Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-06-17
memberment by the valor be perpetuated by
the virtues Of the people.

membcrment by the valor be perpetuated by
the virtues Of the people.
THE BANQUET.
AT 0 o'clock the society, the Army and
Navy Club of Connecticut and invited guests
marched into Allyn Hall, which was elegant
ly decorated, and the galleries and boxes
were filled by ladies and citizens. The floor
of the house was occupied with tables seat
ing about 100. The scene was a brilliant one.
Soon after the company were seated, Secre-
tary Lincoln and Gen. Sherman entered, and
were greeted with enthusiastic applause by |
the soldiers and by the people in the CALLER
les. Gen. II. G. Wright president OF the |
society, presided, Secretary Lincoln sitting |
| ut his immediate right and Gen. llawley and
Gov. Bigelow at his left. Gems. Burnside,
Sickles, Devens, Slocum and other proml |
nent generals, Daniel Dougherty, Governor
Sewell, Marx Twain, Mayor Buckley, Gov. |
Littlefield of Rhode Island and other invited
guests also occupied seatsat this table which
occupied nearly the entire breadth of the hall
in front of the stage. Soon after ten O'Clock
Gen. Wright announced the first regular
toast, The President of the United States"
| The toast was received with immense APP
| plause, and Secretary Lincoln who responded
| was also greeted with warm welcome.
SPEECH BY GENERAL SHERMAN
| We stand now among the most favored
nations of the Garth, If not the first, the only
| land to which emigrants come and from
1 uhi a
but the nucleus of an army and navy, a mere
| germ to typify the life and spirit of the body
! which on an occasion like that which gave
birth to the Army of the Potomac must sud
denly admit of infinite increase, and even
| this nucleus is not permitted TO remain IN
| idleness in time of the most profound peace.
| Work, work everlasting, seems to be the lot
of Americans. Ships, though built OF wood
and feeble in power compared with the huge
iron ships of other nations, display our Nag
| everywhere over the broad waters OF the
earth, while the army split up into single
companies and even squads is to-day the
skirmish line along the frontier Of civlliza-
| tion, preparing the way for the emlgrant,
| guarding the pastures of the cattle which are
fast replacing the buffalo, the elk and ante
| lope Of the vast interior OF our continent anu
in building roads, bridges and military posts.
| There are few idlers in the army of the
United States. AL are employed save the
sick and wounded and that small fraction
which exists under all governments who live
on the reputation and influence OF their
mothers, cousins, sisters and aunts. These
favored ones NAV flourish for IA time, but
| like such gentry i'll the past, they VIII be
swept away by the first blast Of war, when
the more manly element will rs always leap
| to the front
l entertain the highest possible opinion OF
army societies like this, which resulted from
our civil war. 1t IS not true that they Keep
alive the animosities of that war, but, on the
contrary, the social amenities here practiced
are calculated 10 smooth wars wrinkled
vlsage" and 10 develop the kindler phases ot
human character, and above all value are the
observations of the living actors here spoken
and recorded before Il tribunal which can
separate pretensions from practice anu thus
preserve the results of an experience which
may be of inestimable value i'll the next war
| remember well the public apathy which
| Immediately preceded the Mexican war and
| the civil war. Many Of us had become SO
weary of waiting for promotion, for action,
| that We resigned our commissions anu en-
| gagged in civil pursuits And even as late as
March, 1861. if any one spoke openly OF
civil war, he was laughed at for his folly.
and when war did actually come no people
on earth were less prepared for it than those
OF the United States.
Only twenty years have passed since that
| aread .noch and | sometimes frar our peo-
| nle are aaain hecnmins so enrrossed in their
| nursuits of wealth ,hai thrv are liable 10 sor-
get the lessons of that war. To he sure, we
| possess most valuable records in the official
reports, not vet coinplcte, and in the many
histories, biographies, memoirs, recollecllonS
etc, of the principal actors, ami | Tor one
.dre in RaI.an's ..,I;l;,,rv History of Gen.
Grsnt ami of MIR Dayis's ..I;iSe and Fall
| of the southern t'oufe,lcracy." These are
now fair subjects of criticism and comment.
and behey,: that the cause of truth demands
| th,t every witness sb,Il rccord his honest
| opinions of such important matters.
| did moi have. the privilege Of sharing in
/ tho onerations of The Army of the Potomac
| but have heen aver thr ,srnund was pcr-
| sonaIly acquainted with nearly all your
army corps and division commanders. and
saw publicly and cmphaficallv that, Davis 10
| The contrary notwithstanding. | approve of
| Glen. Grants movement from Washington To
Richmond hv bnd instead of bv water.
| War IL nm wful came and demands death
and dest r,ction A certain amount Of fight
inv of kill;n,r had to he dnn, and rh,. banks
| of The Ranidan and Nattannly were rs GOOD
| n nI,co for il az those of The lanes and Ap-
| nom,ttox so far as am capahl,. nf iud.r-
| ing Gen R,deau has told his story of the
,aSr;hle ho,tlos from Tho Wilderness 10 An
nnmat,ox conrt bonsr clearly and well.
| tno,y tho, heart huruinUs arr, generated hy
! alIus,ons IN nersonal traits of character. hut
| do moi see how Otherwise Gen. Batlcau could
| havo accounted for oc,naI r,-suits surely
rose from ,hr ncrnsal of his volume. with a
birhcr es,ims,e nj the ,rrrat Army nf the
| P1,omac Than had before and am now bet
/ Tor nranareI IN unite with ynu i'm celebrating
;,s nersavorancp its MIGHTY courage and
| Laroisn, ~ havr vnur names inscribed ON
| ;,e rolls ia nm honnr that vOur children will
- -, H., ,,o,, 10
As,o Nr D,vis's ..Rise and Fall of the
| Sn,,,to,n Corfa,arac,- - confess | have not
ssan the volume only the conious extracts in
| Tho New YorL J,,r6d of .lnne z 1881. and
hardly know whether T., treat them seriously
| az ;ocosoIy Jt waa moi exnectrd that In.
,rcn,J feej L;nJIv IN thos,. who awaken
ad hi,r q, rndsIv from his dream of
e,.,;ra L., s,,ralt, in st,ti,,, f,cts he
,n,ipd ,h. raa.b ns h;s vision nv un,,rst,ndino
10 ,,,,h, ,n hoyo onnrn,jm,t.d the truth
Iv.n no ~ h;s enemies Assuming the oun.
,s,;nns n,,,i;sbeJ in Tho UIy,iJ ,s ,uthrntic
| wish 10 saw that il WAS lucky for MIR. Davis
,hat Cen Jobnston in MAY 1861. did not
= =, ..,,,,,', H. ,.,r.rsi,,
-. ~. m',,'' 80 ii, s;'i. ~, ,h.. T,rr,s-
~ - - - \ ,,,,,.. H., 90, ,I.,
see river. oht W"ui" sufPuSe '''' - ~, '
experience Of both Johnston ami Wood,
- ,...y., .,,,.I sI IN a., ,,., ,I,Suufas
- NJ ~, ,..,,,II L.. .,.,,,,.;,,,.l tbat tho
e'fh "i- laws "o"'' S'
aggressive campaign lurtslladowtu IN nus
! spyernl prncrul prOpOSitiOns of April It, /
Ioct -, H., ,.ari.st ,orscrS,. I,Insfnn
i0oi' ""' ~ ~" "a non =, - vr
dlu mol have NJ Iallon iV,VcV hiti' ann M
Davis ought 10 have known il, and Johnston
J ,n tho snnt w,s hettrr uualitirl 10 iuI.rt. /
! oh 'h. 'PIs "N' ~.
thhn MT. DlVls Ut htHilipnu- rs " NV u
mOyal of the non cOmbaiant population from
Atlanta M Davis s,vs that sinc,. Aly;t'>
~-' 49, ~ u -. L, g.. H.
atrOcious crueltts III tiic .Nt'i''iiiS ~ 't''
I sixteenth century there has been nothing IN
| cor,n.r;sn, f,r crualtv He had Il riVht tp
=. tS., IL, ,,,-....r
puDiiSh such Woius III lCot' NhNH 'N''''