The Portland daily press., 1864-02-25
Gen. Burnside at the Capital Thrilling
Speech OF Col. Taylor and a prompt Re

day morning and arrived at Augusta at about
half past ten. We acknowledge the honor of
an invitation to join the party, and to partici-
pate in the excursion, and also the honor of an
invitation from Adjutant General HoDsDoN to
make one of the dinner party given in honor
of the distinguished Military guest of the
State.
The car which bore the General to the State
Capital contained the eloquent Tennesseean,
Col. NATHANIEL G.. TAYLOR, whose appeal
in behalf of his suffering people in our City
Hall on Monday evening, thrilled the thou
sands OF hearts present; his son, lad of if
teen summers, upon whose head bounty was
offered by the rebels because he bore messages
to his father when concealed in the heights in
the neighborhood of his own mountain home;
members of Gen. Burnside's staff, Col. Merrill
OF Camp Berry, Major Mann. U. S. Paymaster,
Judge Davis, and perhaps dozen or fifteen
gentlemen Of this city. At all the stopping
places on the route large crowds had collect
ed to catch glimpse of the hero of Roanoke
and the Deliverer of East Tennessee, and
"cheers for Burnside" swelled thousands of
throats. The General was induced to show
himself on the platform at Brunswick, Bow
doinham, Richmond, Gardiner and other plac-
es, and many cordial hand shake was snatch
cd from him during these brief stops.
At Augusta vast throng had collected,
civilians and soldiers, to do honor to live
General, whose heart, whose sympathies,
whose patriotism and whose faith have never
wavered since the first gun was fred upon
Sumter, and who ia sunshine and in storm,
in the clear sky and in the season of clouds,
in victory and in defeat, has never COM
planned, and has never spent one moment of
the time or one breath of the effort demanded
by an imperilled country TO defend his own
reputation or to repel the calumnies which
disloyal men and rebel-sympathizing papers
have not been slow to heap upon his good
name.
The General and his company were conduct
ed to parlor in the Stanley House, where
they were soon waited upon by the committee
of the Legislature.
At about eleven o'clock two companies of
the I'd Maine Cavalry with their regimental
Band, were drawn up In front OF the Stanley
House, and after Gen. Burnside appeared
briefly upon the balcony and bowed his thanks
for the fattering reception given him, he took
a seat with Gen. Hodsdon and other military
dignitaries in hack, and, the Legislative
Committee, Col. Taylor and others following
in carriages, was escorted up Water to Bridge
street, up Bridge to State, and through State
street to the Capitol. 1t was a great dsap-
pointment to the thousands all along the route
that the distinguished guest was in a close car
Rage, SO that he could not be seen. This was
not in the original programme. An open
double sleigh had been provided, but balky
horse led to the change in the arrangement
One thing struck US as slightly disjointed,
and that was the fact that while the balcony
and steps Of the State House were black with
people anxious to see true yet modest hero,
the cagaleade turned off upon a side street and
conducted the General to the rear door of the
Capitol, thus needlessly disappointing the null
titude. The outdoor arrangements, like some
of those indoor, were badly conceived or
RSSAAy SANNukCA, out 40 oDhtIuUT sug-
gested, the hearts OF the people were right
and the formalities were forgotten in the gen
eral flow of grateful patriotism toward one of
the nations noblest defenders.
On entering the State House Gen. Burnside
and his immediate company were conducted
to the Governors room. The two Houses Of
the Legislature had met in the Representa-
tives' Hall in convention. The Committee of
Arrangements through their chairman. Judge
Tenney, reported progress; message was
sent to the guests of the State, the Governor
and his Council, requesting their attendance,
and soon they entered the Hall. which had
been beautifully draped and was crowded in
every part, and were received by a general
burst of applause. The President of the Sem
ate surrendered the chair to Gov. Cony, Gen.
Burnside sitting upon his right and COL Tay-
Tor upon his left hand. In 4 few patriotic and
well-chosen words the Governor introduced
the distinguished military guest to the con-
vention, and cheer upon cheer went up, wax
ing the echoes as they have seldom been
walked before.
General Burnside expressed his grateful
thanks, referred feelingly TO Names departed
heroes-the names of many of whom were
displayed from the gallery fronts-paid a very
high compliment to the Maine regiments, not
one of which had ever reflected discredit up
on their State, said he had never had any OF
our regiments under him except during his
brief command of the Army of the Potomac,
but in the dreadful conflict at Fredericksburg
no higher credit was due to any troops than
was won by one Of the Maine regiments. He
congratulated himself that the two new regi-
ments now being raised are to be placed I'M
der him, and he knew that such was the gen.
eral reputation of the Maine troops that
nearly every commander considered himself
fortunate in securing one or more of her regi-
ments.
After Gen. Burnside had closed, and the
echoes of the cheers had again died away,
Col. Taylor, Of East Tennessee, was introduced,
and for over an hour he riyeted the attention
of the audience, as he told his touching tale of
the SORROWS of the loyal people of the noun
tain region in the midst Of which he recently
enjoyed his own happy home. We shall not
attempt even a synopsis of his thrilling APP
peal at this time, as we have the Colonels
promise Of an early opportunity to copy the
eloquent manuscript letter which he read in
our City Hall on Monday evening, and which
better represents the whole case than it is
possible for us to represent it with any words
of ours. Suffice it to say here, that nearly
every eye in that crowded assembly was suf-