The National tribune., 1883-06-28
READY TO DIE.
The Touching Appeal OF Warren's Hen at Nine
RIM.

The Touching Appeal OF Warren's Hen at Nine
RIM.
Among the graves decorated at Newport,
Rhode Island, on Memorial Day was that Of the
late General G.. K. Warren. In the course of
his remarks, the orator of the occasion, Captain
Field of battery L., Fourth artillery, related
the following touching incident:
In 1861 an officer of engineers commanded the
Fifth New York Zouaves. rigid diseiplinarian,
indefatie2ble in organization, possessing fiery
courage and restless seul that seemed to fret q
frail body, he made his regiment a model TO the
infantry of the Army OF the Potomac. In 1858 the
colonel OF regiment had become corps COM
mander. The army stood at bay before one Of the
most formidable positions of the war. He had
carefully examined the eneuly's defenses. and be-
leving them not inpregnable, had offered with
that personal daring which always recalled the
dashlngs leader, to carry them Two picked diviS-
known among the soldiers what tEelr destination
was. The intelligence of our volunteers enabled
them to form fair estimate Of the probabilities Of
success. There was not word of murmuring or
remonstrance as the lines were being formed for
this desperate grapple with death, but men pro-
cured pencils from their comrades and each man
attached to the collar Of his blouse bit paper on
which written his name and home. During
these moments OF suspense what must have been
the struggle IN the breast of him upon whose de-
cision hung the late of these devoted thousands.
Every motive of personal ambition, the heasliong
daring of the man, the confidence of an opinion
founded on professional grounds, impelled him 10
of humanity. Deeply touched by the silent appeal
of conscious self-Saerifee, knowing as none knew
better the malignant detraction that follows
leader, the reckless comments of an ignorant and
heated press, press whose earnoFs had forced the
veteran Scott into that unfortunate movement
against his weighty and mature judgment, he de-
libeTately chose to shoulder the possible load of
miSconccption, obloquy, and injustice rather than
place the lives Of fellow patriots upon e cast of
die Warren's generous self-renuncation should
touch the hearts Of Americans to the remotest gen.
erationS. When to-day you lay the flowers upon
his grave think reyereDtly OF him whose nature
was prominently sensitive, who saw stain
where other men could scarcely see u shadow who
valued his reputation more than lis life and yet III
that nomentous crisis listened 20 the voice of
huIa9nity'
Monday, November 80, 1863. Swintou, III his
Campaigns of. the Army Of the Potomac
page 1896, relates it as follows:
Early on Monday morning the army was under
arms, inpatiently awaiting the signal-gun. At
last, the sound OF Sedgwiclzs cannon came rolling
along the line when the entire artillery of the right
and center opened upon the works of the enemy.
But not echo from Warren the LEFT The
explanation of this silence soon came in inteili-
genee brought by an aid-de-eamp A close obser-
walton of the enemy position by dawn revealed
very different state of netS than was presented the
previous evening. The presence OF Warren's
troops had attracted Lees attention to his right,
and during the night he had powerfully strength
ened that flank by artillery in position and by in
fantry behind breastworlSs and abati5. Looking ut
the position with the critical eye of engineer,
but not without those Lofty inspirations of courage
that eFlap the cold dictates of mathematical cal
culation, Warren that the task was hopeless;
and seeing, he resolved TO sacrifice himself
rather than his command. tie assumed the re-
sponsibility OF suspending the attack. His verdict
was that OF his soldiers-a verdict pronounced not
in spoken words, but in circumstance more
potent than words, and full ola touching pathos.
The time has not been seen when the Army of
the Potomac shrank from any call of duty; but
unparalleled experience in war, Joined to great
intelligence In the rank and file, had taught these
men what, by heroic courage, might be done, and
what WAS beyond the bounds of human possibility.
Recognizing that the task now before them was of
no man could here count on escaping death, the
soldiers without sign of shrinking from the sacri-
fce were seen quietly pinning on the breast of
their blouses of blue, slips Of paper on which each
bad written his namel