The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-06-11

| be this day: standing "a tlp-tOe, to see
| i'm the coming days. the eyentfui and
noble career held out to him, of
| W njch his past struggles and his
present triumph, CONSTITUTES true har-
! pinger. \ brothers pit;y and love
a virtue. which forms the essential
! fabric of human happiness-has found
expression in this donation and an
nual cercmony-to decorate with the
cross of the legion of honor, the young
orator of Trinity College.
| 1t was tender and ennObing to beStoW
| this Gift 1t should he with conscious
ness of lofty pride and aspiration, chat
| the victor receives 1.-THE Wiley Gray
| Medal.
| 1t is memory Of one who lived and
died. aud in his fateful heroic death
| lives ever again immortal.
| He was a Confederate soldier, This
| is enough 10 say. These words speak
| his fame. but you viii pardon, from
me, a reflection, brief one: for, men
who were heroes in those days and felt
| the red brotherhood of battle, are
| hearers here to-day, and | feel that /
| should be silent.
1t was the spring Of 1861. The nest
| ing bird had. scarce Matched out her
| Young, when the clarion of war blew
|
| years. the world witnessed the most
eyentfui struggle, the annals Of the
| human race records: a war between
| the same people, of like character, Nir-
| tue and courage, and commanded by
| the gcniuses of battle For four years
all the word wondered. Every attri-
| butte of patriotism found its perfect
| illustration. every exalted phase of
| knightly character was realized and
| eNempified; there was struggle of
| giants. The conflicts of past ages re-
manned renowned only in the color
| and glamOr of time when. compared
| with the actual recorded deeds of
| this mighty carnage of war between
the States With the mysterious won
| der of childhood, we dream of the
| gallant band at Thermopylae, or of the
red field of Pharsalia; our English
heart is fired by Hastings or Flodden
| Field, and we thrill at genius woeful
wreck at Waterloo; but the ages will
| proudly speak when history enrolls
| the names of Malvern Hill, Chaifcel-
louisville, Spotsylvania and Gettys-
burg.
| What courage, deprivation. suffer-
| ing, lofty spirit, pure impulse and
| noble achievement, who shall paint
|
thence await to see the celestial brush
| place on the canvas of history these
| undying deeds of valor and heroism.
| Pale and Intellectual will stand the
| legions that rode at Austerlitz. or the
| light brigade at Balaclava, besides
| the gray regiments, which, with
unfaltering tread, took up the steady
march to cross the open field, and up
| the steep to the cannon crowned ram
part of Cemetery Heights. Oh! for
the poets tongue, the painters hand,
| that there might be revealed to after
ages this deed so glorious to our race.
| Thus far in that fatal war our story
leads us. The end at Appomattox
came in 1865. The thin, ragged line
of battle-pulled out until it became
a mere picket line of sentneis-could
| hold no longer, and the remnant sub
mitted to overwhelming numbers
and resources" That banner which
had fioated over so many triumphant
| fields, was furled forever.
| 'Furl it, fold it, it is best"
In a little village of scarce three
hundred souls, nestled in the chestnut
woods of Piedmont North Carolina,
| Wiley Gray passed his bOyhood days
| his footsteps, erring in the chase or
| hunt, were set Alright by the tall cliff
of old Pilot Mountain, which, senti-
| mel like, looked down on every neigh
| boring hilltop. Young, light hearted,
| loved by family and friends, joyous
| in the promises which life so fittinplv
| held out to him, he left the University
| in his junior year, seeking no honors
| of Office, but in the ranks, and in 1862,
nineteen years old, went out to battle
an Offering to home and country. lie
endured the hardships of camp and
march and ON the battle-fields of Fir-
ginia won his spurs.
Fredericksburg and Charlottesville
tell the story of his courage and de-
votion to duty, as he stood beside the
men in gray. He received promotion
from soldiers who had fought by his
| side, became an officer, and was
senior captain of the 57th North Caro-
lima Regiment.
1t was the second of July, 1868, ever
| memorable as the second day of
| Gettysburg; nature lay in the calm of
| her pending storm, the earth slept
| under the warm sun, the leaves hung
motionless, the most powerful army
of the earth held the rock walls which
| crested Cemetery Heights.
To take that position was the task
| Lee mao SET IOT MS men, Il mile OF
| open field, then up the hill in the face
| of death. At the fatal command of
| forward" regiments moved across
the plain-the 57th Regiment was
there, and far up the steep, farther
| than ever before mortal valor had
| led the brave and true, Wiley Gray,
| with sword cleaning over his fair
| young head, lead his soldier compan-
ions, and as the shadow of night came
on the earth, beyond the rock wall,
he fell. This is what his comrades
said, and this is all. And Harry
| Percy's spurs grew cold" y prince
he was--a knightly prince. He lived
with the brave; he died with the brave;
he sleeps with the brave. Where? God
| knows.
"Ah! who can catch that wand of
| magic power
Or the lost clue regain?
| The unfinished window in Alladin's