44th Annual Reunion

The following data is extracted from Thirteenth Michigan Infantry, February 1909.

The Thirteenth Michigan infantry is now holding its forty-fourth annual reunion in the G. A. R. hall, on North Park, and in the Park street church. This reunion has been looked forward to for a full year by the some hundred and fifty veterans of the war who are here to share its pleasures. The comrades are not disappointed. They hail from towns all over Michigan, and from many towns out-side of the state. Many of them have come a long way to be present at this event. One plucky daughter of the regiment, Mrs. Viola A. Kenyon, has come all the way to the reunion from Olympia, Washington. The women are well represented. Many of them came with their husbands, or fathers, or brothers, and they are a royal band.

The program for today (Thursday) started in the morning with registration, continued during the noon hour with a splendid dinner served by the Woman's Relief Corps, and will conclude this evening with the biggest event of the whole reunion-a camp fire in the Park street church.

Friday will be spent in visiting, and the business meeting of the reunion will be held in the afternoon. At this meeting officers will be elected for the ensuing year.

Shortly after dinner today (Thursday) the regiment paraded the main streets of the city, and a group photograph of them was taken. Many did not enter into it, and many felt too old, stiff and lame to hobble around the streets. They felt that they had done their share of parading in the sixties. After the parade the regiment assembled again in the Park Street church where a list of the names of those who have died in the past year was read, as well as the list of letters from absent comrades who were unable to be present.

Twelve members of the regiment have died since the last reunion. They are : William White, Co. B, Allegan. Sergeant Lambert Rutgers, Co. C, Mill Grove. William Dailey, Co. C, Marcellus.David Hyatt, Co. B, Douglass.Kelsy (given name unknown), Co.. G. Idaho. Mangus Slack, Co. A, Michigan Asylum. Levi Bush, Co. G. Gobleville. W. S. Tatman, Co. E, Eau Claire, Michigan. George S. Tuft, Co. A, Pullman. Charles E. McCarthy. Co. B, Broro. J. B. Chapin, Co. D, Auburndale, Mass. C. K. Benge, Co. D, Augusta, Mich.

Source: Thirteenth Michigan Infantry, February 1909

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