The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1879-12-12
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
lFrom Our Regular Correspondent
New York CRY, Dec. 5, 1879.

NEW Ofsh NAiA, 4IcCs " 4Ot W.
THE SEVENTH REGIMENT ARMoRY FAIR.
A thousand men in gray uniform are
the centre of attraction here to day. No
single thousand men in one organization
ever before attracted such attention or
controlled such influence. They said !;
ave need money!" and New York 5
merchants, manufacturers, banks and
insurance companies, poured 100000 at
their feet in voluntary subscriptions.
With it they started an Arnaory more
massive and complete than any in the
New World, one that will be an enduring
monument in the day when an American
historian must look back upon our times
through the dim vista of centuries. More
money was needed to complete the noble
structure, and Fair was opened in the
new Armory which surpasses anything
of the kind | ever saw. The building
covers an entire block; the grand drill
room is large enough to parade Divi>
sion in, as Divisions counted when four
years of war had done their decimating
work a whole battle of the Revolution
might be fought comfortably on the
ground floor, and all this space is packed
tosday with things beautiful and rare,
useful and ordinary, and here the people
swarm by thousands and ten thousands,
every day and every night, to meet neigh
bors and notables, and testify substan-
TALLY their appreciation Of this remark
able organization of men in gray.
The President of the United States
comes 250 miles to formally open the
Fair, the greatest living American editor
makes the opening address, the Governor
of the Empire State comes with his suite
to grace his appointed day, an ex-Minis>
ter to England and an sx.Minister to
Russia take part in the opening of the
Fair General Hancock, gray, stately, and
every inch a soldier, bears his battle-
scared form modestly through the
swarming crowds that come to catch sight
of the grand old hero the wealth, fash
ion and beauty of the metropolis crowd
and jostle night and day as never before.
And what is this all about2 What have
these men done that people should thus
vie with each other to do them honor
Done? What no regiment OF citizen sol
diers ever yet have done. For fifty>four
years the New York Seventh has been
the just pride of the Metropolis. Eleven
times since 1926, when the property and
peace of the city were at the mercy of a
mob, the civil authorities have called
upon the Seventh to suppress riot and
vindicate the majesty of law. It was the
first regiment to leave New York in 1851
and march to the defence of Washington.
The Capital had been cut off from COM
munication with the North for several
days, and had been in imminent danger
of capture. When the Seventh arrived
it received the personal thanks of Presi.
dent Lincoln. Secretary Seward and Gen.
Scott for its promptness and energy.
THOMAS MAST
is a member of the Seventh, and has
painted a fine picture representing the
march of the regiment down Broadway
on its departure, April 10, 1861. It was
sad but stirring day, and the scene
makes picture that appeals to all the
grander impulses Of our nature. Photos
graphs of the picture, made by Fredricks,
are on sale at the Fair. Mr., FredFicks
has further given substantial evidence Of
his enthusiasm for the regiment by the
handsome and somewhat novel donation
of $500 worth of orders for photographs
at his gallery. This is no device of a
novice either for securing an introduction
to the public, for Fredricks has been
famous for his pictures ever since "Mor~
ley" was small boy--and / am not tell
ing nowadays how long ago that was. In
truth, it was he who introduced photos
graphy into this country on large scale
years ago, bringing over from Paris q
number of celebrated Photographic arr
lists. No.artist is better or more widely
known, and among the portraits in his
handsome gallery, On Broadway and
Ninth Street, opposite Stewards, is fine
one of Gen. Scott, for which the old hero
sat years before the war, Other celehri-
ties by the score have sat before his ca
mera, and his rooms are as well filed
with patrons to>day as they were years
ago, 1t was, therefore, simply the honest
admiration of one of New York's best
known citizens for the Seventh which
prompted the gift, but it was an act SC
unique and graceful as to richly deserve
the special mention I give to it. And
the Seventh is richly worthy Of it and all
the other tokens of gratitude it has re.
celved from those whose property and
lives it has guarded and defended, in
critical hours, through all these years, In
1862, when Lee advanced across the Pos
tomac, it again left the City on less thar
one days notice. Again, in 1853, just be
fore the Battle of Gettysburg, it left or
very short notice for the front. Your cor
respondent distinctly remembers seeing
it on this occasion. We were coming
back from Gettysburg with battered flags
and broken hattalians, An inefficient