The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-08-20
Anniversary of the Seventeenth Maine
Regiment Associatiom.

Anniversary Of the Seventeenth Maine
Regiment Association.
Honor the Light Brigader' qroth Tenny-
son, adjuring the English people not to forget
the men who made the wild charge at Balakla-
va. 1t needs no poets invocation to inspire
the people OF Portland with enthusiasm for the
deeds of their soldiers and to keep their mem
DRY green in their hearts. Consequently the
hall Of the Portland Army and Navy Union
was crowded to its utmost capacity last even
ing, with ladies and gentlemen who were glad
to do honor to the gallant 18th by being pres
ent at the exercises of the fifth anniversary of
the association, which has been formed to per-
petuate the friendship formed ON the battle
field.
Upon the stand with the presiding officer
Col Roberts, were his Excellency, Gov. Cham
berlain, Hon. John Lynch, John Neal, ESQ,
Gen. Ayers, Gen. Thomas, and many other
distinguished gentlemen. The Governor was
greeted with cheers upon entering the hall p
e After brief prayer had been offered, Gen.
Charles P. Mattocks, the orator of the evening
was introduced. We must protest against that
gentlemen's characterizing himself and his
doubt meant it should be understood in a Pick
wickian sense. Barbarians, as a general rule,
do not deliver orations remarkable for elevated
thought and .chaste diction. Gen. Mattocks
proved in very ingenious and interesting
manner that the uniform and concurrent de-
velopement of the mental, moral and physical
elements are as necessary in national as in in
dividual life. Greece and Rome lacked that
moral culture which christianity alone can
give; wanting this, they were failures, though
possessing unbounded intellectual and physi-
cal power. The age of chivalry only substitute
ed the moral for the Intellectual element, and
that, too, failed to effect anything permanently
valuable to mankind. Our American civilian
ton, ON the contrary, embraces the three great
forces, moral culture, mind and physical ener-
gy, which united are able to build up and pre-
serve astate. The lastis by no means least in
Importance, and its latent existence was prov
ed by the military element which our late war
had called into activity. The speaker closed
by calling up "reminiscences of his old compan-
ions in arms, which were full of eloquence and
pathos On the whole, Gen. Mattocks' effort
was admirable, and indicated the possession of
high degree of literary ability.
The poem by Lieut.. Thomas W. Lord was
not forthcoming, Providence and the superior
officer of his regiment not permitting that gen.
ltleman' attendance. ~ "a
The history of the regiment by Capt. G. G.
Cole, was a concise but very interesting rela-
ton OF the services of the Itch from its muster
: in on the 10th OF August, 1862, to its muster
out at the close of the war, with statement
of she present occupation of the living officers
of which there were ninety three, and the cir.
cumstances of the death of those who have
passed away, to whom he paid a merited trlb-
ute He also INDUCED in few numerous sta
tfstics, the close Of which were slightly persor-
al, and provoked considerable merrhnent. We
append few statistics:
Number killed. ia
Number died of disease, 1873
Murdered at AndersonViiie' %
Inc feglment mas mad three several STANDS
OF twenty-seven pitched battles and four minol
battles, besides many sklrmishes. Time OF SER
vice, LUZ days. Whole number OF officers, 90
OF whom 2O have died, Whole number oil
commissions issued to officers OF the regiment
liz. lie comphmented the historian, MAJOR
HoughtoD, and his work. sfrf Peas tats