The Portland daily press., 1868-12-04

O'Clock last night the Grand Army OF the he
public marched on to the stage at CITY nari to
the music of the Portland Band, and were fol-
lowed by their chairman, Col. Frank Miller.
who escorted the lecturer for the evening.
Miss Clara Barton. Miss Barton is tall.
pleasant featured lady with dark hair and a
very winning smile, and after her introduction
to the audience commenced her word-pictures
of some of the battle fields of the late war by
stating that at the beginning of the rehellioa
she was In Washington and saw thA -
a. -. est march to the is.
,.ye Of the capital She was also shsr~
the conquerors returned At - &c when
war; and yet daring ." o .iose VI the
t;on hoa about the chief city of the ma
N. peacefully rolled ON, undisturbea by
81 strife that had Redeemed their waters wit h
the hearts blood of the country. She should
endeavor more particularly tonight to speak
OF her doings with the army before she had the
assistance of the SanitarT and Christian Com
missions. After the battle of Cedar Mountain
and when Pope was encamped on the Oh Bull
| battle field, she started out with Two ladies
from Washington, and at 10 o'clock on Sunday
drew up at Fairfax Station. Three thousand
wounded soldiers laid on the hillside. which
was covered with hay from the army wagons
which spark would set in hames and with
only dish or two to hold the Cruel that was
cooked by an open camp fire, she and her two
lady assistants worked all night long. Next
| day eighty men were detailed for nurses. and
| Hffxr hal iad r.
| here she wished to state that while dishonor
might attach itself to gold lace, her army ex-
| perience taught her that the private soldier on
either side kept his word.
Here Miss Barton's voice failed her. owing
to recent severe illness and cold she had
taken since her arrival in the city, and Col.
Miller read her manuscript for her. Her de-
scrlption OF the battle of Chantilly the next
day, how bravely the soldiers fought. and the
two ladies with herself took the crackers from
knapsacks, and ground them to powder with
stones, and then mixed the powder with mo-
lasses and water for the relief of the suffering,
while the lightning flashed and the rain poured
in torrents, was very descriptive; and how at
last the one of her assistants who was left (the
other had gone by train to Washington in the
afternoon) lay curled up on box in the little
Sibley tent, their only protection, at 12 o'clock
at night. and she miss b. sitting in the water
fast asleep with her head resting on her arm.
During the early morning (about o'clock
they began to pass through from the front and
they had to wake up and work till dawn broke
Then received the orders to retreat, and burn
ing everything behind them they left foI
Washington.
Her next description was of the battle of
Antietam. How she rode in an army wagon
eighty miles to the battlefield, and how, as
they reached the battle field of South Noun.
tain, their wheels ground against the dead
bodies. A rebel hospital stood near, and she
got the men to drive large white OF from the
army train over to them, and three years after
she saw how they repaid the kindness as she
looked on the Andersonville graves. When
the battle of Antietam began she was with the
left wing. A barn was the hospital, and by II
o'clock in the morning 300 wounded were car
ried in. The surgeon in charge, when he saw
her, greeted her joyously, for he had nothing
but corn leaves for dressings, while she had
bandages of linen. At o'clock all her sup
Indian meal, in which the wine had be en-
packed, but they luckily found some stores
that had belonged to Stonewall Jackson hid
away in house, and that suficed.
Miss Barton here resumed. She proceeded
to describe the battle of Fort Wagner and how
that small force herocally threw itself into the
devouring fire. We cannot attempt to give
| her poetical and at the same time pathetic
story, for it is of the kind that long hand re-
porter cannot do justice to; but she said one
thing that every one should know. 1t was
this-that when men say that this war showed
no bayonet wounds they only had to look al
the poor bleeding bodies of those who fought
so nobly on Morris Island. And they should
have seen the expression in that large speak
ing eye the dying negro turned on her, (whe
had given his life in that volcano OF shot and
shelly as he said to her, in response to her re-
marks, "Sam that's bad for you;" "Yes, missus
but thank God my children's tree"
She concluded with an appeal to the people
not to forget the soldier, and that though he
may take holiday and not work quite as wei
as you think he ought, remember that he holds
a note against you that is not yet outlawed
She reviewed the different battle-felds o the
war under the different Generals, finishing
with the taking of Richmond by Grant, that
Mecca of the 'boys in blue"
The splendid audience listened with grea,
attention. and applauded many of her beauti
full eulogies heartily. 1t was pity that owing
/ to her afliction we were compelled to omi. Sc
much that was beautiful, but can assure those
who have not heard her that they have quite a
4 prose poem in anticipation.