The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-07-09
THE ADDRESSES

to Main, and thence to the Court House
yard, where the speakers stand was
erected.
THE ADDRESSES.
After the procession was disbanded.
the assembIage was called to order by
Captain James Wilson, President Of the
Association.
After music by the Cornet Band, the
Choir sang Mozart's GIOTiG, and Rev
Joseph Wykes, Chaplain of the day,
offered fervent and impressive prayer
Ex-Governor X. b. Hayes was then in
troduced and spoke a. follows:
SPEECH OF EX-GOVERNOR HAYES
Mr. P,esldeHt, L0dies and GeEaelneH.
In justice to Governor Allen | would
just say that the order of the programme
is changed to the extent that have been
requested to speak before he does.
In the very few desultory remarks
which shall make, am quite sure from
the appearance that not one man in four
in this great crowd assembled here will
be able to hear, perhaps, a single sen
tence that / shall utter. This il, perhaps,
not OF the greatest importance, however.
The occasion does not seem to call for
any attempt at original remarks We
are glad to see that the people of Han
cock county have done this wise and
patriotic work. a monument in honor
Of the brave men Of Hancock county
who. in that great four years conflict for
union and liberty fell, is erected in this
town: a monument of which all the peo-
pie OF this county will be proud, and
wish to have remain here, We trust, for
ever. And why not erect monument
to those brave menl la every age it las
been the general Judgment Of mankind
that all men who freely and bravely give
their lives on the right side of great
and good cause should be forever re-
nembered with gratitude Is not this
the fact with the men who went out from
your county to gladden. their homes no
more by their safe returnl Did they not
give their lives i'll "a great and good
causel We cannot Indicate even by
words all the facts that entitle us to claim
for them what lave stated as great
and a good cause. hear that my friend,
Governor Allen, and those with him,
travelling from Dayton, perhaps n hun
dred miles distant from here, passing
through such towns as Troy, Wapako-
Heta and Lima, and the smaller towns,
were everywhere met by the American
people celebrating the fourth day of Jn-
Iy, that most illustrious date in the sec
uIar annals of our race Now think, my
friends; suppose that the men who went
out from this county in 1861 to 1865
the men vino fought at Stone River,
Chicamauga, Vicksburg, and all OF the
other twelve hundred battles and skir-
misIIes of that war-suppose that in the
result they had failed, where would have
been the fourth of Julyl What would
have been our feelingsz Instead of our
gratitude and happiness, and this out
pouring of people to celebrate it, it would
have been a day of sorrow and shame
and modification. l am behind no man
in doing honor to the fathers who found
ed the Republic, but must not forget
l do not forget-the comrades who per
ished in the war to save the Republic.
What task they hadl Do you remem-
ber when Abraham Lincoln bade fare
well to his neighbOrs and friends at
Springfield. that last farewell to his old
IL,
that devolves upon me is greater than
that which has devolved upon any man
since Washington. And ask that you
will pray that l may have that Divine
assistance without which | cannot sue
ceed, and with which cannot fail" 1t
was to perform that task that Mr. Lin
coin felt devolved so largely upon him
that the brave men OF Hancock county
fiOcked to their cOuntry's standard in
1861 and 1862. And along u line of front
ier operations, two Thousand miles in
length, extending from the Potomac 10
the Rio Grande, and stretching over ev-
cry square mile of all those Southern
States, these men marched and fought,
and suffered and fell. | know not how
many of them have been gathered into
the cemeteries near their homes; know
not how many others have been gathered
into the beautiful national cemeteries,
near the great battle fields; | know not
how many are lying in swamps, along
the mountain sides, in nameless graves,
the unknown heroes OF the Union. But
wherever they are, and however many
they may be, yOu people Of Hancock
county have erected your monument
TO all that fell who left your county. All
soldiers | am sure feel like thanking you
for this
| remember well that one of the sad
1est days of my life way sometime after
one of our great battles, in the early pc
riod of the war. Recovering from
with other comrades, who had
been wounded there, we passed over the
battle field, as sOcn as we felt able to do
so, and when We came there, what did
we learn! Passing up the mountain.
the line OF the enemy, they fell;
and everywhere were the shallow graves
IN which were deposited the remains of
our seven hundred cOmrades who had
allen. And how were they buried, and
low WIS their last resting place marked!
Hastily, tenderiy, no doubt, the parties
detailed TO bury them had gathered up
heir reuains--yOu soldiers know how iG
vas done. They placed upon the face |
IF each man that died, wherever they |
.ould ascertain his name, a piece of an |
Envelope or n scrap of letter paper, or |
omething of the kind, containing his |
Iame. his company, aud his regiment, |
it there, hoping that some day |
lis friends might cuIne and ilHd lim, and |
hen You remember there were no cof- |
ms; no-hing of the sort; but they took
he blue overcoat and placed it around
he man, and took the cape and bring
az it over the face, fastened it down.
his was his shroud; this was his coffin;
nd he was placed away TO rest until the
morn. That was the man
er OF his burial, and strange, | may say,
he result of that wooden material over
le face, saturated with water, and COW
red with earth, did SO protect them from
ecay that, months afterward, many were
scognized by their friends, preserved as
hey were by the overcoat cape. Aud
ow were the graves markedl With IL
encil they scratched upon II piece of
ine board, IA piece OF cracker box, the
anne, etc. which was placed at the
rave. This was all then, and we did
OF know what the result would be. we
id not know what friends would do
hat monuments would be reared. As
e left that field, talking to each other,
e said there must be soldiers monu-
lent FOR the soldiers OF our regiment. |
Ould not claim that this WAS the first
,giment that built "A monument; that
ie 23d Ohio, which | had the honor TO
along TO, built the first monument, but
will say it was the first heard of. AT
r the famous Antietam campaign was
'ught, we called the men together
ur hundred and fifty or five hundred
from the scanty pay which
As to support the men and, to some eX-
mt, their families, the remainder of the
Inber subscribed at least one dollar, j ;
Id Others more, according TO their abil- ;
y, and raised in the regiment two thous-