New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-01
LOYAL WOMEN OF THE UNION"
GENERAL HARR1sows SPEECH TO THE SOCIETY

GENERAL HARRIsON's SPEECH TO THE SOCIETY
OF THE ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND IN 1863.
At the annual meeting OF the Society Of the Army
Of the Cumberland held at Indianapolis in December
1869, General Harrison, who commanded the First
Brigade, Third Division, Twentieth Army Corps, In
the Atlanta campaign, 1864, was called upon to re-
spond TO the toast Loyal Women OF the Union
His speech as follows
Comrades Of the Army Of the Cumberland: In the
sentiments and responses TO which you have already
listened, your attention has been called to the more
notable and prominent instruments used In reaching
the great which crowned our armies In the
late The sentiment now proposed calls our at
tcntlon away from great captains and from the
armies whose courage and endurance changed the
boldest conceptions of their leaders into glorious
achievement, to ali influence silent, as tender,
yet potent as the sunshine From the noise ana
trumpet calls Of the battle turn to listen to the
soft voice of woman, In the home and In the schooi'
preparing generation Of men to walk through the
seven times heated furnace of civil war; FROM the
successful leader Of an army, we look away 10 the
source of those patriotic impulses and that high
courage and see him in boyhood receiving from
mothers lips, with glowing eye and sweihg peas''
the story Of those Of blood and victory ID winch
the Stars and Stripes born and drinking IN from
the example Of her holy conservation 10 duty ina.
lesson which leads him TO count not his nle ucar
he may serve his generation.
When the first gun was fired, and the Naloh a"ohe
10 its peril and its duty, the patriotic heart Of the
American woman beat from the first In fun harmony
with the music of the Union. Her hands, answering
TO the impulse the heart sought with alacrity to
serve the Nation and its defenders. She fashioned the
banners that were to float the marching columns
of our army, and wOvc her faith and her prayers
into their silcn folds She gave the sword into the
hands Of her brother, and charged him to suffer no
stain of dishonor TO mar its brightness. She APP
plauded the brave and shamed the timd into courage
She cheered the departing troops with waving banners
and bravely hid her eas, lest she might make MN
weak who needed to be strong She followed INC
soldiers with her ministries Of love and geneness into
the most remote fields Of action, refreshing not the
wasted body only, but the weary spirit. She stood
bv the cot of the diving and seemed TO the dimmed
eve and wandering mind to take on the hneaments
Of the loved one al home. Her faitn bent before
the cruel disaster which seemed to swallow up the
Nations hopes but more quickly than the strained
hopes Of lifted Itself again and with propheuc WIS.,
ion saw and sang Of the time when the Nation should
triumph gOrOusly and the horse and his rider should
be cast into the sea She bravely took up the tasks
of men, that the declmatcd ranks might DO filed.
She gave first one and then another Of her sons, ana
when the rcmorselcss cry for more came up from
fields Of fghtful carnage she withheld not the child
OF her old age, but gave him up with faith Ike that
of the patriarch who led the child of promise toward
the mount Of sacrifice The wife gave up her husband
and spent her days in loneliness and labors unwonted
II the battlefield had its heroes not less had the homo
its herones II liberty counted her martyrs by
thousands I'm the track of armies, she also counted
them not a few among the brolen-hearted women Of
the land
None but those who have felt It can tell the strength
which the memory Of a pure, brave mother vic or
sister gave to the soldiers heart and arm lie fought
as one who fights his way toward home. lie knew
that he could only again in to the cottage
he loved through the gates Of victory This memory
and spiritual presence like the tarrying Of angels
around the camp fires. 1t stled the voice OF ruae-
ness rebuked Vice and kept the heart clean God
bless the patriotic women Of our land. How much OF
orr success came as the result OF her influence ana
effort and how much OF Gods favor came In answer
to her prayers He who gathers up the tiny springs
~ Influence into the sweeping river can only telL
But we fondly and gratefully acknowledge mat her
mower was great, and share with her the glory ana
The blessings of victory. And now comrades, may
the sweet pure of wife mother sister, LOOK up 10
us tonight from these sparkling cups TO purify anu
chasten the Joys of this festival occasion