Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-06-10
Decoration Day,

Remarks of Rev. T.. M. Haynes, Chap
lain of the 10th Vermont regiment, OF
Decoration Day in Lewiston, Maine -
Comrades.
rejoice at the privilege of meeting you
and joining in the decoration of the graves
OF companions-in- noble dead
If | were to take text and preach a ser
mon, j should select the words i" Precious
in the sight of the Lord is the death OF
his saints"
/ had not the honor to be a Maine sol
dier, but know something of them, and
know their reputation ia ono of which
you need not be ashamed. | followed a
Vermont regiment nearly three years
till the Que thousand men who left the
State with high hopes patriotic, but
weeping tears men need not be ashamed
of-were reduced to sixty. know some
thing of the sufferings of these men.
hear again the tramp of the men, the
martial music, and can see the picture oil
the march, and all the scenes of strife
your sacrifices, and the noble victory.
You do well thus to decorate the graves
of your comrades and companions in arms
They have earned the honor-more honor
expression of our. devotion We hear
much about the ammunition that is ex-
pended in battle. You are the ammu-
milton that was brought away Those
who sleep here are the ammunition that
was expended on the enemy. | honor the
living soldiery. | honor those of our
adopted citizens who joined hand in
hand with you. | honor all who were
nYnanal IN,
Outraged it at home, and furnished sup
plies, words of cheer, and prayers. / no.
nor all of them
Two things may be alluded to on this
occasion as "A consolation. This il a day
Of sadness. thought so az | have found
widows weeping tears shed-near
the shaft whore hero sleeps 1t may be
said it is sad occasion. But there are
other emotions. When we think these
men who sleep herc-and those whose
memories have been consocrated who are
not here-knew the necessities of Death,
onr ideas of their manhood are elevated.
Addison says no man is glorious until he
has bad AN opportunity Of dying All
who have come back have been made glo-
rious. When you signed tho enlistment
paper you signed your death warrant.
You said, 81 offer all that / have for my
country's sake You gained all the rest.
Those who came back with missing foot
or arm, gained MI they came back with
their all was offered upon the altar of
your country. The privilege Of these
noble festivities IL Qaiued-of honorinp
those who sacrificed their lives to be no.
bic, for your country. your children, and
the good Of the human race, and God /
will smile and grant his benediction
Again the republic chcrishes the me
Inorics Of those who died that the nation
might live. Gou are part Of this nation
God grant you may never cease to cherish
such as these, and to care for the /
orphans Of your deceased comrades
You do well to offer these tokens of es-
teen to your brave fellow comrades. The
purpose is t. continue these offices of af-
lection so long as enough survivors of
the war remain to perform the ceremony"
| have a vision that when there shall be
but one Of you left, and that one a trembl-
ing old man, who bore arms beside YOU
IN the war, who bears the scars of battle
patriotic yet, but with bent form-not
upright as when he was in the battle,
ready for anything to show himself wor-
thy of the cause then the Citizens-your
children and ours viii gather around him
and give hiE flowers, and he will hang
Them upon some memorial in honor of all
who died for country's sake You cannot
love or honor these men too much, or
prize their services too highly. They died
hat the nation might live. Brave men,
worthy patriots, dear to God and famous
10 ali ages. L