Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-04-20

Mr.. Mayor, in respectful SUBMISSION "
your authority, | answer TO your call, mat
may show by my presence here' rather t'laiI
nv any speech, the deep personal interest l
feel on this occasion, and my respect and rev.
erence tor him whose public services tins
costly and beautiful structure before which
we now stand, and these imposing observances
in which we have engaged, are designed TO
commemorate. La the dedication OF the mon.
ument, by tervent prayer and thanksgiving
bv the expressive and touching address OF our
noble friend, whose Astounding munl1cence,
prompted by sense OF tilial duty, and just
pride Of ancestry, has placed 1t upon these
consecrated grounds, committing IL forever,
for preservation and care, to the gratitude OF
the city and with your official response, SO
appropriate aud SO eloquent, in behalf OF your
fellow citizens, and as their authorized pre-
sentative, gracefully acknowledging the bene-
faction and accepting the trust, the purpose for
which we assembled seems to me TO have been
most fully and happily accomplished. know
not what more the prophecies OF The occasion
could demand For myself have nothing OF
word, or OF thought, which can add 10 the sat,
istaclons of the hour. Nor II would nave
the strength or the voice to reach the listening
ear of this thronging multitude. And yet sir,
as you have kindly said, it may be expected
OF Inc, one of the few, the very few, who are
of Col. Bigelow, that [ should give such reni-
niscences OF him as / have, imperfect and UNI
important though they be. a little longer,
and there will be none 10 utter these personal
remembrances.
NV impressions of Col. Bigelow are such
only as are made upon the mind of II emu III
the presence of nature and perfect malhoou'
From family connection there was frequent
intercourse and association between nm ana
those OF my own kindred, and Wen recohect,
as though it were OF yesterday, his general
appearance, his tall, erect, ana commanding
figure, his martial air, his grave and rather
severe countenance his dignitied and earnest
address. | cannot doubt the respect and def
erence with which he was universally regard
ed, for it was among the most positive ilJunc-
lions of the antiquated district schoolmlstress
to the boys of my day, enforced even by me
fear of the rod, that we should always pun
off our hats to Parson Bancroft and Col Bge-
low" AT the time of his death, and for many
wears after, often heard him spoken OF as the
gallant old soldier, and the thoroughly accom-"
plished officer And now, after the lapse ol
seventy-one years from lis burial, IN the same
vernaI season OF the fragrance OF the budding
flower, and the gushing melody OF birds,
stand, an aged man, again at his grave, 10 re-
member and to honor him.
know of no record of the life OF Col Big
Glow, which even approaches the character oil
a biography. In Lincoln's History OF Worces-
ter, is contained, probably, the best notice OF
him which can be found, but this, from the
more general object Of the work, and the time
when it was prepared, is necessarily Sllnteu
and r.eagre. 1t is there related, that with
taste for military life. he was deeply skilled III
| the science of war; that "the troops under
| his command and instruction, exhibited the
III nj
regiment, that "a drawer band never took the
| field, or mustered to battle Hi h character
| for in.repidity and discipline, early acquired,
| was maintained unsuilied to the close OF their
| service p and "when Col. Bigelow left mill
| tary lite, it was with the reputatIoDof merl-
| torious officer"
| The accomplished and eminent historian,
| Bancroft, in enumerating the forces sent
| against Quebec, in the autumn OF NO, names
| among the officers ofrank, timothy Blgeiow,
| the carly patriot of Worcester These testl-
| monials to the merits and services OF Col. Big
Glow have the singular and affecting GOMEZ
| dence OF having been rendered Icy the sons of
two of his mo t distinguished fellow townsuan,
| associates, and friends, the elder Lincoln, and
| the elder Bancroft. How simple and appro-
| pirate these tributes 10 his WORTH How bsau-
| fiful this brief summary OF his chara2ter
| early palriotof Worcester a Drawer man new
| er took the field or mustered to battle: high
character Tor intrepdiiy and discipline early ac.
| CURED, and maintained unsullied through sew
en- years military service What more peril.
| nent inscription for his tomb stone tributes
| OF cotemperaneous renown, transferred from
"the flesh Il bles of the heart" to tie ever en-
during marble OF the monument.
Col. Bigelow was type OF generation
now passed away. OF such in patriotism and
valor were the corps of Minute Men under his
command, and the Train Band of the brave
Capt. Benjamin Fagg, who alike on the 18th
of April, 1915, OF which this day is the ami
versary, at the horseman's cry, "r0 arms,
hastened with no delay but tor prayer and a
benedction, TO JOIN their brethren OF Lexington
and Concord, in resistance TO tyranny and the
oppressors sword. Such was the townsman
and friend of Bigelow, the intrepid and below
ed Capt. Jonas Hubbard, his inferior only in
rank, his companion and comrade in the
dreadful winters march through the wilder.
ness to the sege of Quebec, who, in the midst
of hardships and privalions almost unequaled
in the experience of human suffering uttered
the noble declaration, II do not value life or
property, if may secure liberty for my chill.
dren !; and who, when morta ly wounded at
the foot Of the ramparts, i'll the stormng OF the
fortress, said to his men, who sought to re-
move him from the field Il came 10 fight with
}
too, at his time, are gallant young men of our
own city aud State, who, with alacrity,
on the first summons, have buckled
Oh the arnor in defence of all which
is dear to treemen. Oh, that now
now, in this most portentous and peril
GUS crisis of our country's destiny, there were
men like these, in all parts of this land, to up
hold the nation to defend and protect the
government and institutions to preserve
and transmit TO posteritys those great political,
civil, and social privileges and blessings which
the present generation received and have en-
joyed, as an inheritance, through the wisdom
and patriotism, and vaIor OF the founders of
the republic They were indeed men Of stern
integrity aud public virtue, of elevated aim
and lofty principle, unseltish and sell sacrfic-
Ing, with HON sense Of honor was not lost
in personal ambition, not fidelity to duty sunk
in subservence to party men devoted to the
peoples service and the country's welfare.
May the monument, erected to the honor of
one OF libertys nobest sons instruct us in the
priceless value OF the glorious achievements
of our ancestors. May it he made admoni,ory
to our own high duties and momenlous re-
sponsibilities, so that the disruption of our ma
tonal Union, il discovered it must be, shall
never become a reproach to supineness or in
difference, nor the destruction OF our liberties
be brought about by our debasement, or our
f.llies.
Rev. Andrew BigcIow, II. D., of Cam-
bridge, grandson of Col Timothy Bigelow,
spoke at some length, making many eloquent
and patriotic illusions to the times which
tried mems souls He said the present
period babe fair to be quite as memorable
Tor interesting achievement and its influence ON
the future, as the times of 1776. What was
achieved by our revolutionary fathers, remains
now to be defended by us. The enemy, now