Litchfield enquirer., 1865-08-24
sovdfers, Reception.
WooDBuRY, Aug. l7th, 1865.

soldfers' Reception.
 WooDBURY, Aug. l7th, 1865. ra;sors LisehfeM Enquirer:
 For three years, your paper has faithfully .s,on;cled the whereabouts and doings of our . Od Nineteenth and not many days ago rovelv Iitchfield decked herself in martial. yet ueaeeful array, to welcome home what remain ed of our shattered county regiment, as well as all heroes of whatsoever badge, who went forth from our little State..
 Both of you, gentlemen, held the sword, as miehtier than the pen, until honorable wounds forced you to change of base, and know a fellow feeling will make you glad to add to the many tributes, on record, the testimony Woodbury last night offered to her returned soldier boys.
 Om Flown HaI' was so hung with flags, wrcathed with greens, and twined with flowers, that broken clustering, and the idle schoolboy's pencilled scrawl hid away in shame. Tables, complaining of an overload, stretched before, behind and around, and such pretty faces smiled above the gorgeous boquets (combined under the super:ntendence of Miss H. M. Thomas) and the mountains of goodies that one could only decline them as good, gooder, goodestr
 The names of our dead were embalmed in green Joy the skillful hands of Mrs. H. Eam- bert the list of the battles in which our boys had borne part, were enrolled on the Starry Flag Welcome heroes,' encircled the cell ing, and pickled copperhead (snake) which had been taken amidst the laurel gathered for the hall. assured us he was the last of his race. There were several speeches which I give below. Philo M. Trowbridge, (wao in silent way has emptied his pockets, and kept full heart for our soldiers and their loved ones all these weary years) spoke admirably.
 LADIES OF WooDBURY-Here are the guests promised you little more than week ago. They are my friends ; yea more, comrades, brothers for during these long, sad weary, bloody years, have been one of them. The pestilence of camp, the exhausting march, the horrid battle field, though far away, have shared with them. My constant communion with them has made me familiar with the indi. yidual history of each, and now present them to you as true men. They have been tried and not found wanting. They stood firmly, un- finchingly, and warded of the leaden rain and iron hail. from you, and your loved ones.- They; y;have followed that old flag, the flag which had it's conception beneath the dark portals of the star chamber, which was ushered into ex a.r,sd ,ho,la Il baptized in rivers of blood, which was conse crated to God and Liberty, which has been a terror to evil doers and praise to such as have done we'll. say, they have followed that old flag from victory to victory, till it's protecting folds now wave over the whole of this our much loved land. Their work is done. They come crowned with honor, honor purchased with self consecrated patriotism. It is mete then, that you, noble women of Woodbury, should thus publicly say, We'll done good and faithful ser vants,' welcome to the sweets of home.
 Ladies, there are others here whom I also promised you as guests this evening. They are the husbandless, the fatherless, the sonless the brotherleas. Made so by what2 Go tt Heavens record and there read. These gave their husbands, their fathers, their sons, thei brothers, to crush the most impious rebellion earth has known since Satan was cast over tn, battlements of this Most Holy City. Coul. you have gone with me where those winged messengers came, telling of the fall of one afte another, and broken the sad intelligence t. anxious hearts, you would have witnessed scene that wonld have dwelt with you 80 long a memory was yours. You would have seen father, a mother, bowed to the earth becaus the stay of their declining years had fallen.- Ton would have seen the heart broken wifi bathing with tears her little ones, as they wer clustering about her and clinging to her, an, crying mamma, mamma, won't dear papa com home any more?' 1 have raised the curtain only partially, because the scenes are far tot sacred for the worlds eye. But you have seel enough, and you will surely greet these too and bid their sad hearts be glad: and you vii as surely smooth their lonely pathway till the. are welcomed to the Heavenly Home, wherl war and its sorrows are unknown.
 Judge Huntington tersely, kindly and warm ly touched us all. (We regret to be unable tt procure copy of his speech.)
 Mr. A. N. Lewis, whose rhymes are as full of music as reason, showed himself equal to tn, occasion.
 King Solomon, known as the wisest of men, Found three things nay -four, too deep for hi'
 ken,
 Without stopping to name them, (you know
 what they were,) -.-. There is one thing tonight, can't get thro
 my hair n a.." a,s It is this why man without laurels or sears Should be chosen to welcome you home from
 the wars.
 (Or rather receive, in behalf of the fair,
 These guests, who, tonight, are our pris'ner
 ofwar.) -, ..,te. It should haUe been one who in Freedoms dread
 van , Has stood up at the front and not sent man. It shoald haue been one, who, in Battles fierce Himself has received the baptism of fire! Such an one, and not 1.-the rods peaceful
 whack, Not the cannon's deep boon, nor rifles shrill
 crack r1s
 Has rung on my car thro' the four weary years That have shrouded the Nation in mournina
 and tears. To teach young ideas not soldiers to .shoot. Has been my employ-I ought, then to be mute While you, whose faces are bronzed by ths
 sun
 Of the South, where battles and forts have
 been won,
 Describe what you'os seen, tell what you hay, But why was chosen to welcome you here To all these fair faces, to all this good cheer hA R