The Portland daily press., 1886-06-25

and distinguished services.
Mrs. j. A. A. Packard then recited with
much dramatic fervor "The Greeting of the
Unseen," after which the orator Of the eve
ming, Rev. George w. Bicknell of Lowell
Mass, was introduced. The following is al
abstract of his oration:
REV. GEO. W. BIcKNELL's GRAFTON
We give this morning only an abstract Of
the oration which occupied an hour and
half in delivery, being replete with army
experiences, pictures of battle scenes, and
various duties of the soldier, presenting both
the sad and the gay. 1t hardly seems posi-
BILE at this hour, surrounded by friends and
blessings. nor yet has it in the years gone
by, that the experiences of twenty-five years
ago were other than fearful dreams
yet we know that they were terrible reali-
ties. twenty-five years ago strong men
trembled, the nation was shaken, and our
properties assailed. The call for help
came. 1t came with earnestness. 1t came
to the soldier with $11 a month and board,
with no bounty Twenty-Five years ago, and
the members of the old Fifth Maine stood
up for muster in; and with uplifted hands
and determined souls resolved with sacred
ow that the old stars and stripes should
never be trailed IN the dust; and to the last,
all that they and the more than one thou
sand recruits could do to fulfill the VOW was
earnestly and brayely done. Today has
been a red-letter day, and if we are little
boastful, it has been because we have felt
good. We will not boast, however. The
speaker said he had not time, nor was it the
proper place, now to attempt any
to the war. He showed, however, that
he had no sympathy with fiery,
hot-headed enthusiasts, cranks, and med
dlers, on either side, and no respect for men
who urged others to fight and kept their own
bodies out of danger. Evidently he did not
like nnppa0iO1Ic on or raO1ifioionc
who forgot all fight the moment they left
the pulpit or platform.
Early in the dark hour of the rebellion the
Fifth Maine Regiment was organized 1t
was composed Of one company each from
Gorham, Biddeford, Saco, Minot, Bethel,
Lewiston, Brunswick, and three from Port
land. 1t was in camp for several weeks just
over Vaughan's bridge, in this city. The
duties were not ardous. Carnage was being
mapufactured Wives and sweethearts
nice thing to be soldier. But the oath of
June came, and the command was duly
mustered into the regular service. The next
day it broke camp, and started on
its way to the front. 1t met with
hearty reception at Boston. At New
the sons of Maine. Warm hOspitalities were
extended at Philadelphia. Several amusing
anecdotes were related of the experiences at
these several places. Some of the men re-
plenished their canteens with whiskey,
which an officer discovering, ordered them to
reverse canteens," spilling the liquor in the
street, the only instance of prohibition in
Philadelphia. The regiment marched
through Baltimore with loaded guns, as
trouble was anticipated; but fortunately
there was none. On arrival in Washington,
there had been so much company before, the
hospitalities were not very extended. A
part of the regiment being quartered in a
hall, and the remainder on the sidewalk. 1t
was gloomy, h0meSick time for the men,
From Washington the regiment went into
Virginia, experiencing many changes, occu-
pying new quarters very often, and when
we reflect upon some of the stupidities of
those days, it makes us smile, although the
men did not smile much then. Even chap
lains would have been glad to employ others
to do something else than smile, or else they
had outgrown the human.
The speaker here gave description of the
experiences of the regiment at Bull Run, the
first action in which it was engaged The
terrible march in burning sun, a double
quick of six or seven miles, men utterly pros
trated, bleeding from over exertion, enduring
until they fell these were worse foes than
the artillery or musketry of the enemy. 1t
required immense physical strength to gain
the field under these circumstances. The
exposure was terrible and when the regiment
met the enemy. it was in perfectly depleted
condition. Yet it maintained its honor until
the general retreat, when like all others, its
honor and patriotism OoZed out at every pore
After this experience the regiment was in
camp near Alexandria until the following
spring, when the general movements of the
army began. A night might be spent in mar
rating the very many interesting incidents of
that winters camp life, but the speaker al
luded to only two or three, the mutiny in
September, the evasion of the gambling or
der by substituting peas and beans for mon
ey, ETC., the enforced church attendance, as
among the many which throng upon the
memory.
In May, 1862, orders for a forward move
ment were published and soon after, the adj
vance on Manassas was begun, resulting in
capturing few wooden guns and occupying
undiSturbed the deserted camp ground of
the enemy. Not much glory had yet been
won, but it was not the fault of the men. 1t
was coming later. In a running descriptive
style, the speaker reviewed the subsequent
service of the regiment, its voyage upon the
plying between this city and Bsston) to the
James River, its engagement at West Point,
the lazy, Slow marches up the Peninsula, the
miserable water, the outrageous food, the
arduous fatigue duty until within four miles
of Richmond. Here a glowing tribute was
paid to the 10th and 9th New York ,regi-
ments which were brigaded with the Fifth
Maine. Almost to Richmond, and now COM
meneed the Seven Days Fight" The bat
tie storm struck the, left of the army and
tuIU6u III lIht IL l6dbutI. L 6G Ju6 lllGu SGUUu
up like heroes. Every portion of the line
was moving. The united roar of hostile can
non, the whirl and hurl of regiment and bri-
gades one upon another, the advance and the
retreat, the cheer, the yell, the groan, the
dying. the terror stricken. the victor and the
war in its terrible reality. Up Gaines Hill
charged the Fifth Maine, driven back,
charge, again, colors left and then retaken,
what day forthe men. And for seven days
the conflict continued, with Gaines Hill,
Golden Farm, Savage Station, Charles City
Cross Roads, and Malvern Hill battles in
scribed upon our banders. Camping for sew
eral weeks on the banks of the James River,
the command was ordered down the PENN
sui, and taken on transports to Alexandra
reaching the front again in season. to take
part in the second Bull Run battle under
General Pope, which resulted something
after the experince of the first. From
this action, the regiment in few days
made its march up into Maryland, making
desperate and gloriously victorious fight at
two days battle at Antietam. A return was
then made into Virginia, and winter quarters
were established at White Oak church,
though the encampment was not to be Who'll
ly uninterrupted, for there came the terrible
Fredericksburg fight, in which the regiment
it dwells upon the awful charges, the blood
and slaughter, the grand contest, the final
falling back, the dead, dying and wounded.
The burleSque was when, under Burnside,
Ia noble general, thought we got stuck in the
mud and pulled cannon and baggage wagons
by long ropes, because horses could not
move them, while in that mud, more than
foot deep, were buried great quantities of
glory and patriotism. In May, 1868, came
the second Fredericksburg, the storming of
st. Mary's Heights, and the attempted con-
nection with Gen. Hooker, fighting at Chan
During the day the regiment
lost in killed and wounded just one-third of
its number of enlisted men, and more than
half its officers. The time speedily passed
until the forced march to Gettysburg, the
doing heroic service, followed by
the battle of Funkstown. But most bril-
liant was the fight at Rappahannock Station,
in November, when the 9TH Maine and 121st
N. Y, together forming a battalion of only
800 men, charged the works at night, which
had repelled an entire division twice during
the previous afternoon, capturing hundreds
Of prisoners, twelve hundred small arms, the
9TH taking four stands of colors and one cais-
son, all of this at charge and at the point
were bestowed upon the regiments by the
general commanding the army.
During the winter an advance was made
into the Wilderness under. Meade. including
the action at Mine Run, after which winter
quarters again. Burroughs were granted all
who desired them, for thirty-five days. Many
and many got married-a service
any way. In May, 1864, began the fearful
under Gen. Grant. March, fight,
fatigue, victory, defeat, were almost every
day occurrences. The story of the regiments
experiences seems like the wild stories we
read in our youth. For awfulness, the fights