The Portland daily press., 1864-07-02
Saturday Morning, July 2. 1854.
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
A Noble Tribute to it.

The Harrisburg Daily Telegraph, of June
IS, contains an admirable letter from the pen
OF q gentleman, who, in company with some of
the delegates to the Christian Commission,
left his home to pass a few days in ministering
to the wants OF the sick and wounded of the
gallant Army OF the Potomac. We regret we
cannot find space for the whole letter. The
following extracts, embracing a noble tribute
TO the army referred TO, will be read with in
terest:-
shall regard 1t as one OF the greatest privi-
leges OF my life that have been permitted to
be with the grand Army OF the Potomac dur
ing the splendid movements that took it from
Spottsylyania Court House to the immediate
front OF Richmond. / have seen something OF
armies before; have read and heard Of battles
and marches before; but my experience and
my conceptions have all been surpassed by the
events in which / have mingled. 1t has been
worth ten years OF peaceful life TO go amid
those stirring scenes; TO fellow and accompa-
ny that host OF men in their glorious move
ments; to look day after day upon their bronz-
ed faces; to march with them; tent by them;
to sleep as they, under the quiet stars; to fare
as they Jared; TO grow weary as they; and,
like them, to fall by the roadside for an hours
sleep. 1t has been worth more than | can
measure to study their own unflinching patri-
otism; to be witness of that calm endurance
which could march by night and fight by day
for weeks together; 10 look upon the men who
80 cheerfnlly stand between US and ruin, walk
ing brayely up 70 the great sacrifice OF home
and life, as dear to them as ours to US. Ii has
been worth more than can name to look up
on their chiefs in council on the march and in
the field; to see the calm dsliberation; the
high resolve; the confident hope that rested
on the countenance OF the men whom we de-
light to honor-Warren aud Burnside, and
Hancock aud Meade and Grant. There may
be spirit of dependency and Of repining
here and among those who have never put
their hands TO this great work-it cannot be
found in the army. There the spirits OF men
rise TO something OF the greatness Of the oeca-
sion. No repulses, no losses dampen the ar
dor or shake the confidence Of the army. From
the highest general down to the lowest private
In the ranks, marked unity of spirit, con-
Idence each in each. strong faith ia ultimate
success, a persistence against all obstacles, and
patience under all suffering that prophesied
the best things. saw men manfnlly bearing
during those days of heavy marching who had
lost all regular sleep for weeks, and mad been
living on part rations for days. 1t has been
said by the enemy that the fields and woods in
the rear OF Grants army were full of strag-
glers They were invisible TO me. BY moth
ing was l more sstonished than by the spirit
and discipline Of this great army, which pre-
vented it from becoming disorganized by iorty
days OF almost unexampled toll.
Another fact pleased me. spent two weeks
with the army, with its officers and men every
day. The only drunken man / saw from the
time left Fredericksburg till reached Bal
timore was an officer on the boat from For
tress Monroe.
IL has frequently been said that the great
peril OF the country will be when the army
returns home and scatters its wickedness,
profanity and recklessness through society,"
The country will suffer an hundred fold more
by the men VINO stay al home to support
drinking aud gambling saloons on all the
streets OF our cities than it ever will from the
rough and sun-burnt men OF the army. There
Is profanity in the army; there is profanity
here--on every corner OF our streets, more OF
1t, and less excusable than in the army. Here
1t breaks over all restraints of society and de-
cency. In the army you will find thousands
OF serious men, OF noble and gentlemanly
bearing. among whom one may move from
day to day without beholding an act or hear
ing word that need cause blush on the
cheek Of virtue. There is no mercenary and
mean spirit. The army is lifted up to broad
American and patriotic feeling, such as does
not characterize all who stay at home. | am
happy TO be able to speak from my own OBJ
servaiion Of these citizen soldiers. / have
seen them 10 camp, on the march, on the
brink OF battle, storming the imminent
breach" borne wounded from the field, linger-
ing in the hospital, and gaspng in death, and
j can say that | believe nobIer band never
went forth TO war, band inspired by high
er impulse than the Army OF the Union."-
There may be still faint-hearted men at home,
or worse than faint-hearted men, who are re-
peating yet, in this fourth year OF the con
fiet, the question, Is this war right or wrong?
The army entertains no doubt on that mat
ter. The arm of the soldier pauses not TO
strike at any man who would trample under
foot the banner of the country. He loves his
Government aud is willing TO die for it. Ii
is no spirit OF adventure, nor love OF blood,
that has sustained these men in the fearful
conflicts OF The Wilderness, and led them up
into the very face of death. The spirit that
animates the ranks animates the leaders
Like Wadsworth, many OF them have lett for
tunes, family, high social position, chances Of
distinction in civil life, and gone out to the
privations OF the camp and the perils OF the
feld, moved by one great absorbing love OF
country.
Nowhere has the endurance OF our brave
men been more severely tested and more sue
eessfully than In the hospital With wonder
ahu dudLttucut nave iOOkeu upon tUt
courage OF these men, who with bullet holes
through leg or arm; with ghastly wound in
shoulder or face; with shattered hand or bro
Ken thigh, lay in the tent or were carried to
the amputating table with never s murmur OF
complaint or dissatisfaction breaking from
their lips. felt lost in speechless admiration,
ana almost questioned whether they had not
become insensible to pain, they were so cheer
ful and uncomplaning. / have seen them
walk coolly up 20 the surgical table, where
they were to lose right arm, or carried there
TO lose foot or limb, without a moan. |
have heard them sing "Rally round the fac
boys" when suffering deepest pain or Law with
beaded sweat gathering on the brows. and
with fists and teeth clenched as they suppress
ed every groan. On the floor of the town hall
of Fredericksburg lay young sAdier from
Brooklyn, N. Y, by the name of Morris. Hi.
face was as gentle as = girls. He had just
been brought In from the battlefield, over
rough road OF fifteen or twenty miles. He
had fallen on the field, pierced At nearly the
same instant in three places. The right arm
was torn entirely off near the shoulder by q
shell. the left hand was terribly shattered, and
a ball had passed through the body, piercing
the lungs; his wounds had been undressed
for nearly two days; his calm face wore an as
pect OF pain, but not murmur escaped his
lips. 1t seems to me shall never erase from
my vision the things have seen the ghastly
men that asked cup Of water; the wound
ed nsn staggering upt seek bite to eat;