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Address
of General William H. Kennan delivered at the reunion on
September 29th, 1897:
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SURVIVORS
OF PINDALL’S BATTALION OF SHARP SHOOTERS, PARSON’S
BRIGADE, C.S.A.:
I
have been commissioned by the widow and only surviving son
of your brave departed commander, L.A. Pindall, to present
you with this flag, which you will recognize as the old
battle flag carried by your Battalion, to be carried by you
in the parade to-day, which you have heretofore proudly
borne and gallantly defended on many hotly contested
battlefields, with a loss of many of your brave and less
fortunate comrades, and received wounds, the scars of which
you have today upon your bodies, as marks of your
unflinching courage and heroic valor.
You
were chosen from the various companies of your Brigade, as
were your officers, on account of your peculiar skill as
marksmen, as men of undaunted courage, discretion, caution,
physical prowess and faithful obedience to the commands of
your officers.
Your
position was a position of the highest honor and trust.
The
army relied on you and implicitly trusted you, as your place
in battle, as sharp shooters, was perilous in the highest
degree. You were the sole objects, in the beginning of
battles, of the almost unerring and deadly aim of soldiers
of like character of the opposing army.
You
were the first to find and engage the enemy, then by the
shrill blast of the bugle you rallied around this old flag,
on the right of your Brigade, and bravely fought as you
always did, through the battle.
I
have seen you employed often on our front, engaged in deadly
skirmish with the enemy, and as often have I seen you rally
to this flag. I have seen you defend it I am proud to say.
You never deserted it. You would cheerfully have, and many
of your comrades did, freely laid down your lives in defense
of it.
When
I look into your frank and manly faces, and on your
soldierly forms, I am forcibly reminded of the noble spirits
who so ably officered your Battalion; Pindall, colonel;
Kentick, Hayde, majors; Cake, Morrison, and Phillips,
captains. All of whom, except Majors Kentick and Hayden, as
far as I know, are gone to their rest, yet no dead for
“To
live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.”
You
will see form the letter which I shall presently read to
you, and which is addressed to you, that your Colonel,
before dying, transmitted his regard and undying affection
for you, to his worthy widow and talented son, who is now a
lawyer, located among the clientage of his father, who, in
the letter, refers to you in terms most tender and
endearing.
I
am truly glad, my comrades, to have met you again, and hope
that in the future we will often meet at our annual
reunions; but if we should never meet again here on earth, I
devoutly pray, we will meet with Pindall, Morrison, Cake and
Phillips and others of our comrades, who have gone before,
at the final Reunion in the great beyond.
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TO
THE SURVIVORS OF PINDALL’S BATTALION:
DEAR FRIENDS – I sent today to Gen. W.H. Kennan, at his
request and Maj. Newman’s request, your old battle flag,
to be displayed upon the occasion of your reunion at
Moberly. To say that it affords my mother and me great
pleasure in thus being able to allow you to view again in
memory’s vision some of the scenes now hallowed and almost
sacred in which this old flag played a prominent part, is
but feebly expressing our feelings. We wish that it could be
so that we could be with the flag and meet you grand old
heroes, who, to his dying hour my noble father cherished as
companions far dearer than friends. Your well wisher,
X. O. PINDALL.
Arkansas
City, Ark.,
September
23, 1897
Sources: Article from unknown source titled “9th
Missouri Battalion – Sharpshooters” from the files of
Brad Taylor; transcribed by Lisa Perry. |
