The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-06-25
ANTIETAM.
A soldiers Tribute to a Soldiers valor

Z :
ANTIETAM.
| A Soldiers Tribute to- a Soldiers valor.
General Mcclellan, who commanded
the union forces at the battle of Antie.
tam, in 1868, visited that historic field
last Saturday, where he delivered an ora.
tion on decoration day. During his stay
in Hagerstown, General b[cClelland was
the guest of Major 81. Kyd Douglas, q
member of Stonewall Jacksons staff at
the battle of .Antietam. The correspond
ent of the Baltimore Sun furnishes that
paper with the following synopsis of the
grafton, viz:
General Mcclellan said: "When I
last stood upon this historic field the
smoke of battle still wreathed these hills
and filled these valleys; these rocks
still re-echoed the harsh sounds of strife,
and the ground was all too thickly strewn
with the forms of the quiet dead and of
those still writhing in agony. Two great
armies had met in deadly strife, the fate
Of a nation hanging upon the result.
| Within the walls Of this vast cemetery,
peopled almost in a single day, those
who met death sleep after their long and
desperate struggle. These men who laid
down their own and sought each others
lives in fierce but loyal battle, have been
placed almost side by side awaiting that
last dread trumpet sound that shall call
them to life again. There are here to-
day those who fought on either side;
men who, cladin gray, followed the no.
BILE Lee, and we who wore the blue.
We are here with common purpose-to
testify our reverence for the valiant dead.
ESQ let Sns bury all animosity, all bitter
|recollections sof the-gpast, remembering
only that on Antietam's hills brave men
gave their lives for what they thought
right. T pray that this fair land of ours
may never again be the scene of such
carnage. I shall not trench upon the
causes of that war further than to say
that our children should never forget
that it was brought about, and even made
necessary BY the extrenlists of the two
Esides. If the:moderate3 men, North and
South, could Shave controlled even the
dread arbitrament of arms might have
been avoided. I and my fellow Demo
Gratis of the North fought for the Union
because we believed that it contained
within itself the power ofginsuring all
possibleigood things to- this people, ,Hand
of secufing!ns against tnnnumbered, evils,
and chiefly because we believed that we
could see the hand of God guiding our
fathers in the creation of a nation des-
tined to become the greatest of which
history bears record. We feltthat it was
our sacred duty to offer our lives as his
feeble instrument in the preservation of
the magnificent edi6ce His hand had
reared. Those on the other side, smart
ing at the time under actual cor. appre'
he1ded evils, honestly differed from US.
dare not Judge them, for their perfect
honesty was proved by the magnitude of
the sacrifices they made for the. cause
theysdeemed just. I believed, ,and still
believe, that it is impossible for two
governments to exist in this land of ours
without soon coming into collision on
some secondary question, and that it was
better to fight at once tor the main issue.
I do not Judge those who honestly held
different views, but I rejoice that the
logic of events has sustained my own,
and still moro do rejoice that the vast
majority Of those who fought so earnest.
" on the other side cheerfully accept the
result. and are prcudsof their citizenship
in our land, at last thoroughly united.
"In the ages of future generations how
strange, how romantic and how stirring
will always seem the history of these
two armies, pitted against each other
through long years of battle from York
town to Appomattox, where the scanty
and mangled remains of the great army
Of northern Virginia laid down its arms,
but not its honor. Thanks to the man
agement of the great soldier who led the
Union army-now, alas prey to dis
sase-there was nothing said or done to
create personal hate or to cause the
blush of shame. When we look back
upon that day aud that other army which
made its advance from yonder heights
across the Antietam-that grand army
of the Potomac-what more can say of
it than have often said in the past ?
1t was ever worthy of its fame, whether
in adyersity or success, and never more
SO than in the field. No page of its long
history is obscured by shame, and as one
who commanded it through times Of ex.
treme trial can justly say that it never
failed me in the hour of need. / am
glad that have been permitted to. live
until the ability and virture of Robert p.
Lee, aud the achievements of the army
{ Of northern Virginia, asIwsll as the he.
Z sroism and renown Of the Grand Army of
the Potomac have already become part
of common heritage Of glory of all our
people. Would I could meet here to day
theliving presence Of hatsplendidsman
and soldier Robert E. Lee, in this very
field, where, in all honor and earnestness
we strove as enemies, and even take him
by the hand. as in the, long past days
when ne served together in the land OF
the MontezumasF Il know that his nature
5boreno malice; and that he would be the
first to respond TO- the greeting and unite
with us in paying to the gallant dead Of
this Army of the Potamac the same trib-
ute I offer to his Army Of Northern
Virginia.
4 He Was ssMashed."