Dedication of the 77th Pennsylvania Infantry Monument

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The dedication of the monument of the 77th Pennsylvania Infantry took place on November 12, 1903 with Colonel Thomas. E. Rose, delivering the dedication address. As the 77th did not file an Official Report of its action on April 7. 1862, I have decided to post this oral history of its service at Shiloh and during the War. Colonel Rose was a former commander of the regiment and was present during the battle. Rose later gained fame being the leader of the Libby Prison Escape in February of 1864.

The 77th Pennsylvania was the "odd man out" of the Army of the Ohio being the only eastern unit but they conducted themselves well. They served in the west during the entire war and were mustered out of service in December in Texas.
Regards
David

Part 1

COMRADES OF THE 77TH REGIMENT OF PENNSYLVANIA:
It affords me greater pleasure than I can summon words to express to be able to meet so many comrades of the did 77th at this historic spot on an occasion so fraught with interest as this. We have come here to-day to dedicate a monument which our countrymen of the State of Pennsylvania have caused to be erected at this place as a lasting memorial of the services, which we, the soldiers of the 77th Regiment of Pennsylvania, rendered to our beloved country when she was in the throes of dissolution. It was indeed kind of our countrymen towards us to do this, and it was particularly kind and good of them to provide us with free transportation from our homes to this place to enable so many of us to assemble together on great occasion. Our countrymen of the Slate of Pennsylvania, by these acts have given a very clear and expressive token of their gratitude to us for our faithful services which we rendered to our country not only on this historic field but on many other hard fought fields.
On behalf of the regiment, I take sincere pleasure in thanking our countrymen of Pennsylvania for thus honoring us.

My Comrades, as we are assembled here now today, we are a very different body of men in appearance, as well as in circumstances from what we were when we formed line on the banks of yonder river on the morning of the 7th of April, 1862 with a powerful and victorious foe before us. We were then strong in numbers, in the bloom and vigor of youthful manhood, full of life's young blood, and of ardor for battle preparing to grapple with armed foes. Now we have dwindled to a small parcel of old men, decrepit and tottering under the weight of years and drawing very near to the banks of another and silent river, beyond which, in the language of Shakespeare, is that undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns. Then we had a tremendous battle right on our hands. On every side was the clash of arms and the smoke of battle. As we stood that morning on this spot, we were in the midst of a disrupted country, with the prospect of a long and exhausting war before us; how long no man could then foresee.
On the evening of that day, the enemy was driven from the field; and the battle of Shiloh was won, but the war was not over; it was but the beginning of the war, and though we were elated by our great victory, we still looked with gloomy foreboding's at the dark and bloody prospect before us, for we, the soldiers of the 77th Regiment of Pennsylvania intended from the beginning to fight the war to a finish, and we could easily foresee that there was many another fierce and desperate battle to be fought; many another long and toil- some march to be made (we had already marched from Louisville, Ky to this place); many another night of shelterless exposure to cold and snow and rain to be endured, and many thousands of other appalling dangers to be encountered before our country could be freed from its awful peril. Such was the outlook on the evening of the 7th day of April, 1862, the last day of the great Battle of Shiloh.

But more than forty years have rolled away since that day. And now, as we dedicate this monument, the War of the Rebellion is over. It is long past, and many of its incidents are forgotten. The foes with whom we so fiercely struggled from '62 to 'Go have become our friends, and the old battlefield on which we are now standing is no longer in a disrupted country, but is in the midst of a great united and glorious country.

On every side, instead of blood and carnage and the smoke and roar of battle, is peace and joy and safety — such is the wondrous change. None but those who went through that mighty struggle from first to last, endured its hardships and privations and fought its battles, can fully realize it; and none can realize it better nor more fully than the surviving soldiers of the gallant regiment, to the memory of whose services this fine monument is dedicated.
The 77th Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers was mustered into the service of the United States in October, 1861, and discharged and sent home in January, 1866, having virtually served through the whole war; for its enrollment in October was but the continuance of the service of officers and men who entered the three months service in April when the war began. The regiment was composed principally, if not entirely, of that class of officers and men.
The original Colonel was F. S. Stumbaugh, of Chambersburg, Pa., who served as its Colonel for a little more than one year, when he was appointed by the President to be a Brigadier General. The second Colonel was Thos. E. Rose of Pittsburg, Pa., who was promoted from Captain of Company B., and then served as its Colonel a little more than three years to the end of the war, and until the regiment was disbanded and sent home. Its original Lieutenant Colonel was Peter B. Housum, of Chambersburg, Pa., who served as its Lieutenant Colonel for a little more than one year. He was killed at the Battle of Stone River, December 31, 1862. The second Lieutenant Colonel was F. S. tie end of the war and until the regiment was disbanded. Its original Major was Stephen N. Bradford, of Scranton. Pa., who served as it’s Major for a little more than one year until he was physically disqualified for further service and honorably discharged. Its second Major was Alex. Phillips, of Scranton, Pa., who was promoted from Captain of Company G., and then served as its Major
 
Here is the second installment on the Dedication Ceremony for the 77th Pennsylvania Monument.
Regards
David

Part 2

for a little more than two years. He was desperately wounded and lost an arm at the Battle of Lovejoy Station, October 3, 1864; was physically disqualified for further service and honorably discharged. Its third Major was Joseph J. Lawson who was promoted from Captain of Company C, and then served as its Major a little less than one year to the end of the war and until the regiment disbanded. Its original Adjutant was S. T. Davis, of Lancaster, Pa., who served as its Adjutant for a little more than two years. He was desperately wounded at the Battle of Resaca, May 24, 1864; was physically disqualified for further service and honorably discharged. All of these field officers as well as its Captains and Lieutenants, with few exceptions had entered the three months' service and served continuously from the beginning of the war.

The Battle of Shiloh was only one incident in the long and faithful service of that gallant regiment. It was its first great battle however, and as it was the only Pennsylvania Regiment in this battle, no more appropriate place could be selected to erect and dedicate a monument to the memory of this regiment than on this battlefield of Shiloh.
The Battle of Shiloh was fought on the 6th and 7th of April, 1862. On the 6th of April, 1862, the Confederate forces under General Albert Sydney Johnston having advanced from Corinth, Miss., attacked the U. S. forces under General U. S. Grant at this place. The Confederates were victorious from the very onset, and throughout that fearful day, the battle raged like the eruption of a volcano. The major part of Grant's forces was driven pell mell to the river, but there were at least, 12,000 men of Grant's army that held the field and fought with great obstinacy until night closed upon the awful scene and until they could be reinforced by the army under General Don Carlos Buell who was approaching from the direction of Nashville to take part in the battle. On the evening of the 0th, the leading division of Buell's army under General Nelson arrived at and crossed the river and joined the stubborn remnant of Grant's
for a little more than two years. He was desperately wounded and lost an arm at the Battle of Lovejoy Station, October 3, 1864; was physically disqualified for further service and honorably discharged. Its third Major was Joseph J. Lawson who was promoted from Captain of Company C, and then served as its Major a little less than one year to the end of the war and until the regiment disbanded. Its original Adjutant was S. T. Davis, of Lancaster, Pa., who served as its Adjutant for a little more than two years. He was desperately wounded at the Battle of Resaca, May 24, 1864; was physically disqualified for further service and honorably discharged. All of these field officers as well as its Captains and Lieutenants, with few exceptions had entered the three months' service and served continuously from the beginning of the war.

The Battle of Shiloh was only one incident in the long and faithful service of that gallant regiment. It was its first great battle however, and as it was the only Pennsylvania Regiment in this battle, no more appropriate place could be selected to erect and dedicate a monument to the memory of this regiment than on this battlefield of Shiloh.
The Battle of Shiloh was fought on the 6th and 7th of April, 1862. On the 6th of April, 1862, the Confederate forces under General Albert Sydney Johnston having advanced from Corinth, Miss., attacked the U. S. forces under General U. S. Grant at this place. The Confederates were victorious from the very onset, and throughout that fearful day, the battle raged like the eruption of a volcano. The major part of Grant's forces was driven pell mell to the river, but there were at least, 12,000 men of Grant's army that held the field and fought with great obstinacy until night closed upon the awful scene and until they could be reinforced by the army under General Don Carlos Buell who was approaching from the direction of Nashville to take part in the battle. On the evening of the 0th, the leading division of Buell's army under General Nelson arrived at and crossed the river and joined the stubborn remnant of Grant's army. The next morning the second and third divisions of Buell's army under Generals Crittendon and McCook also crossed the river and went into the battle. Up to this time the Confederates had been victorious, but they had suffered appalling losses, among whom was their Commanding General. The arrival of these reinforcements at once turned the tide of the battle and the Confederates were driven from the field. The obstinate fighting of Grant's forces on the 6th had so worn out and disconcerted the Confederates that they could not withstand them vigorous onslaught of Buell's fresh troops on the 7th, so that the victory for the U. S. troops from that time on to the end of the battle was comparatively easy. The 77th belonged to and went through the battle with McCook's Division. This Regiment was highly complimented by its Commanding General for its conduct in the battle.
At the time of the Battle of Shiloh, the 77th Regiment of Pennsylvania had been enrolled in the service of the United States about six months and had performed some pretty hard and important service, but this was its first great battle, and its career of actual war service as a regiment may be said to have begun right here on the 7th day of April, 1862. Had its career of war service ended here, in all probability we would never have been assembled here or elsewhere like on the present occasion. But its career of war service did not end here. It served faithfully and heroically through the whole war; it served continuously and saw all the phases of the war. There was nothing in the way of good conduct that ever was done or could be done by soldiers in war. that was not done by the soldiers of the 77th Regiment of Pennsylvania in the course of its career. It is not necessary to relate particular incidents of dashing feats of valor, or of steadfast courage and endurance on the part of its officers or men. No regiment that went through the entire war, from beginning to ending as the 77th Regiment of Pennsylvania did, but that officers and men do such things many times over, and the relating of them in detail would make people tired, for it was not special occasions of heroic conduct, or particular instances spasmodic bravery on the part of certain troops that served our country through its periods of great danger. It was the long and continuous service of brave men who stood by their country through every trial. This the 77th Regiment of Pennsylvania's Veteran Volunteers did. It stood by the country not only through the Battle of Shiloh, but through every battle that occurred within the reach of the army to which it belonged during the entire war; not only through one long and arduous campaign, but through every campaign of the army which it served. It performed its whole duty from first to last, and did every kind of heroic act that ever was required of, or done by soldiers in war.
The 77th Regiment belonged to that division of the armies of the United States designated as the Army of the Cumberland. That army was originally organized and commanded by General Wm. Tecumseh Sherman in the latter part of the summer of 1861. It was afterwards more completely or- ganized and commanded by General Don Carlos Buell. It was next commanded by General Wm. S. Rosecrans when it received its designation and has ever since been known as the Army of the Cumberland. It was finally commanded by General Geo. H. Thomas, under whose command it remained, and still retained its designation as Army of the Cumberland until the Southern Confederacy was overthrown and the war ended.

The 77th Regiment of Pennsylvania joined the Army of the Cumberland (then the Army of Ohio) at Louisville, Ky., in October, 1861, when that army was being organized by General Sherman. From that time on it served with that army, went through all its campaigns and fought through all its battles. Wherever the Army of the Cumberland was during the war, there also was the 77th Pennsylvania sharing in all its vicissitudes, in all its victories, in all its reverses. I do not think the Army of the Cumberland ever was defeated, and I know it never was whipped or driven from any battlefield, but it did receive some staggering blows, and on no other part of that army, nor on any other one regiment, did those blows fall heavier or oftener than they did on the 77th Pennsylvania; nor were those blows received by any regiment with sturdier manhood, nor returned with more fatal effect upon the enemy than those received and returned by the 77th Regiment of Pennsylvania, and as before stated, the 77th Regiment of Pennsylvania's Veteran Volunteer did its whole duty throughout the whole war, and our countrymen of Pennsylvania have done rightly and well to posterity, to themselves and to us, by causing this fine monument to be erected and dedicated on this field as a lasting memorial of the services of this gallant regiment.
 
Take a look at the image of John Obreiter, chairman, in the front of the book and compare it to the face on the monument. Hmmmm....a bit of a similarity? I took the photo in 2010 while he was being waxed and buffed.
 
77th PA.jpg
 
Who would have thunk that? I gather they had to have a face for the statue and John Obreiter volunteered!
Good catch and thank you for sharing.
Regards
David
 
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