The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-04-09
SUMPTER'S GUNS CALLED
And now THE UNION MEN RE.
SPONDED.

Two Million aud a Half of Men Rose Up to
Defend the Old Flag-The Origin of the
q. A. R.-A Paper Read by General Pier
pont at the Celebration OF the Thirtieth
Anniversary ofthe G. A. R. Before Camp
Nathan Hale, April 18th.
most interesting paper on the orr
sin of the G. A. r, was read Tuesday
evening before Camp Nathan Hale, S.
of ", by General w. II. Pierpont of
this city, the occasion being the cele-
bration of the thirtieth anniversary Of
the organization of the G. A. r. Gen
eral Pierpont stated in the opening
part OF his address that the origin Of
the G. A. r. dated back more than 200
years beyond the formation of the
Union army in 1861. He then spoke
briefly of some of the salient points
in our nations history and said that
the magnificent response of the loyal
hearts of the nation to the country S
call In 1861 was but the elimination OF
a chain of events which stretches back
to the landing Of the Pilgrims at
Plymouth Rock, while each danger met
and each act of unselish devotion to
the common cause during the colonial
period, and the eighty-four years of our
republic down to 1860 was but as
fiery test of the refiners furnace. Cen
eral Pierpont spoke in stirring terms
of the heroes Of the revolution and the
result of their work, then Of the patri-
OTIS of our other wars and then of the
time when the country was rent with
internal strife and the attempt was
made to overthrow the republic. Then
after speaking of the alacrity with
which the noble boys of 81 responded
in the hour of the nations danger he
continued as follows:
But the roar of Sumter's guns called
from every hillside and every valley
the loyal sons of the north, west, east
and south, who, breaking asunder the
ties of party and casting aside the
pursuits and pleasures of civil life
thronged to the field, where in more
than 1900 battles they stood, a living
wall of loyal men, created with glitter
ing steel, and flaming with deadly
fires, lifting higher and ever higher oul
glorious flag, compelling the admira,
ton of their friends and the respect
of their enemies saying to friends an6
foes alike Hands off! We tolerate nc
interference from any source, we arr
capable of managing our own affairs
in war as well as in peace.
More than 100000 men gave UP theil
usual avocations and donned the unior
blue, the fondest ties were severed
the choicest blessings sacrificed. Me1
babe farewell to home, and wife ant
children, to betrothed bride and wild
| owed mother, many travelling or study
| ing in foreign lands, returned and en-
listed in the ranks, rich and poo
marching shoulder to shoulder. Oul
| young men left schools and colleges
and, without one sight of home or {
| last good bye to dear ones, hurried
| to the front.
Many Of you, my G. A. r. friends
can well remember what manner O.
men were those "boys of '61." They
came from store and workshop, from
college and from farm, with the f1usl
of youth upon their brows, and thei
loins girded with the strength of earl!
manhood. They left all those joys o
life which are the sweetest and tn
\ host home with all IFS endearn oents
not because thew loved these less fo
home and friends were dear to then
as life itself. but because thew Iovet
them. not because thew loved a. sol
dier's life. but that duty and Ioyalt,
might crown a noble manhood.
Thev were men of intelligence. me,
| of thought; they knew, not only TO
what they were going, but also to VIVA
they were going. They knew it was n,
holiday parade to which they went
thew were not drawn by any desir
for military renown: they well knew
that to most of them death was ia
more nrobable than promotion.
No. 1t was to the private soldiers lif,
most of them went; they knew the,
went to risk health and strength in al
untried sphere of action; to endure thu
most exhausting marches, unsheltered
to encounter the fierce extremes O
searching heat and bitter, witherin,
cold. to the lonely picket post. with it
nights of dreariness and danger, it
frost and storm and tempest; to treat
the path of duty through all hardship
and privations to the dread ordeal 0
the battlefield. there to face the grin
realities of wounds or death, or wha
was so much more dreadful captivity
with its daily torture (far worse thai
l..+LN d,,yi,,o LONG Y,optbs ar yeore n