The Newtown bee., 1892-08-26
AT PLATTSVIILE, LAST

engagement, the cord was pulled and il
 Haunted gloriously to the wind without
 an accident, in the bright, glowing sun
 hoping that there was, in the entire sue
 cess of that beautiful ceremony, at leas
 something of an omen of what is tt
 come. Nor could help feeling then, a'
 have often felt, that in the whole ol
 that proceeding was a very humble in
 strument. l had not provided the flag
 had not made the arrangement for ele-
 vating it to it's place; had applied {
 very small portion even of my feeble
 strength in raising it. In the whole
 transaction, I was in the hands of tho people who had arranged it and, if I car
 have the same generous cooperation o1
 the people of this nation, I think tho
 flag of our country may yet be kepI
 Haunting gloriously."
 Such was the hope then of the martyr
 president. Alas, civil war followed
 Sumter was fired upon and all through
 the North one cry was raised, "War! to
 restore the Union; war, to avenge the
 flag" Morris, in his military history ot Connecticut, says: "When the stars and
 stripes went down at Sumter, they went
 up in every town and county in the loy-
 al States. Every city, town and village
 suddenly blossomed with banners. On
 forts and ships, from church spires and
 flag staffs. from colleges, hotels, store
 fronts and private balconies, from public
 edifices, everywhere the old flag was flung out and everywhere it was hailed | with enthusiasm; for it's prose became poetry and there was seen in it a sacred value which it had never before possess ed.
 Time would utterly fail me to tell of the thousands of incidents connected with the flag during the war of the Rebellion. One or two must suffice: Gen John A. Dix, secretary of the treasury in Janu- ary, ,1S6l, sent to William Hempill Jones at New Orleans the famous dispatch, Eff any one attempts to haul down the American flag, shoot him on the spot" Gen Butler, on the 7th of June, 1862, or dered William B. Mumford to be hung for tearing down the United States flag from the mint at New Orleans. Barbara Frietchie has been immortalized by Whittier because she waved from her garret window Union flag when Lees army marched through Frederick:
 Up rose old Barbara Frietchie then,
 Bowed with fourscore years and ten;
 BraVest of all in Frederick town,
 She took up the flag the men hauled down; In her attic window the staff she set,
 To show that one heart was loyal yet.
 Up the street came the Rebel tread,
 Stonewal Jackson riding ahead.
 Under his slouched hat, left and right
 He glanced: the old flag met his sight. "Halt!" The dust brown ranks stood fast. "Firer Out blazed the rife blast,
 It shivered the window, pane and sash; It rent the banner with seam and gash. Quick as it fell, from the broken staff
 Dame Barbara snatched the silken scarf. She leaned lar out on the window sill
 And shook it forth with royal will.
 "Shoot, if you must, this gray old head
 But spare your country's flag" she said.
 On the 3d of April, 1865, the stars and capitol, Richmond; and, on the 9th of April, Gen Lee surrendered to Gen Grant. The cruel war was over.
 On the 18th of May, 1865, an order was issued from the war department restor- ing to the custody of the States the flags and banners of their respective regiments and batteries. They were returned and received with appropriate ceremonies. The 17th of September, 1879, is known in Connecticut as Battle Flag day. On that day, the anniversary of the battle of An tietam, the 10000 veterans of this State met at Hartford and, regiment by regi- ment, each bearing it's own colors, faded and torn, war worn and battle rent, trans ferred them from the State arsenel to a suitable place provided for them in the State capitol. Gen Hawley, in present. ing the flags to the governor of the State said: ''We shall make many pilgrimages to the shrine where these standards are to rest. We shall often recall, as we do to-day, the comrades who dared to die in following these emblems of duty and glory and shall revive the innumerable l memories of four years of marvellous ex- altation. But it is quite certain we shall | never again be summoned as battalions, with trumpet and drum, banner and cannon for even noble holiday like this. | Let the flags rest. In few years, these 1 men will no longer be able to bear arms | for the land they love, but these weather | worn and battle torn folds shall remain I thrnuph tha fncfifuinar hot Connecticut was true to free government l and pledging her future fidelity. It can never again be doubted that the great ! Republic can find millions of defenders | in day of trouble and millions of bles- sed women to sustain them. These poor shreds and humble slaves, to be glorified in the eyes of future generations, have witnessed the dedication of continent to justice, equal rights, union and liber- ty."
 In accepting the flags in behalf of the State, Gov Andrews among other things, said: s"They come back to us riddled by shot, tattered and torn, blackened and grimed with the smoke and powder of battle, but they bring us no word of flight pr dishonor. They speak to us of the many displays of manly and heroic vir- tues which, amid the duties of war, have illustrated the character of the sons of Connecticut. With pathos at which every heart softens and every eye grows linn, they tell us of the many thousand soldiers from our State, who, counting lot their lives dear, willingly laid them Town for the honor of their country. That sacred and mysterious sympathy