The National tribune., 1882-09-09
cum was then introduced and spoke substa1
tally as follows:

cum was then introduced and spoke substan-
tally as follows:
ADDRESS OF GEN. sLoCUM.
Comrades: Some two or three weeks ago L re-
ceiyed an invitation to come to n Reunion OF
the veterans of Washington county. l shohu
have been less than human If | had not en-
braced the opportunity to see my Old comTadeS'
and having come, | should be less than man
if | sat in silence. l could hardly restrain my
tears as / saw those brave men march who toi-
lowed me so many hundred miles. have had
many regiments under me, but none of them
served with more bravery than the Washington
county troops. Just after the battle of Ante
| tam, l found some 200 undsciphned men near
| Harpers Ferry, which, through the treachery
or imbecility of its commandant, had just been
surrendered to the confederate forces, ana L
gladly took them into my corps. l remember
the address of the brave Gen. Hooker after that
OCCASION | remember the old One Hundred
and Twenty third regiment, and its place on
| the right of the line | remember that the ex-
| treme left was threatened and you were sent
there, and after the fight and a long march to
| your position of the morning, you returned
only to find the breastworks, you had thrown
! up in the hands of the enemy. l remember
! that you were ordered to the West, and the
| long and tedious railroad ride there. ! remem-
! Der that grand picnic of General Sherman from
Atlanta to the sea, and that triumphal entry
| into Milledgeville, Ga, and that the rebel leg
! islature had hardly time to scatter to avoid
capture. l remember the last charge of the
war, at Fentonville. Gen. Sherman had gone,
and | was left in charge Of the army. / and
| the officers with General Sherman believed the
! rebels had gone. One day young man came
| into our lines, and said he was just from the
rebel army. He had on the grey uniform, but
had come to give information TO the command
ing officer. Of course we distrusted him,
but he was recognized as a boy from SYRIA
cuSe, in this State, and we listened to
| him. He said: General, your army is III the
| greatest danger; the enemy is in great force in
your front, and having got the other wing of
the army away is about to destroy one part at
a time" Gen. Sherman was twenty miles
away, and / at once sent to the lamented Gen.
| Williams to hurry up his troops. | remember
you came up and with tin cups and such in
| struments as you possessed, you quickly threw
| up breastworks and resisted charge after charge
of the rebel troops, and finally defeated them,
and the last chance of the confederacy was lost.
! | am glad that you keep up these Reunions. All
over Europe monuments have been erected to
commemorate the deeds of great soldiers. But
| what other soldiers can boast of such works as
you have done? You made a name for Amer
lea in Europe; you taught the powers and
! people there that America was n Nation of 90
! 100000 of people governing themselves. You
| taught the world that the United States could
| place in the field more than a million brave
men, and after four years of war, you showed
! them the spectacle of these men returning to
! their homes better citizens than they were be-
fore leaving their firesides. 1t was said by
many that even if the war was over and the
! North was victorious, so many soldiers thrown
upon the country would make it in worse
condition than when engaged in conflict. But
| in few months you were discharged and were
| all at work. You taught the world that no
| could influence any of you to raise his arm
against the Government Yes, comrades, / am
proud of you as soldiers, but prouder of you as
| citizens.
General Charles Hughes then read a letter of
regret from General McQuade, of Utica, and
stirring speeches were made by the Rev. Henry
Gordon, chaplain Of the One Hundred and
| Twenty third New York volunteers, and Rev.
J. E. Hall, of Whitehall, the Rev. J. T. Hall pro-
nouncing the benediction. In every respect
the Reunion was great success.
NOTES.
| Fully $50 persons sat down to the dinner
| About GOO armed and uniformed veterans took
part in the parade.
Editor Wilkins, of the Whitehall Times,
printed his paper in blue ink in honor of the
| occasion.
Steenbergh's battery of two guns, manned
bya sergeant and ten men, were on hand carly,
and "stood to their guns" all day.
II. d. w. C. Hill, who was TO have acted as
marshal, was prevented by sickness from doing
so. He had taken great interest in the success
| of the Reunion, as also the Hon. A. G.. Burleigh,
who entertained the distinguished guests
The Glee Club acquitted itselffnely.