Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1894-07-20

But what of 1861 In June of that yea
| after the disastrous battle of Chancellors
vile the Rebel Army again came north
ward, this time they did not stop in Mary
land, but pushed forth their legions int
the very heart of Pennsylvania. From
Chambersburg to the Susquehannah the
tread of their veteran army pressing oui
soil, and the rumble of their artillery
wheels was heard in our mountain passe;
and along our valleys, till concentrating al
Gettysburg; the great battle of the wal
was fought resulting in the triumph OF the
Union arms, and the driving back of the
invader from our soil.
In this emergency Capt. W. X. Hutchi-
sons Co. +, 56th Regt. Pa, Militia; Capt. T. L.
Gillespie's Co. G, and Capt W. Nj. Clark,S
Co. |. 5sth Regt., Pa. Militia, which vol
unteered for 90 days; entered the service
and rendered important and patriotic SER
vice.
In 1864 Capt. W. r. Hutchison's Co. A,
and Capt. G. L. Braun's Co. b, 9th Pa.
Artly., enlisted for one year and perform
ed service in front of Washington, on the
Virginia side of the Potomac, out to Man
asses.
In the early part of 1865 Capt. r. l.
Boggs recruited company in the southern
part of our county, for one year, this COM
pany was accepted by the government and
become Co. Z 18th Pa. Vols. and was
ordered to Nashville Tenn. where they re-
mained until discharged.
This was the last company to enter the
service during the war. In the spring OF
1865 came Appamatox and final victory to
the Union Arms, the authority OF our
Govrnt was restored to, and our flag again
fioated over every inch of our territory,
but oyer 800, 600 of our noblest and best
had died that the nation might live.
In mentioning these companies do not
mean to say that all who went out from
Butler county to the defence of the Gov
ernment were enrolled in them, nor that all
the Butler county soldiers who gave up
their lives during the war, fell in their
ranks. No, l know that very many men
from Butler county served IN other organ
izations-the 4th, 7th, 9th and 10th IA.
Cav. and the 23rd, 61st, 62nd, s3rd, S3rd,
101st, l04th, 105th, 155th, 19Oth and l9lst
Pa. Infantry Regs. and the 9th Pa Heavy
Art'ly, and other organizations from Penn
sylvania had many Butler county men in
their ranks-within the circle of mile and
a half from nv old home in Concord twp,
| know of six young men, four Of whom
were killed in battle and two died IN prls
on. not one of whom was in Butler coun-
ty organization.
And how did the soldiers from our coun-
ty perform their dutiesf That is an i'm
portant question for us on this occasion. II
they performed them heroically and nobly,
gratitude demands at our hands, that we
who enjoy the rich heritage of Union
preserved, should not permit the names OF
the memories of the fallen to perish.
| have made the military history OF ouI
county somewhat of a study, and l am
glad, my fellow citizens, to say, here in
your presence and hearing to-day, here al
the monument we dedicate to the fallen,
do not believe that single company thai
went out from Butler county ever disgrac-
ed its regiment, its county or it's colors-
they took your flag forth with them, they
bore it without dishonOr through the fiery
ordeal of many of the bloo6iest battles Of
of the war They returned it to you un'
sullied without star erased or single
stripe polluted"
The severe losses in killed and wounded
of many of the companies mentioned in the
bloodiest battles of the war attest the fideli.
t. and bravery with which they stood by
our flag when the bolts of death fell thick
tie IN a number of these com panies stands
among the highest of any organizations in
in our whole army. In the companies
have mentioned, as near as 1 can ascer-
tain, 36l gave up their lives in the service.
Add to this those who fell in other organi-
cations and it would swell the honored list
of patriot dead u over 500.
| believe that there was not single
corps in all our armies but what had Butler
county men in it. | believe there was not
a single state over which the red tide OF
battle surged, but was dyed with
the blood Of Butler county's sons. l be-
lieve that to-day the ashes of her dead
mingle with the dust of almost every
battle field of the war.
Where do our fallen restR Some OF
them wounded, or stricken by disease
came home to die, and in quiet church
yards and cemeteries of our county they
sweetly sleep the years away Some sleep
on the battlefields where they tell. Some
by the rivers and Mountain ranges of the
south, aud some by the sobbing sea. The
graves of some are known, but many are
unknown. Some sleep in the beautiful
National Cemeteries of our land These
Cemeteries are places of beauty, cal eiully
guarded and tended by the Nations hand,
adorned by walks and trees, and shrubbery
and well kept lawns, as though repeating
the poets question "Why should a dark
immortality" The flag meath which they fell
floats from the staff over them. The
over 10000 who died within the
gloomy stockade at Audersonville
now repose in a cemetery made beauti-
ful by the hand and care of the government
Butler county boys are sleeping there. Go
to the beautiful cemetery at Gettysburg,
on some of the headstones there you will
read the names of some of Butler cosnty
sons who fell in that battle. So at Airing
ton and Stone River and many other OF
our national cemeteries.
This monument which we to-day dedi-
cate is to the memory of all who gave up
their lives for our country during the war
it matters not whether they served in q
Butler county organization or in an organ
ization outside the county, whether they
fell amid the smoke and storm of battle,
or whether with fevered brow and parched
tongue they gave up their lives in the hos
pital, this monument is for them, for all
who died for our country.
Money spent in memorials to valor and
devotion to duty and country is not spent
monument that touches the heart that
awakens and stirs all the nobler and better
qualities of our nature. What teachers ol
patriotism such monuments arel Who can
look upon them with indifference Who car
estimate what Bunker Hill Monument has
been to us as q nation And what it has
been to US as nation, this monument vii
be to us as a county, teacher of patriotism
for all the future; there all our patriotic
impulses can gather, and around it car
cling; and should the hour of danger ant
trial come, as come it may, should our sky
darken, as darken it may, then this monu
ment will be more eloquent in its vOicelest
appeal to patriotism and duty than thu
words of any orator And oh! | think as
contemplate our troublous times, how
much we need pure patriotism. 1t is Oul
country's reliance, il should be taugh
from our pulpits, and in our schools
Obedience to, and respect for our laws
and order, the youth should be taught what
our government and liberties have cost anC
the great value of peace and law and order
they should be taught to love our country
and respect its laws, they should bt
fought that next to the Cross of Calvary
our flag, the glorious stars and stripes i,
the most sacred emblem on earth. Perils
are still thickly around US, Eternal vigi-
lence is still the price of liberty, for as the
poet has said "Not yet msyst thou un-
brace thy corselet, or lay by thy sword
nor yet, oh Freedom, close thy lids in slum-
ber, for thine enemy never slumbers OF
sleeps, and thou must watch and combat
until the new earth and heaven"
1t is said that the children of ancient
Greece for 300 years were taught to repeat
by memory the names OF the 800 who fell
at Thermopylae
While Greece was patriotic, Greece was
oh 70 har