Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1872-06-29
LIBERTY AND UNION.
THE srscENEArArroMArrox AT
speech OF Federal Officer.

There was a reunion of the Society
of the Army of tho Potomac, held at
Cleveland, on the 9TH instant. Atthis
celebration the grafton was delivered
by Gen. Steward l.. Woodford, ofNew
York, and from this grafton we make
the following extracts:
The morning crept slowly on-frst
into gray dawn, then into rosy flush
Still on still on! The mists crcp,
upward and into line you wheeled, aud
on your muskets lay down, each man
in place to get scant rest, which even
in the exhaustion of those thirty-six
hours of terrible marching you neither
sought nor needed. You were square.
ly across Lees front, and had closed
forever his last line of retreat.
The enemy reaching your cavalry
advance saw the serried line of Union
troopers. Gordon gathered and massed
his men for their last charge Tattered
and hungry, worn by ccasclcss march.
ing and fighting, with no hope of vic.
tory, with little possibility of escape
they closed their lines with a fidelity
of discipline and soldicry resolution
to which words can do little Justice
but which each soldiers heart mus
recognize and honor.
As the old guard close around thci,
Emperor at Waterloo, Sc these mel
closed around the flags of their los
cause. My heart abhcrs their treason
but warns beyond restraint to thei
manhood so gran2ly brave, even in dis
loyalty. Slowly thoy advanced to thei
last attack. No battle yell, no cracl
of the ski,mi.her's rifle broke tn,
strange stillness of that Sabbath morn
Steadily, silent they came, when Sheri
dar drew back his horcmcn, as part
of some mighty curtain, and ther,
Stood the close formed battalions o
Iyour infantry, the cannon cleaning il
the openings, quietly awaiting the com
ing of Gordon's men.
J, Instinctively your enemy halted
Meanwhile Lee has turned back t,
meet Grant and surrendered his com
mand. Sheridan swung his cavalr.
around upon Gordon's left, and wa
about to charge, when Custar rcache,
Longstrcet. Assurance of surrcndc
was given and the end had come.
That Sabbath day, with tears and il
sorrow, Southern men folded the ban
ner of the Lost Cause" and thei
bravcst and the best sought honorabl,
to bury them from sight forever
How sad it is that poor ambitions
jcalousics of race, the wretchcd gree,
of pelf and place, and the miserabl,
hates of social rivalries, shoull so of
ten disturb the hearty reconciliation o
that surrender and for time rcviv,
the bitterness which you then sough
to bury there in common grave.
This hour is no time for politics
Mine not the lips, / trust, to intro
duce them here. But when ] think o
that heroic past, which your faces an,
presence so wildly recall, and thel
how trading, trickster politicians, for
gctful of what baptism of blood scalc'
the new birth ofthc nation, seek to arr a,
races in needless hostility, to excite tn,
ignorance of the one and the bruta
prejudiccs of the other, | would lik,
to summons Il guard, halffrom the rebe
army of Northern Virginia and hal
from the loyal army of the Potomac
take such malcontcnts out, give then
dram head court martial, immediat,
execution and soldierly burial undol
the apple tree at Appomattox.