38th Regimental
1911 Cresco Reunion

38th Iowa Regiment Reunion.

The survivors of the 38th Iowa will hold their 20th Annual Reunion on the 20th and 21st of this month, and all old soldiers are requested to be present at their meetings in the Court House on the dates above mentioned. This regiment held the left at Vicksburg where the line came down from the highlands through the swamps to the water’s edge; the miasms front this swamp laid hundreds of men on their backs and reduced the number of our regiment from 800 good, stout husky men to less than 400 in a very few weeks. The line of battle was 8 miles long and was defended by 220 cannon, 7 mortars and about one hundred thousand men. The mortars were throwing shells into the city day and night; big guns and small arms kept the line hot in the day time. The surrender occurred July 4, 1863. Gen. Logan’s Division, which was the most advanced, led the way into the city, accompanied by Gen. Grant. There were surrendered thirty-two thousand troops, fifty thousand stand of arms, 170 cannon, the finest in the United States, and an enormous amount of ordnance stores; among the prisoners were 2,153 officers and 15 Generals. This was a larger army than Lee surrendered at Appomattox by four thousand. The results were the immediate fall of Fort Hudson and the flowing of the Father of Waters untrameled to the sea, the division of Confederacy, the domination of the channel of the great river, and the unchallenged control ofthe Empire watered by its tributaries. While our boys were talking with the prisoners of war, the rebs, they said they would like to see those Austrian rifles, they said they carried up remarkably strong. We had some skilled marksmen in Co. I, who could hit the mark every time. The 38th exchanged their Austrian rifles for new Enflelds taken from the Rebs, also the drummers for new ones. This regiment was at the capture of Fort Morgan, Mobile Bay, a first class fort under Gen. Bailey who liberated the fleet on Red River; was in the charge at Blakely, which gave us the city of Mobile; also made the trip twice across the Gulf of Mexico on expeditions to Texas, to Brownsville and to Houston.

Members of the 38th Regiment

The meetings will be held in the court house hall. A program for entertainment has practically been decided upon.

Wednesday forenoon will be occupied in registering and shaking hands with old friends and showing places of entertainment. This will continue until 3 o’clock, when, if the weather is favorable, there will be dress parade in front of the court house. At 6 p. m, at Woodmen hall a banquet will be served by the Women’s Relief Corps. At 7:30 p. m. there will be a camp fire at the court house, to which everybody is cordially invited. Speaking and music will be provided, and of Buch a character that you will not become drowsy.

Thursday evening will be the business meeting. Afternoon, a spin about town, visiting and a good time generally. At 7:30 p. m. campfire lovefeast at court house.

38th Iowa Reunion a Success.

The twentieth annual reunion of the 38th Iowa held in Cresco the past two days was a big success in every way. Thirty-three of the less than 200 survivors of the regiment registered, and we believe they all heartily enjoyed the hospitality of the city.

The afternoon of the first day was spent in renewing old comradship. And a dress parade under command of Capt. Geo. Humphrey, C. D. Taylor taking a photograph of the old veterans as they stood in line.

At six o’clock the ladies of the W. R. C. served an elegant banquet to the visitors in the dining room of the M. E. church. A drizzling rain marred the evening, but despite it the court house was filled at the “camp fire.” C. W. Reed welcomed the old soldiers to the city and Dr. Babcock of New Hampton responded for the visitors. An interesting history of the 38th, prepared by Lieut. Patterson, was read by C. W. Reed. Miss McCook recited the “Charge of the Light Brigade" and little Miss Catharine Patterson, and a quartette consisting of Mesd. Haven and Mead and Messrs. Patterson and Mead gave several musical selections during the evening.

At the business meeting held yesterday morning, Decorah was chosen as the next place of meeting, and Geo.M. Anderson and F. M. Hughes, both of Decorah, were chosen president and secretary respectively.

In the afternoon nearly a score of automobile owners took the old soldiers on a 15 mile ride about the city.

Following is the registration of the reunion:

Members of the 38th Regiment

The following is a list of the old soldiers, not members of the 38th, reunion of their comrades.

The Reunion information was extracted from Library of Congress Micro-Film using: Chronicling America, transcribed and prepared for the Web by Bill Waters. This Report was published in the Twice-A-Week Plain Dealer Sept. 8, 1911, FP, C1, 2 and Sept. 22, 1911, LP, C5