Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1889-01-04

worthy 10 rank with tlose heroic aiet
WHO fell at 'rhernopylae, or rolled bieh
on the plain Of Marathon the m,rials Of
Persia.
We propose, then, to sing n1 pail
node. to make no apology.
Recognizing the honesty and the man
hood Of those who espoused lie ohcr
-ide, wc demand for ourselves the same
recognition Aud when the atiemot {.
uale to brand our fallen comr,de. =,
rebels and traitors, we repel the charge
IS an insult To tie dead, and hnrl j.
from us with every fibre Of mind ADD
heart.
If ever on earth there was b mi Of
patriots devoted tn their country's cauc,
those men were they Aud never rei
It'd any men prove their deyotjn
thr"ug'i fierrcr trials by fai.er proof.
For four long years the contest raej
md these our comrades we've fried VI u
saficruss as varied aud as great as ,pr
tyil to the lot Of man Yet they falted
not That soldiers in the field shsli
encounter harlhsh ps is plainly inega-
hle. There must be exposure TO hat
and cold to hunger and thirst, to wash-
ing aud fatigue There must be toil.me
marches through choking dust, bsnath
the tJrril sun Of summer, or else thftish
rain and mud aud snow. There aust
be sickness to dread, and dapers
TO dare, aud wounds and imprisons,ut
and death to face. SO far all solers
must fare alike. But all these Thugs
tie Coufederates endured with nos Of
the comforts, none Of tie advances
enjoyed by those who fought az insl-.
they were thinly ad, thcywege prly
fed. The medical chest was w5efly
deficient. When sickness caais-fhe
proper medicines could not be had The
ffightful operations Of military surgery
they had to face with no chloroform to
Iull to rest their Iqlverlug nerves. With
no comforts. no uxuries to cheer, hun;
cry aud ragged, leaving on thu frozen
ground the marks of blood from their
naked feet, they endured all the hard
slips Of camp, they marched and fought
they faced sickness, and danger. and
wounds, and death, with patience
which no fatigue could ever tire. with a
cousttncy which no trials could shake
with heroism which no odds could
daunt, no peril could appall.
Aud il our fallen comrades may claim
our admiration for the purity of their
motives for their lofty pltriotism, their
devotion to duty, their courage also, a-
tested on many j bloody field, is worthy
to be held in imperishable honor.
To doubt that courage would BE- t.,
ignore the teachings of history, and to
shut our eyes to patent facts
When Virginia in 1861 espous@d he
cause of her southern .isters, and ler2
Ter bosom 10 tue storm, i; was wi,hihe
full knowledge that in the clash ot;ams
which was soon to follow she would aye
to contend against heavy odds The
very situation made it inevitable fhe
numerical superiority, the prepop-
dcrance Of resources, would be, We
knew, on the other side Wescould not
hope to array in the field such armies as
the North would send, and when sick
ness and the sword had depleted our
ranks we could fill them only svah
Southern men. 45ffsf.
They had world on which to dfi8
Thousands OF foreigners, Iri,hmenL Ger
mans, would march wa,sss6ssssa,1 .ssis
banner.
Yet uaaismayed ~ lsjB5 a Sads
against her Virginia fitted, tie, gaSa Of
battle, and calling to the field her war
like sons prepared to met the Shock
1t came full soon. Wave after wave Of
invasion rolled across her BORDERS
Once and again was 1nighty host hurl
e1 back shyered in defeat by hey hehgic
defenders Ouce and again did they
renew the onset with Observation-Disclosures
gy, with numbers ever larger, gss,tis
boundleSs resources. For four slng
years the conflict ragged. and iii every
campaign from Bethel to Five: Ferris
the men Of Piusylvania bore4la part
and proved themselves on every Gels
worthy sons Of the Old Dominion... n
In every branch of the service,
whether riding gloriously with Stuart
in the cavalry. or waking The echoes
with the thunder Of their a tillery, or
marching in the scrried ranks of the
infantry, they SHOWED themselves men
of whom their native county need nev Ell
be ashamed, men worthy other cause,
worthy of their immortal leaders, wpr-
thy to follow thac starry cross that fash
ed in triumph over SO many bloody
fields
And whea we remember how little
our comrades had seen of war, the martha
prowcss they displayed reflects new glo.
~ on their native State.
The great achievements Of Il pas
had been performed by veterans The
Ola Guard Of Napoleon had been trained
under tie eye of the greatest captain O
modern times No soldier might ioir
its ranks who had not seen ten Years q
war lis discipline was perfect. 1t.
courage had been tried and tested in th,
fame Of battle lis matchless chief hr.
moulded it to his will, had infused int,
it mistaken trust IN its own proves
had inspired it with unconquerablc firm.
ness, had breathol into it his own au
lacl.y, bis martial ardor, his indomita
BILE purpose
How different with Us! The army O.
Northern Virginia, in July>lS6l, haC
scarcely heard the whistle Of bullet
1t was made up Of men iust-taken froa
the walks of peace farmers, lawyers
physicians, merchants, clerks. Their,
was not at Gettysburg there is not her,
to day, a single man who could hav,
jolned the Old guard of Napoleon. Com
pared with those redoubtable warrior
the battle Scared m,n who laid dow,
arms NJ A nDOnattoy nor, a.