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PostPosted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 9:54 pm 
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Sergeant

Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2009 9:33 pm
Posts: 329
Location: Old Northwest (Michigan)
Fellow Sharpshooters.

One of the most interesting excerpts from Charles B. Mead's Final diary is the one of mid-February 1864:

Sun. Feb. 14 -Sunday morning inspection. Got up in great style. Rode CoL Williams' nag some. Charley Burr and Dennis Locklin over today. Three Indians from Western New York came to our Company today -Squires, Laughlin [Lafflin] and Loran.

Thu. Feb. 18 -Teaching my Indians how to do picket duty. Another cold day. Reading, playing Whist etc. etc. Picket line shortened. Had a cold night, and our house smoked some. Could not sleep any till near morning.


While I've read Mead’s diary many times in the past, this was the first time the word INDIANS jumped to my attention. Who were these men? Where did they came from? What tribe were they from? Here is a brief outline of who they were:

Squires, George, Alburgh, VT. Enlisted Co. F 1st USSS. Transferred to Co. E 2d U.S.S.S. on Dec 23, 1864; Transferred to Co. G 4th Vt Vols on Feb 25, 1865. Mustered out of service on July 13, 1865. Squires history: http://vermontcivilwar.org/get.php?input=29681

Loran, David, Alburgh, VT. Enlisted in Co. F 1st USSS. Transferred to Co. E 2d U.S.S.S. on Dec 23, 1864; Transferred to Co. G 4th Vt Vols on Feb 25, 1865. Promoted to Corporal June 20, 1865. Mustered out of service on July 13, 1865. Pension records for David Loran: http://www.nedoba.org/download/Loran-Da ... public.pdf

According to Eugene 'Carlos' Mead, Charles' brother, the two of them and David Loran were together in a riflepit when Charles was killed. Eugene wrote: We were aroused before light, and marched in front of our position to silence the sharp-shooters. We made rifle pits, and as soon as it was light began to shoot at them. It was about 7 A.M. as we were all watching that Charlie was hit. I was in the same pit, also David Loran, the Indian. We ha a pole on sticks to shoot under, and just room enough to stick our guns through. The ball went through the rail..the Indian said 'A good shot'. Charley did not say anything about it. I looked at him-he was lying on his knapsack on his side as though asleep. I spoke to him but he did not answer. I went to him and the blood was trickling down from his head. He was shot in the top of his head, about an inch above and behind his ear. I took him back a little, and into a small hut and staid with him. He never spoke after he was hit, but moaned, and was not sensible that anything was going on around him. He died at half past eight.

Lafflin, Peter, Alburgh, VT. Enlisted Co. F 1st USSS; Killed in action June 22, 1864.

I believe photographs of one or more of these Native volunteers exists today.

Bill Skillman
Bugler
USSS


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