Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-07-05
The Blue and the Gray.
Veterans of the Late War Meet
at Gettysburg.
DEDICATION CEREMONIES.
The Grand Reunion at the National Gene
terry Addresses Made by Gen.
sickIes. Gen. Gordon and
Governor Beaver.

oAlA1opuItS; rh.i July O.--1ne Hay
has been filed with the dedication of
monuments, the meetings of corps so.
ciettes, the meetings of old comrades
separated by years and distance, and the
informal as well as formal reunions of
the Blue and Gray.
Gen. Sickles' Excelsior brigade. COM
posed of the 10th, list, T2d, 73d, and
74th New York regiments, laid the cor
ner stone of it's monument at the peach
orchard. Gen. Siekles made simple,
but stirring address.
While the General was speaking the
platform fell to the ground with crash
1t had but few inches to fall and Gen.
Sickles sat undisturbed among the mo-
mentary shrieks of the frightened ladies'.
When it was seen that no one was hurt
the General finished his address.
The great event of this second day did
not happen until late in the afternoon.
1t was the grand reunion of the Blue and
the Gray. The place was the National
cemetery, where, beneath the sloping
green sward, shaded by murmuring
trees and dotted with concentric lines of
granite, marked with their names, or else
marked with the grim "Unknown,' y so
many thousands of the nations dead
lie Ii peaceful sleep The actors were
the very men who defended the ridge on
whose slopes the cemetery lies, against
the repeated and desperate assaults by
the very men, twenty five years ago this
very day, who joined them here now in
pledges OF friendship and loyalty to the
common hag and unity of devotion to
common country The place. scene,
and living figures of the men themselves
We're inspiring. Five thousand spec.
tators, men who wore the blue, men who
wore the gray, women who toiled and
wept at home, children born since the
bloody struggle ended, looked on, and
cheered, and laughed and wept by turns.
The procession to the cemetery marched
out from the dusty town at a little after
4 O'Clock. The regular troops led the
way. The 9th New York militia came
next, and behind all their brave array of
new uniforms, sparkling golden lace and
glistening helmets, marched a body. of
men whose Older faces, dusky clothing
and hands bearing no arms, were more
eloquent than all the glitter and parade
In 'front.'. These were the Grand Army
men, amounting in number to battal-
ion, and bhe thin ranks OF their former
foes. Ihere We're not many of these
confederate veterans, bus the people
who lined the wayside eheered until they
were hoarse as their thin ranks passed by
As the line OF ex-Contederates neared
the cemetery they We're made little
fuller by recruits. Most OF them had
-lost a leg ana had hobbled out to tho
road on crutches and waited for their
comrades 20 come along.
Inc center OF the gathering inside was
the arbor, platform of earth about
twelve feet above the ground. Brick
columns support aroof and these columns
are covered with IVY. On this platform
We're gather ed group OF veteran officers.
In the midst OF the array of veteran
officers, nearly all clad in civilian attire,
put adorned with badges OF the Army ct
the Potomac and OF the Army of North
ern Virginia, was Governog Beaver, sur
Robinson, president OF the society of the
Army of the Potomac, introduced as the
presiding officer OF the reunion Gen.
Daniel Sickles.
sIcKLEs' ADDRESS.
This assemblage marks an epoch.
You are the survivors oftwo great armies.
You and your comrades fought here the
decisive battle OF a long and terrible civil
war. twenty-five years have passed, and
now the combatants OF '63 come together
again on your OLD HELD OIL battle, to unite
IN pledges OF love and devotion to one
constitution, one unlon, and one flag
Io-day there are no ylctors, no van
quished. AS Americans we may all
claim q common share OF the glories on
inns oattleneid, memorable for SO many
brililant fcsttssTo arms. No stain rests
on tine coiors OF any battalion, battery
or troop that contended here for victory.
Gallant Buford, who began the battle,
ana brave Pickett, who closed the strug-
gle, ntly represent tne intrepid hosts
that Tor three days rlvalled each other in
titles to martial renown. Among the
hundreds OF memorial structures on this
held, there is not one bearing an inscrip-
tlon that wounds the susceptibilities Of
an honorable and gallant foe. This
meeting is an historical event. We
dedicate here on this battlefield to-day,
an altar sacred to peace. and tranquility
and union. We SOW the seeds of friend
ship between communities and states,
and populations once hostile are now
reconciled. We all share in the rich
harvest reaped by the whole country,
north and south, east and west, from
new America, born on this battlefield,
When the republic ronsecrated her in
stltutions to liberty and Justice. 1t is
sometimes said that 1t is not wise to
psipe.nase e .ne n msmolies Oh clvn war,
ai.i, suun was .ns ..o.,ial ,naAin, pus OUT
@ o..ai.. we vas nuo uels eonspiacy
asaa.n as iule ~ mas noe pios oI .
nnt - uuay sasal 1i mh pomesa;s Az; was
".