Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-04-23

nN.Sons , WVteny W insPfc tue song Ol tne Poet
II adorn the historic canvass On the bloody '
leid OF Antietam, these cOlOrs of the brave Sec
'nd were three times shot down, and each time
vent with them gallant standard bearer. II
After that nag had been proudly borne from
fredericksburg by the brave Sergeant BOyd, that
Itah was broken beneath his body, a. he fell
nortally wounded, on the field Of Gettysburg
AT SpottsylVania, on the day Of Hancock's IA
nous charge, these colors were lost and retakenI
from tho enemy.
In one of those gallant, but fatal charges before
Petersburg, the brave Color Sergeant of the
third, Robert Hanna, finding himself cut of from
his companions, and capture certain, determined |
that the dear old flag should not fall into the |
hands OF the enemy-tore from 1t lts flag, secretcd
Il In his bosom, buried the tattered fragments In
the earth, and bore hidden on his body that starry
nag, through the terrible months Of captivity at
AndersOnville and brought 1t safe homs again, |
when victory and peace had opened his prison |
gates.
At Five Forks, the fatal bullets which sundsrsd |
this staff, pierced the brain OF the gallant CorpO
raj Booth, who instantly died beneath these folds
From Gaines Mil to AppOmattox, the history
Of the regiments Of Delaware is a part Of the his
tory OF the Army Of the Potomac Through that
weary and disastrous campaign upon the Peninsu-
la-On the historic field Of Antsitam-on the
bloody fields Of Fredericksburg and Chancellors-
v1ne-at Gettysburg, where turned the fearful tide
lin all that terrible but glorious march through
the wilderness-in all that long series Of conflicts
DelOEo tho gales OF Eeter5ourg and Richmond, the
sons OF Delaware bore conspicuous but glorious
part.
But rising above aud beyond any admiration Of
individual heroism or dsvotion-oRo Of mere militia
ry skill, genius or achievements, OF which this
great struggle furnishes innumerablO examples,-a
| are the thoughts of that from which these men
/ have saved us of that which they have won for
| our country and mankind
This fair and happy land, separated, divide into
discordant, waving Republics or, II the iOndest
hopes of our enemies had been reaIlzed-a great,
hostile power, stretching along our border across
the continents frontier dotted with custom
houses and fortihcations-standing armies and
naVies consuming the substance Of the people
| long long succession OF disastrous wars fer,
mented by foreign pewers and maintained by
foreign allianees-trOm all these, and more O.
disaster than tongue can tell, have they saved Us
And for US they have won a great, powerful
and united cOuntry--a government based upOT
the perfect freedom and equality Of all men be
fore the law-they have wrought the absolute
and eternal Obllteration Of the curse OF slavery
which, for half a century had been the cOnstan
source of pickering and dssenslOn--Which stihe
, our instructive love Of justice, and which alon
Z made civil war possible,
I All this has been accomplished without any bu
beniheent changes in the admirable system
government transmitted 10 US by our fathers.
! to have escaped these evils on the ono hand, or
have secured thaae blessings on the other, be an
: cause Of gratitude, that gratitude IL due TO- 70
= sir, and your brave companions, who brought %
. cor in the hour Of peril. g
. And when the weary march and bloody stri
y had been crowned with victory, complete Victcr
% these great armies peacefully disbanded, and b
: came part Of the people frOm whence thi
Y sprung. There were, indeed, thousands Of vaca
n hressdes, and mourning widows, and weeping q
% phans, and MANNED and shattered forms 10 h
s the sad and cruel story; but no laWlsss violsns
10 no savage revenge, no ambitious plotkina8
lowed in the desolated track Of war But thl
as heroes Of hundred battle hslds quietly return
e. TO their homes, resumed the peaceful aVocaRic
er Of ordinary lite, and those Of them WhO roml
rs are, to-day, our friends and nsighbors. 7
an tutare historian will recount the magnanim
40 and forbearanca OF the American volunteer, VI
- no less admiration, than the aacrity and dsyot
~ with which he responded 10 his country's call,
no perined his life upon the bloody field.
o9 Now that peace has resumed her quiet sW
and the enoEgies Of all good men are turned 10
ar pair the ravages Of civil war. Some would o.
he from thess flags the record Of those battles.
": II cannot be-it must not be- Justice to u
an brave men whose deeds have made these emhll
he sacred; who, beneath these banners esmanted
We bonds OF reunion with their blood, and won fo
IN lasting peaca-domandG that these tattsrad a
of smblAzOned with the record of heroic aehil
ne msnts, should be chaEiahed through all time.
"a But beyond all this, our duty to our eOantrS
~ our children, to the principles which these
have established-union, freedom and equal I
demand that this record should be magnl
Tor before this aud all succeeding generations.
me- would cherish no hate nor bitterness tow
70 any. would, so far IS consistent with pu
hef safety, cover with tho mantle Of charity
re- errors and even tho crimes Of the misgu
'out meu, who, to establish, extend and perpet
eg1- human bondage, waged q cruel war against
life Of the nation-but would never, no n
as expunge from the page of history nor 81
GUS from these cOlOrs one syllable that reeOrdi
nus valOr and devotion OF the soldiers OF the Ro
and lie, or warns towards them the hearts Of
IN eOuntrymen, with gratitude and love.
49,. Soldiers, proudly sensible of the great h
~. you to-nlght confer upon rs, We accept the
~ We will Keep these sacrsd relies with tender
. .L ~ We will gather from the lips OF the living
nesses the scattered fragments Of their story
when time shall have destroyed these poor 81
ggies which tho storms of Heaven and the conhlI
lsnt battle have spared, that story shall be read
levsr admiration aud gratitude BY generations u
> the born. And they shall learn fFOm the reeOT
= OF your achievements, 70 reverence your me
lives and emulate your virtues.
: .St. At the conclusion OF Mr.. Spruancs's speech
) a. 0rimshaW arose and altar paying glowing
49,. ute 10 Judge Hail. whose lie, he said, was a
stst. an epiloma as our States history, who had
our lsaaind lawyer, aud who was
~.,,- lounier Of our present school system pro
that the audience should return him thar q
"a in the ahapa Of threa hearty ehearss for q
,peS. out to preside on thia occasion. Thsss were
soo1 with viii.
the sSasS hs 'eso s'1ssa so Us ,s'R ~ ne 'iS n
!. h,,t Gen Hancock. Tha Skatsly 0eneral and ID
y y ~ erabls statesman greeted each ether with .
,sv pleasure, while the admiEing andisnea "a
a the the seshs ~. W. l, -. ,.t.o,..
or us zen. Ae - ...e a. ~. =,
Ina Delaware losdiaFa for plaotug the6 col
lteseE such Rood hands. he paid glowing tEi1
eteasn Al our Late soldiers 70 our fooa, v
sn4 said, were at least naon, and fought ~ We
q oar 49, Hal1nan vas ners cafl rpon. ana
AAi0ns, .Ssss5 tl,e eauaDsiaa az - 9hird DolaVu