Evening star., 1896-10-21


lington, SO near our beloved leader. 1t will
remain a memorial to the more than 800
members who died on the field, to those
who have died since the close of the var
and to those of us who are still alive, but for
whom the last roll call will sound so soon.
We are told that the monument is ours but
for today and that 1t must be turned over
to the post Quartermaster Of the War De-
partment. l say to you, though, that ii is
ours for all time, our glorious heritage for
evermore."
Judge Fenn's Address.
The principal address of the day was de-
livered by Judge Augustus II. Fem of the
supreme bench of Connecticut, formerly
major Of the ID Connecticut Heavy Artil-
lery, and an eloquent orator.
In the course of his remarks, Judge Fem
said:
The 18th Connecticut Infantry was the
response of Litchfield county to the call of
the President for additional troops at the
close Of the peninsular campaign in the
summer of 1863 1t sprang armed ano
equipped from the loins of the people, and
Joined full voiced in the answering cry,
I'VE are coming, Father Abraham, three
hundred thousand more!'' Our first service
was under and in a slough. To be the
scavengerS Of Alexandria did not seem very
glorious. but it was like the path of glory
in this, that 1t led many of our dear COM
rades to the grave. Call not such deaths
Entimely, or too early.
Before the fight to fall out of the ranks,
Death and unslain,
To miss their glorious guerdon Of God S
thanks
That die for men;
To fade before the sunset, when the moon
Brightens the brow,
Hush. rebel heart nor answer thou Too
When God calls Now
Whose has loved the light, for him the sun
VIII rise anew,
Whose has done his best leaves naught
uEdone
That man can do
Then came our detail in the forts, long
continued, fully occupied, arduous in many
ways, useful to the country In all ways.
resulting in our transferrence TO another
branch under the name of the I'd Connec-
ticut Heavy Artillery, and fitting us TO bet
ter perform the signal service Waiting for
us i'll the field.
Then came the 17lh day of May, 1864. and
from that time forward L shall here only
say, wherever the history Of the deeds of
the Army of the Potomac, under Grant and
Meade, and of the Army of the Shenando-
ah, Under Sheridan, in that last year of
the war, from the Wilderness through Cold
Harbor to Petersburg, back to Washing
ton, to Winchester, Fishers Hill, Cedar
Creek. Petersburg again. Hatcher's Run,
Sailor Creek to AppomattoX, Shall De III
scribed. pointing with proud finger TO that
record every surviving member of our reg
iment may say, "All of this l saw. and
part of ii l was" So much the living may
say. But what of the dead, who Strewed
its pathway everyNhete? They died that
the nation might live. And thanks be to
God that the nation lives. and they have
their reward.
The state of Connecticut erected this mon
rment in honor of our regiment, and in
memory of its dead. 1t was fitting that it
should do this; fitting, also, that such me-
mortal should be placed in national ccme-
terry. The vines journayed or rested, by
the stars, wherever We went or were. And
when We journey 10 more. but. rest for
ever more. the vines Still cluster about US
and the stars glow in luster above.
Ard 1t is fitting, also, that this monument
should stand in this particular cemetery
and place. 1t in this vicinity that
much of our useful service was performed.
Here some of our fallen comrades sleep.
Here, in the future years, In an especial
degree, those who in the love of our coun-
try seek to pay respect and do reverence to
its defenders will come and Enger and
adore. This will be'Freedom's ana Fame s
eternal camping ground, ano glory VIII
| here abide forever and keep safe and holy
| this bivouac of the dead.
We are here today to dedicate this me-
| mortal. And Yet, hcw true is the thought
expressed in the immortal words of Abra-
| ham Lincoln, at Gettysburg, that such dedi-
caticn cannot be made by words. 1t comes
| from action. Not from the lips, but from
the lie. III Is Tor US, the living, rdlnef, 10
| be dedicated here to that cause for which
| they died; the cause of free government
| to the establishment upon sure and stable
ard immovable foundations of that union OF
states which, though many, shall be one,
| and though denoted by separate stars, shall
constitute a single glorious constellation,
whose radiance shall irradiate and enlight-
| en- the world.
In concluding, he said:
During the war We contributed to, and
largely constituted the defense of the ma
tions capital on this side Of the Potomac.
| AS then, SO now, and hereafter, may it be.
Where we stood, this memorial stands:
where we went, if there be need, other reg
iments hearing the same emblems Of state
and nation shall go, actuated by the same
purpose, animated by the example set for
them in the past. Because our regiment
| lived and did its duty, others like it will
| live and do theirs also. Thus while war
| ring only for a perishing Imperialism, the
| old guard of France, at Waterloo, died,
| though it would not surrender. our regi-
| MELT standing for the eternal rights of
man. also never surrendered. And 1t will