Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-08-08
while up the azure sleeps the trembling stars creep

geous pomp of morning, and throughout camp
aud bIvouac the thrilling reveilles are heralding
the coming day. Again we toll along the dusty
roads. or swim the swollen Rsppahannock; once
more We climb the rugged submits or force the
passes OF the Blue Ridge: VIC scour again the
Shenandoah Valley, we struggle through the tan
| gled lahyrinihs of the Wilderness; once more The
crsgs Of Cedar Mountain flame with fatal light
nngs; Gettysburg is won again, ana again oui
! gallant troopers hur back Lees best infantry a.
iuem"rab lie Cold HsIbor! Once more with match
less Gregg we ride the midnight raid; once more
with smith the well beloved we lead the van Of
| that grand old army which crushed out armed re-
| belhon on the slopes of Appomattox The SHARP
crack OF the videte's carblne warns US OF the
coming foe. We quickly form the skirmsh front
rs patering shots fall thick and fast precursors o
| the approaching storm The reserves come thun-
| dering up TO support the Iickets, and loon the
| angry fight extends from right to left along our
| lines. The rapid burst of musketry, the answer
| ing volleys of the rafting csrbnes, the rolling
| drums and Changing trumpets, the sharp, fierce
yells and ringing cheers, the bursting shells the
clashing OF steel, the groans Of the wounded, the
rumbling of artillery wheels, all tell where altern-
ates the crimson fray. The deep mouthed guns
boom forth their hoarse defiance. The hurrying
| squsdrons catch the inspiration of the Scene, as
| their ranks are swiftly msrshslled, and onward
| rolls the awful tide of conflict. Through the
riited storm clouds, we see floating above our firm
| battalions the shot torn coors which never yet
| have known defeat; we breathe again the smoke OF
| battle; we hear the slogan of the pea,Ing bugles,
which makes the pulses leap, and ere their echoes
| de away upon the throbblng air, a thousand keen
sabIes flash in the MONDAY SUM Thousand tramp
| ling steeds make the earth groan aud tiemble be
meath their furious hOof- beats; thousand fear
less riders ale sweeping onward in ma estc onset,
with steady eye, with every nerve full strained,
aud with unwaverlng gallant tread. Now One
| blow for God and Liberty! Charge!i "'Iis
Honor calls, and Glory leads the way Up the
steep hill, with one lmpetuous burst, where tower
log cfests blaze with the sulphurous fires of he II,
piunges the dear old regiment, over riie-pits and
| stone walls through the ranks of the panic
stricken foe, while the crimson sabres rise aud fall
with unrelentng vengeance, as, strewing the
| ground with dead and dying. they sweep the field
| like II whlrlwind, leading victory a wlng cap
tive, and another glittering star is plucked from
glorys desthless sky TO grace the diadem of the
proud, the peerless old First Maine
Comrades Ours was noble calling. A sacred
duty was devolved upon US, a sublime response
blllty. How faithfully we performed that duty,
how loyalty we served our country; how well we
discharged that important trust let the result aud
history tell You wrought a high and holy mis-
| sion nth the sword. Your manly breasts were
salofs shield to ward oil the dagger blows Of
| armed treason from the nation 5 life.
1t was vouchsafed TO US to see the fruits of our
endurance and sacrifices, in the preservation OF
Republican Government, in the emancipation of
| whole race, and IN the consolidation and weld.
| my together OF many separate peoples into one
., ,
was one of the signal results of the war OF 81
which swept away with Its consuming fires the ar
tihcial barriers erected by political ambition and
| sectional pride, that to day, the great Republic,
| redeemed and purified Dy adversely and by the
agony of its terrible struggle, has become q
Nation, one and misunderstanding one commu-
my OF interest, one flag, one hope, and one i'm.
mortal destiny
Ana the gallant men who fell, our comrades
and our brothers While we honor their memory
he pap dim
while the void they have left in our sodierly al
iecuons can never be filled upon earth, let us re-
Joce, that, for them at least, 1.-The glory dies not,
and the grief is past"
Comrades, we have reason TO thank God that il
fell to our LOT to take part IN this Struggle and
that We were permitted to do some thing towards
| the consummsion Of His viii therein; that we
were able to contribute something To the sublime
| achiev, ment of the war; but let us bear in mind
that the war is now over the victory won, the
triumph is complete. Let us remember that when
a gallant enemy has laid down his arms, in good
fdh, justice appeals TO the mag nsnimitv aud chlv
airy OF an equal gallant victor. No soldier ever
| insults fallen foe. 1t is 9 merc,ful, q blessed
dispensation of Divine Providence that tine a.
suages the most poignant glie heals the deepest
wounds OF our affections. so, too, IN the calm,
still twilight Of LIES evening, even the bitterest
asperlties of civil war tempered and nellowed
and softened under the benign influences of d.
VINE law OF our natures. And so the swiftly fading
wears cast around those memories of the past a
nao which, softly blending with the dswnlng of
the eternal day, sweetly fades away into the Sc
rener and celestial light which beams aureoal
from the skies.
Next in order came the toasts, Mai. Myrick
acting as POSTMASTER and introducing the speak
ers.
The first regular toast was "Maine in the war"
Maj. Myrick sad | have the honor to call upon
| one whose name is q household word, wherever
patient endurance and patriotic devotion to coun-
hnn tkAaa k~,lt ka,
tatiou soltier is only equslled by the dis
tingu ished fame be has achieved as the head of
this proud old commonwealth; Que whose public
and private virtues will ever be revered by the
people of his native state. even as his eminent
qualities As commander and leader have forever
enshrined him 10 the affectionate remembrance
OF hi scomrsdes in arms. ! call upon General
Seden Connor, Governor of Maine.
Gov. Conner was receiye with cheers, and re-
sponded by saying that he should be pleased to
read the history of the war, and especially of
Name in the war, such = history as would EXHIBIT
all the facts without prejudice. 10 reference to
| that, however, he remembered the words of Meade
| at the first reunion in New York of the Grand
Army of the Republic" You ka0a1 ell about it,
| if You were there if you not, then you may
learn about IT IN the report OF the committee on
the war" He had been connected with one or
two Maine regiments who used to hatter them
selves that they had something to do with closing
| the war, but on reading the inscriptions around
I
| Maine have taken an example from some OF the
bad States, and counted more battles that we had
| in the entire war. This is q stalwsrt regiment
the Name regiments were in the war; and did their
full duty. In the beginning of the campaign the
| cavalry were not sought for, but it soon won its
| way to favor, and what glorious record has the
| First Maine achieved He glad to see pres
ent the officers of vessel of q government that
had been led friends to our county. We should
| be friendly also account Of similarity of CHI
| mate Nothing in history shines out more clearly
than the heroic defence of Russia against the First
| Napoleon. The act of the present Emperor in
| following the noble example OF Abraham Lincoln,
in giving liberty to the bondmen, also strengthens
the friendly tie well as the recent efforts of its
army.
| All illusions to the Russian officers re-
ceved with the most Tremendous applause.
Capt Betlemche fl responded in German, which
was interpreted by Mayor Hamn. He referred
to the sympathy Of the United States with Russ
| in the "a imean war and referred eeingly the
recent war undertaken in the cause of civilization,
| and he warm feeling of frie ndness of the United
| States. lie hoped the relation Of he two coun.
tiles would continue 10 be OF the most cordial aud
| friendly character.
In presenting the second toast-"Our Gallant
| Dead'-attvntion was called to the pyramid OF
| naues, monument to the gallantry and devotion
| of the regimen-Douty, the li0n-bearted, who
fell in the supreme hou, of victory; Boothby, the
| chivalrous and daring; Bartlett, faithful and
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