The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1864-07-02
GRAFTON BY GEN. McCLELLAN,
AT THE
Dedication of a Monument to the Dead
OF the Regular Army.
Delivered at IIest Point, June 18th.

found it impossible to select paragraphs
here and there, for all are alike eloquent
graceful, and classic. SO we have cut the
matter short by cutting it in two aud Civ
ing the latter half
But 1t Is time to approach the present
In the war which now shakes the land tt
Its foundation the regular army has born,
most honorable part. Too few Ia mum
bers to act by themselves, regular reci.
ments have participated in every grea
battle in the East, and most of those ives
Of the Alleghanies. Their terrible lssse:
and diminished numbers prove that the,
have been in the thickest OF the fight
! and testimony of their comrades and com
mandsrs shows with wha: umdaunted he
roism they have upheld their ancient re-
nown. Their vigorous charges have often
won the day, and, N defeat, they have
more than once saved the army from de-
struction or terrible losses by the cbstin.
/ aoy with which they resisted overpower.
! ing numbers They can refer with pride
/ to. the part they played upon the glorious
/ fields OF MeXico,.and exult at the recoI-
/ lection of what they did at Manassas,
| Gaines Mills, Malvern, Antietam, shiloh.
Stone River, Gettysburg, and the great
D
3 the CEIcl; hOmlny. They can goiEt also
% The officers who have risen from among
them, and achieved great deeds for their
country IN this war, 10 the living warriors
whose names are upon the nation tongue
and heart, too numerous to be repeated
here, yet not one of whom would will
insly omit. But perhaps the proUdest ep>
lsode IN the history al the regular army
Is that touching instance Of fidelity on
the part Of the uon-commI-s.o .oued officers
and pgIYatcs who, tratorouslv mad. uris-
opers IN Texas, resisted every ;emptatisn
TO violate their oath and desert their rac
offered commissions IN the I"bel service.
money and land freely teLdered them,
they all scorued the inducements held ont
20 them submitted 20 theiE hardshins and
when at last exchanged Avenged them
selves On the field OF battle for the
unsvaiiing insult offered their integrity.
History affords no brighter example Of
honor than that Of these brave mep.
tempted as ! blush 10 say they wore. BIZ
some OF their former officers. who. having
themselves proved false 20 their flag. en-
deayorsd TO seduce the men who had
often followed them IN combat. and who
had regarded them with respect and love
Such Is the regular army; such it, his
tory and autecedents such its officers
ana men. 1t need. no herald to trunipet
forth its praises 1t can proudly appeal to
the numerous fields from the tropics TO
The frozen banks Of the s.. Lawrence:
from the Atlantic 10 the Pacific !ertIl.2ed
by the bloed and wAitened by the bones
O. is members But ! will not pause 10
euioc:ls il; let rs deeds speak for it: they
are more eloquent than tongue Of mine.
t.- u, =
the funeral oi one brave wa=rsar. nor ever
Of the horvest of death on single battle
field but these are the o5.equIes Of The
best an O-avest children Of the land who
have fallen In actions almost nunberlcss
many Of them the most sau-uirarv Of
which history bears record. The men
whose names and deeds we now seek ;o
perpetuate, - render them the highest
honor IN our power have fallen wherever
armed rebellion showed It's front. in the
far distant New Naz!cc. IN the broad va
ley of the mississippi, on The bloody hunt
ing crou ds of Kentucky. IN the noun
,ains Of Tennessee, amid the swamps Of
Carolina. and in the fertile fields Of Mary
land. and IN the biood-stainsd thickerS Of
virginia They were Of all grades. from
the General to the private; OF al sge-
from the grey y>l-lzed d veteran o.iifty wears
service to iiess youth and C! ali
degrees e----S--=- ton, from the man of
science Il ne uEeducaJed bog. 1t Is not
necessary nor is II possible 10 repeat the
mournfpl yet i!ustrious roll of the dead
heroes We have met 10 honor, nor must !
name all those who most merit praise;
simply few who viii exenpiify the clas-
sos to which they belong.
Among the last Of the slain, and among
the first IN honor and reputation, was that
hero of twenty battles, echn SedgewIck
Gentle ana kind as n woman; brave as
brave man can be; honest, sincere, and
able; model that all may strive to inns
itate, but whom few can equal. In the
terrible battle which just preceded his
death he had occasion 10 display the high
est qualities of the soldier and commando
er After escaping the stroke of death
when men fell around him by thousands.
he at last net his fate at mement Of
comparative quiet by the ball of single
riileman. He died as soldier would
choose to die, with truth at his heart, and
a sweet, tranquil smile upon his lips
Alas our great nation possesses few sons
like true John Segwick.
Like Lim fell, too, Al the very head Of
their corps, the white haired Mansfield.
after a career OF usefulness. illustrated BY
his skill and cool courage at Fort Brown,
Monterey and Buena Vista John +. Rev,
nolds and Reno, both in the full! visor of
manhood and intellect, men who had
proved their ability and chivalry in many
a field IN Mexico and in this civil war,
gallant gentlemen, of whom their coustry
had much to hope, had it pleased 6 Cd to
spare their lives. Lyon fell in the prime
Of life. leading his little araay against SUI
l. l., |. - n 1
brilliant example OF patriotism and abiI-
ity. The impetuous Kearney, and such
brave Generals as Richardson, Williams,
Terril, Stevens, Weed, Saunders and HAYES
lost their lives while in the midst Of
career of usefulness. Young Bayard so
like the most renowned OF his name, that
knight above fear and above ;eproach,"
was cut off too early for his country. No
regiments can spare such gallant devoted
and able commanders as Russell, Dagis
Cove, Simmons, Bailey, Putnam, and
King gsbury-a!l of whom fell in the thick.
est of the contest, some of them veterans
others young in servce-all good men and
well. beloved. Our batteries have partial.
Iy paid their terrible debt TO fate in the
loss of such commanders as .Gretle (the
first to fall in the wary, Benson, Hagger,
Smead, DR. Hart, Hazlett, .anlthose gall
liant boys, Kirby, Woodruff, Dimlck, and
Cushing; while the engineers lament the
promising and gallant Wagner and Cross
Beneath remote battle-felds rest the
corpses of the heroic McRae, Bascom,
Stone, Sweet, and many other company
officers. Besides these there are hosts Of
veteran Sergeants, Corporals and privates
who had fought under Scott in Mexico or
contested with the savages of the far West
and Florida; and mingled with them
Young soldiers who, courageous, steady
the hope OF personal glory These men,
In their more humble spheres, served
their country with as much faith and hoh
or as the most ilustrious Generals, and all