The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1862-08-19
Guerilla Warfare i'm Kentucky.
Severe Fight i'm Arkansas.
From Washington.

The demonstration tonight in honor of the
released officers Corcoran, Wilcox and others,
was in the highest degree enthusiastic. The
avenue in front of their quarters was SO dense
| ly crowded as to prevent the passage of the
street cars. The Goth New York Regiment
was present, and warmly welcomed. The bal
cony for the speakers blazed with gas, the
| burners arranged TO form the word - Union" in
mammoth letters. At 8 O'Clock Hon. Alfred
| Ely addressed his feow-citizens. He said a
thrill of joy went through the country day
| or two since, when it was known that Colonel
| Corcoran and his gallant companions in suf-
fering had at last been released from their con-
| finement in rebel dungeons, and once more
stood beneath the stars and stripes, true heroes
whose high courage has endured the strongest
test to which it could be put-brave soldiers
whose patriotism has not faltered under the
most dsheartening trials and the most griev-
Gus disappontments. Patient, manly sufferers
for the old flag, now doubly endeared to them
and to us-for such men the Union has no
| honors too great, no welcome too cordial
Where all have done well, any comparison
may be invidious, but it is due to Col. Corco-
ran and his fighting countrymen to say that
they have been among the foremost in the
great struggle in which we are now engaged
After further remarks, he concluded by saying,
and for those who were the companions of the
Colonel in his tedious confinement, who now
and Bowman and Major Wedges, let cheers
be given with a will. Their service to their
country has also been great. Their claims
upon our gratitude are of the strongest char
acter. So long as liberty, union, constitutional
government and republican institutions are
known and defended, will the deeds, the sacri-
fees and the sufierings of these worthy patriots
and soldiers be kept in grateful remembrance,
and their names honored and treasured as
household words. In the name of the gallant
Corcoran and his gallant regiment, l thrice
welcome you back TO the Capitol of your coun-
try. present TO you Col. Michael Corcoran
The Colonel advancing TO the front was the
recipient of repeated and deafening Cheers
Addressing himself to every officer and every
member of the Goth regiment New York mill
tia, and his fellow citizens, he returned his
heartfelt thanks for the cordial greeting which
they had given him and his fellow prisoners
on their return. He returned his thanks the
more sincerely as this demonstration marked
their devotion to the glorious institutions I'M
der which we have the blessing to live. 1t
would be impossible for him to say a single
word that would add to the enthusiasm
amongst the people at the present moment,for
he had seen the evidence yesterday and to-day
in the people rushing from the States again to
advance to drive back far into Dixie's Land,
those traitors who would destroy our Govern
ment and tread under foot the flag of our
Union. He had never been among those who
thought lightly of this matter from the begin
ming. The gentleman who had addressed the
assemblage tEly) knew when he was in prison
with him that he hoped a million of men would
spring to the defence of the country, because
he believed ii was the shortest and best means
OF crushing the rebellion at once. The country
is at last alive to the struggle, and will give
two million of men and every dollar i'm their
possession to put down this wicked rebellion
and preserve the glorious institutions as handed
down by our iorefathers. You here have not
seen any of the horrors of war. You are not
ruled by military despotism as those among
whom we have travelled, seen and conyersed
with. They are suffering under the worst
despotism on earth, and we owe ii to them to
go to their rescue. He had come from North
Carolina, although that State has 10000 men
in the field, one half of them, il free to speak,
would speak in favol of returning to the Union;
but their State pride and blind love for State
institutions will cause them to fight well in
the ranks until we can give assurance that we
will send TO them as well as TO the otherStates
sufficient number of Union men, around
whom they can rally.
He had much to say to the old Goth. He
was rejoiced to see them here again; he was
rejoiced to hear they were again in the field;
he was rejoiced again to see that old green
flag, saved from the battle of Manansas,
(Cheers) mingled again with the stars and
stripes, and the members of the regiment were
willing, he knew, to lay down their lives to
uphold the flag OF the country. Your term of
service has, he said nearly expired. You will
be returning TO New York, but not, l hope, TO
remain there. (Voices-"No, never! Well
90 with you again. Some must from neces-
sity, remain but others, in performance of
solemn duty, throwing aside personal consid-
erations, will again enter the service and re-
main in the army until the last blow is struck.
(Cries of Good" "We willn) / ask no man
TO move an inch nearer to the enemy than
move myself. / trust when return TO New
York will not remain there many days, but
have the old Goth again TO join me and take
the field with more of my countrymen, in the
endeavor to preserve the country for our peo-
pie. "a voice-'Wc are with your
Gentlemen, do not wish TO detain you long,
but will say that this is splendid school for
military training. (Laughter.) Archbishop
Hughes told them so in Ireland. i think there
will be no intervention; if there should be,
we will try our hand at it, too. (Cries of
''Good.") / win say from this spot without
fear OF contradiction, we can prevent them
from doing any trouble this side of the Allan
tic. "a voice, which was hardly responded
to, "and the other side too.n) The work of
the hour is to be done. We must go at it
with will, and when that is over we will
make an opportunity for ourselves elsewhere.
This last remark was greeted with applause.
Throughout his remarks the dense audience by
frequent interruptions expressed their appro-
baton of the sentiments he enunciated.
Col. Wilcox of Michigan was next intro
duced. He was warmly welcomed. He said
he had done no more than his duty Inciden-
tally abiding to the bogus chivalry, he said in
the last building in which they were confined
there were 20 officers, as gallant as ever fought
They were confined in the worst and dirtiest
room OF the dirtiest building in the drtiest
city in the Union, without blanket, cup, plate.
knife or fork, and refused an opportunity to
purchase the commonest and meanest neces-
saries of Life. (Voices-"Retaliate.") This
is a specimen of the chiyalry which claims to
be the flower of the world, and which would
trample under foot our free and beloved Gov
eminent. False hearted traitors, they would
not hesitate to commit lesser crimes. 1t was
time we put forth the strength of the nation to
control, concentrate and grasp all the resources
of the Government in such manner as to crush
out these men and drive them into the Gulf of
Mexico. tApplause.) The Government must
employ all its resources in united defence, and
strike at the main arteries of this monster
which has risen TO swallow up our liberties
Without casting reflection upon any military
man, it appeared TO him that this had been
brainess war. ("That's so,' and laughter.)
The means of the country have been wasted
IN Isolated places; contractors have carried on
this war. The blood of our men, the groans
of our wounded, the tears of the orphan and
the wall of the widow have been coined into
money. Men without patriotism and wisdom
have urged military plans which have not ac-
compllshed anything; expeditions have been