the Rebekah Degree banquet hall. All of
the good things of life were spread upon the groaning tables in abundance and
the veterans did ample justice to them. This brought the reunion to an
end and most of those who attended left on the afternoon trains. J.W.
McCabe, Co. G of the 49th Ohio of Celina, Ohio. H.C. Lilly,
Co A. who lives at Desoto, Jonah Wood, Co. A. of Madison County, John
A. Hamilton, Co. I of Muncie, Henry Collett, CO I of Ansonia, Mike
Shults Co I of Laramie, Ohio, reuned with their regiment returning home
at noon today. It will be observed from the above there were only two
of Co A. and three of Co. I present at this reunion. |