Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-07-04

RACES from AaDy STATES.
The Exercise OF Ths Day Attended
BY Great Crowds.
PoRrLAsD. July Although stormy
toiay has been great day for the Army Of
the Potomac boys who are present in large
numbers.
| The meetings Of the diferea. army corps
were held this morning. most of them in
various parts Of the city bull ling.
| At some of the meetings there was large
attendance. at others only a dozen or 90
members were present. All the meetings
we're enthusiastic.
The programme for the afternoon was:
Nasic BY he Band.
Prayer.
| fotlOafri Ds Army Songs.
Bana.
| Welcome by the Mayor.
| N0,al tsaartette.
| kespoRse By the Acting President, Gen. Charles
| ii. r Coils
| Music By the Band
| Poem by Hon. Horatio King.
I veterans Hy MAI W W BO1gH+
Vocal t,uartetts.
Of.tioB by Hon. b. A. " alker.
Music BY the Band.
| Miscellaneous Adifesses by Generals sherman
| Howard Porter and Others.
| When General John Marshall Brown
stepped on the City Hall stage with General
Sherman on bis arm, the great audience
rose and gave the Old war hero three rous-
ing cheers.
N
peared and three more hearty cheers were
| given. |, vas an enthusiastic scene.
Prayer was offered by Rev. Norman Fox,
of the 77th New York.
| After Mayor Melcher's address of vel
come, General Coils, the presiding officer
| responded.
The poem by Hon. Horatio King, was a
beautiful thing, and held the great audience
intent until the last word was spoken.
General Walker. the speaker Of the after
noon, made an eloquent Grafton which
thrilled the hearts Of his listeners and was
often and enthusiastically spplauded.
After the orstion by General Walker v 40
finished the chairman introduced General
sherman, who was given a prolonged ova-
| ton and spoke several minutes as follows:
Comrades of the Army of the Potomac
and Ladies and Gentlemen Of Portland 1t
is not the food We eat that gives US health
aud strength. but that which we digest. 1t
is 40 with mind. IL is not books we read
or newspapers either laughter or even
.peeches we hear that enlarge our under
standing. bu. those which we comprehend
and digest. Now, my friends, have had
Il good deal of experience in my life, and
have learned since have been upon this
stage that the grand review in Washington
terminated when the Army Of the Potomac
passed. Great laughter
II reminds me OF the story which Gener-
al Taylor is said to have told to an applican,
for an ofIce in Washington, who urged his
claims upon having been at Buena Vista.
General Taylor said that he had heard of
SO many things having occurred there, that,
although he had thought he was there him
self, he had come to the conclusion that he
was MOI there at all, Now, have so many
fresh memories of that grand review that
think was there. and think that that re.
view occupied three full days. Applause.
The first day, the Army of the Potomac
bad the floor. laughter and | was upon
the stage at that time as am now. taking
notes Of the positions 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 (great applause. and we chased
them for eighteen hundred miles into your
very camps. They had not very coed
opinion of cur western armies, and we
found that even the authorities in Wash
inRtoo had not very good opiuion of our
westtrn armies. They thought we were
rather liable to disorder. Now. | assure
you my friends of the Army Of the Pot1-
mac, that we were a better drilled army
than you we're. daughter and spplsuse).
know it, because was their commanding
general. daughter and applause. Now,
let me give you a little bit of private his
tory which | have not given TO anyone ex-
eept my most intimate friends. | was on
that stand before Meade was. and.
indeed, before President johnson
and his csbinet had gotten there.
Meade came With his staf, ss you have
heard described, aud as he wheeled into the
gate of the White House grounds. up came
Custer, and some lady flung him wreath,
one of those circular wreaths and in try ing
TO get it his mare made off with him, and
he went ty like shot, and Custer was not
reviewed AZ all. and his brigade Of cavalry
would not have passed muster on Champs
de Mars, in Paris. The horses were good,
the men sublime, but they were not good
looking for review. Now four corps passed
in succession, AMI the intervals between
them were 40 large that kept my eye upon
them and watched them all the time, and
the worst mistake OF the Army Of the Po-
tomsc was that it had two bands loaned you
by the stay st-hsmes 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 don't blame you for it. You did rot
keep step. Now, the first duty of soldier
is to keep step and dress right and keep
eyes to front. Now, good many of them
turned their eyes and heads round, like
country gswks, looking at the big people
on the stand. Laughter and applause
Those are little things You know there
are tricks in every trade. my young friends,
tricks 10 war as we'll as in peace. turned
to Meade and said Il am afraid my poor
volunteer corps will make poor appear
ance when contrssted with YOUR we'll fed
men" and Meade says We'll, Sherman,
people in Washington are now so we'll dis
posed toward the army that they will make
all allowances. You need not be afraid
Laughter and Applause. Well, that
evening got word from General Anger
saying that if | wanted those two bands
could have them. | said Thank you, I
think will stick to my old bands. and
| sent word that night TO all my corps COM
manders TO be careful about Intervals &C
coriiug 10 tactics and keep your dress to
left toward. the reviewing stand, aud don't
let yonr men be looking around over their
shoulders
We will give them plenty of time to see
the capitol and see everything after review
is over. Let them keep their eyes fifteen
PAGES to the front, their shoulders square
and march in their old accustomed way.
And they did so. Well, after the review
ing was over. contesd that your review
was over but mine Was not. The two con
stituted a thing of magnificent proportion
creii,shle to both. As to patriotism within
their hearts, As to principles which moved
those great masses of men to common
purpose, we need not speak, becsuse his
tory has treated Of il for twenty five years
Mos. brilliant minds of our country sud
most eloqnent tongues have spoken OF it
ard nothing more can be said on ,hst point.
But upon simple question Of instruction
and discipline We can take lessons 70 the
very last days of cur lives.
Nov Gen. Walker, for whom I have
grea, sfeetion as we'll - . profound re-
spec., did rot give an account of the cost
of human life in furnishi q tha. bold cav
airy, nor the great corps tba: furnished the
war with muscle snd brain. l do believe,
I 7 l., ka1 10 hn e,,1e