The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-07-04

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| appreciate your cOmradeship and good fel
| lowship, and we felt that when we came
within the influence OF your MONIES and
| households in time of peace your hospitality
would equal your loyalty ana galiantry ol
| regret exceedingly, sir, that the presl-
| dent of our society, Gen. John G. Parke, is
not here in person to perform the pleasant
| duty which has fallen upon me in his ab-
sence' but | desire to say for him
army that you and your fellow citizens,
| and especially the committee having charge
| OF these arrangements, have our hearty ap-
probation of the kind and generous spirit
with which you are endeaVoring to make
| our stay here enjoyable.
There is not a soldier in this hall who
| hasn't served with some man from Maine. |
| myself have the liveliest recollections OF
| your 10th regiment in the valley of the Shen-
andoah, and of the 3d. and 4th, and 18th.
corps. We remember with pleasure that
your state has given our society one of its
best presidents and the very best secretary
any society ever had, and we know from our
daily reading that you are well supplied with
material ready for and equal to any emer-
gency which may arise in the nation, should
good men be needed.
Ii, sir, when we have departed and your
city has resumed its normal condition, we
shall have left behind us pleasant memories
ance of your esteem, the object of our re-
union will have been fulfilled.
General Coils then introduced the Hon.
Horatio King of Washington, d. O., the
poet The poem prepared by Mr.. King for
the occasion, and read by him, is printed on
the second page of this paper.
After another selection by the quartette,
General Coils introduced General Francis A.
Walker, the orator, who was received with
applause. General Walkers address is
printed in full on the second page.
When the applause which greeted the
speaker at the close of the grafton, had died
away. Chambers Band struck into a medley
of lively operate airs, after which General
Coils said that before beginning the busi-
ness meeting the members of the society
would no doubt be anxious to hear from
scme of the distinguished men upon the
platform. He then introduced General
Sherman. The name of the hero of the
March to the Sea was the signal for thun-
derous burst Of applause. The great audi
ence arose and the corps flags were waved
by excited veterans as the greatest living
American general advanced to the front of
the platform. When quiet was restored,
General Sherman spoke as follows:
General Sherman's Speech.
Comrades Of the Army Of the Potomac and
Ladies and Gentlemen of Portland:
= 1t is not the food we eat that gives us
health Snd strength, but that which We di-
gest. 1t isS3 with the mind 1t is not the
books we read, Or the newspapers either
Tlaughterl, or even th6Sspeeches we hear that
enlarge our understandingsQutt those which
we comprehend and digest Now, my
friends, have had good deal OF experience
in my life, and l have learned since Iias,ye
been upon this stage that the grand review
In Washington terminated when the Army
of the Potomac passed. GGreat laughter.l 1t
reminds me of story which General Tyler
Is said to have told to an applicant for office
in Washington who urged his claims upon
having been at Beuna Vista. General Tyler
said that he had heard of so many things
having occurred there that, although he had
thought he was there himself. he had come
to the conclusion that he was not there at
all.
Now, L have so many fresh memories of
that grand review that l think that | was
there, and l think that that review occupied
three full days. [Applauss The first day
llaughterl, and | was upon the stage at that
time, as am now, taking notes of the posi-
tions, that might profit by them. For, if
you remember. my young friends, and old
friends too, the armies of the West did not
have fair reputation for order, drill and
discipline. You got your news of US through
rebel sources lgreat applausel, and we chased
them for 1900 miles into your very camps.
Iney mad not very good opinion Of our
anthoritias in WashinotoD baSI.e+ ,,erS, e,,1
good opinion of our western armies. They
thought we were rather liable to disorder
Now assure you, my friends of the Army
OF the Potomac, that we were better drilled
army than you were; Laughter and ap-
plause.l l know it, because was their COM
manding general. Laughter and applause. ]
Now let me give you little bit of private
history, which have not given to any ex-
cept my most intimate friends. l was on
that stand before Meade was, and indeed be-
fore President johnson and his Cabinet had
gotten tbere. Meade came with his staff, as
| you have heard described, and as he wheeled
into the gate of the White House grounds,
| up came Custer, and some lady flung him a
| wreath, one of those. circular wreaths, and
| in trying to get it his mare made off with
| him, and he went by like shot, and Custer
was not reviewed at all, and his brigade of
| cavalry would not have passed muster on
the Champs de Mars in Paris. The horses
were good, the men were sublime, but they
were not good looking for review.
| Now the four corps passed in succession,
| and the intervals between them were so
| large that kept my eye upon them and
| watched them all the time, and the worst
| mistake the Army of the Potomac had were
two bands loaned you by the stay
| at-h0mes in Washington. They were those
| elegant bands, designed to play music of the
highest order and the latest operas. You
| could not understand them, and l don't
blame you for it. You did not keep step.
| Now the first duty of a soldier is to keep
step and dress right and keep the eyes to
| heads round, like country gawks, looking at
| the big people on the stand. Laughter and
| applausel Those are little things. You
| know there, are tricks in every trade, my
| young friends; tricks in war as well as in
peace. turned to Meade and said, II am
afraid my poor volunteer corps will make a
| poor appearance when contrasted with your
well-fed men," and Meade says, "Well, Sher-
man, the people in Washington are no v SO
well well disposed ! toward the army
not be afraid. Laughter and applause
Well, that evening l got word from Gen.
Augur that If l wanted those two bands
| could have them. l said, "Thank you,
think will stick to my old bands" and
sent word that night to all my corps COM
manders: ''Be careful about the intervals
| according to the tactics and keep your dress
| q the ieft to the reviewing stand, and don't
Il1bsoyonr men be looking around over their
sir,u ssihUuaitors. tors We will give them plenty OF
sho;r abeer s one srees.iew is over. Let them keep
Ineir eyes 10 g,ees to the front, their should.
ers square ana h-erch in their old accus.
Toned way. Ana Shey did so. Well, after
the reviewing was over. | contend the two
constituted a thing OF magnificent propor.
tion credltable to both. As 10 the patriotism
within their hearts; as To the nrincinIes
which moved those great masses of men to 4
common purpose we need not speak- hecanse
history has treated of it for 25 years. The
| most brilliant minds of our country and fine
most eloquent tongues have spoken of it and
| nothing more can be said upon that point
But upon the simple quetion of instruction
and discipline we can take lessons to the
very last dogs of our lives.
Now Gen. Walker, for whom / have a
| great affection as well as profound respect
| did not give an account OF the cost In human
life in furnishing that bold cavalry, nor the
great corps that furnished the war with
lieve in Him who rules over us, that thu
country spent one thousand millions Of dol
lars and one hundred thousand precious
lives to teach them the art of war.
Now let your children digest these
and remember tlat this country extends
over continent, not confined to one part
that there are good people everywhere
Think, you people Of Portland look west
ward 5000 miles, there is another Portland. /
child of your own loins and stronger, I won'
say more beautiful. and yet, would be pre-
pared to argue that question with any one
| Laughter and applause], for | have neyel
yet seen sight more beautiful than Mt
Hood. You people of Portland should b.
| proud of such a namesake, for | suppose i
comes from this part of the world, and tha
| il is growing like tho Uraat West. that ~ nil