Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-05-22

set,o.uo NO. 35. 1
'f guns were captured; their dead ant
,, many of their wounded were left upor
n the bloody field, besides five or six hun
= dred prisoners who fell into our hands
e and the victory of New Market wa
T. won and became part of the glorious
: histery of our State and country. e,
7 1t is not necessary that I should pro-
tract this recital by telling yeulhOw any
8 of the enemy barely escaped bv burning
: the bridge over the river which flows
9 near us, and by hurrying with fright
e ened steps to Winchester. Our little
e army had right nobly performed its task
e 1t had by rapid and toilsome marches
e from distant points met and Ovdrwhelm-
D ed an enemy three times its superior in
numbers; it had for the time lregained
+ the possession of this region and saved
| the upper Valley, with all its stores of
t invaluable supplies; it had relieved all
+ apprehensiOns of movements upon the
/ flank of the army of Northern Virginia
at the most critical time of their des-
perate struggle with the immense Fed
eral army which was striving to force its
, way to Richmond. The news of the
victory caused rejoicing over the whole
J land, for our people knew how great
: was the stake at issue. That same night
Breckinridge received a message from
Gen. Lee thanking him and rendering
him the thanks of his veteran army for
the brilliant victory he had gained.
i But whilst the victory was brilliant,
and the results most important, yet they
had been gained at heavy cost. Whilst
the loss OF the enemy was very great,
our own was by no means trifiing. Many
| pure and brave men on that day fought
their last battle. The 62nd Regiment
lost in killed and wounded upwards of
two hundred men. All of the COM
mands lost valuable men, although I
have neither the time, nor Is this the
proper Occason for me to 60 into mi
mute detail of the losses sustained by the
respective commands. Nor will you ex-
pect me, where all commands acted so
WELL to discriminate between them.
But know that you will permit me
to say that the emostinteresting recollec-
tions connected with this eveatful day
centre around the part borne in the
| struggle by thst Battalion of boys, who
so promptly responded to the call made
upon them for service, and who by their
noble bearing contributed so greatly to
| the victory which:was won. With aspirit
| of patriotism bright and strong, with a
youthful ardor which nothing could
quench, with matchless courage. they
sprang forward at the call of their State
and country in time of sore need, anx-
ious to shew that the training which |
trey had received, and the tender care
VIII ch had been bestowed, had not been
i'll vain, but that they were willing and
anxious to repay them all with their
blood and lives.
They never doubted, never faltered,
and insisted, when the ir tender and
| plying General suggested that they
should not be exposed, that they should
be allowed a place in the forefront of
the battle that they too might partici-
pate in the glories of the victory which
they We're assured would be won.
GLOW beautiful is youth! how bright it CLEANS
With it's illusions, aspirations, dreams!
All possibilities are in its hands,
No odanger daunts it, and no foe withstands;
In its sublime audacity offaith,
BE thou removed! it to the mountain saith,
And with ambitious feet, secure and proud,
Ascends the ladder leaning on the cloud'
Who, that was present, does not re-
member the pity-moving spectacle pres
ented, by the dead bodies of the handsome
boys, who died on this field, as they
were tenderly cared for and prepared
for their soldier-graves by the ladies of
this town, who. with the natural
promptipgs of Mothers and Sisters !
thought of the desolation of heart in |
distant homes when the announcement |
Of these dead sons should reach them
Many soldier who had faced death up |
on bloody fields without emotion found |
himself brushing away the tears from
his cheeks, when he looked upon these |
youthful forms silent in death. Yet |
we would not now have it otherwise.
They died gloriously in the discharge
ofduty, and the memory of their deeds
and death shall always be tenderly Cher
ished, refecting as they did inpershable |
honor upon their Stale and her Militia
ry Institute.
But time admonishes me that | |
cannot longer dwell upon the recollec-
tions of this day of battle, but that |
must meet your expectations and invi- |
tatiOn, by speaking of the life and char
acter of the illustrious man who upon that |
occasion led and directed our forces. To |
me, however imperfectly I may per-
form the task, it lisa labor of love, for it is
one of the most pleasing "reminiscences
of my own life that for years he horror
ed me with his friend7hip. When on the
18th of May, 1875, it was announced |
that he was dead, the heart of the whole
nation was saddened, for all men admit
ted that man great in intellect, of great
purity and integrity of life, and Of heroic
devotion and loyalty to principle had
gone from US forever.
Every where, throughout the land, res
/ e,1, f~ II !
was proper that it should be so, for in
his life he had offered noble example
for after ages to follow and reverence.
He was born to be a leader of men and
although, as men estimate, he died in his
meridian, his life was of great duration,
if 1--WE live in deeds, not years, in
thoughts, not breaths." As was said of
one of his ancestors:
His was truly life from beginning
to end most imposing and illustrious
a character in all respects noble and pure. l
He was a man whom all noted while he
walked amongst them, and when he
fell; all mourned."
John c. Breckinridge was born in
Lexington, Kentucky, on the 10th of
January, 1921. His Father, Joseph Ca
bell Breckenridge, was native of Albe-
marie County, Va, but was taken when
very young to kentucky, where, al
though he died at the early age of 35, he
was man of great distinction, being a
prominent lawyer, and serving during
two terms as Speaker of the Kentucky
House of Representatives, and at the
time of his death being the Secretary of
that Commonwealth.
His mother was most accomplished
lady, the daughter of that eminent man,
Samuel Stanhope Smith, President of
Princeton College. Her mother was the
daughter of fJohn WithersEoen, who was
one of the signers of the Declaration of
Independence, and he traced his descent
from John Knox.
The Paternal Grandfather of Gen. J.
G.. Breckinridge was John Breckenridge,
one of the most eminent men of his day,
as lawyer and statesman; who was
born in Albemarle county, Va. repre-
ssnted that County in the Va. Legisla-
ture and emigrated to Kentucky at an
early day, which Stale he served with
most distinguished ability in her first
| (yo,, stifrfiopo al COpvontio,, ord ~ bor