overflowed the country, and rendered the roads impassable, he was detained in Savannah until the 27th, when, leaving the city at eight o'clock in the morning, by the Augusta turn pike, he started upon the "war path through the Carolinas."

Innumerable obstacles, both natural and artificial, were hourly encountered and overcome. Streams and swamps were waded or bridged, and miles of indescribably bad roads corduroyed, before the troops could pass, whilst at every available point they were annoyed by the desultory firing and obstructions thrown in the way by squads of the enraged and now desperate enemy. Frequent skirmishes occurred. Severe ones took place at the crossings of the North and South Edisto, and at Congaree and Black rivers, at all of which places the Twenty-eighth Regiment was among the first to cross. At North Edisto, Colonel Flynn and several of his men were wounded. General Geary in his official report says:-"This campaign, although in its general features of the same nature as that from Atlanta to Savannah, was one of much greater labor, and tested most thoroughly the power of endurance and elasticity of spirits among American soldiers. The distance marched was much farther, through regions presenting greater natural obstacles, and where a vindictive enemy might naturally be expected in force sufficient to harass our troops and interfere frequently with our trains. The season was one of unusual inclemency, during which the roads were in the worst condition. Yet my command marched from Savannah to Goldsboro, without very serious opposition and without a single attack upon the trains under my charge. The spirit of my troops throughout was confident and buoyant, expressive of that implicit trust in the Commander-in-Chief and belief in themselves, which are always the presages of military success. It was their ccmmon experience to march at dawn or earlier, corduroy miles of road, exposed to drenching rains, or standing waist deep often in swamps, lifting wagons out of mire and quicksand, where mules could not obtain a foot-hold; and when the day's work was through, encamp late at night, only to repeat the process with the next day. Through this all they evinced a determination and cheerfulness which has added greatly to my former high appreciation of the same qualities shown by them upon so many battlefields of the past four years."

Upon reaching Raleigh, negotiations were entered into between Generals Sherman and Johnson, which resulted, on the 26th of April, in the surrender of the latter with his army. General Lee had already surrendered to General Grant, and soon after, Generals Kirby Smith and Dick Taylor laid down their arms, and the rebellion was crushed. Peace soon followed, and the troops of the Twentieth Corps, to which General Geary's Division was then attached, were marched to Washington by way of Richmond, and disbanded.

During the four years' service of the Twenty-eighth Regiment, its casualties were about equal to the number of its original muster; and, although in its organized condition it served in twelve different States of the Union, and was engaged in as many skirmishes and battles as any

regiment in the United States Army, it never lost a single wagon or ambulance or any other description of property, by allowing it to fall into the hands of the enemy. The officers were frequently changed in consequence of deaths, resignations and promotions, the regiment having had four Colonels, four Lieutenant Colonels and nine Majors. It also produced one Major General and three Brigadiers, viz:-Hector Tyndale, Ario Pardee, Jr., and John Flynn.

The members of the regiment who remained at the close of the war were mustered out of the service on the 18th of July, 1865, and were heartily welcomed home, their privations, sufferings, labors and gallant services having endeared them in the warmest affections of the highly gratified and truly grateful loyal people of the country. Their soiled, torn and tattered flags, carried triumphantly through so many bloody battlefields, attesting the unfailing courage of the men who bore them, have received a hallowed place in the archives of the Commonwealth, whilst the brave and noble soldiers who fought beneath and around them, have returned to the peaceful pursuits of life and the enjoyment of the multiform blessings their struggles and triumphs have secured to their country and the world.

DEDICATION OF TABLET

A

29TH REGIMENT INFANTRY

PALISADES, LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, TENN., NOVEMBER 15TH, 1897.

PRAYER BY BREV. LT.-COL. JESSE R. MILLISON. LMIGHTY and most merciful God, who has declared that not even a

sparrow falls to the earth without Thy notice, with reverence we would come into Thy presence and thank Thee that Thou hast inspired men with the genious and skill to form and bring into existence this republican form of government, with its institutions of religious and political liberty, where all men may serve Thee according to the dictates of their own conscience without restraint, none daring to molest or make afraid. The seeds sown by our fathers and baptized by their blood have grown to be a forest of great trees, penetrating deep into the hearts of their loyal decendents, commanding the admiration of the world and the respect of all nations.

We thank Thee that Thou hast given us a place in this blest land we have helped to save. We pray Thee to continue to perpetuate our free institutions through all time, discourage defeat and crush out every effort to destroy one star that adorns the proud emblem of our national govern

ment, that has grown from thirteen to forty-five states. May there be yet another added, and deliver the struggling liberty-loving heroes of Cuba from the tyranny of their oppressive masters and add to the banner another star that shall bring luster to the already brilliant galaxy, that so proudly floats over this land of the free and home of the brave.

A few are assembled here to-day who thirty-four years ago climbed these heights and around this mountain in battle and were arrayed against the enemy of our common country. Many then in the strength and vigor of young manhood, who cast aside their civil pursuits, the work bench, the machine shop, the counting house, the agricultural implements, left their homes to assume the duty of soldiers for the defense of their country's honor.

Many were killed and have gone to their reward. Many were wounded near this place, but a few are assembled here to-day to review the scene and take part in this ceremony.

God bless these patriots who so gallantly risked their lives to defend the honor of their country and the dear old flag, and our institutions they so much loved. May their names and their fame go down through the ages to the coming generations as examples worthy of imitation. We pray Thee to bless the President of the United States and his constitutional advisors, that they may wisely rule and perpetuate and hand down to posterity the blessed heritage of our institutions and may righteousness cover the earth as the waters the great deep. And now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, we ascribe everlasting praise. Amen.

C

ADDRESS OF CORPORAL WALLACE M. HOFFNER.

OMRADES:-The old Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in recognizing the hundreds of organizations sent out from within her borders to uphold the flag and maintain the unity of our national government, remembered, among those who fought on this field, the old Twentyninth Regiment of Infantry.

Having fought over the level plains of Virginia and defended our own firesides at Gettysburg, we willingly obeyed the orders that brought us to this field of operations, and on these heights, "above the clouds," thirtyfour years ago, from our camp on the Raccoon Mountain, across the valley, we often discussed the practicability of capturing the position of the enemy on this mountain, and we decided it to be impossible.

When we came to make the attempt, however, we found it to be one of the easiest jobs we had ever been called upon to undertake.

The orator of the day, Colonel Rickards, will now tell you how the thing was done.