Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1867-09-25
Dedication at Antietam,

came OH last week. Inc haFylallu cop
perheads controlled the proceedings, and
| although Pennsylvania furnished nearly
! half the troops at that hattie, our State
authorities were not invited. Several
Governors were there, and the soldiers
insisted on Gov. Geary speaking, which
/ he did to some purpose. He said:
/ FstLOC-citizenS After all you have
/ heard to-day | had supposed you would
want nothing more. The programme
has been gone through with. 1t opened
and closed with prayer. Those who were
/ not invited must come in at the last hour;
/ bat | remember when the conflict was
waging here there was no hesitation III
! inviting the loyal Governors to participate,
/ by sending their troops to the field at An
/ tietam. But, my friends, although the
/ loyal Governors have been left out of the
! programme, thank God they have still
a place in the hearts of the people. When
/ you come TO Pennsylvania next July at
the dedication Ofthe monument at Gettys-
/ burg we will tender you the hOspitalities
of the State, and permit every man to
speak. We want to bear thanks TO All
mighty God for his preservation and care
of this country. We will have no gay
! We will have no programme for this pur-
/ pose. Wehave no gag on our programmes;
but am not here to say anything Oh that
subject.
The orator of the day has presented.
with eloquence and faithfulness, many of
the historic incidents of the great battle
we to-day seek to commemorate in the
/ dedication of q cemetery in honor of the
heroic dead, who Died that the govern
ment of the people, by the people, and for
the people, should not perish from the
earth.'
The battle of Antietam was fought un-
der circumstances of great depression on
the part of the Union forces. The Army
of the Potomac was greatly demoralized
10y the disastrous campaigns on the Pen
insula and in Northern Virginia, and
from the loss of 1000 men who had just
/ been captured at the shameful surrender
at Harper's Ferry. While the same cir
cumstancCs We're calculated to, and doubt
/ less did, animate the rebel army with
great enthusiasm and dauntless determina-
| ton, so that when the first gun was fired
at Antietam, Lees army had basis of
victory to begin with.
The effect, then, which followed the
collision of the two great armies upon
this battlefield must be regarded as some
what different from that i'm which we
view any other contest which preceded
or followed it, and but little argument is
required to show that the victory of An
tietam, TO be properly appreciated, must
he measured by the most liberal logic
known To military ethics. As an evidence
the Army of the Potomac suffered a loss
OF about twelve thousand in killed and
wounded, while that acknowledged by
the rebel army scarcely exceed nine thou
sand; yet Lee was compelled to fiv, under
the shadow of night, from before foe
whom he had so dreadfully punished, and
! thus acknowledging himself vanqui~hed
admitted clear and undisputable victory
! 10 the Union arms.
Had this battle resulted differently, both
/ Washington and Baltimore would have
( been exposed, and the rebel cavalry could
! have refreshed their horses in the waters
OF the Susquehanna, and perhaps even iu
those of the Hudson before the people OF
the North could have recovered from the
panic which had seized upon the public
mind. But tthanks-unnumbe bered thanks
for the dauntless valOr of the glorious
Army of the Potomac, not only was the
Toe beaten and the country saved from
deep humiliation, but the arrogant as
SumptionS of superior valor, 50 vaunting-
ly advertised by Lee ana his followers.
were utterly dispelled, and he and they
forced to fly for safety beyond the waters
of the Potomac.
BY Antietam's thunderbolts the Gov
ment escaped the dangers by which it was
menaced, and the people of the North
were saved from the terrible ravages of
an invading army. Most appropriate is
it then that cemetery should be here
prepared for the reception of the remains
of the heroes who gave up their lives on
this field that the nation might live. and
a suitable monument be erected TO their
memory. Whatever may be said of the
Army of the Potomac, as connected with
the battle Of Autietam and Gettysburg.
will preserve its reputation in glory while
martial valOr is priZed and individual
tOrtitude and heroism honored among
men.
l presume it will not be deemed inap-
propriate for me to place on record here
the numbers of those military organiZa-
uons OF Pennsylvania which participated
IN this battle. | believe no such record
has been made public, and therefore. il
affords me great qualification to he ena-
bled to take advantage of this opDortuui-
ty TO assert for Pennsylvania her proper
share in the honors which surround this
battlefield.
These troops were as follows, viz:
The 81, 4th, 9th, ,8th and 10th Regiments
Of Cavalry.
Batteries A, B, and F, of 1st Artillery
Reserve Corps.
Batteries G, D, and E, Independent Ar
tillery.
The llth, 18th, 8oth, 8lst, 32d, SD, s4th.
35th, 36th, 37th, 3Sth, 39th, 10th. 4Ist, AID,
18th, 46th, 4Sth, 10th, 5Oth 5lst, SD. 56th
6lst, 69th, list, T2d, 8lst, SD SD, SSth.
9Jth, 9lst, 95th, 96th, Tooth, lO2d, I06th
l0Jth, lllth, ll4th, 18th, l24th. I25th
i28th, both, 1920, 18TH, I47th, and 155th
Infantry Regiments.
Making in all fifty regiments of infan-
try, five of cavalry, and six batteries of
artillery furnished by the keystone State
in the battle of Antietam. The official
records and reports of the battle from
which | derive these facts are replete with
acknowledgements of the splendid servi-
ces rendered by these men in the great
conflict, and as a Pennsylvania / am
proud thus to adduce the facts of history,
to prove that my native State, here a.
elsewhere during the war, lent the full
strength of her numbers, as well as the
influence of her wisdom, in carrying the
Government to a glorious victory. Thus
she was in the late war, thus it has ever
been, and thus it will be with PennsyI-
vania whenever liberty or the perpetuity
of the Union is assailed.
While thus careful to preserve the re-
cord of Pennsylvania PARTICIPATION in
the events which make this locality CLASH :.
ground, no selfish feeling of State pride
no contracted desire to monopoIfse 50
great an honor 70" my own people. can