The Maine bugle ... campaign; 1-5 Jan. 1894-Oct. 1898 - Maine.gov

332 THE MAINE BUGLE.
lowing day, and at night went in to the city, found the Yankees
were there, and reported to Gen. McCook. I can not describe
the thrill I experienced when I saw the old flag and a sentinel
in blue on duty for the first time. We were happy. The
Rebellion was crushed. Our homes were almost in sight. We
stayed with some loyal white people Saylor had become
acquainted with when he escaped ; had a good time talking
with the general's staff officers about the wind-up of the war.
Then we went to Macon ; Saylor found some friends in a Penn-
sylvania regiment and left me. I soon got transportation North
and started for home.
Reunions of the Regiments from Maine.
Never during the War of the Rebellion were the Maine regi-
ments ever paraded together, neither did they meet on the same
field ; nor since that memorable struggle have they ever met
together as regimental associations except once at Portland in
1876, though again at Portland, during the G. A. R. Encampment
of 1885, the Eastern Promenade was white with the tents
of the survivors of the war; but such survivors assembled as
G. A. R. Posts and not as representatives of the army organi-
zations.
It may happen that never, or until the survivors of each reg-
iment shall have been reduced to a mere fragment, will the
veterans of Maine assemble at one place and at one time. One
other truth should be stated, that at the annual reunions of the
various regiments from Maine, all of which are most happy and
entirely enjoyable, most of the survivors are unable to attend on
account of business and work, or from the disabilities of their
service in the field or from financial considerations. Now to
obviate these hardships and to provide a field where all the men
of Maine who participated in that great struggle can in spirit
assemble and enjoy what was said and enacted at each of the
various reunions, the pages of the Maine Bugle will present as