Reunions[]
On June 17, 1891, several Grand Army of the Republic posts of East Tennessee came together at Allentown for a reunion. Many of the veterans of the regiment attended the event.
A Regimental Association was formed in 1896 following a reunion of the men of Company G. The first treasurer was Henry Lineback.
According to the regimental history: "At the reunion held at Mountain City in September, 1898, a resolution making all Union veterans of Carter and Johnson, and adjoining counties, associate members of this association, was adopted."[1] It is not unusual to read about or see photos with men from other Union Army regiments included in the proceedings.
- 1896 - Butler [men of Company G only]
- 1897 - ?
- 1898 - Mountain City, October 5
- 1899 - Allentown, September 20-21
- 1900 - ?
- 1901 - Rutledge, September 26
- Held in conjunction with the regimental associations of the 1st Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry, 8th Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry, and 4th Tennessee Volunteer Infantry.
- 1902 - Stony Creek, September 17-18
- Last reunion that Colonel Miller attended; he was in an accident in 1903 from which he never recovered.
- 1903 - Neva, October 7-9
- 1904 - Elizabethton, September 21-22
- 1905 - Mountain City, September 26-27
- The Knoxville Sentinel noted "Confederate, federal and Spanish-American war veterans will mingle as comrades at Mountain City, Tenn."[2]
- 1906 - Butler, September 26-27
- 1907 - Hampton, September 20-21
- 1908 - Doeville, October 7-8
- Unusually noted as the "Fourteenth annual reunion".[3]
- 1909 - Stony Creek, September 29-30
- 1910 - Knoxville, October 12-13
- 1911 - Elizabethton, October 4-5
- 1912 - Neva, September 25-26
- Held in conjunction with the members of the 4th Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry.[4]
- 1913 - Elizabethton, October 9
- On October 10, the dedication of the Union monument was held with many U.S. and even C.S. veterans in attendance.
- 1914 - Laurel Bloomery, September 17-18
- Only 41 surviving members attended this reunion.[5]
- 1915 - Siam, October 4-5
- 1916 - Butler, October 4-5
- 1917 - Watauga Valley, September 27-28
- 1918 - Mountain City, October 15
- 1919 - Mountain City, September 10
- 1920 - Elizabethton, September 15-17
- 1931 - Elizabethton, September 16
- "Out of the 1,177 members of the original company, only 28 are living, only 10 attending the reunion. Only one officer, Capt. J. J. McCorkle, is living. Those attending were: Capt. J. J. McCorkle, of Johnson City; John Gray, of Greeneville; John Loveless, of Watauga Valley; M. P. Elliott, of Johnson City, N. K. McIntosh, of Unicoi; D. J. W. Rowe, of Conklin; G. J. Birchfield, of Milligan; J. C. Jackson, of Johnson City, A. Q. Arnold, of Neva; D. J. Slemp, of Baker's Gap."[6] More than 28 veterans were still living, but the Regimental Association was undoubtedly aware of that fact. Many of the names here were misspelled or use incorrect initials. John J. McCorkle served as quartermaster sergeant of Company H; he was discharged in January 1865 to accept a commission as a captain in the 1st United States Colored Heavy Artillery. Thus, all of the regiment's officers were deceased by 1931.