The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-11-15

ly volieys of musketry; regiments have I met In the shock of dreadful battle;
 regiments have charged breastworks
 bristling with opposing bayonets; regi-
 ments have assaulted batteries beich-
 Ing forth shot and shell, grape and ean-
 ister and in all maneuvers of the bat
 tlefield regiments have met death in all
 his varied forms. But in these cases
 the charge. the assault. the battle
 the soldier Is so buoyed up by excite
 ment that he scarcely realizes that
 death is all about him. But how differ
 ent with us during those three never
 to-be-forgotten months. The scourge
 was busy in our barracks night and
 day. selecting his victims from our
 best and most valued comrades, filling
 our hospitals to everflowing. Death
 was on every hand. Day after day
 week after week, the silent destroyer
 was busy in his mournful work, and
 we were daily called upon to lay his
 victims in the silent grave. Those
 days of gloom and sorrow were far
 worse than any experience we could
 have had on the battlefield.
 | But if those days were sad to us, how
 much worse was 1t in the fair city of | New Berne where hundreds of the poor
 people were stricken with the dreadful
 fever and added to the long list, of un-
 timely dead. Without proper medical
 attendance, many of them without the
 necessarles of life. unable to procure
 assistance of any kind, deserted by all.
 or nearly all who could find the means
 of leaving the stricken city; these poor
 people were dependent largely on such | slight aid as could be rendered by the
 troops then on provost duty. 2. Oh, the horror of those days of 1864! | When, on the streets of New Berne
 scarcely q person could be seen save
 the guard and the few others perform
 ing necessary duty, when at night | blazing bonfires were kept burning on
 the principal street corners as possi-
 ble aid in preventing the further spread
 of the dread pestilence. Those who
 have passed through this terrible ex-
 perience will never express desire to
 have it repeated.
 To the memory of those of our com rades, who died here of yellow sever in 1864, and those who perished on the battletields near New Berne and Kins- ton. we to-day, dedicate this monu- ment. We hold their memory in re- spect and esteem; for their prompt re- sponse to duty, at their eountry's call. Believing as they did, that the safety of the nation depended upon the suc- cess of the Union army, they left their homes. and all that men hold dear on earth, and hurried to take their place in the ranks of the nations defenders They were willing to face the perils of the camp, the march, and the bat tie; and in the progress of time, they surrendered their lives in defense of the cause they had so cheerfully espous- ed. They were self-sacrificing, brave men, and the memory of such men, who die in defense of principle they hold dear and sacred, will never cease to be cherished by the living, who are actuated by the same noble purpose These comrades, in the sacrifice of life in defense of principle, have left an .e3- ample of patriotism for succeeding gen. erations; and it should be our duty, wherever we are, in whatever sphere of life we may be placed, to endeavor to emphasize that example, to-endea Vll' to promote feelings of patriotism, paf- ticularly among the youth of our coun- try. so that, if God so wills, the clouds of war shall again overspread our land, there may be found an ever increasing spirit of patriotism, thatsshall cause practically universal uprising of our whole people, in de- fense of the nations honor.% :.
 I am reminded that among those present on this occasion, there pos sibly may be some, who during the late war, were adherents of the con- federate cause. If so, my friends, we are glad to meet you, permit me to say, that the hands, that during the years of war, grasped the weapons of war are to-day exte9ded to you in fellowship, and hearty fraterna1 greet ings. We believe that, in the dedica- tion of this monument, to the memory of our fallen comrades, we have your hearty good will, for, as old soldiers, we know that brave men, though for a time they are separated by contrary opinions, will always respect the mem ory of equally brave. men.
 We are glad the war is over, and has become a thing of the past, a mat ter of history. @.,' A$1
 Though on opposing sides during the conflict, we recognize the fact, that you, as well as we, were actisg upon con victions of duty, and when a man does that, who can justly criticise him? Men differ in business matters, they differ honestly in their opinions on political questions, they differ very largely in religious matters; but when a man is ready to stand up in defense of his principles, when convinced he is correct in his estimate of duty, who | has moral right to condemn him for such action?
 There doubtless comes a time, when l men as they become older, and more mature, are led to change the1r opin- | ions, and convictions, sucn, T. believe, to be the case tte-day; where thirty | years ago, there existed great difference as to the policy of the government, toll that extent that the country was divid- | ed into two great sections, yet to-day, after the lapse of these years, we are, | [ believe, united in this one great idea, loyalty to our undivided nation And | should foreign nation attempt to in- | wade our shores, the men of North | Carolina would respond to the nations call simultaneously with the men of a.. ..=