Amusing and Odd Stories of the 74th
In the course of working on this website, myself and others have
found amusing or odd stories that were shared amongst the 74th
descendant’s e-mail ring. Well, some
thought has been given to share those on this site as well. None of these are meant to offend or
upset! If you happen to have another one
to share let Rod know.
In the book The Sigel Regiment by James S. Paula, there is a reference about a 74th
member in the diary of one of the 26th
This one
comes from The Story the Soldiers Wouldn't Tell - Sex in the Civil War
by Thomas P. Lowry. Fortunately, it is the only story about a 74th
member in the book! From the Blue with
Oaths chapter, dealing with cussing and
the penalties to it had the following to note:
"David
Ritter, whom the court described as a "good man when sober," was a
private with Company B of the 74th
The Private that would be an Emperor
One of the more amusing incidents so far is the Private, Fred’k
Fischer who changed his name later to Julius Caesar. Now without a doubt this man’s family would
be great to find and learn more about the name change. It is listed in two sites and you kind find
those sources in the Reconstructed Muster list.
The following poem was published in a Boston paper in the Spring
of 1865 when Gen. Sherman put Charleston under Gen. Schimmelfennig’s control
and quoted in Standard History of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania [Chicago: H.R.
Cornell & Co., 1898] at page 587:
Holds
He grabs
the traitors by the ear,
And
brings them to their lager beer.
We wish
we had a millon such men
As this
bold, rebel-hating Dutchman.