Chapter XIV: By E. C. Strouss

Departure from Burkesville--Marching Through Richmond--The March to
Washington--Passing Over Old Battlefields--Camp at Bailey's Cross
Roads--Grand Review of the Army of the Potomac--The Order of
March--The Fifty-Seventh Ordered Mustered Out--Names of Engagements
in which the Regiment Participated--Its Casualties--We Start for
Harrisburg--Finally Paid and Discharged--Farewell Address of Our
Field Officers.

The regiment with the corps received orders on May 2d to go to Richmond. It left its camp at Burkesville accordingly and marching via Amelia Court House, it reached Manchester on the James river, opposite Richmond, about 11 a. m. on May 5th. On the 6th it marched through Richmond with bands playing and colors flying, passing the famous--or infamous--Libby prison on the way. But few of the men who then marched with the regiment had ever been prisoners within its walls. Crossing the Chickahominy river the regiment bivouacked four and a half miles north of Richmond on the Fredericksburg pike. On the 7th it marched through Hanover Court House, and across the Pamunkey river, halting for the night after a march of sixteen miles. On the 8th it marched sixteen miles and on the 9th, seventeen miles, and halted for the night on the Po river, near the old battlefield of Spottsylvania. On the 10th it passed through Fredericksburg and crossing the Rappahannock, camped for the night on familiar ground near Stoneman's Switch on the Aquia Creek railroad.

By the 15th the corps had reached the vicinity of Washington and went into camp near Bailey's Cross Roads. This proved to be the last camping ground of the regiment, it remaining here until the last of June.

The only things of importance that occurred while in this camp were the Grand Review of the Army of the Potomac, on May 23d, and the muster-out of the regiment at the end of June.

On the morning of May 23d we were up early, getting ready to march to Washington, distant seven miles, to take part in the Grand Review. We moved by way of Arlington Mills and Hunter's Chapel to Long Bridge, crossing which our corps (the 2d) was massed on the streets east and south of the Capitol. The Army of the Potomac (with the exception of the 6th corps, which was on duty at Danville, Va.), was to pass in review before the President of the United States in the following order, with the officers named commanding:

Cavalry Corps, Major General Merritt.
Ninth Corps, Maj. Gen. John G. Parke.
Fifth Corps, Maj. Gen. Charles Griffin.
Second Corps, Maj. Gen. A. A. Humphreys.

This force comprised 151 regiments of infantry, 36 regiments of cavalry and 22 batteries of artillery, which, with the staff department of the general officers, made about 80,000 men.

Precisely at 9 o'clock a. m. the signal gun boomed out the start. The cheery bugles of the cavalry and artillery were instantly going, the drums of the infantry rolled, the bands pealed forth inspiring music, and the Grand Army of the Potomac was on the march.

The infantry marched without knapsacks, by company front, closed _en masse_. As the cavalry passed up Pennsylvania avenue, cheers rent the air, and horses and riders were pelted with flowers. Similar demonstrations awaited the other parts of the column.

In front of the White House a large stand had been erected, on which stood the President, members of his cabinet, heads of the military and civil departments, and foreign ambassadors.

Thousands of people from the Northern states had visited Washington to see this the greatest military pageant of the nineteenth century, and which this country may never see surpassed. The streets were crowded to their utmost, and windows and roofs of houses and every available spot where the parade could be viewed was filled with spectators.

It was late in the afternoon when the last regiment passed the reviewing stand. Our brigade was the next to the last in the column. It was commanded by Brig. Gen. Byron R. Pierce and marched in the following order:

17th Maine, Col. C. P. Mattox.
105th Pennsylvania, Maj. James Miller.
5th Michigan, Lieut. Col. D. S. Root.
93d New York, Lieut. Col. H. Gifford.
141st Pennsylvania, Lieut. Col. J. H. Horton.
1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, Maj. Shatwell.
57th Pennsylvania, Maj. Samuel Bryan.

The weather throughout the day was delightful, and the men being in light marching order, were but little fatigued, although we had marched altogether about sixteen miles.

The next day General Sherman's army was reviewed under like circumstances, the crowd being swelled by the presence of many officers and men of the Army of the Potomac, who were anxious to see the review of their gallant comrades of the western armies.

The 6th corps of the Army of the Potomac, and all the artillery that had not previously been reviewed, passed in review on the 8th of June.

After the reviews were over the government began mustering out troops as fast as the necessary rolls could be made out, and transportation be secured to send the men home.

On June 23d orders were received that the 57th was on the list of regiments to be mustered out. Then for a week there were busy times at the headquarters of the various companies. Five large muster-out rolls of each company had to be made out, a discharge paper for each man to be filled out, company books balanced, and descriptive books verified up to date.

At last, all the necessary requirements having been fulfilled, the regiment was mustered out of the United States service on the evening of June 29, 1865.

According to the records of the War Department the regiment is credited with having participated in the following battles, viz: Yorktown, Williamsburg, Fair Oaks, Oak Grove, Glendale, Malvern Hill, Bristow Station, Groveton, Second Bull Run, Chantilly, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Auburn, Kelly's Ford, Mine Run, Wilderness, Spottsylvania, North Anna, Totopotomoy, Cool Harbor, Petersburg, Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom, Poplar Grove Church, Boydton Road, Hatcher's Run, Petersburg (Watkins' House), Amelia Springs, Appomattox.

The casualties of the regiment were: Killed, 161; wounded, 432; died of disease or wounds, 217; total, 810. This total is almost as great as the original strength of the regiment, which was about 850 officers and men.

The above does not include those who died in prison, as correct lists of these were never obtained.

The total enlistment in the regiment was 1,711, but this includes the men who reenlisted, and over 100 who enlisted for the regiment, but never reported for duty. The regiment also received 150 recruits after Lee had surrendered and the fighting was over.

At the date of muster-out there were but 97 men of the original regiment left in the ranks. Chaplain W. T. McAdam was the only one of the original officers remaining.

On the morning of June 30th we struck tents for the last time, and then marched to Washington, where we took cars for Harrisburg.

We arrived at the latter place on Sunday morning, July 2d, and marched out to what was called "Camp Return," adjoining "Old Camp Curtin." Here the regiment received its final pay and discharges from Maj. W. T. Asson, Paymaster U. S. A., on July 6th, 1865. On the same day the men departed by various routes for their homes.

Before disbanding each member of the regiment received a copy of the following farewell address, which was prepared by Adjutant Thomas E. Merchant, of the 57th:

HARRISBURG, PA., July 6, 1865.

To the Officers and Soldiers of the old 57th Pennsylvania:

Four years ago our thoughts were turned on war to come.

To-day our thoughts are on war past and peace to come.

The bloody strife is over, and you with many of your fellow soldiers
are now to return to your homes.

We part joyfully, for the life we have led as soldiers has been a
severe one, and we are glad the task is over, and that henceforth we
may enjoy the comforts of peaceful life. Yet the associations we
have formed are very hard to sever, and during our whole course of
life in the future we will revert with pleasure and pride to the
associations and companionships formed during those three or four
years in which the regiment fought twenty-seven engagements and
marched hundreds of miles.

Let us not forget each other. Parting as a band of brothers, let us
cling to the memory of those tattered banners, under which we fought
together, and which without dishonor we just now restored to the
authorities who placed them in our hands.

Till we grow grey-headed and pass away let us sustain the reputation
of the noble old regiment,--for none can point to one more glorious!

Fortune threw together two organizations--the 84th P. V. and the
57th P. V.--to make up the present command. Both regiments have been
in service since the beginning of the strife, and the records of
both will demand respect through all coming time.

Very many of those who have been enrolled with us have fallen, and
their graves are scattered here and there throughout the south.

We will not forget these; and the people of this nation will and
must honor their memory--for how can they avoid it when they see
little children pointing their fingers at the portrait on the wall
and hear them saying: "He died for our country!"

Comrades, God bless you all! Farewell!

GEORGE ZINN,

GEORGE W. PERKINS,

SAMUEL BRYAN,

Field officers of the late 57th P. V. V.