Chapter IV: Part 4

NOTE.--So far as my memory serves me and the information given me goes, Comrades Berryhill, Geary, Magill, Porter and Wm. Scott were practically with the Company in all the leading battles and were never wounded. Comrades Johnson and Wilkin can have about the same said of them, save that they received slight wounds. And Comrades Allison and McCalmont missed the Deep Bottom and Ream's Station engagements.

NOTE.--Mr. Amos Sprowls, of Liberty, Neb., a brother of Comrade Geo. Sprowls, wrote in answer to inquiry concerning George that he was wounded and made prisoner at Spottsylvania, May 12, 1864, kept in hospital at Richmond two months; thence sent to Andersonville prison; thence, owing to Sherman's march to the sea, sent to North Carolina; thence, at close of war, sent to Fortress Monroe to be conveyed by ship to Annapolis, Md. Three transports were loaded; and one of these, the "Governor," encountered a storm on Chesapeake Bay and sank with 1,600 souls. Sprowls was among them, as he was never heard of afterwards. A Mr. W. S. Crafto, living near Washington, Pa., reported seeing him on his way to Fortress Monroe.

Supplementary Statement.

Since forwarding the manuscript for publication, one of our number has been summoned from service on earth. He has gone to rest. The taps have been sounded. George A. Hanlin died suddenly from heart disease, Jan. 27, 1906, 2:45 p.m., in his place of business, Clifton street and West 38th avenue, Denver, Colo. He lacked 27 days of being 62 years of age. The funeral services were largely attended, being conducted Jan. 30th, 10:30 a.m., in the undertaker's parlors and at the grave. The Crocker G.A.R. Post, Denver, of which he was a member, and the Camp of the Sons of Veterans, to which his sons belonged, were in attendance; and he was buried in the full honors of these orders in Fairmount cemetery. The writer delivered a short address, a tribute to the memory of a faithful soldier, an upright citizen, a true husband and father, an industrious and successful business man, and one beloved by all.

Conclusion.

Comrades of Company K, a feeling of sadness steals over me, as now I am about to lay down my pen. About two years ago, upon your urgent request, yet with great reluctance, I undertook this work. During these two years four of our number have fallen out of ranks, never more to answer to roll call here. How forcibly this reminds us that we are all hastening to the last earthly roll call! By and by, and "soon 'twill be," the last one of us must fail to answer. It behooves us to be true and faithful to the end--to ever live and act that in the Grand Army above, through Jesus Christ our victorious leader, we may have comradeship unbroken and of ever increasing delight.

And now, Comrades, I have exhausted my resources in endeavor to serve you in this work of placing in historic record your deeds of heroism and works of patriotic sacrifice in the War of the Rebellion. Possibly I have been too plain, conservative and modest in the language used. But my heart's desire in it all has been to be faithful and true to you--to each and all of you. If I had not been one of you, I might have indulged in superlatives often. Of one thing rest assured, the verdict of the reader will be, "Nothing is overstated."

I feel that I have imperfectly sketched your part in the saving of the nation. Your children and theirs to the remotest time will ever be proud of it. We can ever emphasize one battle, in which as a Company we had our largest experience; and in which we registered our first and greatest loss in "killed in action." It was the decisive battle of that greatest of civil conflicts--"rebellion rising to its supremest effort and falling fatally wounded." Yes, we can ever point with pride to our "trial in the fire" at Gettysburg. And we can glory, too, in the magnificent victory won by the 2nd Corps at Spottsylvania. Certainly we cannot be charged with undue boasting if we do glory in such expressions as "brave old Co. K!" "The fighting 140th Regiment P.V.!" "The old reliable 2nd Corps!"

We together followed the flag of our country in march and battle for almost three years in the Army of the Potomac, till "old glory" was triumphant. And we certainly share in the honor a grateful nation accords to its defenders. And, surviving comrades, in loving remembrances of our dead, with our hearts full of gratitude and praise, we do feel proud of what we did, inasmuch, while the years have come and gone since we laid down our arms and again took our places as citizens, we have seen our beloved country, more precious in the immense cost of its preservation, rise to an unparalleled degree of success and prosperity. And while we rejoice in this, let us, in taking leave of each other, in the end of this book of history, pledge ourselves and our posterity to continued faithfulness, to unflinching devotion to our nation, even unto death.

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Transcriber's note:

Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note.

Irregularities and inconsistencies in the text have been retained as printed.

One paragraph on page 24 contains both duplicated and missing text. As printed, the text reads:

... comforts, etc., and some essentials were lost. The fact is, when
we were up in support battery on the 3rd, our knapsacks left by
order, at trenches, were ransacked by camp followers. fact is, when
we were up in support of battery on the 3rd, our knap- Wheeler, in
arm; McCalmont, in foot; Briggs, in back; Chester, in leg; and J. W.
Nickeson, thumb shot off. Corp'l W. L. Pry, in falling back to
hospital, overcome with fatigue, accidentally shot himself in hand.

An online search revealed one copy of the book with the following hand written correction:

... comforts, etc., and some essentials were lost. The fact is, when
we were up in support battery on the 3rd, our knapsacks left by
order, at trenches, were ransacked by camp followers. The company
had only a few slightly wounded. These were: Wheeler, in arm;
McCalmont, in foot; Briggs, in back; Chester, in leg; and J. W.
Nickeson, thumb shot off. Corp'l W. L. Pry, in falling back to
hospital, overcome with fatigue, accidentally shot himself in hand.