The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1868-08-13
ALMOST AT THE TOP"
A Soldier on Seymour-Speech of Gen
WOOdford

who was evidently suffering from a re-
cent sickness, was received with enthusi-
astic cheering, and notwithstanding his
weak bodily condition, spoke with intense
energy and fire. We regret that our
limits exclude the whole speech. We
make some extracts
IL wish I could Justly
close these words without reference to
Horatio Seymour But fidelity alike to
history and to my old comrades in the
army, living and dead, compel that 1
should speak of one passage in his his
tory. On the Fourth of July, 1868,
when Governor of the State, he stood at
the Academy of Music, in New York, and
in most elaborate address apologized a.
like for slavery, the South and the Re-
bellion. lie had no word of cheer for
the patient man who was bearing the ma
tion's sorrow (cheers) in the Capitol at
Washington. He had no word of en-.
couragemeut for our gallant soldiers, who
that very hour were graphing with Lee
in life and death struggle among the hills
in Pennsylvania CHEERS and cries of
"You're rights nothing but icy sneers,
but eold calculations, and but lily concealed
sympathy with treason. Thank God, at
that same hour Meade gave the lie to his elo.
quent sophistry as he hurled Lee back in
terrible defeat from Cemetery Hill and
Round Top at Gettysburg, and Grants
cannon made strange echo to his coward
ly but concealed appeals for compromise
and surrender as Vicksburg's host cast
! down their flags in defeat.
IA few short days passed, and on July
13 of that same year the terrible draft
riots broke out in New York city. 1
charge that these riots were the natural,
logical and almost necessary results of his
speeches, his teachings, and his public Of
fetal acts. And then when the storm
had gathered, he addressed those mad
dened, brutalized rioters as his "friends," !"
and besought their patience by the plea
that be had sent his Adjutant- General to
Washington to beg that the draft might
be suspended. daughter, Kisses and
cheers.) When the tidings of these riots
and of Seymour's conduct and speech
teached m", with my regiment, I was toll
ing along dusty road of Maryland in pur
suit of the retreating rebels. Painting
under the terrible heat, some falling and
even dying by the wayside, our men were
still pressing on.
1.-The loyal arms had been victorious at
Gettysburg, and we had heard the glad
news from Nicksburg. We were weary,
bat still we could see the end and the VIC
tory drawing nigh. Like thunder from
clear sky fell the tidings of this coward
/ ly uprising at our own homes against the
government and the flag Strong men
wept with shame and rage. Firm lips
closed in a ferccr wrath as they whisper
cd the news down the ranks, and muskets
were gripped with vengeful feeling such
as we had not known before in skirmish
and battle. Could we have filled that
day in'o Broadway there would have been
bloody reckoning, aud short work would
have been made with His Excellcncy's S
special friends"
! IA sudden movement was here visible
through the whole audience an instant
afterwards an electrical cheer burst from
every part of the building many people
stood up, and handkerchiefs and hats
were waved at the speaker.1
We had left home to fight your battles,
and we felt that you were bound to tax
yourselves, if need be, to your last dollar
to pension our widows, to succor our
wounded, and feed our little ones. We
were there just as much for your sake as
for our own, and we felt that when our
ranks grew thin We had right to rein.
forcements /; that you were bound in hon
or to send US your young men and your
strong men, even if your old men and
boys had to work your factories and Jour
women had to till the fields. We were
terribly in earnest. We were fighting re.
bells. We meant to stand up to our work
aud we very solemnly intended that you
should stand squarely up to yours
(Cheers.) How reverently We thanked
God, when the good Lincoln and the lion
hearted Stanton said the drafs shall b.
enforced And how we cheered the sol
diers who where sent from our midst Il
enforce the law and uphold the honor o
our flag against the Nothern mob.
"You can now understand how we sol
diers feel towards his Excellency, Horati'
Seymour. In the hour Of our sorrow ant
weariness he had no encouragement TO
us, no faith in our courage, and no iaitl
} in the final victory. Now in our triumph
when the flag steams out on every brezz'
and all our land is one again, we have NJ
need for thee, Horatio Seymour. lie
Southern Rebels shout thy praise lie
the burners of orphan asylums, aud tn
deserter, and the skulker from the draft
twine laurels for thy brows We will stan'
by the old flag, all battle-scarred, but glor
ious in victory, while We follow the grea
captin ofour armies, our own Ulysses Gran
"At the battle of Lookout Mountain, a
following the line of fire, our surgeon
climbed up the billy steep. they met fou
soldiers coming down and carrying in
blanket shapeless mass. Laying thei
burden tenderly down, they asked tn