The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-10-30
That 1t had the inclination 10 pursue this
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two divisions of Longstreet's corps to re-.
inforce General Bragg at time when fs
was thought that General Lee would NOT
require his whole force In Virginia. In fact,
may mention that while our army lay on
the Rapidan, in the winter OF 1863 and 1864,
it was at one time in c0n,emplatioa to send
General Lee himself to take command OF the
army In Georgia. The confidence OF Gene
raj Lee in the belief that Richmond could
not be successfully defended except by keep.
ing the army at distance was illustrated to.
!, the last.
Tne close of three years Of bloody war
found The diminished forces of the army
struggling with fresh and eyer-ipcreasing
numbers, and yet so strong was General
Lees conviction of the necessity Of prevent.
ing the enemy from pressing the siege OF
Richmond that be did not hesitate to reduce
bis strength still further to aim one last blow
at the Federal capital In the hope that he
might thus cause General Grant to send part
of his army TO its defence.
Surh was the OBJECT of General Early's ey.
pedition to Maryland.
II was rot supposed that General Ears's
small force would induce the Withdrawal Of
General Grants army, but it was hoped that
The latter would be induced to detach part
Of his force aud in that event II iuforcemeuts
could be senl ~ General Early, until ut last
| the scehe VI nostiisies might once more be
Transferred iIum Richmond to the northern
frontier, anu one mole expensive campaign
OF The enemy ne frustrated. But the vast
superiority oi the enemy in numbers enabled
| b,m tn provide Tor the defence Of Washing-
, ton without seriously diminishing the army
| OF General Grant, and the siege OF Richmond
remained unbrokep.
| have thus imperfec+lv endeavored to pre-
sent to YOU in general way the difficulties
under which the Army OF Northern Yir.
| ginia had to struggle, and | think ii / have
/ made myself understood that you will be
, ;.O.e TO form better idea Of the extent and
magnitude of its services than could be de-
| rived from description of its various bait
| ties, The most accurate comparison of its
'strength With that OF the enemy, or The most
careful enumeration Of the losses Il sCs-
| tain, or Inflicted.
| With the burden Of Richmond'S weakness
constantly resting upon one arm, with the
Utner it dealt those ponderous blows under
winch the gigantic power OF the Federal Go.
yerDment shook TO its foundation.
| My comrades, these are reflections which
, add new interest to the recollection of our
battles and our marches. They give unity
4 auU SOASlslShSy " u uuIluIlfC tuut IL SOl1~
monty regarded as consisting of. detached
and independent events.
But time will not permit me to pursue the
subject further now, nor do | believe that
when we meet, as on this OCCASION, to re-
vive the recollectionS and associations OF our
army life, you give your first thoughts to
battles and campaigns. Such names as Cold
| Harbor, Manassas, Fredericksburg, Chancel.
loisvie, and imperishable Petersburg recall
proud memories, | know.
But you, my comrades, on such an occa-
sion as this, when you hear their names,
| think first of the dear friends WLo lay by
your side in the byouac OF the night, and
were struck dead by your side in the battle
OF the morrow. You cease to think Of the
| stirring events Of the combat when you re-
call the scenes after the battle, when
sour buges sang truce and the night-coud had
lowered
| And the sentinel stars set their watch In tho
| sky
And thousands had sunk to the ground everpow.
| ertu,
The weary to sleep. and the wounded to die.'
You remember how you sat by some COM
| iadc whose l,C-U.God was fast ebbinS and
received from lips soon to he sealed in death
the last few words to mother, wife, child,
friend. You recall a son knecling over the
PROSTATE body Of his fa.her, or father lean-
ing on bis musket and guzing with mingled
agony and pride upon brave young face,
wnite in death. his hope, his treasure, dead;
ycS, bur deHd on the neld OF duty and OF
honor-dead 10 hono,'s foremost ranks.
| These are the lnoul0rieS which the suryI.
yors of the armv cherish nearest to their
hearts, ana Win winch they go back to their
battle-ields not a. .hn scenes Of triumph or
| kttt SonraH sFntS Uhpra hrayn
comrades fell spua on which they tread
with yelled faces and nnsandeled feet.
| 1t was not Our fortune 10 reap the fruits
| of successful! war. 1t was not ours,
coming back to onr homes, to receive from
those for when our arms had Won liberty
and safety tic hymn Vi welcome:
"Oh! dav thrice lovely when at length the soldier
Returns home iu:o life wh,n ne becomes
| A ftIlow-il.n aino.is nis .ellow me
s! 7 he coors are 'fnrlet. The cilvalcade
| Marsiiais, and no" DuzZ Is hushed. ana marx
| NuH The soft peace rch beaIs, honle brothers,
home"
But as cast nv eyes over the whole his
tory of Tie Army Of Northern Virginia
from its birth. through its life Of arduous
toll and danger, to the hour when its uu-
stained swcrd fell from its exhausted hand
| | feel that II is worthy to have applied to it
those noble words addressed by the English
poer ~ the fallen oak
., Thou "ho unmoved hast heard the whirlwiRd
! rhide
full many winter round thy criggy nest,
AuI ~. some etrth-born giant hast outstretchet
| An hu drod arms, and heavens own Hotts oehe0,
| Now linst alorg th9 native mountain SIDE
| UptOrn: Du. mink not that come 10 slled
| Tke I'd drop Of pity DER thy head,
| OR basely insult thy blasted price.
No. IL s:i.i 40 Lime, though fallen. mpera! OAK,
| 10 teach This lesson TO the good and brave:
| That It's I ,r better, oyerthr0wn and BROKE
4 lrgps In ipk
| Than l. submission to tyrant's yoke,
| Like the VIII reed, to bow aud be u slave"
The address of Colonel Marshall was list
encd to with profound attention through.
out, was frequently and loudly applauded,
and was greeted with deafeDing applause
and an old "Reoel yell" when he took his
| seat.
| ELECTION OF OFFICERS.
| On motion Of General Bradley t. John.
stOu, commirree was appointed 10 report
the names of pew officers.
The following were reported and unani-
mously elected:
President, General George f. Pickett.
Vice Presidents, General w. II. +. Lee, Ge-
neral Robert Ransom, General A. L. Long,
General FL. Hetb, Captain d: B. McCorkIe.
Treasurer, Major Rober. Stiles; Secretary,
George L. Christian; Assistant Secretary, l..
5. Edwards; Executive Committee, Gene
raj B, r. johnson. Colonel Thomas II. Car.
ter. Muior I. A. Brander, Major w. h. Mir
tin, Private Carlton Mccarthy.
l The meeting then adjourned to the ban.
auet hall NJ the Exchange Hotel.
| The Banquet
Abopt ore hundred and twenty. dye sol
diers OF the Army Of Northern Virginia sat
| down to an excellent. suppeF, served IN soe
| ExchaDpe dining-rnom, one which IL would