Clark, Charles M.; The History of the Thirty-Ninth Regiment Illinois
Volunteer Veteran Infantry, (Yates Phalanx)…;
Chicago: 1889; pp. 275-277
Major-General John Gibbons commanded the Twenty-Fourth Army
Corps and Brigadier-General Robert S. Foster the First Division, while
Brigadier-General Thomas O. Osborn was in command of our Brigade.
Soon after reaching
Richmond
a grand review of the Corps was held, and was made the occasion for the
presentation of a new flag to the Thirty-Ninth by General Gibbons. On the
standard was perched a magnificent bronze eagle which had been especially
ordered by him and suitably engraved, to commemorate the gallant conduct of the
Thirty-Ninth of the assault on Fort Gregg, Va., April 2d, 1865.
One of the
Ohio
regiments of the brigade was likewise honored in the same manner.
This was the last general review before the disbanding of
the old corps, and it passed off in the most satisfactory manner to all
concerned, and especially so to the officers and men of the Thirty-Ninth, who
were proud as well as grateful to be honored in such a complimentary way and in
so public a manner.
The duties of the men at
Richmond
were not excessive or burdensome, only such as the exigencies of the situation
required. It was principally camp and provost-guard duty in and around the city.
The corps hospital was located at
Camp
Lee, formerly a camp of conscription ad instruction for the Confederate army. The
buildings upon the ground had been erected before the war by the State
Agricultural Society and were [page break] well adapted for hospital purposes.
Soon after getting established, Miss Dix, chief of the Nurse Department of the
army, made us a visit of inspection, and expressed herself as well pleased with
our surrounding and the accommodations for sick and wounded.
Surgeon
Simonds,
U. S. A., was our Medical Director, and is gratefully remembered for the interest he
manifested in the welfare of our sick and disabled men.
[At this point author goes on at length on matters
unrelated to the regiments stay in
Richmond. This was not transcribed.]
The Richmond ladies, in course of time, having doubtless
become convinced that the “Yankees” did not “wear horns,” only drank
them, began to show themselves more freely; and here it may be of interest to
mention that Sam Greenbaum, of the band, was fortunate enough to secure a wife,
who he says has been a blessing to him ever since. Sam was always on the lookout
for chances.
Some of the Thirty-Ninth will remember Dr. Mayo and his
brother, the mayor of
Richmond, the former of whom gave the writer a lock of hair from the head of
“Stonewall”
Jackson, who died at Dr. Mayo’s house....
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last updated on
03/12/2008
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