The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-05-29

your Soldierly career, stood opposed IN
your front, as your deadliest foes.
In this also you did we'll. For by i t you
declared, that the war is ended; that the
causes OF strife are past; and that the feel
| ing and passions of the war, should
slumber in the graves of the buried dead
that the survivors of the army of tn
| Union, and the survivors of the ;r,ny'to
| the South ought no longer to be foes, but
| friends, and are no longer foes. but friendst
countrymen and brothers. Applause,
| In the warmth of your frateraal greet
| ing. you asked us not of our hopes, OF our
1 motives, or OF our aspirations III the time
| gone by, aud met us as men, who I'D The
time past we're foemen wOr thy OF your
] Steel WIN III tine present. were friends
worthy Of ali isojiesr hand clasp. and of q
place by All icnesl tireside[ appiauseI and
who in the fl5ure. are to toll side by slde
with you, to secure the welfare and per-
petuate the glory of a common, united
country. IApp.ause.l
| In the sama spirit ". welcome you to
our midst, to our country and TO our
homes, asking nothing of the past. lsiibs-
| ing only OF the present, and trusting con.
fidently in the future.
From our stand point, trusting that the
merciiui providence (which shapes cur
| ends, ,ougn-new th,3m an wa VIII, VIII
| fad Tor us. III the blessings of d reStortd
! uuiOn, cuInie satlou for uha ag0nie5 or d
| lUsili struggle, and CONSULTATION for tile
paitsi. ef defeat [tpplause !; and he
lievi,g That the event indicates THAT
IN the destiny of our country,
there is mission TO be fulfilled,
for tie benefit of human happiness and
human liberty, that needs for It's hlGl iic-
comclishmeut the Efforts nf the sons at
| r ha 4. 1.,ft ,,f
battling toget her with united hands and
united hearts lappause], inspired by the
| memory that in all Ehe crises OF our coun-
try's common history. her sons came forth
| in countless thouS tnds to utter their liVeS
in response to what each believed the
1 sacred Call Of duty.
From thar, you so kindly invited and
| welcomed lis; have come no far from your
| homes to permit US to welcome you; from
| that, Contributions in thousands, headed
| by tue illustfi4'us commander III Chief OF
the armies OF the Union lap
plausel, from general Snd private,
from soldier and Civilian. frGm man,
! from woman aud child, have gone
| from tho North. within the last few days,
; to build refuge and ii home where the
mang!ed Confederate soldier whom for
obvious and necessary reasons, government
tai aid cannok Ieach, may spend the rem
| enanI of his days ll comfort and ease, In
stead If IN isery and want from that you
soldiers of tile Union are here, Ia sight,
and Wlh the approval Of your country
men, tn visit as as soldiers Of the Confed-
eracy, and propose before your return, to
| stand for brief space with barred broWs
and bowed heads ut the graves Of
Les sud stonewalI Jackson IapplauseE
| Infsr--y&a. verify believe, That as
roll snH
evoked, and the ipLaiegts involved in
the conflict perish Chat Sts deeds of
the heroes on either side will be gathered
in a common treasury OF glory, TO illus
trate Tho genius. the val0r aud the devo-
tion of the American people. Applause
In this belief, this hope, we have an eK
ample In our mother country, whose
civil str i|es we're as bitter and as fierce as
ours, historian, poet and novelist, record
as part OF the sum OF highlands glory, the |
deeds of the moi who charged with Ru-
pert, and who stood with Cromwell, who
conquered with Cumberland, and who |
persisted with the CLANS Of AoeEiel, His
tory will repeat here what it has recorded |
there; where the descendants Of the men |
who fought for the dlscroWned Stuart at 1
the Boyne. and died for his exiled son at |
Culloden, have b0rne the English banners |
to victory in every CLINE beneath the |
sun.
Peaceful transports have borne you
swiftly hithsr. over the fields which you,
and We, in the time past measured with
the wealy steps of marching soldiers. The
long years since then have silvered locks
of raven blackness have dimmed eyes
that pierced the dun clouds of battle with
eagle sharpness. and stiffened limbs that
the bugle-call sent rushing to the charge
with bounding feetness. But time which
works such swift decay to the form of the
soldier. does NOT SO deal With the SCENES of
his warfare. TO them it brings healing
and restoration. And so we trust that
the view OF those fields and landscapes,
arrayed in their spring mantle. smiling in
the bright Southern sun, and still more
brightly illumined by the blessed sun
shine OF peace, will efface in your memo
ry their aspect as you viewed them; when
darkened by the clouds and SCARED by the
tracks of war. Applause. Gao H.
We hope that our hearty thanks for
your initiation of the relations of friend
ship between the 2sth New York and the
9Th Virginia, and for your ulstlpted hos
FATALITIES to US, and tile welcome with
which we greet you, will cause You ever
to remember US in kindness. as your fell
fOw citizens in peace and still more kind
ly to forget us as your stubborn adversa-
ries in the old, by-gone days of strife.
May the event of our meeting prove
that 'sThe more we know, the better we
forgive.' tHlA
Eat at last our deeds must speak for us
more truly than 0ng words. .l,t.
knowing, as well know, the feelings
which burn In each Heart of the survivors
of the 5th Virginia, | say for them, to
you of the 2gth New York, Thanks
aud ''Welcone.H M l.
After the applause following the closing
of Capt, Rqmgardner's address, the fol-
lowing response was delivered by
COL. e. F. BROWN OF THE 28TH,
who said; Vs. 't4 t.-4
capt. Bunlg0rdaser, C0nvades Of 18th Va,
Ladies and Gentlemen otthe City of Staunton
and tile great Commonwealth of Virdiaia:: 'iii
Your welcome of our little band of old SOL
diars-the remnant of the 2sth Regiment from
Yhe State Of New York-ls SO hearty, So coma
Piete, and in oil RESPECTS So surIprissiing, thht
we stand before yo4 ip amqzemept. Your re
eeption and this grand Demonstration oyer
powers and bewilders as completely. We are
aplain people, coming from the rural districts h
of Western New York. We were once soldiers.
We are now citizens: Our daily bread is
earned by our daily labor. By your kindness,
by this unexpected demonstration and by the
aloquence of your welcoming address. we are
suddenly transformed into heroes. We are
made TO feel that we are losing our identity
as plain citizens and beginning to wonder if
all this Is reality Oh q dream. Since it must
be real and not a vision, we must undertake the
task of explaining to you why we are here to-
day, why we make this pilgrimage of seven
hundred miles at this busy season. At the
outset, let me tell you Our visit is peaceful
one, The days of strife and bitterness are
S fasa ahf NJ ss sss T. I'll yen thfs faos
When one year ago the Fifth Virginia and
Twenty eighth New York met on the shores of I
niagara, the people of that vicinity witnessed
scene they will never forget. Our meeting
was cordial. The day of contention, of i'll
feeling, of jealousy and unfriendliness ended, /
and shouts of joy were heard rivaling even the
roar of the great cataract. The olive branch
of peace was extended in good faith. and in
equal good faith accepted. Wewere there for
purpose as We pre- here to-day Ito s4ch
gathering Of active participants. in tie late
war; no two regiment had met; in peace and
friendship, which had twenty years before
stood face to face in deadly conflict. We had
been enemies in war. In peace we had been
nominally friends. But at Niagara the union
of hands and hearts was made complete. The
elements without were unpropitious but warm
hearts and comfortable fires within drew us
closer together, and those few days of social
intarcOurca noada TIC frandc for II time YOur Il