The Portland daily press., 1862-10-14


Then followed beautiful piece of music by
Poppenburg's Band Alderman S. w. LARA
bee, Chairman of the Board of Alderman, the
Mayor being absent, then welcomed the
officers and soldiers to our city, as follows:
Col Mason. officers and soldiers Of the gal
tant 7M Mdine Regiment
1t has fallen upon me to occupy the place of
the Mayor on this occasion, and offer to you
the Inequalities of the city.
regret his absence, because | am sure he
wouldexpress to you the feelings of these warm
hearts, now gathered around you, far better
than | shall be able to do.
1t is now about II months since you (more
than eight hundred stroDg,) went out from IS,
as the defenders of our country. And noDly
have you performed your mission.
We are happy to be permitted to express TO
your our gratitude, and thank you for your
deeds ofvalor.
You have now returned TO us, with little
more than one-third of your original number.
Many of those who went out with you have
fallen on the field Of battle, others by sick
ness, and Others still are yet lingering by dis
ease, some far away from home and kindred
With these, and with the frends of those who
have died, and fallen in BATTLE we do most
heartily sympathiZe, and pray God that the
consultations of His grace may be vouchsafed
to them.
We shall ever cherish, and love the memo
ries of those who have given their lives in the
defence Of our country.
And you, the remnant of this noble band of
heroes, we cordially welcome you've also
thank God on your behalf-"and upon every
remembrance of you.
We meet you here with warm and open
hearts, and open hands-and in the name of
the city Government, and citizens of Portland,
bid you welcome! Recommendations.
1t shall be our endeavor to do all that we
can to make your stay amongst us pleasant and
happy
l now have the pleasure to introduce to you
His Excellency, Gov. Washburn.
Gov. Washbun was greeted with prolonged
applause as he rose to welcome the regiment
home. He spoke as follows:
Col. Mason, and officers and soldiers of the
gallant and .faittfui SecenM
In the name of your friends, and they are all
the loyal people OF Maine. l salute you'll
After a service Of some fourteen months. you
have come back to the State, whose patriotism
and valor you have so gloriously illustrated,
but with ranks thinned, and shattered by dis
ease and battle-with colors soiled, riddled.
'torn--but fiying"--and she takes you to her
heart, and gives you the welcome due to he
roes, and champions of liberty and law, of JUS
tiee and humanity
Such fame AS yours, won in any common
war. would be cause of honorable pride,-but
how much shall your renown be increased
when the story Of your courage, fidelity aid
patience, of the valor which knew how to die,
but not how to ialter, is associated as it must
be, with the cause in which you fought-tle
grandest and hottest that ever enobled war;
with an effort to save the life ola free country,
for the preservation of Constitutional Gov
eminent the most perfect ever framed by hui
man hands-for the advancement of Christian
civilization, and the progress of mankind
against a foul and wicked rebellion originating
in barbarism, violence and fraud. when you
shall remember that it was in behalf of the
American Union that you pinned in the famous
charge at Williamsburg; in defence of the
Constitution of the United States that your
martial virtue was conspicuous on nearly
every battlefield of the Peninsula; in sup
port of those free Institutions which have been
the strength and ornament of our land, that
at South Mountain, with broken columns but
with fearless hearts and strong hands, you
bore the honored standard of the eth Maine
in triumph over the perilous ridges of battle;
and, finally, that it was in a struggle for hu-
man rights, on that dreadful day at Antietam,
when the army of the Republic won the VIC
tory against superior numbers, that your little
but devoted band, by its galantry, courage
and conservation, made for itself name which
shall live SO long AS the memory OF this war
remains, and won from, its Division General
the exalted praise that it had performed the
most gallant. feat Of arms he had erer seen or
heard Of, or read in history" and from the
Commander-in-Chief the unusual, if not I'M
precedented, compliment implied in your re-
turn to US at this time. But you shall hear
from Gen. Mcclellan IN his own words:
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF Potomac
Camp near Sharpsburg, Nd,
A