Drum-major Gurley G. Crane, Cuyahoga Falls, Summit county.
Leader regimental band Chauncey Brainard, Gustavus, Trumbull county.
During the interim came the easy days of soldier life. Ah! those happy, golden days of camp life, when, with guard mount, battalion drill, and dress parade, the time passed swiftly away, and each heart beat high with patriotic desire for early marching orders; days looked back to from the dreary bivouac in the snow, tentless, and with clothing in tatters, scarce covering the form from the bitter, cutting winds of winter, or in the drizzling rain on the lonely outpost when sharp-eyed rebels only waited for the opportunity to send the leaden messenger of death whizzing in your direction. Sometimes the “boys” thought the rations were not sufficiently “gilt-edged,” quite too plain in fact, for the savers of the country’s honor, yet how often, while trying, almost in vain, with the half-pint of raw meal to keep the soul and the poor emaciated body together in those hell devised starvation traps—Libby, Belle Isle, Andersonville, and Salisbury—did the brave fellows turn with longing hearts to the bounteous commissary at old Camp Giddings. Fears were oft expressed lest the war would close before the Twenty-ninth should be permitted to add its mite to the support of the flag. How needless they were the rolls show; more than one-third (five hundred and forty) of the one thousand five hundred and thirty-two members of the regiment, were either killed, wounded, or missing in action, and one hundred and fifty-seven died of disease. The colors, too, which waved so grandly in the sharp winter air, that long agone Christmas morning in 1861, are now in shreds, rent and torn by the leaden hail through which they were carried to glorious victories.
This beautiful stand of colors was presented to the regiment on Wednesday, November 27th, by Hon. J. R. Giddings, on behalf of the donors, the ladies of Ashtabula and Summit counties. Mr. Giddings spoke as follows: “Gentlemen, officers and soldiers. Before entering upon the particular duty assigned me on the present occasion, I may be permitted to congratulate you and the country, upon the completion of your regimental organization and the perfection of your preparation for the field. I desire you at all times to bear in mind the causes which led to its formation. The present rebellion has its origin far back in history. Its first overt acts were put forth in Congress by subjecting the people of the free States to gag rules, by striking down the right of petition, by arraigning and publicly censuring Representatives for the faithful discharge of duty, by annexing, unconstitutionally, slave territory, and extending and strengthening the encroachments of slavery. To these violent encroachments upon the constitutional rights of the free States, this Western Reserve has from the first, presented a very general resistance....
“The ladies have prepared a splendid National and regimental stand of colors, and have imposed on me the pleasing duty of presenting them to the regiment. In all past ages civilized nations have gone forth to war under their own banner, on which was inscribed some device, figure, or emblem, peculiar to such nation. Thus each tribe among the Israelites had its particular banner. The early Christians fought under the cross, the Romans under the golden eagle, the Mohammedans under the crescent. The founders of our government selected for their colors a groundwork of blue, representing immutable justice and unlimited power, on which the stars, representing light, are twinkling in the vaulted heavens, while in mid ether the bird of Jove is floating, a fitting representation of the ease and power with which liberty and civilization are gliding over the earth; while the stars and stripes of red and white represent the vital principles and purity of our institutions.
[Addressing Colonel Buckley]: “To you, sir, as commander, I present these beautiful standards, for the use and benefit of the regiment. On behalf of the fair donors I confide these National and regimental standards to the care of yourself, your gallant officers and men. Wherever you go let them be borne aloft and respected as the emblem of universal freedom to all who seek your protection. Preserve them unstained, except by the blood of your enemies. Bear in mind that you go forth to fight the battles of the human race for all coming time; and should the roar of cannon, the rattling of muskets, the clashing of sabres, the din and smoke of battle surround you, remember the cause in which you are engaged, and be assured that if you fall, we who are left will care for your widows and children. Your own heroic deeds shall be enshrined in our memories, recorded in our history, admired by coming generations, and approved by a holy and just God.”
Colonel Buckley replied: “Respected Sir—I receive this stand of colors in behalf of the Twenty-ninth regiment. I return through you to the noble and patriotic ladies of Ashtabula and Summit counties their grateful thanks; and whenever and wherever it is unfurled to the breeze, and we look upon its stars and stripes, may we then remember the generous donors and the vow we this day make. This flag, the flag of our country, which has been our pride and our boast, and which is respected by all civilized nations; this flag, thank God, shall yet wave triumphantly wherever it has been struck down by the ruthless arm of the traitors: and, companions, whenever we look upon this beautiful flag may it inspire us to redouble our energies to do our duty to our beloved country, and if God in his providence permits us to return to home and kindred, may this flag come back with us to bear witness that the Twenty-ninth regiment Ohio volunteers was in the thickest of the fight.
“Sir, you have spoken in high commendation of my command. I can assure you I feel myself honored in having command of such a regiment. It will be my pride and ambition, with my fellow-officers to make it in all things pertaining to a well drilled and well disciplined regiment, one of the best in Ohio. And now, fellow-soldiers, in the presence of this assembly, and before high heaven, we swear upon the altar of our country to defend this flag so long as there shall be one true heart and strong arm to hold it to the breeze.”
At last the “boys’” impatience to go anywhere but here, was gratified by an order to move to Camp Chase, near Columbus, Ohio, the date December 25th; and right here it may not be amiss to give an extract from an editorial in the Ashtabula Sentinel, as showing what the people of Jefferson thought of the regiment: