Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-16

Gen. w. r. Aylett.
sion train depot of the Pennsylvania road.
There was warm welcoming. and the griz-
zled mel who wore the gray, and the ladies
accompanying them, went at once to their
hotels to remove the travel stains and get
ready for the reunion.
Exercises ut Central Hall.
There was a large audience assembled in
Central Hall this afternoon when the hour
of o'clock approached and included in the
gathering were prominent Grand Army
men. members of the patriotic societies.
many of the well-known confederate vet
Grams and number of ladies.
Commissioner George Truestiell welcomed
the visitors behalf of the citizens CT the
national capital.
Commissioners TrnesdeIrs Address.
Col TrIesdel said:
Veterans of the Armies of Grant and Lee
and Gentlemen of the North and the South:
II gives me great pleasure to extend to you
and your friends a cordial welcome to the
capital of the republic 1t is fitting that
this reunion should be held here. This has
become the chief convention city OF
country, the common meeting place for ali
cur countrymen, the Mecca of all patriotic
Americans Here was the center of the
theater of operations by the Army of the
Potomac: here are the tombs Of many of
its great leaders and of thousands of Union
AMI confederate soldiers who sleep in un
known graves. Here reside in large num-
lers the survivors of both armies. closely
allied In the peaceful pursuits of life. and
rivals only in their manifestations of love
of country and desire to fulfil in the most
patriotic manner their obligations citi-
e ms of a common country. Here runs that
historic river which gave its name TO one
army. and with which are associated many
nkf ~
with that sanguinary struggle in which
the brave and loyal veterans here assem-
tled fought upon opposing sides. 1t IS aD-
propriate. therefore. that here, amid such
surroundings and associations, the men
from the north and the south. the veterans
of the TWO greatest armies of modern
times, should meet TO dis the Gl)ries of
the past. to rejoice in the blessings OF
peace and. amid comradeship born OF such
associations. to renew their pledge OF
fealty to a common ana reunited country.
Armies of Grant md Lee.
The reunion of the surviving members of
a great army is always an interesting
event, but the reunion of veterans of the
two great armies of Grant and Lee. in
the capital of the nation. during the ex-
element of a presidential campaign. is a
spectacle which must kndle in the breast
of every true American the most patriotic
emotions and challenge the attention of
the world In what other country could
such event take place? Where. except
in our own country. would it be possible
for the surviving members of two such
armies, who had faced each other on many
a bloody field. to meet even in a time of
profound peace. not only without danger.
directly or indirectly. to the state. but as
comrades and brothers, each respecting the
other. and with every trace of bad blood
removed? What is the explanation of this?
Was there less earnestness. less bravery
or less bitterness. displayed on our battle
HslfI fhay1 ru-r,G cHf Urot1 IL.
lotte or Sedan? Let the record of the brave
and earnest men who stormed the heights
of Fredericksburg or who yielded I'D their
lives at Cold Harbor and in the bloody
angle at Spottsylvania answer. Were there
no acts of heroism displayed in our war
equal to the charge of the Old Guard at
Waterloo or of the light brigade at Balak-
lava? Let the record of the dauntless men
who rode to death and glory under Farms
worth at Round Top or climbed the rugged
heights of Cemetery Ridge in Pfckett's
immortal charge answer, Was the fight
ing or the carnage less severe in our civil
war than during the Franco Prussian war;
Let the record Of the Is 912 men of the
Army of the Potomac who We're killed and
died of wounds. as against the grand tot al
OF only 2s,2I9 of Germans killed and died
of wounds during the whole of the Franco
Prussian war, answer, The loss of the
French army during the war with Prussia
ana the loss Of the confederates in our own
war are not known. and, therefore can
not be compared The loss of the Germans
In killed and wounded. however, was only
S.2I9. as against the Union loss of 10 U70
Killed and wounded during cur war of the
rebeiiion. or but little more than One-forrf h
OF that of the Union army ard but little
more than one-haIf of the loss in our one
Army OF the Potomac. The loss in killed,
ilciudins those who died from wounds In
the Army of the Potomac was ~ Der cent
OF the total loss in killed and died from,
wounds in the entire Union army during
the whole war Assuming that tho con-
1e6erate loss equaled or aDprOyimated tba
Inion loss. and the appalling figures s11fF
GENTLY establish the sangu7.ary character
of the struggle. and show that IL was CON
tinued to the end with even greater bitter
ness and determination than had accom-
panied the most bloody wars between other
nations. ~
When the War Ended.
when these great armies were disbanded
AT the close OF the war. it was predicted nv
enemies or the republic. and feared bI,
many OF Its friends. that these veteran SOL
oilers. suddenly released from military re-
straint and discipline would ride rou,b
shod over the civil authorities and seriously
threaten the peace and order of the whole
country: that General Grant would mo
claim himself dictator. and the Constitu
ton and the Union would be overthrown b,,
the very men who had fought to preserve
them How little was the character of the
American soldier understood by the person
who uttered such sentiments, There Were
few. If any. men on either side who did MOI
have clear and distinct idea of the cai,sa
CT the war. Every soldier knew that it was
neither a rebellion on the part of the south
against tyrannical government nor a war
OF conquest and subsection on the part OF
the north The irrepreSsible conflict between
freedom and slavery, which had ragged for
many years. with an earnestness and hit
terness that repeatedly threatened a disso-
luton of the Union. had eliminated in the
election of Abraham Lincoln. upon a plat
form hostile TO the extension of slavery A
constitutional right. principle. a hereSy-
call ii what you will-fatal to the perpetuity
of the Union. was Immediately asserted or
one side and denied on the other; and NOR.
than SDoD lives lost in battle attest the
bravery and determination with which the
right of secession was combated by the
north and defended by the south. Never
were larger or Drawer armies marshaleC
under more skillful commanders. and never
was great war fought to finish with
greater honor to either side. When the enc
came. however. contrary to the fears Of
some. and the predictions of others, there
were no afterclapS. no conflicts between
rowing bands of soldieFS,--Hc i;reying upor
the country by armed men. no defiance OF
civil authority by thei soldiers of either
side: the veterans of the south as We'll as
the north became the conServatOrS of .dH
and order everywhere, and whatever dis