Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1872-06-20

Tns LAST ScgSE AT AProNArrox -
There was . reunion Of tho Society Of the
Army Of the Potomac. held At Cincinaa-
ii. on the 9Th ult. Atthis celebration the
oration WAS delivered by General Stew
or; T.. Woolf"rd. OF New Ycrk-and from
this Grafton We make tie following cx-
tracts:
The morning erept slowly on. FIRST into
gray dawn, then into rosy flush. Still
on still on. The mis,s crcp, upward
and into line you wheeled. and on your
muskets lay down. each man in place. to
get scant rest. which. even in the exhaus-
'ion Of those thir,y-six hnur, Of terrible
marching. you neither sought nor heed
cd. lou were squarely across Lees front.
and had closed forever his last line of re-
treat.
Tho enemy. reaching your cavalry ad-
vance. saw the serried line Of Union troop
crs Gordon gathered and massed his
men for their last charge. Tatterei and
hungry, WORN by cras-lcss marching and
fighting. with no hope Of victory. with lit
,ie possibility of escape they closed their
lines with a fidelity Of discipline and SOL
.iierly resolution. to which words can dn
l:,uc justitc-but which each soldier
heart must recognize anil honor.
As the old gunri closed around their
Emperor at Waterloo. 30 these men closed
aronnd the flags OF their lost cause My
heart atl,ors their treason. But i. warns
beyond restraint 10 their manhood SO
grandly brave, evea in disloyalty. Slow
" they advanced to their last attack =
No battle yen. no crack Of tho skirmsh-
era rife broke the strange stiffness ofthat
Sabbath morn. Steadily. silently they
came. when Sheridan drew back his horse
men. ss parts some mighty curtain. and
there stood the lose-:"rmed battalions Of
your Infantry. the cannon cleaning in the
evenings. quietly awaiting the Coming Of
Gordon's men.
Instiuc.ivcly your enemy halted. Mean
while Lee had turned back {, meet Grant
aud surrender his comm and. sheridsn
swung his cavalry around upon Gordon's
left. and was about to charge. when Gus
tar reached Long.treet. Assurance of
surrender was given aud tho end had
come
That sabbath day. with tears and in
sorrow. Southern men folded the banner
of the ..Lnst Cause. !" and their bravess and
hes. sought honorably to bury them from
sight forever. z
How sad it is that poor ambitions, jcal.
cnsies of race. the wretched greed Of pei!
and place, and the miserable ha'es Of So
.iat risatries should so often disturb the
hearty reconciliation Of that surrender.
aud for time revive the bitterness which
you then sought to bury iu 4 common
grave.
This hour j. no time for politics. Mine
not the lips. trust. TO introduce them
here. INT when I think Of the heroic
past. which your faces and presence 50
vividly recall. and then how trading. trick
s,er politicians. forgctfnl Of what baptism
Of blood sealed the new birth Of the ma
sion, seek to srray races ir needless hos
tility. 20 excite the ignorance Of the one
and shc brutal prejudiccs of the other. I
weald like TO summon guard. half from
the rehcl army Of Northern Virginia and
half from the loyal army Of the Potomac,
take such malccuten,s out. give them drum
head court-marsisi. immediate execution
aud soldierly burial under the sppls tree
If Appomatsos.