The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-06-10

Address Delivered at the Decoration
Ceremonies in East Middicbury, May
3Oth 1873, by Lyman u. Knapp. Pub
Iished by request.
Comrades and Friends 1t Is with
very deep feelings that l am here with
you, to-day, and respond in my feeble
way to the invitation with which you
have bonored me. My feelings are deep.
ly stirred by the memories which these
beautiful ceremonies bring up, fresh in
my mind.
Again we have met for the sacred SER
vice Of love the revival Of memories of
the noble dead who pcrished as sacrifices
upon their country's altar. Once more
we bring the fragrant flowers to deck the
tombs of our departed comrades. And
in performing this sacred memorial SER
vice we hesitate to lift our voices to
ibreak the impressive silence which regns
n this city Of the dead, or divert from
the eloquent murmurings Of the "still
small voice" Of God in nature. But the
the lessons of the hour the promptings of
hearts full ofgraiitude and fraternal love,
the holy memories of loved ones gone be-
fore, the noble patriotism to which their
heroic life and sacrifcial death stimulate
mall our hearts, calls for expression.
This expression has been most fttingly
made in the bestowal of these eloquent
and appropriate floral offerings, fragrant
in their bruised and broken forms, like
souls Of these noble and heroic ones we
GENE here now to honor-sonls more
beautiful now than ever, that having re-
ceivcd the experiences, the discplines, the
cup Of sacrifice. even unto death, upon
earth, and which we hope are transplant
ed into a cline more congenial, more
pure, more favorable to development in-
to the exalted beings God designed men
20 be.
But if we would be silent we cannot.
"Out Of the abundance Of the heart the
mouth speaketh," If we reprcss Ian.
guage our feelings must find expression
in sobs and tears. Tears, not Of sorrow
only, though many hearts are still bleed
ing for the loved ones gone from them,
never to be bcheld in the flesh again, but
also tears of gratitude, of love, Of joy, Of
emotious not easily described.
We do well to observe this day set
apart sacredly for the chershiug Of these
memories They afford the highest soul
culture. Man is not all physical, not all
intellectual, not all moral Tho culture
of sentiment aud feeling, and taste, and
some of the higher aspirations of the soul
perhaps only fully expressed by the
torn ooul culture ia jisti"NeiVu II Uiu tue
culture of mere intellect-is an import
ant part of the value ofsuch occasions as
this.
1t is also fitting, if not The most it,
ting opportunity We have, for the incul-
cation of valuable lessons of patriotism
and true heroism upon the minds of the
young. In what way could We better
keep alive in our own minds and instill
into the minds of the young, the memory
of the heroic, self sacrificing devotion OF
those who died that the nation might live
In this age of selfshness, Of reckless haste
to be rich, of venalty and corruption, OF
brazen effrontery and crime, how grateful
is the recollection Of the modest worth,
the quiet bravery, the unassuming bear
ing, the efficient service, the uprightness
of purpose and the patriotism which
swerved not in temptation and which
Hinched not in danger Well do | re-
member such a character in my irienC
and comrade Needham. Prompt, relia
BILE, energetic, brave, modest and unas
suming as school girl, he sought no ex
alted position and endured the hardship
of the severcst campaign Of the war with
out complaint. Upon the bloody 6eld
of G Gettysburgh, in the perils of Colo
Harbor, through the swamps of Chicka
hominy, during the siege of Petersburg
he stood, and marched, and fought, lik
the true soldier that he was, until hi
time came on that fatal 30th Of Jul
1864. All night long the troops ha
been moving, and busy though noisees
preparations were in progress. The mex
, day was to be bloody one. The pick
cts, even, upon the advanced posts, fel
the omlnous silence which brooded owe
the two great armies lying within musk
ct shot Of each other. The 18th Vel
mont was among the number of thos
5 regiments that had orders to be ready
move at moments notice. No furthe
!, explanation was needed. As they la
r there without shelter, gazing up into tt
starry vault above them. all the horro
and uncertainties of the battlefield can
. vividly to mind. What thoughts of hon
and loved ones far away, what hopes al
i. fears, what struggles with self, what II
umphs and consecrations We never me
know what passed in the thoughts
those whose final sacrifice was there to
/. made.
But the weary hours wore slowly awi
and at length the time arrived. As 4
first rays OF the morning are shimmeri'
upon the eastern sky, suppressed, ruu
bling, earthquake explosion is heard, al
Of the occupants of one rebel fort, sor
!. three hundred in pumber are hurled hi
- into the air, and torn into fragments,
that they come to earth again in a show
Of mangled corpscs, severed limbs, a
\ decapitated trunks. This was the sigr
4. for the most terrific cannonade Of
" war. Gettysburgh had not its equ
The morale of our own troops was l
favorably affected by it, though they lSn
that it was our own guns directed ur
the enemy. Then came the comb
What might have been a glorious victo
was, by incompetency and drupkennt
turned into disastrous defeat and terri
slaughter. 1t was massacre for VIII
some of our officers in command ought
have been held strictly responsible. ]
18th came back mere wreck. Every
ficer on duty and not detached, was xii
or taken prisoner. Comrade Needham
carried back to the field Hospital NOR
ly wounded and from the effect Of
wounds died q few days later.