How the good things disappeared. Two or three ladies were busy attending Brock, who, with a half chicken in one hand, a piece of pie in the other and a friedcake in his mouth, was trying to make a deaf man understand just how it happened that enough rebels were left to make a decent surrender.
Two hours were passed in Canastota. The band played and the boys cheered their appreciation for the greetings. Then they boarded the train and were taken to Syracuse and quartered at the fair grounds.
Food at Syracuse was supplied returning regiments, on the contract plan, very much as at the City Hall barracks in New York—mussy, greasy and repulsive, even to soldiers. Somebody had a fat contract.
On the 31st of July the Madison county boys were paid off and left for their homes. The Cortland boys were paid next day. Thus the colonel, a Cortland man, had given precedence to Madison.
And so Co. G returned from the war. The recruits left in South Carolina felt it hard to be held for further service. Col. Carmichael endeavored to bring them with him, but the order retaining them was inflexible. But they fared very well, having light guard duty under the Freedmen's Bureau, and finally were discharged in April, 1866.
Soon after disbanding at Syracuse a regimental association was formed which meets each year on the 19th of September, in commemoration of the date of muster into the service of the general government. The place of meeting is selected yearly with a design to favor both Cortland and Madison counties, alternately.
The most active in organizing this Association was Col. Carmichael, who made it a duty to be present, himself, at the reunions as a comrade among comrades. And so deeply was his interest that he attended the reunion at Canastota in 1889, while suffering from a fatal illness, and against the advice of his physician, his death occurring a few weeks later.
To Col. Carmichael is due the credit for suggesting and carrying to completion the idea of a monument at Gettysburg erected by the survivors. Although the stone is not pretentious it bears upon its granite sides a record that does honor to the Empire State. In September 1886 the regimental reunion was held at Gettysburg and the monument unveiled. The stone is of gray granite and stands on Howard Avenue, near the Mummasburgh road. A year or two later by general act of the state legislature all organizations representing the State of New York at the Gettysburg battle, were entitled to a monument at the expense of the state. The 157th regiment thus has two monuments there, neither of which marks the position of the battalion in the fatal wheatfield. And although several attempts have been made to secure permission of the Gettysburg Battlefield Association to change the position of one of the monuments to the proper site, thus far such efforts have failed. The reasons given for the refusal are several, but the one most potent appears to be, that "the regiment had no business out there." But it is hoped that the time will surely come when a more gratifying reply will be given to this request appreciative of that promptness and obedience to orders which brought so great disaster with so little commendation.
In 1893 the State of New York erected a noble shaft in the National Cemetery at Gettysburg. To facilitate attendance at the unveiling the State supplied transportation to all survivors who wished to attend. To each participant was voted a bronze medal commemorative of the event. Co. G was represented by a number of the boys. On this occasion the graves of Capts. Backus and Frank were found located in Evergreen Cemetery, adjoining the National Cemetery, and duly marked with head-stones. Their burial there was caused by Free Masons of Gettysburg before the National Cemetery was established. At a meeting of the regimental organization measures were taken to secure the removal of the remains of those officers to the National Cemetery. Daniel Lamont, then Secretary of War, very considerately ordered the transfer to be made and the two worthy captains can now be located as resting among the men whose fate was identical with their own. And then in that beautiful ground which is kept and guarded by the entire nation, the frightful cost of the weight which turned the scales in favor of an undivided people can be cast. It is a sacred spot kept in perfect order and made attractive by the highest art. But amidst the thousands buried there but one stone marks the grave of a man of Co. G and he, the captain. But we know the boys are not forgotten although resting among the "Unknown," for far above from the high shaft on which she stands, is the Goddess of Liberty holding over those unknown forms an immortal wreath.
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