Soldiers' record, 1868-09-26

              D o - o t e d t o t l i c J i x t e o f e s t s o f t l i e S o l d i e r s jviicl S a i l o i ' t s o f t l i e l a t e Wai*.
VOL 1. HARTrORD, CONN., SEPTEMBER 26, 1868. NO. 12.
LINES.
Bead by Col- S. B. SuMNNER.at tho reunion of the
Second Light Battery.
Stratige! how a clam—a close-mouthed thing and un-declamntory—
Should make you all so clamorous for speech, or song,
or story;
Yet obsevation goes to show, at various times and
places,
The stillest fellows, oftentimes, turn out. the hardest
cases !
I met your Sergeant, D. B. L., a day o^ two ago;
He said you meant to shell to-day your old bivalvous
foe ;
To have a good old-fashioned roast—not back upon
the highhind,
But on some spot that should remind you slightly of
Ship Island !
Ho bade me join the festive crowd, and gulph a clam
or two,
Since, while the war was raging, I was on the Gulf
with you.
He wiped his clammy brow, and said, "We'll have
some mirth and song.
And toasts, and all that sort of thing; so pri' thee
come along!"
"Oh, no you don't" I straight replied ; "I know what
you're about.
Tou only want to ope my shell,' and then, to draw me
out 1
I see assault and battery beneath your schemes infernal,
And when you've done with shelling clams, you mean
to shell the Colonel!"
"And yet, upon reflection, it will never do," thmks I,
"To let so glorious a chance for feed and fun go by;
Hike the fellows, and—to put aside all airs and shams,
I really am—and always was, and shall be—death on
clams!"
And so I come, and knowing well how very apt I am
To over-oat, and thus become as stupid as a clam ;
I bring my post-coinatic toast, all ready-wrought in
song.
Done up like clams, compact and round—I never liked
them "long"
Then here's to ye, brave Battery boys ! Connecticut's
true sons;
Who erst, amid the batttle's din, stood firmly by the
guns ;
And on the field of Gettysburg, made every ''Johnnie"
stare.
When something worse than clam-shells went careering
through tho air!
I'm not of yours, but can recall with you familiar
scenes.
Of which we each and all were a part, w.iy down at
New Orleans;
No slight fraternal kinship binds our soldiers to each
other,
In every one I hail to-day a comrade and a brother.
And such a brotherhood as ours, we shall not find else-where.
And ours are obligations that wo never may forswear;
The warm fraternal flame within each breast should
ne'er expire,
Eor our initiation was THE BAPTISM OF FIHE !
Long life and healtii to every one; and as the years
roll round.
May each one at the annual feast continue lo be
found;
And live to see a grand career attend our Uncle Sam,
And spend his days iu sweet content, and "happy as a
clam!
The Society of the Cincinnati.
The various associations of officers and
men wlio participated in the Rebellion,
have all of them been more or loss mod-elled
upon the Society of the Cincinnati,
which was composed of officers who serv-ed
in the Army of the Revolution. The
following particulars relating to that ven-erable
society will be read with interest
by those who belong to similar organiza-
*tions.
On the 10th of May, 1783, at the Can-tonment
of tho American Army, on Bud-son
River, in the State of New York, pro-posals
were issued for establishing a soci-ety,
whose members should be officers of
the American Army. The proposals be-ing
connnunicated to the several regi-ments,
an officer from each regiment was
appointed to meet, in conjunction with the
general officers, to take into consideration
the proposals. A meeting was held, at
Avhich Major-General Baron tie Steuben
presided. The proposals were fully con-sidered
and agreed to. An adjourned
meeting was held on the Tuesday follow-ing
(13th May), when the plan for ''es-tablishing
a society whereof tlie officers of
tho American Army are to be members,"
was accepted as follows :
It having pleased the Supreme Gover-nor
of the Universe, in the disposition of
human alfairs, to cause the separation of
the Colonies of North America from the
domination of Great Britain, and after a
bloody conflict of eight years, to establish
them free^ independent and sovereign
States, connected by alliances founded on
reciprocal advantage, with some of the
great princes and powers of the earth.
To perpetuate, therefore, as well the re-mernbrance
of 'this vast event, as the mu-tual
friendships which have been formed
under the pressure ot common danger,
and, in many instances, cemented by the
blood of the parties, the officers of the
American Army do hereby^ in the most
solemn manner, associate, constitute and
combine themselves into one Society of
Friends, to endure as long as they shall
endure, or any of their eldest male pos-terity,
and, iu failure thereof, the collat-eral
branches who may be judged worthy
of becoming its supporters and members.
The officers of the American Army
having generally been taken from the cit-izens
of America, possess high veneration
for the character of that illustrious Ro-man,
Lucius Quintius Cincinnatus, and be-ino-
resolved to follow his example, by re-turning
to their citizenship, they think
they may with propriety denominate them-selves
the Society of the Cincinnati.
The following principles shall be immu-table,
and form the basis of this Society
of the Cincinnati;
An incessant attention to preserve in-violate
those exalted rights and liberties
of human nature for which they have
fought and bled, and without which the
high rank of a rational being is a curse in-stead
of a blessing.
An unalterable determination to pro-mote
and cherish between the respective
States, that union and national honor so
essentially necessai-y to their happiness
and the future dignity of the American
empire.
To render permanent the cordial affec-tion
subsisting among the officers : This
spirit will dictate brotherly kindness in
all things, and particularly extend to the
most substantial acts of beneficence, ac-cording
to the ability of the society, to-ward
those officers and their families who
unfortunately may be under the necessity
of receiving it
The General Society will, for the sake
of frequent communications, be divided
into State Societies, and these, again, into
such districts as shall be directed by the
State society.
The societies of the districts to meet as
often as shall be agreed upon by the State
society; those of the State on the fourth
day of July, annually or oftener if they
shall find it expedient, and the General
Society on the first Monday in May, annu-ally,
so long as they shall deem it neces-sary,
and afterward, at least once in eve-ry
three years.
At each meeting, the principles of the
institution will be fully considered, and
the best measures to promote them
adopted.
I'he State societies will consist of all
the members resident in each State res-pectively
; and any member removing
from one State to another is to be consid-ered
in all respects, as belonging to the
society of the State in which he shall ac-tually
reside.
* •# * *
All the officers of the American Army,
as well as tho>e who have resigned with
honor, after three years' service in the
capacity of officers, or who have been de-ranged
by the resolutions of Congress, up-on
the several reto*rigs of the Army, as
those who shall have continued to the end
of the Avar, have the right to become par-ties
to this institution ; provided that tiiey
subscribe one month's pay, and sign their
names to the general rules, in Lbeir re-spective
ytate societies, tliose who are
present with the Army, imaiediately, and
others within six months after the Army
shall be disbanded, extraordinary cases
excepted ; the rank, time of service, reso-lution
of Congress by which any have been
deranged, and place of residence must be
added to each name ; and as a testimony
of affection to the memory and the off-spring
of such officers as have died in the
service, their eldest male branches shall
have the same right of becoming members
as the children of the actual members of
the society.
Those officers who are foreigners,not res-ident
in any of the States, will have their
names enrolled by the secretary-general,
and are to be considered as members of
the societies of any of the States in which
they may happen to be.
.And as there are, aiid will at all times
be men in the respective: States eminent
for their abilities and patriotism, whose
views may be directed to the same lauda-ble
objects with those of the Cincinati, it
shall be a rule to admit such characters
as honorary members of the society, for
their own lives only: Provided «Zw/y.9,that
the number of honorary members in each
State does not exceed a ratio of one to
four of the officers or their descendents.
The society has an order, by which its
members are known. It consists of a
medal of gold, suspended by a deep blue
ribbon two inches wide, edged witih white,
inscribed as follows; "CLVCINNATUS—
three senators presenting him with a
SAVord, and other military ensigns ; on a
field in the back-ground, his wife standing
at the door of their cottage; near it a
plough and instruments of husbandry
round the whole Omnia rcliquit servore
Rempublicam. On the reverse-—sun ris-ing
; a city with open gates, and A'^essels
entering the port, fame crowning Cincin-natus
with a wreath inscribed Virtiitis
•prcBinium ; below—hands joined support-ing
a heart, with the motto Ent.o perpatua.
Round the Avhole—Societas Cincinnalo-rwn,
Instituta, D. 1782."
The Chevalier DeLa Luzerne, the Sieur
Gerard, the Count D'Estaing, ihe Count
De Grasse, the Count De Barras, the
Chevalier De Touches, together with the
admirals and commanders of the Navy;
also the Count De Rochambeau, com-mander-
in-chief, and the generals and
colonels of his army, all being of the
French army and Navy, were made hon-orary
members of the society. The soci-ety
also directed a medal, containing the
order of the society to be sent to them.
The first officers of the General Socie-ty
of the Cincinnati Avere as folloAvs : His
Excellency General George Washini>ton,
president-general; Major General Hora-tio
Gates, vice president general; Major
General Henry Knox, secretary general;
Brigadier General 0. H. Williams, assis-tant
secretary general; Major General
McDougall, treasurer general.
After the death of General Washing-ton
an adjourned genei-al meeting Avas
held in Philadelphia, in the month of May,
1800, Avhen the folloAving officers Avere
chosen : Major General Alexander Ham-ilton,
president general; Major General
C. C. Pinckney, vice president general;
Major William Jackson, secretary genei'-
a l ; Doctor Nathan Dorsey, assistant sec-retary
general; Brigadier General AV.
McPherson, treasurer general.
After the death of General Hamilton,
a triennial meeting Avas held in Philadel-phia,
in the month of May, 1805, Aviien
the folloAving odicers Avere chosen: Ma-jor
General C. C. Pinckney, president
general; Major General Henry Knox,
vice president general ; Alajor William
Jackson, secretajy general; Major Wil-liam
D. Bell, assistant secretary general;
Brigadier General W. McPherson, treas-urer
general.
At the last triennial meeting of tlie
General Society, held at Trenton, New
Jersey, on the 9th May, IHOO, tho fblloAv-ing
ollicei-s Avere chosen ; Hon. Hamilton
Fish, of New York, presitlent general;
Colonel J. W. Sever, of Massachusetts,
vice president general; Thomas McEwen,
M. 1)., of Pem)sylvania, secretary gener-al
; George W. Harris, of Pennsyh'ania,
assistant secretary general ; Colonel J.
W. Scott, of New Jersey, treasurer gen-eral
; John McDowell, of NEAV Jersey,
assistant treasurer general. There were
delegates present from the State societies
in NCAV York, NCAV Jersey, Maryland,
Pennsylvania and Massi chusetts. There
Avere no delegates from the South Caro-lina
society.
The General Society has in its posses-sion
a beautiful medal" containing the bald
eagle and other emblems of the Society,
which were made a present to the socie-ty,
soon after its organization, by a num-ber
of sailors of the Freach naA^. It is
made chiefly of diamonds, and is valued
at ten thousand dollars. It was first
Avorn by. General Washington. It is now
in the possession of the Hon. Hamilton
Fish, and is Avorn by the president gener-al
at the triennial meetings of the society.
Army and Navy Journal^
REUNION OP THE SECOND CONNECTICUT
HEAVY ARTILLERY.
(Concluded.)
W. K. Peck made a short and pertinent
address of welcome. Major E. W. Jones
gave an interesting account of a recent
visit to the Forts around Alexandria, but
said that he d,id not find' any of Capt.
Marsh's recruits in the bomb-proof at Fort
Williams. Major A. H. Fenn made ap-propriate
pRd well chosen remarks, and
showed himself able to talk as Avell as to
fight. The meeting Avas adjourded amid
great enthusiasm, to assemble again at
New Mil ford next September ; and is to
be hoped that every man Avho can come
Avill be present. Below we give Secretary
Kilboin-n's official report.
(The Secretary's Report.)
Friday, Sept. l l t h , 1868.
Agreeably to the notice of the Execu-tive
Committee the members of the regi-ment
met at the GreeuAVOods Park, Win-tsed.
Conn., and Avere called to order at
l l 30 A. M., by the President of the as-sociation,
Lieut. Col. Nathaniel Smith.
The Secretary's report of last year's con-vention
Avas read and accepted. The
Committees Avere then appointed:
On Officers—Maj. Jones, Maj. Ells, Capt.
G. N. Smith, Adjt. T.F. Vaill, Private
Jas. M. Benton.
On Resolutions—Lieut-Col. Fenn, Capt.
Lewis, Sergt NcAvcomb. .
Capt. G. N" Smith tendered the hospi-talities
of the citizens of NCAV Millbrd,
Avhich Avere received Avith rousing cheers,
and it Avas voted, 'J'hat when Ave do ad-journ
it be to New Milford, on Saturday,
Sept, 11,1869.
A letter was read from Q. M. Sergt.
Carrington, Treasurer of the Society, re-porting
the condition of its finances.
Upon motion of Capt A. B.ShuniAvay,
Lt. Col. Smith Avas appointed orator for
the next meeting at NCAV Milford.
The Committee upon officers reported
the nominations for the ensuing year, and
the report accepted and Committee dis-charged.
The folloAving officers Avere elected:
President—Eli Sperry, Woodbury.
Vice President—Horace N. Sanford,
Bridgewater.
Recording Secretary—C. Kil-bourn,
Litchfield.
Corresponding- Secrelanj—T. F. Vaill,
Winsted.
Treasurer—Charles W. Hinsdale,Litch-field.
Executive Committee—G. N. Smith,NCAV
Milford ; A. 11. Fenn, Waterbury j H. P.
Milford, Cornwall; Ira 11. Stoughton,.ny-mouth
; Jesse Turner, Mew Hartford,
Convention adjourned to 'I P.M.
At jU'ecisely 2 P. M. upon the arrival
of the train bringing a large number of
recruits the dinner call—" Peas on tho
trencher." was beaten, and following Col.
Skinner to the Hall it Avas found that the
ladies of Winsted had j rovided a sumi)-
tuous feast. Five long tables giO:ined