The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-06-29
Gen. smERMAN AT moME.
Correspondence Cincinnati Commercially f
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He was received at the depot by sew
eral thousands of his friends and
neighbors, and escorted 10 his resi-
denco by large number Of returned
veterans under command Of Colonel
j. Stafford, OF the 17Sth Ohio regiment
preceded by brass band, and follow
ed by hundreds OF enthusiastic citizens,
anxious to greet the General. Oyer
the gate Of his residence, the ladies
had erected a beautiful arch with the
inscriptions" Atlanta is ours and
fairly won," and "Welcomc, thrice
welcome. home"
Hon. H II. Hunter delivered tho
address OF welcome on the part Of the
citizens, and Col. John NJ. Connell on
the part Of the soldiers.
NJ. Hunter welcomed the General
in strong and appropriate terms, say
ing that this reception was not in any
spirit Of adulation, but in honor Of one
upon whose hand and brain, as COM
mander ola great army, hung the des-
tiny of the nation. Colonel Connell,
on behalf Of the soldiers, said that the
boys were there to welcome their loved
chief, without being fully equipped,
and that, for thus appearing, the Gem
eral was to blame. 1t was his fault.
for he did the work, and sent them
home to be citizens again. They were
there today because of his skill, and,
in all that assembly, there were none
so glad to see him as the boys in blue.
GENERAL snERMAN's SPEECH.
General Sherman (bciDg received
with three cheers) replied as follows :
"Friends of my boyhood-I thank
you for this most hearty welcome. l
am especially thankful for the kind
words of the tried and valued friend
of my family, Mr.. Hunter, and for the
warmth with which Colonel Connell
and the soldiers have received mo-
With The latter Lean deal in very few
, words, for they know that with us
words are few, and mean much; and
that when the time comes again, we
will go. where the stars and stripes
lead, without asking many questions.
[Chccrs. My old friends and neigh
bors, | knew your fathers before you
, better than yourselves, for it is near
thirty years since l left here boy.
and now in iull manhood, find my
self among you, with a name con-
nectcd with the history of our coun
try. During the past four years my
mind has been so intent upon but one
thing-the success of our arms--that
have thought of nothing else. l claim
no special honor, only to have done @
full man s share; for when ones coun.
try is in danger, the man who will not
defend it, ard sustain it with his nat.
ural strength, is no man at all
Cheers For this ! claim no special
merit, for | have done simply what
all the boys in blue have done. ]
have only labored with the strength
of single man, and have used the
: brains | inherited and the educatioh
given by my country. The war thro'
/ which we have just passed has covered
a wide area of country, and imposed
US upon task which, like ~ vast piece
of machinery, required many parts, all
of which were equally important tc
, the worlIingofthe whole Providence
assigned me my part, and if | have
done it, | am well satisfied. The pas
is now with the historian, but W.
| must still grapple with the future
In this we need guide, and, fortu
nately for us all, we can trust the Con
stitution which has safely brought us
through the gloom and danger of the
past. Let each State take care of its
. own local interests and affairs, Ohio
of hers, Louisiana of hers, Wisconsin
of hers, and l believe the best results
will follow. You all know well that
/ have lived much at the South, and
, say that though We have been bitter
= and fierce enemies in war, we mus
, , trust this people again in peace. The
: bad men among them will separate
from those who ask for order. anC
peace, and when the people do thus
separate, we can encourage the gooC
? and, need be, we can cut the heads o.
the bad off at one blow. Let the pres.
ont take care ofthe present, and with
the faith inspired by the past, we can
J, trust the future to the future. The
= Government Of the United States and
: the Constitution Of our fathers have
: proven their strength and power in
. time ofwar, and we can safely trust
them now in peace, and | believe our
! whole country will be even more brill.
: liant in the vast and unknown future
than in the past.
Fellows soldiers and neighbors,
. again 1 thank you do not wish
you to consider this a speech at all for
| do not profess to be q man of words
| prefer to sec you separately at your
a., leisure, in Il social way. l shall be
> with you for some days, and shall be
pleased to have you cali in whenever
you feel like it, in the old familiar
way, without any ofthe formality and
, reserve which were proper enough in
! the midst Of armies"
With three cheers the crowd dispcr.
> sed well pleased with the General"
Q A. P. NJ.