The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-10-16
VETERANS AT GETTYSBURG
Monument to Fallen Members Of the
l43d Regiment Dedicated.
ADDRESS By 4. j. COLBORN. JR
brilliant Review of the Scenes Which
Have Made the Battle. Ground Famous.
Eloquent and Mastery Tribute to
the Living and Dead Heroes.


was stationed during the second
and third days of the battle of Gettys-
burg.
The principal address of the day was
delivered by A. j. Colboim. jr, of Scran-
| ton. Mr.. Colborn. whose remarks We're
listened to with close attention, spoke
as follows:
| This has been called the resting place
| OF the dead. l would call it the resting
place of the living. Truth Is immortal
imperishable and will never die. and each
citizen who rose above the fog of party
environments. and human sefshness
ana offered his life as a sacrifice for
the maintenance and establishment of
truth, will live forever though he sleeps
in his 'windowless palace of rest"
We are here today TO honor the living.
men who gave up their lives that the
great truth proclaimed in the Declaration
of lndependence-'that all men are Gre
ated equal"-misht be established, and
that generations yet 10 come could eXult-
ingly cry, You have made our country
the home of the brave and the land Of
the free The men who walked in Nicks-
burg with fire, who cut Off Atlanta and
felt their way 10 the sea, who went over
Missionary Ridge in a cloud of powder
and flame. who saw God at Chattanooga,
who went into the jaws of death at Get
tysburg, will not, and cannot die. though
we may speak of the fallen as dead.
Their valor and heroism made time the
song of freedom, imprinted upon and rung
out to the world by the old liberty bell on
Independence hall In seventeen hundred
and seventy-six proclaim liberty
throughout all the land, unto all the in
habitants thereof"-and they made it pos
sibe for that bell to ring out that song
in truth to the people of the south on its
journey to Atlanta.
We honor ourselves in honoring the
memory of our fallen soldier boys. Moth
ing that we can say. or do today, can
add to. or detract from, the renown of our
patriotic dead. for 1t Is no less than fame
proclams it, and It could be no greater
than it Is. Their comrades who touched
elbows with them midst shrieking shells
and whis Ting bullets. will cherish their
recollections of them through life, and
the nation in whose interests they fell, for
whose supremacy they contended, has, in
chiselel marble and enduring bronze,
caused them to speak with lips that move
not, yet talk, to those who loved them in
life. who sincerely mourn their loss, and
to millions innumerable of those who,
coming with the generations yet unborn.
will honor their patriotism, and will wor-
ship at the shrine of human liberty. at
which they kneit with all the earnestness
of their manhood.
1t Is not disparagement to our grand
galaxy of heroes to say, that among the
many, the volunteer soldier was the one!
As the magnificent image of-the-Chrfst-
God in the great cathedral of Monreale
dominates the immensely of the building
as Pallas ruled supreme In the Parthenon
and Jovc in the Olympian temple. so does
the name Volunteer. above all other, stand
among that great throng of heroes who.
neglectng all pursuits, abandoning all
trades and professions. leaving home
wife. childran, all-of every creed Of all
parties-marched under the banner of the
Union, and tasted the bitter dregs Of the
cup of sorrow and pain, in order that re-
publican institutions might not perish
from the face of the earth They need
no magnificent arch of victory. no monu-
mental pile pointing heavenward and COW
cred all over with story Of their deeds, 10
preserve their memory, for they are en-
shrined in the hearts Of a grateful peo-
ple-there to live as long as a sentiment
Of justice is felt or a chord Of patriotism
vibrates in the human heart. Time will
never efface the record of that valor,
which our citizen soldier gave to the
world, and which upheld our constitution
and preserved us as nation. Gran1er
than the sstateliest silver-voiced, epic, no.
bier than the fairest dream Of chivalry is
the sacrifice of the humblest soldier for
the preservation of his country. Honor
shall the statesman have; glory for
the military chieftains; but the grandest
and truest gift from hearts both loyal and
true the nation grants the private SOL
dier--I.ove!
More Histories Arc Needed.
We are here today. with living wit
nesses. to mark the position of the One
Hundred and Forty-third regiment of
Pennsylvania volunteers In the grand final
repulse; Witnesses who have helped beat
back the tidal wave of the rebellion
Histories of this great battle have been
written, and more will have to be writ
ten ere the true story Of this mighty
struggle can be given to the world. Of
fetal reports, written hastily, while the
smoke of battle was still hanging over
Gettysburg, have been the chief sources
OF information from which writer's have
CLEANED the. facts of "history's golden
crown" Safer. and more reliable than
all these reports, Is the testimony of the
men now living who participated in that
awful contest, who barred their breasts to
the enemy. and who fought side by side
with death IT has been enormously
first days fight ''The One Hundred and
Forty-thrd regiment Of the First corps
got lost In the great body Of fugitives"
Without fear of any contradiction and in
regiment ] pronounce that statement
false. Not only Is Ii erroneous. but un-
true. For you know that Dana's brigade
was the last to leave the field. No. the old
One Hundred and Forty-thrd was not
lost and never did get lost on this field,
nor on any other battlefield. As children
cling to their MOTHER so you rallied
round your colors, always courageous and
ever defiant as was your immortal stand
ard-bearer. "Crippen" You lost many Of
your comrades. but you were never lost.
For three days on this field the battle
ragged and red blood Of brave men WIS
poured out like wine. In ina ginatIon go
back with you and witness that awful
carnage. Under the gallant Reynolds you
were among the first to arrive on the field
and fire upon the enemy. When General
Reynolds fell every man Of you felt you
had sustained personal loss and had a
rev cause to avenge. and under the brave
and heroic General Doubleday you pro-
ceeded to avenge II. The charges and
counter charges of that day are among the
most desperate history ever recorded. Col
onel Dana's brigade seemed the incarna-
ton OF fearlessncss, and almost annihi-
lated three separate rebel brigadcs ere Il
was compelled to retreat--and that We
treat was almost disastrous to the enemy
as charge would have been. Loading
and firing while retrea ting. every inch ~
the ground was fiercely contested. Your
gallant color-bearer went down defyinp
the rebel hosts; but your colors came WITH
you; for Conyngham, DeTacy and Blair
were there. and above the din and roar OF
battle could be heard the cry zone Him.
dred and Forty-third. rally on your co., |
ors," and the colors So bravely borne bv
Crippen were saved. After the f,gh,inr |
retreat back through the town tho Fjrst |
corps took up its position to the left OF |
the cemetery on Cemetery Hill. Here. IN |
July 2. subject to railing artillery flre |
and supporting the left opposite the jaft |
center, Dara's brigade remained tbroueh.
out the contest. firm and nnyIelding Tho |
ominons preparations and srllen activity |
Of July made you conscious that soon |
you were to witness that which made nj, |
battles seem insignificant and Gettys. !
burg immortal.
The Bnttic described.
At a little after 3o'clock in the fterpoor |