Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1862-06-06

: diers, that he secured the esteem Of hi
fellow sufferers in the hospital, ard tha
his loss was deeply lamented by all hi
, associates.
The grief which the fight at Lee
Mills occasioned to so many hearts il
Vermont was not little aggravated a
first by the seeming needlessness of th,
fight. 1t was not easy to see why 81
small body of men should be sent OF
so dangerous an enterprise; an enter
prise, too, which, even if successful, haC
no apparent bearing upon the great oh
ject which the great army had in view
FStlll more aggrayating was the suspicion
that the general in command was disa
bled by drunkenness from doing the du
ties OF his position. An official investi,
gation has, however, acquitted him oI
that charge, and events which have tax.
en- place since the fight at Lees Mills
have furnished ground for belief thai
that was by no means an abortive move.
ment. The cool bravery and noble dar,
ing there displayed, unquestionably had
its influence upon the minds of the re
bels, and aided in convincing them that
they could not hold Yorktown and Nor
folk against me assaults of such men. II
is not unlikely that the sacrifice of a few
scores of lives at Lees Mills prevented
the sacrifice of many hundreds at some
other point. We certainly ought not,
unless upon much more and stronger ev-
idence than has yet been furnished, to
believe that the movement was not well
justified by military considerations, or to
em5ltter our sorrow with the thought
that the lives OF our soldiers were need.
lessly thrown away. Knowing, as we
do, almost nothing of the art of war
and liable as we are, to so much misin-
formation as TO the facts in any given
case, we do injustice TO ourselves, not
less than TO the government, when we
condemn any military movement as ill.,
advised. Ear better is ii to believe that
those who are on the ground, ard have
the responsibility of every movement,
do what in the exercise of their best
judgment seems to be for the best.
In any event Lieut.. Bailey did not
live and die in vain. He encountered
death as every good man desires to meet
it, faithfully doing his duty in that sphere
of action to which Providence had called
him. He died as any patriot might wish
to die, of an honorable wound, received
in an honorable cause, the cause of his
country, her constitution, her institutions
and her laws. He is worthy of long and
grateful remembrance, for the bravery
and patriotism which he displayed, and |
over his grave may worthily be chanted
he undying strains of the soldiers re-
luiem;-
How sleep the brave who sink to rest,
By all their country's wishes blcst!
When Spring, with dewy fingers cold,
Returns TO deck their hallowed mold;
She there shall weave a sweetcr sod,
Than tanCy's feet have ever trod.
By fairy hands their knel Is rung,
BY forms unseen their dirge is sung;
There honor comes, pilgrim gray,
To bless the turf that wraps their clay.
And freedom shall awhile repair
To dwell a weeping hermit there"
1t remains only that the consultations
t the Gospel be rendered TO those who
re the most Immediately, and most
eeply afflicted by this death. 1t must ,
eeds be some alienation of their sorrow
know that he was respected by the i
ommunity in which he lived, and be-
'ved by his fellow soldiers, and that he
I'D down bis life in noble cause. But
mall indeed, is the consolation that can a
ONE from these or any other earthly Il
compared with that which
'ay be derived from "the glorious gospel -.
The blessed God" / commend this |
'idow and these orphans to God, and to d
Ie word of His grace, as the only and
Ie sufficient source of comfort in sorrow
lch as theirs. Let them not lean upon II
ny created arm for support, but upon
le arm Of the omnpotent God. Hast u
lou not heard that the everlasting God :,
Ie Lord, the creator of the ends of the :,
'rib, fainteth not, neither is weary ? tC
-e giveth power to the faint, and to o
em that have no might He increaseth OF
rength." He Is righteous and just, he =,
wise and good. even when he lhwarts y
If plans, disaPpoints our hope, and be- Il
aves US of our blessings; and those le
ho acknowledge Him as their sovereign. a
ID submit themselves 10 His will. He =,
Ill sustain under the mos; painful afflic- "
ms He ever sends. Let them not only 81
ly upon human hearts for sympathy, " "
t upon the loving heart of Jesus Christ h,
lich Is yerv faitbCrI and or ,or,isr NOR