Company I, 19th Iowa Infantry Reunion

PAINE, EDMONDSON, JOHNSON, RAGSDALE, CALHOUN, NIXON, HORNBAKER, LINEAWEAVER, MERIDETH, BROOKS, CARTER

Posted By: Chuck and Joy Hanson (email)
Date: 12/15/2006 at 22:07:01

The annual picnic of Co. I, 19 Iowa Infantry was held at the H.B. Edmondson home in Washington Township, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 1905.

The morning was cloudy and a light sprinkle fell nearly all the forenoon, but, regardless of the unpropitious weather, by nine o’clock the old comrades began coming and by eleven quite a company was present.

The front entrance to the yard had an arch beautifully decorated with bunting and flags bearing the inscription, “Welcome Co. I and friends” and the yard interspersed the flowers and evergreen, was a fitting place to receive them.

Their old Captain, Sam’l Paine, of Henia, Ill., (formerly of Bentonsport), came all the way to spend a day with his boys as he calls them, and to say he enjoyed it immensely is expressing it mildly. He was there first to greet each one as they came. He embraced and kissed every one of them, and he kissed their wives, too, just because they were the wives of his boys, he said. He is a grand old man, eighty one years old and travels alone.

The members of Co. I in attendance were Capt. Sam’l Paine of Henia, Ill., Robt. Johnson and John Ragsdale of Birmingham; David Calhoun and Jacob Nixon of Stockport; Martin Hornbaker, Geo. Lineaweaver, Jesse Merideth of Bonaparte; Luman Brooks, H.B. Edmondson and Alex Carter of Bentonsport. Others had signified their intention of coming but the weather interfered.

The entertainment consisted of music by Robt. Johnson’s marshall band and on a phonograph by Miss Edna Glasscock.

But the dinner seemed the best entertainment after all. The weather cleared up by noon so the dinner was spread in the yard, picnic style, each family bringing a well filled basket of the best things of the land, and the dinner was all the most fastidious one could wish, and, with abundance of hot coffee, the company dined sumptuously.

Fahr was on hand with his picture machine and took a snap shot at Co. I, also one of the whole company.

A picnic organization was formed at the meeting for Co. I consisting of the following officers: H.B. Edmondson, pres., David Calhoun, v-p; Jacob Nixon, tres.; John Ragsdale, cor.sec.

A vote of thanks was extended to Mr. and Mrs. Edmondson for their hospitality on the occasion.

As the afternoon drew to a close they reluctantly bade each other good bye and expressed themselves as having a very enjoyable time, hoping to meet at the home of some comrade next year, and Capt. Paine promised to meet with the boys next year if he was able.

From the Mason Scrapbook owned by H.K. Redhead