The Irish Volunteer Official Newsletter of the 116th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Co. B VoL. X. - No. 1] PENNSYLVANIA, November, 1863 [SINGLE COPIES SIX CENTS Entered according to Act of Congress, in the Year 1863, by Sullivan et-al in the Clerk's Office for the Far Western District of Pennsylvania November 2004 Joe and Holly Sullivan Editors ¾¾¾¾¾(¾¾¾¾¾ ADMINISTRATION IN THE FIELD Capt. Steve Stowell BEHIND THE DESK Chairman, Kevin Burton ON THE HOME FRONT Civilian Advocate, Lynette Stowell Official Web Site of 116 PVI http://www.116pvi.org ¾¾¾¾¾(¾¾¾¾¾ UPCOMING EVENTS AND MEETINGS November 7, 2004 Eugene Veterans Day parade. For more information please visit our web page at http://www.116pvi.org/ and follow the events link. November 11., 2004 Albany Veterans Day parade. For more information please visit our web page at http://www.116pvi.org/ and follow the events link. November 13, 2004 NCWC Ball, Portland Oregon. September 18, 2004. For more information please visit our web page at http://www.116pvi.org/ December 4, 2004 116th Christmas Party, Philomath Grange, Philomath. For a full calendar of events visit our events web page at http://www.116pvi.org/Upcoming Events.htm Election Time! This year we will be holding elections for the following positions; Chairman - Outgoing; Kevin Burton Secr. Treas. - Outgoing; John Baker Quartermaster - Outgoing; Mark Stevens Civilian Advocate - Outgoing; Lynette Stowell Board Member - Outgoing; David Baty Board Member - Outgoing; Beth Miller Board Member - Outgoing; Joe Sullivan By now, everyone should have received a notice from John Baker stating that those that wish to apply for any of the above positions should submit a statement to John at 2339 State Street, Salem, Or, 97301 or email him at John@NedBaker.com by November 14th. ¾¾¾¾¾(¾¾¾¾¾ NEWSLETTER EDITOR WANTED After three years as the current newsletter editor, Joe Sullivan is retiring from the position Anyone interested in being the 116th Newsletter editor, please contact Secretary John Baker at John@NedBaker.com . The position starts January 2005. ¾¾¾¾¾(¾¾¾¾¾ This is one race of people for whom psychoanalysis is of no use whatsoever. - - - Sigmund Freud 1856-1939 (speaking about the Irish) CHRISTMAS PARTY! Mark your calendars now! The 116th Christmas party will be held December 4th 6-10 PM at the Philomath Grange Hall in Philomath. Since the Sullivan's live near the grange, (and no one else has volunteered ) we will take care of decorations, games, and dancing. If your last name begins with the letters A-H bring a salad. J-Z people should bring a desert. Meat, drink and disposable place settings will be provided. No-one offering help with clean-up will be turned away. Directions; From I-5, take Highway 34 west to Philomath. As you exit Philomath on the west end, Highway 34 turns left. Continuing on Highway 34 less than one mile, turn left on Grange Hall road. The Grange is located about 1/4 mile on the left. The address is 24707 Grange Hall Road. ¾¾¾¾¾(¾¾¾¾¾ Fort Hoskins Living History was a Splash! Saturday, September 18, 2004 at Fort Hoskins was a splashing success. Many people braved the cold and rain for the most authentic Fort Hoskins event ever. They were not called web foot volunteers for nothing!. Dr. Brauner spoke on the history of the Fort and our soldiers drilled and talked to the public. One of the highlights was meeting World War II veteran Corbin B. Willis Jr. Corbin was shot down over Germany, and was a POW until liberated by Patton, only to return home to find that his wife had remarried, after hearing of his death. For Corbin's full story, visit the Library of Congress web site at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cocoon/vhp-stories/loc.natlib.afc2001001.02220/ Mulholland's Congressional Medal of Honor By David Baty The following is from the book Deeds of Valor, How America's Civil War Heroes Won the Congressional Medal of Honor. I found this book in the bargain bin at a book store in Tucson, Arizona. It turned out to be quite a gem. It is a reprint of a book originally published in 1901. It's editors were impressed with the fact that the official citations for the Congressional Medals of Honor, were so brief that they didn't do justice to the deeds that caused the individuals to be awarded these medals. Often the Citation would read something like this: Pvt. Joe Snuffey, of Company A. 1st Podunk Volunteers is awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for capturing the enemy's colors at the battle of Cucamonga. Obviously there is quite a bit missing from this kind of citation. For a history lover you can see how frustrating this could be. So the editors, W. F. Beyer and O.F. Keydel decided to get the rest of the story on paper while some of the witnesses were still alive. Some of the accounts in this book are written by the commanding officers or other witnesses of the individuals cited. Others are written by the recipients them selves. What follows then is the write up on St. Claire Mulholland's C.M.H. The editors don't say who wrote this particular account. It is interesting in that it says nothing about saving Union guns from the Confederates. It does, however seem to indicate that Mulholland was the first fire fighter in history to receive the C.M.H. That should make Sergeant Stevens smile! It also gives him credit for saving the entire Union Army. And maybe that explains the omission about the guns. A few pieces of artillery pale in comparison to the entire army. In presenting this I am not claiming that this is any more, or less, accurate than any other version that you may have read about this incident. I simply thought we might all find this interesting. During the battle of May 4th, 1863, at Chancellorsville, the Confederates immediately opposed to that part of the line of battle occupied by the Second Corp, tried to burn the abatis and log revetment behind which the Union forces were fighting. A high wind was blowing at the time and the danger was great. Repeatedly had General Hancock ordered that the flames should be extinguished and each time an effort had been made to accomplish the desired result, but the fire of the Confederate sharpshooters was too deadly. At last, in the afternoon, when the result of the days work depended upon putting out the fires, General Hancock asked Major St. Clair A. Mulholland , of the 116th Pennsylvania Infantry, to take command of the picket line and to extinguish the flames. The work had to be done under heavy fire and in full view of the enemy, but Major Mulholland formed squads of men quickly and assigning each squad to a section of the burning abates, made a series of attacks. The enemy, seeming to comprehend the meaning of these efforts, at once redoubled their firing apparently, because the volleys were concentrated upon each squad in turn so that the brave Pennsylvania tugged and struggled in the midst and under a perfect torrent of bullets. They succeeded, however, in beating down the flaming logs and at last conquered the scorching enemy, completely disposing of the danger from such a source. It was work quickly accomplished and with but very little injury to the men engaged. Later on, the same day, Major Mulholland scored another no less brilliant achievement. In order to withdraw the union Army successfully from the field of Cancellorsville, it was thought necessary to sacrifice some officers and men. General Hancock requested Major Mulholland to remain in command of the picket line, keep up a continuous fire and remain fighting all night if necessary, or until the Union forces had fallen back and safely recrossed the river. The major willingly assented, fully realizing that the execution of the task meant almost certain capture by the enemy. Not only that, but he held the enemy in check on the picket line, until seven o'clock on the morning of the 5th, when, the entire army being safe over the Rappahannock, he was notified to abandon the line. In doing so he succeeded in drawing back nearly all of the pickets, getting them safely over the river. Major Mulholland was not captured by the enemy, though he was among the last to cross the stream. ¾¾¾¾¾(¾¾¾¾¾ SI KLEGG: HIS TRANSFORMATION FROM A RAW RECRUIT TO A VETERAN by John McElroy CHAPTER 10 SI AND THE DOCTORS - HE JOINS THE PALE PROCESSION AT SICK-CALL. SI KLEGG was a good specimen of a healthy, robust Hoosier lad-for he could scarcely be called a man yet. Since he lay in his cradle and was dosed with paregoric and catnip tea like other babies, he had never seen a sick day, except when he had the mumps on "both sides" at once. He had done all he could to starve the doctors. When the 200th Ind. took the field it had the usual outfit of men who wrote their names sandwiched between a military title in front and "M. D." behind, a big hospital tent, and an apothecary shop on wheels, loaded to the guards with quinine, blue-mass, castor oil, Epsom salts, and all other devices to assuage the sufferings of humanity. The boys all started out in good shape, and there had been hardly time for them to get sick much yet. So up to this stage of the regiment's history the doctors had found little to do but issue arnica and salve for lame legs and blistered feet, and strut around in their shiny uniforms. But there came a day when they had all they could attend to. On going into camp one afternoon, the regiment, being well in advance, struck a big field of green corn and an orchard of half-ripe apples. Of course, the boys sailed in, and natural consequences followed. "Now this is something like !" said Si, as he squatted on the ground along with Shorty and half a dozen messmates. They surrounded a camp-kettle full of steaming ears and half a bushel or so of apples heaped on a poncho. "Wish we had some o' mother's butter to grease this corn with," observed Si, as he flung a cob into the fire and seized a fresh ear. All agreed that Si's head was level on the butter question, but under all the circumstances of the case they were glad enough to have the corn without butter. The ears went off with amazing rapidity. Every man seemed to be afraid he wouldn't get his share, When the kettle was empty the boys turned themselves loose on the apples, utterly reckless of results. So, they were filled full, and were thankful. When Si got up he burst off half the buttons on his clothes. He looked as if he was carrying a bass-drum in front of him. After he began to shrink he had to tie up his clothes with a string until he had a chance to repair damages. But during the next 24 hours he had something else to think of. In fact, it wasn't long till Si began to wish he had eaten an ear of corn and an apple or two less. He didn't feel very well. He turned in early, thinking he would go to sleep and be all right in the morning. Along in the night he uttered a yell that came near stampeding the company. An enormous colic was raging around in his interior, and Si fairly howled with pain. He thought he was going to die right away. "Shorty," said he, between the gripes, to his comrade, "I'm afeared I'm goin' to peter out. After I'm gone you write to-to-Annie and tell her I died for my country like a man. I'd ruther been shot than die with the colic, but I 'spose 'twont make much difference after it's all over !" "I'll do it," replied Shorty. "We'll plant you in good shape; and Si, we'll gather up the corn-cobs and build a monument over you !" But Si wasn't cut off in the bloom of youth by that colic. His eruptive condition frightened Shorty, however, and though he was in nearly as bad shape himself, he went up and routed out one of the doctors, who growled a good deal about being disturbed. The debris of the supper scattered about the camp told him what was the matter, and he had no need to make a critical diagnosis of Si's case. He gave him a dose of something or other that made the pain let up a little, and Si managed to rub along through the night. Fortunately for Si, and for more than half the members of the regiment, the army did not move next day, and the doctors had a good opportunity to get in their work. At the usual hour in the morning the bugle blew the "sick-call." A regiment of tanned and grizzled veterans from Ohio lay next to the 200th Ind., and as Si lay there he heard them take up the music: "Git yer qui-nine! Git yer qui-nine! Tumble up you sick and lame and blind; Git a-long right smart, you'll be left be-hind." "Fall in fer yer ipecac !" shouted the Orderly of Co. Q. Si joined the procession and went wabbling up to the "doctor's" shop. He was better than he had been during the night, but still looked a good deal discouraged. It was a regular matinee that day. The Surgeon and his assistants were all on hand, as the various squads, colicky and cadaverous, came to a focus in front of the tent. The doctors worked off the patients at a rapid rate, generally prescribing the same medicine for all, no matter what ailed them. This was the way the army doctors always did, but it happened in this case that they were not far wrong, as the ailments, arising from a common cause, were much the same. Si waited till his turn came, and received his rations from the Hospital Steward. Of course, he was excused from duty for the day, and as he speedily recovered his normal condition he really had a good time. A few days after this the whole regiment was ordered on fatigue duty to repair an old corduroy road. Si didn't want to go, and "played off." He told the Orderly he wasn't able to work, but the Orderly said he would have to shoulder an ax or a shovel, unless he was excused by the doctor. He went up at sick-call and made a wry face, with his hands clasped over his body in the latitude of his waistband. The doctor gave him a lot of blue-mass pills, which Si threw into the fire as soon as he got back to his quarters. Then he played seven-up all day with Shorty, who had learned before Si did how to get a day off when he wanted it. Si thought it was a great scheme, but he tried it once too often. The doctor "caught on," and said, the next time Si went up, that castor oil was what he needed to fetch him around. So he poured out a large dose and made Si take it right then and there. The next time fatigue duty was ordered Si thought he felt well enough to go along with the boys. 1