Its Reunion - History of the Regiment - Preliminary Organization - Proceedings of the Meeting – Attendance

Pursuant to a call issued by Col. Hulburtd the surviving members of the Eighteenth Michigan Infantry, met in this city at Odd Fellows' Hall, Thursday afternoon. Previous to giving a report of the meeting it might be interesting to present a brief

HISTORY OF THE REGIMENT

The Eighteenth Michigan Infantry was raised under the President's call for troops issued July 2, 1862, and was filled by volunteers from the counties of Monroe, Lenawee and Hillsdale. It was rendezvoused at Hillsdale and on the 4th of September, 1862, the regiment left camp at that place for Cincinnati, with a force on its muster rolls of 1,002 officers and enlisted men. On the 23d of September, at Snow's Pond, Ky., fifty of the men were taken prisoners on picket. Its officers at that date were:
Colonel - Chas C. Doolittle
Lieut. Col. - George Spaulding
Major - John W. Horner
Adjutant - John C. Whipple
Captains - Edwin M. Hulburd, James D. Hinkley, O.B. VanValer, C.J. Stevens, T.J. Hill, G.W. Bullock, R.P. Ingersoll, J.D. Stevens, C.R. Miller.
First Lieutenants - M.W. Reed, John Shelt, J.O. Ames, W.A. Weatherhead, S.F. Hill, J.R. Randall, A.H. Babcock, W.O. Moore, H.D. Spaulding.
Second Lieutenants - J.S. Riddle, S.A. Dennison, J.G. Bunt, A.E. Hoag, S.W. Horner, H. Bross, A.C. Clark, I.O. Savage.

On the 1st of November, 1862, the regiment was stationed at Lexington, Ky, and remained there until the next February, when it marched to Danville, arriving on the 22d. On the the[sic] 24th, it retreated from Danville to the Kentucky river, skirmishing with the rebels, under Gen. Pegram, during the retreat. On the 28th, it joined in pursuit of this rebel General at Buck, making a long and rapid march, which many of the men will long remember. April 2d, it returned to Stanford. On the 14th it arrived at Nashville, when it went on duty as Provost guard, in which position it did duty until the 11th of June, 1864. On the 12th of June it arrived at Decatur, Ala., where it formed part of the garrison, though scouting during the summer and fall the rough the adjacent country. On the 26th it formed part of a force which surprised the camp of Patterson's brigade of rebel cavalry, at Pont Springs, Ala., capturing all their camp equipage, wagons, ambulances and commissary stores, with some prisoners. On the 25th of July, the regiment assisted in routing the same rebel brigade, at Cortland, Ala. In both of these expeditions the regiment was in the advance, and was the only infantry engaged. On the 1st of September it left Decatur to reinforce the garrison at Anthens, Ala., against a threatened attack by General Wheeler, then engaged in a raid through Tennessee. It arrived in Tennessee. It arrived in Athens just in time to prevent the command of Gen. Roddy from entering and pillaging the town. The regiment remained at Anthens until the 8th when it joined Col. Straight's brigade of Gen. Steadman's command, then in pursuit of wheeler, and marched to Shoal Creek, within several miles of Florence, Ala. Being in the advance, it here overtook and skirmished with Wheeler's rear guard. The pursuit being abandoned, the regiment returned to camp at Decatur September 21. A detachment of the regiment, number 214 [231?] officers and men, left Decatur on the 24th of September, with other troops, to reinforce the garrison at Athens. When within two miles of that place they were attacked by a force of the ? numbering ? since ?tained, about 1,000 under Gen. Forrest.

After five hours' desperate fighting with this superior force, during which their ammunition was expended, the detachment had succeeded in arriving within sight of the fort at Athens, but finding it in possession of the enemy, it surrendered. With the exception of a few who escaped the entire command was either killed or captured. On the 26th, 27th, 28th and 29th of October, the regiment participated in the successful defense of Decatur against the rebel army under Gen. Hood. During the siege a detachment of fifty men were sent out to dislodge a body of the enemy's sharpshooters, that occupied a line of rifle pits, near one of the Union forts. The movement was successfully executed under a galling fire; the enemy were driven from their cover, and one hundred and fifteen prisoners captured with a loss to the detachment of only two slightly wounded. In the 30th of Oct., 1864, the regiment was stationed at Decatur, Ala., and remained there until November 25th, when the evacuation of the line of the Memphis and Charleston railroad, from Decatur to Stephenson was commenced. Then it left Decatur, marching along the line of that railroad to Stevenson, a distance of eighty miles, reaching that point, December 22nd where it was employed building fortifications until the 19th when it was ordered back to Decatur, via the Tennessee river. On the 23d the regiment landed at Whitesboro, and marched to Huntsville to aid in repelling a threatening attack by Forrest, and on the 24th returned to Whitesboro, and re-embarked for Decatur, arriving there on the 28th. It remained at that point, doing garrison duty, until the 11th of January, 1864, when it proceeded by rail to Huntsville, and was there engaged on post duty. On June 20th the regiment was ordered to Nashville for muster out, which was accomplished on the 26th, and on the 27th it left for Michigan, arriving at Jackson, July 2nd. On the 4th it was paid off and discharged.

The regiment participated in the following battles and skirmishes: Danville, Ky., Feb 24, 1863, Pond springs, Ala., June 28, 1864; Curtiss Wells, Ala., June 24, 1864; Courtland, Ala., July 24, 1864; Athens, Ala., Sept. 24, 1865; Decatur, Ala., Oct 24, Nov. 28, 1865.

The following were the officers of the regiment, mustered out with it:
Colonel - J.W. Horner
Lieut. Col. - E.M. Hulburd
Major - J.D. Hinckley
Adjutant - H.K. Rowley
Captains - M.W. Reed, R.P. Ingersoll, W.C. More, J.J. Stevens, C.R. Miller, W.A. Weatherhead, S.A. Dennison, A.H. Babcock, J.C. Whipple, S.F. Hill.
First Lieutenants - A.C. Clark, J.H. Kelly, G.H. Brewster, O.L. Spaulding, L.W. Davis, S.M. Kneeland, C.A. Jewell, J.W. Hall, S.H. Adams, D.C. LeBarron, C.T. Hewitt.
Second Lieutenants - E. Janney, G.W. Hurd, A.C. Smith, R.H. Baker, E.W. Sinclair, S.R. Norris, S.K. Norris, E.W. Crane, H.M. Cole, W.H. Beisel.

May 11th, 1865, Col. Doolittle, was promoted to Brigadier General of Volunteers.

The above is of course, mainly correct as we have taken it from the Adjutant General's report, but it is incomplete in many respects as a history, for it fails to give any account of the fearful loss the regiment sustained on the ill-fated Sultana, as well as many other eventful scene through which the regiment passed. But such as it is, it is the best we can offer until a better is prepared.

THE REUNION

Col. Hulburd called the meeting to order, and made a few remarks explanatory of the motives which induced him to call the meeting, and explained that this was intended as merely a preliminary organization.

A temporary organization was effected by choosing Col. Hulburd chairman and Stimpson G. Harvey secretary.

Letters were read from Gen. Doolittle, Gen. George Spaulding, Captain O.D. Stevens and Capt. E.D. Champlin, regretting their inability to be present.

Capt. Miller moved that a committee of five be appointed on permanent organization, the said committee to report as early as practicable.

The chair appointed in accordance with this motion, Captain Miller, Major Hinckley and Lieuts. Spaulding, Brewster and Janney such committee. But the two latter not being present Sergts. Camburne and Bassett were substituted.

The committee retired and on their return reported the following as permanent officers of the organization:
President - Gen. C.C. Doolittle
Vice Presidents - Gen. George Spaulding, Monroe; Col. E.M. Hulburd, Lenawee; Lieut. C.L. Spaulding, Jonesville
Secretary - Corp. Harvey A. Colvin
Treasurer - Capt. C.R. Miller.

On a motion a committee of three was appointed with instructions to report at the next meeting articles of association. Adjt. R.H. Baker, Capt. C.T. Bateman, and S.G. Harvey were appointed such committee.

An Executive committee of five was, on motion, appointed as follows: Col. C.M. Hulburd, chairman; Capt. J.J. Stevens, Lieut. I.O. Savage, Lieut. J.H. Pratt and Lieut. C.L. Spaulding.

On motion a historical committee of three was appointed with instructions to prepare a regimental record as follows: Capt. A.B. Babcock, Lieut. H.M. Cole, Lieut. C.B. Stayt. Lieut. D.C. LeBarron was on motion, added to the committee which was ordered to report at the next annual meeting.

Capt. C.R. Miller was then called upon for a speech and briefly esponded. He remarked on the close tie which bound comrades in arms, engendered by companionship in the march, the bivouac and in the fight. The tie was closer than that of blood. It pleased him to see around him so many men with whom he had shared all these, and he was pleased to think that they had perfected an organization which promised to be permanent.

The regiment had marched forth at the call of its country, 1,000 strong actuated by sterling patriotism. Other regiments carried on their torn and sacred battle flags the grim record of more stern conflicts than the Eighteenth, but no members of that regiment had ever shirked their duty. The duty of the regiment had always been important, often arduous, and had never flinched when bullets flew. But 400 of the 1,000 who went forth lived to come back, and it was fitting that the memories of those lost ones should be kept green. The widows and orphans of these dead ones should be cared for, and this care should be a prominent object of the organization.

Capt. C.T. Bateman was called for and responded by recalling many of the scenes in which the regiment had taken part.

Capt. W.S. Davis, Lieut. I.O. Savage, Lieut. E. H. Hoag, Col. Hulburd, and many others were called upon and responded to the call briefly.

On motion the executive committee were instructed to procure the services of Capt. M.W. Reed to deliver an oration at the next meeting.

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