St. Paul daily globe., 1884-07-23

brigade band lead the procession. The old
battle-scarred veterans were greeted with
cheers all along the line of march. There
were nearly 800 men in line.
The train, consisting of four cars, left
promptly at 2:30 O'clock. The tattered
flags were waved in response to the cheers of
the people on the streets, and probably there
never was for the time being a prouder and
happier set of men than the veterans of the
Old First who had survived the perils of the
war and the succeeding tolls and traubles of
the twenty years following to meet each other
once more, revive Etheir memories and
friendships, and at the same time to be made
to realize that the gratitude of the people is
THEIRS and will not be forgotten.
Reaching Lake Calhoun the veterans,
nearly 300 strong, formed in lines and
marched to the Lyndale hotel, where num-
ber of distinguished citizens were assembled
to meet them. very pretty feature of the
reception was the impersonation of the God
dess of Liberty by Miss Jessie Bryant, who
waved welcome from the veranda of the
hotel The ranks were broken here, and at
two o'clock the veterans again assembled in
u
their honor.
Before the collation. was served the time
was spent in social way, the soul stirring
incidents of the war forming the general
topic of conversation. The old colors of the
regiment, which had been carried on many
well fought and hard earned battle field,
were produced and were examined with
pride and pleasure by the veterans and their
friends. The general sociability was agree
ably interesting. At o'clock, when Mr..
Logan arrived on the scene his presence
was q signal for unrestrained cheering.
When this had ended and the usual greetings
of friendships ceased the party sat down to
lunch. In the dinning hall the decorations
| for the event were elaborate and
profuse. At a point in the room facing the
head of the table appeared the one word,
''Sully,n in large letters surrounded by
shield fringed with eyergreens, under which
was placed sword, while Immediately over
it appeared the portrait of that gallant soldier
whose name appeared below. A life-size
oil painting of Gen. Hancock graced that
| part of the wall directly over the stage,
while the portraits of the famous soldiers
Miller, German, Aldrich and others did like
service at other parts of the room. The
names of the notable engagements in which
the regiment had taken part were
| inscribed on handsome shields,
which were also placed around
the wall. The appearance of the center Ia
BILE, which was reserved for the invited guests
was greatly enhanced by number of hand
some floral decorations.
Hon. H. L. Gordon presided, after order
bol IoI offn b1y fLo
first chaplain, Rev. E. D. Neil. An address of
welcome was extended by the mayor, Hon.
Geo. A. Pillsbury.
The round of toasts opened with the
ssUnion, responded to by Hon. Morton S.
Wilkinson.
This was followed by the toast: stAbra-
ham Lincoln,'' to which Gen. Jas. H. Baker
responded, and ''tbe President of the United
| States'' was the occasion of remarks by Hon.
j. B. Gilfillan.
''The Union veterans of the war;" was
the toast to which Gen. Logan responded.
He said that if he did not know this world
was full of surprises he should certainly be
surprised now, but we have learned to meet
these things without being surprised at any
thing that occurs. He explained that he
meant that he was surprised that he was
called upon to respond to that toast. He
thought it a splendid thing to meet these
veterans. He spoke Of the pleasant times
he had assed with them in the camp that
their country might live. They are the men
that when their country was in danger,
their bosoms like a fame of fire, burned
with patriotism, grasped the flag of their
country and went forth that it should live for
future generation, and that treason should
perish. They are the men who steadied the
rocking pillars of the mighty empire of
ours when it was careening to and fro. They
are the men that stood like wall of fire be-
! tween peace to this land and calamity to this
Union. They are the men that bore the old
flag of our fathers, the old story, emblem of
unity and glory from the beautiful lakes of
the north to the southern land of flowers, and
in bearing it aloft over hill and dale and
mountain and valley they unfurled it to the
breeze and swore that no traitor should pre-
vent them from planting it on every foot of
American soil. These men fought for liberty
and life and that oppression might be buried
beneath mound Of protection never to rise
again. They fought that the Union might be
one great Union of the people, not of single
independent sovereignties, one great SOW
eretgn people combined together in one great
nation, where each and every citizen is a
king and sovereign himself. They fought that
the Union might be united like a union made
with hoops Of steel never to be sundered
again. Each and every man should be proud to
be a citizen Of this republic. They did
make union. It is a union to-day bright
as the brightest shining star that exists in
the constellation of the heavens. 1t shines
brightest of all in the great constellation of
nations as one of the brightest jewels plucked
from the golcondas 1t is union just in its
equality, in its glory. 1t is like wine from
the trodden grape. 1t is pure. 1t is union
of lakes and lands, and hope to God it is a
union of hearts and union of hands that no
time can sever, but that each one shall ever
be ready to preserve.
At this stage the name of Major Gen. w
S. Hancock was mentioned, and then cheers
were given for the gentlemana
Mayor Pillsbury refpondM to the next
toast, which was s'The North Star State''
Capt: 0. c. Merriman responded to s'the
wives and widows of our boys in blue" He
spoke as follows: The wives and widows of
the boys in blue, and shall not include the
mothers, daughters and sweethearts of the
the men who, at the call of the country, went
forth to protect its life at the price of their
life, and shall attempt in words to express
their anguish, their hopes, their fears. their
heart throbs! Shall / attempt by word pic
ture to present to you the hundreds of thou
sands of parting scenes which occurred all
over this land in those dark days which you
so well remember, and to show you
the homes which are left so still
so desolate, the inmates. pale, trembling and
fearful, with bowed heads and uplifted
palms, imploring the God of heaven and
earth to protect and save the husband, the
father, the brother, and more tran friend
and when the tidings Of battle and slaughter
came, who shall describe the suspense, ..the
dread, the fear, the agony, and again when
the smoke had cleared way. the roll been