Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-07-02

ID
. recruits, making l 1856 men, all told, connect
r ed with the regiment. From your regimen
! have re-enlisted for three years about s
J men, principally from company K. | ma
) here properly remark that the original com
Dany K was permanently detached from tn
regiment by an order of the War Department
towards the close of the year 1852, and or
ganized as heavy artillery, while its place il
the line was filled by the company just al
luded to. OF the field officers connecte'
with the regiment, none return with it. You
i first Colonel, s. Park Coon, resigned Jul,
29th, 1861 Your second Colonel, the brav,
and lamented Edgar S. Connor, fell Angus
2sth, 1862, at the battle of Gainesville, while
CALAMITY leading his command in action
Your third Colonel, Lucius Fairchild, re
signed October 30th, 1868, or rather l should
say was promoted as Brigadier General about
that time, and was subsequently elected by
the people of the State to the Office he now
fills with so much credit to himself and SC
much satisfaction to the public. The pres
ence of that gallant gentleman here to-day
will restrain me from dwelling as l should
| otherwise be pleased to do upon his great
merits as an officer, and of uttering some
truthful words in his praise, which doubt
not would be most acceptable to your ears.
| But it is for you to speak of his exploits, for
you ,cibseSSed them. And none have had bet
| ter opportunities than you for seeing how
beautifully are united in his person the chival-
ric nature, the daring intrepidity, the self
devotion of true knight of old with the ten.
derness and gentleness of child. Since the
promotion of Col. Fairehild, your regiment
has been commanded by Col. John Mansfield,
| who / regret to say was wounded, and, to-
gether with Major William l.. Parsons, was
made prisoner in the recent battles in Vir-
ginia. Your regiment is now commanded
by Major Otis, who left this State three years
since as private soldier.
This brief narrative would remind US, if we
could otherwise forget the fact, that our great
joy to-day is not unmixed with sadness. We
would remember with the liveliest sympathy
the sick, the wounded, the disabled soldiers
of the Second, wherever they may be. May
they be sustained in their trials by the kind
attention of friends, and constantly receive
strong proofs of the public gratitude for their
great services Nor will we tail to breathe
prayer for the speedy return of those vast
ing their lives away in rebel prisons.
Alas alas that the garlands of laurels
which we to-day entwine for the living must
be united with cypress for those who have
fallen on the field of honor. How can | wor-
thily express the mOurnful emotions awaken
ed by the remembrance of the character and
virtues of the heroic dead ? How shall l
properly speak of Col. O'Conner, Lieut.. Col.
George ii. Stevens, Captains Randolph and
Colwell, and many others less distinguished
but scarcely less lamented, who fell upon the
field or have died of disease contracted in
the service? l dare not trust myself to
speak of them in my own words. Permit me
therefore to borrow and apply to them the
sentiments of a poet, expressed in lines
doubtless familiar to you all, but which no
cultivated person can ever listen to with
other feelings than those of pleasure and de-
light:
% How sleep the brave who sink to rest,
BY all their country's wishes blessed
When Sp ring, with dewy fingers cold,
Returns to deck their hallowed mould,
She there shall dress a sweeter sod
Than Fancy's feet have ever trod.
By fairy hands their knell is rung;
BY forms unseen their dirge is sung;
There A. onor comes, pilgrim gray,
To bless the turf that wraps their clay,
And Freedom shall while repair
To dwell a weeping hermit there"
We have not had the mournful privilege of
even consigning the remains of the illustrious
dead to their final resting place. We have
not performed for them the last sad offices of
humanity, nor had the sad pleasure of giving
them
And peaceful slept the mighty Hector's shade"
But no matter; no matter. The soil that
drunk their blood is henceforth hallOwed
ground. 1t shall for all ages possess for the
wise and good, the same undying interest
that attaches to the plains of Platea and Mar
athon, and which consecrates the spots where
our Warren and Montgomery fell.
Wisconsin truly mourns her fallen braves.
And if she erects to them no columns of
brass or marble to perpetuate their names
and memory, she will give them more noble,
more abiding monument by engraving their
names and memory in ineffaceable characters
upon the hearts of her people,.
desire here to read the following military
order published in "The Daily Journal" OF
this city in its issue of the 10th inst, to which
my attention has been called since this ad-
dress was written. 1t is alike creditable to
the heart of the brave General who issued it
and the troops so highly commended by him.
This is the order:
HEADQUARTERS, FOURTH DIvIsIoN,l
FIFTH ARMY CORPS, June 10, 1864.
The Second Wisconsin Volunteers, having
served their full term of three years in this
army, and being about to leave for their
homes, the General Commanding deems il
proper for himself, and in behalf of those OF
| their comrades who remain behind, to adj
dress the officers and men of that command a
| few parting words. Three years ago you
| entered the service, more than a thousand
strong. You now leave with one hundred
and thirty-three, all told. Where are they
/ O'Conner, Stevens, Colwell, Randolph and
many others-both officers and men-are
mustered with the hosts on high. Others
are disabled for life. Others still are in reb
ell prisons Among all these things you have
always been true to your flag and your coun
try. You have never failed in any duty re
quired of you. You have right to be proud
of your record. The State has reason to bt
| proud of you. You leave with the best wish
| es of all your comrades, and to that, l wisl
to add nv most cordial desire for your future
honor and prosperity, collectively and indi
vidually. l.. CUTLER,
Brigadier General Commanding.
Soldiers, something / desired to say in re
gard to the moral character of the conflict IL
which you have been engaged-of the vas
issues and great principles involved ant
staked upon iL-of the sad and depressing ef
fects upon the destinies of our race which
will inevitably follow should this wicked re
bellion be successful. But / forbear. 4
few words, however, win add upon this top
ic. and they are, that you took up arms no
at the call of some ambitious chief to wage
war of aggression and conquest, nor even t,
CRAFTY national sentiment for military glo
~. At the call of the constituted fedora
authorities, you went to the field to prOtec
and preserve the best constitution ever de
vised for the government of man against tn
assaults of wicked traitors. You have Tough
| FI,,rr oh and