The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-08-25


ger from Governor Andrew told him OF this
incident, the President said: "When we have
such Governor of such State to send us
such troops and to utter such prayers, have
no doubt we must succeed"
Later, when the messenger returned, after
the September proclamation of the President
had been made public to take effect in Janu-
airy, he met Gov. Andrew in his council chau,-
Der ana together they sang Coronation and the
Do10logy. Nor was it out of place that they
closed with singing Old John BroWn.
Passing from the character of the awaken
ing what can be said of the character of the
actors engaged in the struggle. We are not
called upon to discuss the motives or sincerity
OF our opponents. Let it be said they were
brave men. They fought with desperate valor
their prowess on many well contested field of
battle. Because of that the battle waged so
hotlY and the conflict was so long continued,
when Greek meets Greek then comes the tug
of war"
Our soldiers manifested sterling and heroic
courage. Instances crowd upon my memory.
There was the call for volunteers to throw a
pontoon bridge across river and the whole
regiment volunteered. There was the Color
Sergeant, VIM. j. Deane, of the I'd Maine,
who. stricken uric down in death, whispered, "Is
ag sse he w reSs sst'a hS 't sSa he
Then the hero smiled, closed his eyes and died.
There was the man with the broken jaw whom
fed through tunnel made of paper, who,
when the boys passed him, being unable to
talk, wrote on bit of paper, Don't mind me,
boys, I'm all right. We are giving the John
Then beside courage our soldiers manifested
unsurpassed endurance. In this connection
reference was made to the prison pen at An
Jacksonville, where, at one time, 49, 600 men
were crowded into space not fourteen acres
in extent. Yet when the men would not listen
do thav, ~ cnrtr hn
Union cause, and having been assembled out
side the stockade to listen to a rebel officer, in
terrupted him in the midst of his harangue
and returned to starvation and death.
The speaker referred also to the endurance
called for in these days because Of wounds and
disease received or contracted in the army, and
referred with deep and sorrowful affection to
DIR. N. A. Hersom of the 18th Me-, and to
very affecting incident IN the case of two SOL
diers, one paralyzed by broken spine and the
other 30 sorely wounded that his chin rests, as
it were, always on his knee, which he cannot
straighten.
In reviewing the days of the past, we who
were of .he soldiers of Maine may be proud to
remember that our State gave the first major
general of volunteers as q sacrifice upon the
altar of our country, and that before then in
the passage of the immortal 9th Regiment of
Massachusetts through Baltimore one of those
who fell was a son of Maine. This State also
not only filled her quota, sending into the
field nearly fifty thousand troops-but she
went one whole regiment better!-haviDg that
much in excess over her quota. Moreover it is
to the unfading renown of this brave State
that no one OF all her regiments throughout
the war ever lost flag. All were defended
and returned. 1
Such memories hallow the graves of our
dead. AS we stand amid them as If we saw
before us the long trench or the solitary grave,
the present disappears We look again upon
IN Oft nd of ma W. A yua
tread the fields and thread tho woods of Gull
pepper. Again we see beyond the low muddy
shores St. Mary's heights up which men
charged with fine and desperate valor to be
swept down by the storm of fire as trees are
Frustrated by cyclone, as grass falls before
the swing of scythe. Again we see Spotsyl-
vania and the bloody corner. Again we are
at Charlottesville and see Fighting Joe
Hooker and his noble braves. Again we are
IN the Wilderness, or before Petersburg.
Let us as we remember urge ourselves to
more entire loyalty to the country to-day.
The flag of the I'd regiment, to which I have
referred. was given by ladies of Maine living
in California. I5 bore on one side the eagle
the national emblem. On the other the
arms of the State-'Eureka" over California,
DAYS the farthest, north or south, east and
west, as united as one. Let US graudly resolve
to seek the best interests of the Whole republic
and never forget the lesson which the war
taught us, that the hope of the republic, its
strength and continuance, is in this Zone
country and one flag
AT the close of the address, which was fire.
quently interrupted by remarks of approval
and hearty applause, Mr.. lowering read the
following beautiful poem written for the occa-
sion by a Portland lady:
OUR NATIONS DEAD.
Bring tributes to our patriot dead,
Who for Nations life,
The richest blood of manhood shed,
And fell in no nored strife.
These are not lost within the grave
Their lives stand out sublime,
In noble records, good and brave
For all the coming time.
o Union Flag-with stars enwrought,
Float peaccfui o'cr Thorn nowj------
The last great battle which they fought
Won crowns for every brow.
Our country! by their blood set free,
Complete what these begun,
Hold firm this purchased liberty,
And guard the rights they won.
For every triumrh that we briug,
Though stepped in tears like rain,
Is an unnesniDg offering,
If these have died in vain
o living men! o soldiers true!
Hold good the trust they gave,
And do the work still left to do,
AS honest men and brave.
After the poem the band played, Chaplain
Kelly delivered the benediction, and the great
audience dispersed.
Regimental Reunions.
TWENTIETH REGIMENT.
The chief event of the evening was the re-
union of the Twentieth Regiment, the gallant