Miscellaneous - Reunion of the 114th Regiment, 1885

Reunion of the 114th Regiment at Bainbridge

Chenango Union, Aug. 20, 1885

 

The morning of August 13th, the day of the 13th annual reunion of the 114th Regiment, N.Y.S. Volunteers in this village [Bainbridge, Chenango Co., NY], dawned sultry and with occasional showers.  All the needed preparations for the reception of the old soldiers and invited guests had been completed the previous day.  At an early hour the Coventryville band arrived, and in company with McKinstry band of this village, marched to the depot, where a large number of citizens had assembled to await the arrival of incoming trains.  At 9:30 A.M. the express from the west and the freight and accommodations from the east arrived at this station, and each train was loaded with the surviving boys who donned the blue at their country's call twenty years ago. 

 

As the old veterans set foot on Bainbridge soil it shook with the cannon's roar, mingled with the sweet strains of music from the bands, and while the morning breezes wafted the cannon's smoke around about the old soldiers as they alighted from the trains, many an eye brightened and numberless bosoms heaved as hand grasped hand--"not over the bloody chasm"--of friendship and reunion. 

 

At ten o'clock the line of veterans was formed on West Main street, the right resting on South Main street, headed by McKinstry band.  The line of march was up North Main street to Johnson, up Johnson to Kirby, up Kirby to West Main, up West Main to Julian, down Juliand to Pearl, down Pearl to South Main, up South Main to East Main, down East Main to River, up River to Evans, up Evans to North Main, down Main to Park, where the Reception took place.

 

The address of welcome by our townsman, Hon. Elliot Danforth, was a masterly effort which could have emanated only from a mind in unison and sympathy with the remaining defenders of our great country who listened with marked attention. 

 

The response by Major James F. Fitts, of Lockport, N.Y., was able and sound; he claiming that all the honor bestowed upon the soldiers is justly due them.  Next introduced to the assembled citizens was our former townsman, Major D.D. Bullock, of North Norwich, who delivered the annual address, which was listened to with marked attention.  It was the Major that enlisted and took to the war many of the Bainbridge boys.  The exercises were greatly enhanced by the rendering of several patriotic airs in a very fine manner. 

 

The soldiers and their friends now wended their way from a feast of the mental to a feast prepared for the physical man at the Rink, where accommodations for seating four hundred guests had been prepared and fifteen hundred partook of a bountiful repast the bounteous gift of a grateful people to the people's greatest.  Then came the "feast of reason and the flow of soul."

 

1.  Our Ship of State, Response by Leroy Bennett, Esq., of Bainbridge.

2.  Our Fallen Heroes, Response by George A. Have, Esq., of Afton.

3.  The Ladies.  Response by Hon. A.P. Smith of Cortland.

4.  The Days of '62.  Response by Hon. Elliot Danforth of Bainbridge.

5.  The Volunteer Soldier, Response by Hon. Henry A. Clark, of Bainbridge.

 

Speeches were also made by Hon. B. Gage Berry, Col. R.P. York, Rev. E.T. Jacobs, Dr. DeWitt Crumb and Ernest Hufcutt.

 

Too much cannot be said of the generosity of our townspeople in responding to the call made upon them.  Lived we in any other town we would have something real nice to say of the ladies and misses who rendered such efficient service at the rink.--Republican.