Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-06-05
MEMORIAL DAY ADDRESS
Given before Post ssdgwIek, q. A. IA,
BrRttIebOrO, May 40, Iss5,

Given before Post sadgwIeL, q. A. IA,
BrRttIcbOrO, May 40, Iss5,
BY COL. WILLIAM O. HOLBROOK.
Mr. P,esideHt, Comrades, Ladies and Gen
Aemen:
When requested TO take part In these Me-
mortal exercises 1 felt impelled, as from
sense OF duty, to respond to the invitation
that might, with you, plant flower Of re-
membrance In token Of my esteem for the
gallant men who sleep beneath the sod Of
this my native town, many OF whom were
the cherished friends and schoolmates Of my
earlier years, and who, in their country's ser
vice, laid down their lives that this great aud
grand union OF states might be preserved.
This is a day Of sacred remembrances,
OF halowed associations. The events which
we commemorate recall recollections of An
heroic epoch in the history of our country.
They recall the deeds OF vanished years,
when true and brave men rivalled each other
in manly endurance and acts OF valor. They
revive the glory which shines on the achieve
ments Of our soldiers-the boys who wore
the blue in our day and generation. They
revive, too, very forcibly, the sorrows and
suferings we individually and collectively
felt AZ comrade after comrade passed to that
silent bivouac
"Where foes moest
Nor sentry's shot alarms"
and whose loss touched aud stirred the deep
est aud tenderest emotions OF the heart.
To day on many village green, aud in
many n burial acre, as we'll A. in orr crowded
oities, our surviving comrades and their
friends assemble
uobl The aauoe N n soIdierta
On the turf Of q soldiers grave"
and TO unite In rehearsing the story Of the
heroic struggles OF those who, in obedience
TO tho call Of duty, voluntarily sacrificed
home, family and friends to face aud taste OF
death on the battlefield, and in all it's varied
and lingering forms arising from disease in
CURED by daily exposure iu maarious swAmps
and pestilential camps, and
-"aa with uncovered head
We salute the sacred dead"
and recall the perilous emergency which
made such exalted sacrifices necessary, and
an we recount their tolls and sufTerings, their
defeats and victories, we are filed with adj
miration aud gratitude, and can find no Ian.
guage adequate to express the debt we owe
to all who no grandly died that our nation
might be great and free.
The lengthening shadow OF years causes us
all to cherish more tenderly the memories of
phtTlOtlC uehN, anu u IN RFthlly 10 LDB
credit Of our people that amid all the muta-
tions Of our busy age, each Memorial day
should be more generally aud properly OBJ
served by all classes This is AZ il should be,
for people who would take no pride in the
valiant deeds Of their soldiers aud sailors
lighting for the cause Of freedom, could new.
er expect TO achieve anything worthy Of re-
membrance. Let therefore
the songs Of the rAnsomed remember the dead,
And the tongue Of the eloquent halow the story.
Ger the bones Of the bold be the story long told
Aud on flames golden tablets their trumphs enroll
ed"
As stand here at this time aud on this oc-
casion many memories are aroused-some
sad, some joyful. am carried back TO the
summer and fall OF 1861, when the country
stood on the threshold Of that mighty but
inevitable conflict which marked one OF the
greatest crises in the course of the history OF
FREQ government. This nobly patriotic vii
lage was reused a. it never had been before
all WAS activity and life in q new and unac-
customed direction. Every one--fathers,
mothers, wives, brothers and sisters-vied
with each other TO send forth TO battle those
nearest and dearest TO them. One company
had already been despatched TO the front,
and at the first engagement az Bull Run re.
ceived foretaste of war, which, TO AN amaz-
ing degree, served to kindle the patriotic
nTc5 OhN HoOPFt IbE nnhuy
years had remained dormant, and which some
feared had become totally eXtnguished.
Many Of us, scarcely vergng on the age Of
manhood,
"Yearuing for the large excitement
Which the coming years would yield"
signed the roll OF honor and, 10 the best OF
our ability, ~ occasion offered, did what lay
in our power to defend the flag and uphold
our then imperiled government. Over two
decades have passed, and We have grown old.
er mean while. but time has not sHaced. and
while life lasts never will eface. the record OF
those days, or those which followed in the
protracted struggle for the maintenance Of
our free institutions.
None OF us knew OF realized what was be-
fore us or what we should be called upon to
endure. Most Of us we're young and mex.
perienced. But buoyAnt with hope and con.
fdent in the justice of our cause, we felt
equal TO any emergency, and subsequently, as
the strife progressed, and AZ the men aud lads
of those days, trained 10 the arts of peace.
became masters in the trade OF war were
heard from, records and returns we're made
which will ever Adorn the annals OF Vermont
and embellish the pages OF her history, IA
well as serve to show that her sons have lost
none Of the military prestige which so great
ly characterized the Green Mountain boys OF
old. Some people there are who are prone
to say thatthes Memorial days should be elm
mated from our calendar ~ being sentimen-
tai innovations on past customs and an tend.
ing TO foster and perpetuate the bitter pas
sions of the war. We think otherwise, be
lievng ~ we do, that they accomplish no
such purpose, but on the contrary afford an
opportunity TO set forth some OF the highest
evidences that American manhood has lost
none OF it's strength, as we'll AZ to illustrate
the truth OF the saying that "those who think
and speak OF virtue and patriotism SOW in
their own and in the minds of others the
seeds Of virtue and patriotism" The short
compass which this occasion allows will not
admit Of an extended statement OF the rea-
sons which, TO us, seem conclusive Why it is
appropriate that one day in the year, at
least, should be set apart TO do homage TO
the memory of our patriotic dead. | will,
however, ask your indulgence for a brief
space while refer to SONS OF them.
The magnitude and extent Of the rebellion
tested our resources and the courage of our
people on land aud sea as neither had ever
been tested before, and although most Sc
verely tried, neither were found wanting and
at the close of the war it WAS proved that we
possessed more military prowess than ever had
been dreamed OF by the most sanguine TWen-
ty.two hundred aud sixty one engagements
were fought on the land alone. some OF them
the most sanguinary in the worlds history.
The casualties Of the war in the army reach
ed the enormous figure of 912, 0S3 men. In
this number are not included the losses Of
the navy, which must have been correspond
ingly great. We are told by one of the lat
est statistioians that there are inferred in the
national cemeteries 3Is, $40 OF the nations
| dead-nearly az many az the entire popula-
tion of Vermont. OF these III ,3O2 are
known, and l47, sos are unknown. In this
| number, however, are included 6 800 known
and 1900 unknown civilians. Think OF it
nearly 1iG, 600 unknown soldiers "slesp their
last sleep" in government burial places; but
even this vast number does not include many