Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-10-05
Gov. Chamberlin's Lecture.

Our citizens anticipated a rare treat |
in the long deferred lecture by Gov.
Chamberlin, but it completed y exceed
ed their expectations. This lecture was
given on Tuesday evening, to large
audience in the town hall, and was a
clear, dispassionate, though often vivid
and eloquent, description of the weeks
fighting and marching, and marching
and fighting, which finally eliminated
in the surrender of Gen. Lee and the
principal Rebel army at AppomattoX,
April, 1865. A most thrilling account
was given by the lecturer of the pur-
suit Of Lees army, after Richmond had
been abandoned; of the men left dead
and dying by the wayside; Of the
horses and mules, the army wagons
and arms thrown away by the hard
pressed foe; of the last night of the
pursuit, when our gallant soldiers, wea-
RED and exhausted by four days of
fighting and hard marchlng-when
tired nature had overcome the strong
est, and at midnight the toot-sOre, hun
cry and exhausted army had lain down
upon the cold damp ground, how that
before they had hardly closed their eyes
in sleep, message came from Sheridan
urging them on, as his cavalry had cut
off the enemy's retreat, and that if the
infantry and artillery came up by morn
ing he had great hopes for the result.
How then these gallant veterans drag
ced themselves out from their bivouac
and pressed on to the final struggle.
The lecturer in passing paid glowing
tribute to the army Of the Potomac
an army which he thought, it was not
detracting from the good name of the
rest, to say, did more than all the Others,
and vet was constantly tainted with
doing nothing. Hampered by contra
dictory orders, commanded to withdraw
at night from a position for which they
had fought all day-for four years they
fought and bled and died. Yet amid
all its sufferings, its privations and its
retreats, its loyalty was never doubted,
its good name never furnished. a tit
ting reward was theirs, after their long
and varied contest, to force the boosted
army of the confederacy out of Its
strongholds about the Rebel capital,
and to pursue its flying columns until
at last it was forced to stack its arms
before the army of the Potomac. The
speaker gave a vivid description of the
position of the two armies just prevl-
Gus to the surrender; how the Rebel
army was completely hemmed in by
infantry, cavalry and artillery; of the
glorious sight given but once in life
time-and to but few then-of these
rebel hordes as they appeared in the
amphitheatre about the Appomattox as
the Union army gained the crest where
they could look down upon them. The
sight, he said, brought every foot to al
involuntary halt But we have neither
room nor time to follow the Lecturer
through his nearly two hours of graphic
story; nor can we do justice to it
After repeating many expressions from
+ the rebel officers and men, showing
that they were heartily sick of fighting
e for the lost cause, and were glad t.
r surrender; and quoting words from
$ Gems. Longstreet, Gordon and Others
attesting to the magnanilnity of thei
captors in the terms of surrender, etc
. they very frankly saying that it woul
have been far different had they bee
the captors-the lecturer closed wit
an eloquent perora6on: The gram
S army of the Potomac! Its tents ar
IS now struck, its flags are now furled, ii
bugles voiceless, its gallant soldier
e scattered far and wide, save those who's
!. bones are bleaching on Southern sol
d or are Wondering beneath the sod
= but they live in the memories of us al
and will live forever. 1t is dreary
. lie down to rest now and think that n
'e sentry keeps guard around. And til
heart often yearns for the stern duti'
v of those days now gone by. Yet whe
,e / think of how many hearts are SIT
Y that were beating, thank God that I
5. bugle call is to wake them to the re
ellie of blood. And / seem to 81
them on the ramparts of the Beautif
d City in the Spirit land; and seem
r. :. catch, as / listen, the cry of the sent
~ as he PAGES his beat: "Peace on cart
as good will to men, Cdledoniaa.
= EH