The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-19
sherman's Tribute to the Lamented Gene
raj T.voY,

henN ASsVOdblOnt nelu AZ Jefferson City, MIS-
souri, on Monday last, General W. t. sher-
man made the following speech -
Mr. President Ladies and Gentlemen;--After
the full and most excellent address Of your Sena-
tor, it would be in bad taste for me to consume
much of your time, but as a fellow-solder and
companion Of the dead hero, can but simply
offer the soldiers commendaton, and assure you
that many loving heart and many brave far
away will bound with new pleasure when they
read that your Senator has come from his seat in
Washing ton, that your Governor has presided at
this meeting, and that the assembled representa-
tives OF the State OF Missouri have laid aside
Their daily labor TO do honor TO one who shed
his blood that you and and those who come
alter us may enjoy a government of law, of
nDerty, and pcrpetuity. II was my fortune to
know well the subject that has brought us toge-
ther o-night-Nathaniel Lyon; he came TO West
Point in 1887, when was there He was fair
haired, blue-eyed boy, little looking like the
bold, courageous leader he afterwards turned
out to be-. But any one observant Of human
nature could in his quick eye observe a determi-
nation even In his boyhood days, to grasp firmly
whatever he undertook. Again in Florida amid
the everglades l met him, when manhood
had given strength and form to his body and
mind, and then his courage and his vindicated
stripped his discretion.
Again in California. l happened there also
when he came, alter he had been crowned with
success at Contreras, leading gallant charge.
l saw him in California, also when was COM
mitted to him the charge, with two small COM
panies, to cover an exposed frontier, and many
who are living now remember how he toiled
over the mountains, carrying boats on wagons
where boats had never been seen, to the rich
Indian hldlDg-p aces, amid the lakes of Clear
Lake valley, Nor did he tarry there, but on
through mountain passes to the old Red river
country. 1t may be there are some old Cali
fornians here who VIII remember the ch lracter
OF that country. He struck a blow to those In
dams that they remember to tnis day. Nor did
he cease then, but with characteristic energy,
which MARKS his whole lie, he moved on to
Sacramento TO avenge the death of one we all
loved, though YOU may not remember him
Captain Warner-who was killed by those In
dams. Those of us who were familiar with
those incidents in his career will ever remember
Lyon. Thus, long, long before you had heard
OF him, this man. so famous with you, had been
schooled in school Which simply brought forth
TIE natural characteristics OF his mind and
body: and when he came to Kansas, and alter
waros TO Missouri, he was qualified and capable
OF seeing deeper and further into the purposes
of men than many who make it their study.
met him for the last time, as fiend and COM
panion, at the arsenal--at that time l q citizen,
he soldier, still a captain-captain OF the I'd
Regiment OF Infantry. | saw at a glance, by his
movement and manner, putting a little redoubt
here and posting gun, not utterlng word,
erecting scailolding in one place, and punching
q hole through stone wall in another place,
that the men plotting to destroy this Govern
than they bargained for if they attempted it,
Then, for the nrst time when arsenal after
arsenal had flllen, and fort after fort yielded on
the mere demand of q mob OF men, they met
their match then, and they came no further; nor
Gid Lyon, as stated, nor could he, brook delay
He did not wait till the meshes and trammels
which were being, plotted for him we're
OF Jefferson CiUy he took the initiative. The
first man in this country that seized the whole
question, and took lthe initiative and de-
teTnined to strike blow, and not wait for the
blow to be struck. l remember him well during
that time, and his argumentations and reason.
ing were close and pointed. No LAWYER could
have argued q case, or statesman broached with
broader and better views Hesdid strike aud
you know he took Camp jackson, and followed
1t up to this polnt, thence to Boonville, and so
on to Springfield; Up to that point no one can
question either the wisdom or energy with which
he conducted his post. Some, it is said, eau
toned him to delay, others to withdraW-simply
because he could not obtain a force adequate to
the end In VieW-to meet the concentrated forces
OF Price and McCulloch. But Lyon was right.
He struck the blow, and had he lived YOU ne'er
again in Missouri would have had foe TO con-
tend with, and peace would have reigned here
IRON that time. (Applause.)
But man proposes and God disposes We cam
not add mite to his fame or his station; we
cannot change the fact, and must accept it as
one OF the mysterious dispensatons of Provi-
dence. But to-day which Of you would not
rather be the dead Lyon in his quiet grave in
Connecticut, than to be his opponent now in
taI-of land, and the outcast (applause), or that
other opponent of his, who, in yonder city, SIM
ply tarries for a few brief years, till the grave
will take him up, unknown and unsung. Better,
lar better, for Lyon as ne is and none would
exchange with the other parties. (Applause.)
Now, my friends, you are here alter great
battle; the war and the smoke has cleared away
No longer confusion troubles you. No enemy
harasses you; and the duty devolves on you
TO see TO 1t that those men who have shed their
blood and who lie in remote graves are sought for
and that thor memories are treasured up where
they belong in history. And yet you owe it to
your State and the children who are to come
after you, 10 make sufficient recognition of their
services. The life OF man is nothing. 1t comes
to-day and goes tomorrow. It's span is the span
OF hand; still 1t IS the most precious thing that
we possess. All men struggle 10 maintain their
INes and when such a man as Lyon gives up
his lite unhesitatingly and unfalteringly, he
simply consigns himself to your care and the
care OF those ior whom he gave up his life. You,
the1eiore, in honoring him, in honoring his
memory, in reviyng and reviewing his virtues,
simply do that which does honor to Yourself to
your State, and TO those who are to follow you.
say, therefore, erect your obelsk, and inscribs
upon 1T the name and virtues OF this man. and
let your children point 10 1t that they may see
tue course which leads to the appreciation of
men, and the honor of his fellow-men. You
may, OF course, do him no good now, but you
may do yourselves and children good by com.
memorating his virtues and erecting this tablet
10 his name.
have, therefore, simply appeared before you
tonight TO be one Of the advocates OF this under
taking. care not myself In what form you may
choose to honor his memory, but the State Of
Missouri, in recognizing the services OF General
Lyon, recognizes what the world knows to be so,
that he gave his life to his whole country, but
more Especially that you should be 40 longer
harassed by the dread calamitIes of invasion.
That be did not succeed was not owing to his
own personal eXertlons, but other causes which