The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-10-21

Well, here We are, under q tent
again. l always feel at home with
Third corps men, and more than ever
in a tent. 1t seems natural and COM
Portable. Rather a good sized tent this
would be for the field, as it holds 1000
or more-but the Third corps is a big
thing and wants a big tent.
l need not tell you, my comrades,
how much satisfaction find in seeing
you familiar faces once more. Every
time this pleasure is given me it seems
like another kind gift OF Providence.
You all know | am one Of the youngest
men here qaughterl yet there are a
few here younger than / am, and every
time / meet you | find it difficult to
persuade myself I am ever to see you
again. Never mind, here we are to-
getler once more; and this time you
and your brave and worthy comrades
OF all the armies have come to WASH
ington in vast numbers, unprecedented
in your history-unprecedented in the
history Of any country so long after II
great war-coming us you. do from
every corner OF the continent. Such q
column OF veteran heroes as marched
yesterday from the capital to the White
House wa spectacle OF which any ma
ton might be proud; most OF You were
volunteers OF 1861, the bloom and flower
of American youth-men gold could not
hire-men moved by pure love OF coun-
try and home, ready to give their lives
and all they had to maintain the Union
and defend the honor Of our flag. lap.
plause.1 Such were the lei we had
from '6l to '65 to follow our standards
through disaster and defeat sometimes,
and always through sufferings and
trials only known to men like you who
have served through a long war.
Well, my comrades, you have con-
quered u worstenemy-you have con-
auered time. You are here to witness
the glory of your service in the pros
perity and power and renown OF the
republic YOU saved. Yes, more than
10000 are here again in Washington
now the capital OF the greatest among
the nations, and soon to be the most
splendid capital in the world. Here
comrades, we are at home-the guests
OF the nation. Applause.
l was, like you, a volunteer. Enlist
ing in the ranks in April 81, under my
lamented friend Vosburg, of the Seventy
first National Guard of New York, |
was soon after invited by the Governor
OF my state to raise n regiment. My OBJ
iections were all overruled. l was told
il was a patriotic duty for n who had
been the political adversary of Mr..
Lincoln, and the devoted friend OF Mr..
Douglas, to give an example to my fel.
low-Democrats OF New York, and ask
them to join me in raising q regiment.
The regiment was 500 enlisted, and
then / was asked to go ahead and enroll
abrigade. Meanwhile / studied half the
night TO learn what to do next day!
Laughter.
How was it that I was able to get on
and make a little reputation in the SER
vice, as / am sometimes told? 1t was
because Ihad such men as you to exc
cute my orders. 1t was because l was
seconded by officers like Taylor, Ora
ham, Dwight, Tremaine, and afterward
by Carr, Ward, Birney, Berry, Ran
dolph, CLARK, Seely, Moore, Whipple,
iSewell, McAllister, Pierce, Marston,
Coils, Medill, and q noble host OF
And what more? 1t was my good
fortune to fall heir to the division OF
the brilliant Kearney, and another di-
vision that had been trained by the
heroic Hooker. Who could have failed
with such troops? We did not fail.
We held diamonds" and diamonds
we're trumps. We held them and we
played them-and We won the game.
LApplause.l
street, in Atlanta, last March. We we're
both invited to dine with st. Patrick,
who gave US a good dinner. st. Patrick
gave us besides some very good Irish
whisky. | wish you could have heard
Longstreet sing the ''Star spangled Ban
ner.n It was about midnight. II there
is one thing Longstreet can do better
than fight, it ia to sing the "Star Span
rled Banner" ! couldn't help giving
him a good strong Corps
hug for that song. l wish he were here
to sing it for you. On our way home,
both Of us feeling pretty good, Long.
street said:
"sickles. how did l get along with the
song to-nightg
20, bullyl" 1 replied; "but it sound
cd as if you hadn't sung it for sometime
"Well,p he said, II guess that is So"
AS l left Lonstreet at his hotel, he
said: :
"sickles, it is quite the fashion at the
North TO call Gettysburg the decisive
battle of the war"
ayes, general" I replied, that is
quite a common saying"
"Well,n he exclaimed, II want to tell
you right here, If it hadn't been for that
did third corps OF yours, l would have
won i'll"
/ want to say a few words to you
about Pleasonton. | am glad to tell
YOU that my visit 10 him this afternoon
was not at all painful, as l was afraid ii
might be, for although he has been q
sufferer for three years in the same
room and in the same bed that daunt-
less spirit, that heroic heart, that brave
eve that led our cavalry to 30 much
glory in the war were all there still.
AZ his pale face rested on the white
pillow the soul Of Pleasonton was
there-not the sinewy frame that detied
fatigue and danger, but the soul was
there, and he was never more animated.
When the time came to say good'by he
gave me his attenuated hand, saying,
asickles, / wish l could go with you to-
night and meet your lei Tell them
for me how we'll l remember that dark
hour at Charlottesville when you gave
me charge OF your guns, with 40 sup
rort but a handful OF my cavalry, when