Evening star., 1897-06-02
AT HARMONY CEMETERY.
Memorial Exercises Held Under Au-
spices of o. p. Morton Post.

Memorial Exercises Held Under Au-
spices of o. p. Morton Post.
The memorial exercises at Harmony GEM
etery Tuesday, under the auspices of the
o. P. Morton Post, G. A. R., were highly
successful. The Butler Zouaves acted as
an escort to the post. The orator of the
day was Robert H. Terrell. The other
speakers were Rev. Joseph Wheeler, Rev
George Hatton, DIR. Jonn p. Turner and
Maj. Chas. B. Fisher. Music was furnished
by glee club. and Miss Bessie Hamilton
rccited THE Burial of Colonel Shaw
The subject OF Mr.. TerrelTs grafton was
col. Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Mas
sachusetts Regiment, Colored Volunteers"
Mr.. Terrell paid high tribute to the color
ed soldiers in the rebellion. Touching Col.
Shaw and his famous regiment, he said:
THE noble and lofty record of the black
troops that fought at Fort Wagner is in
scriDed on the most thrilling pages of the
history of our great civil war.
1t Is memorable as the supreme test Of
ne gro courage on the field of battle.
The scene at Fort Wagner On that terri
bic July night was an impressive one and
so filled with incidents OF daring and yalor
that language must fail aptiy to describe
it, 1t was there, under a fire of grape
and canister, shot and SHE'LL which sowed
the ground with rugged iron and garnished
II with the wounded and the dead that
in seeming defeat the negro won his great
est victory, and made for himself d place
of equality a soldier with the others
WHO were fghting for the same holy cause
1t was peculiar, this Saxon prejudice
tEat made the troops of the north willing
to fight from behind breastworks thrown
up by black laborers, but unwilling to
fight side by side with these same men
wearing the uniform Of soldier and firing
INTO the ranks of common enemy But
such an utmost test of courage, such ter
rible proof OF heroism, as was witnessed at
Port Hudson, Millikens Bend, Petersburg
ard Fort Wagner. fixed for all time the
status or the negro soldier in our army"
AT first Robert Gould Shaw was a private
IN the New York National Guards; then a
lieutenant in the Massachusetts Second.
Calied The Fighting Second While hold
ing the last named commission, Governor
Andrew offered him the position of colonel
o. regiment of colored volunteers that
massachusetts proposed to raise. At first
the young officer heStated but after re-
hection, he accepted the offer of Governor
Andrew and went about his work with an
earnestness that was nothing less than a
conservation of his life to what he re-
garded as the behests of honor, patriotism
and humanity.
IL Is often costly sacrifice to defend
ana maintain a priceless principle-a sac-i-
nee that consecrates all a man is or ever
ropes to be to the work before him And
trls was the case with Colonel Shaw. He
waved aside all that heart could desire to
make Ife's morning full of gracious iov
he gave up a cultivated home; he left a
loVlES and beloved family and bride of
oh!y t"eEty-six days; he put all of his hap-
piness in peril entered upon the life of a
warrior and unfiinchingy obeyed to the
Iast with devotion and enthusiasm what he
regarded as a sacred duty--a duty made
desperate by the high exigencies of the
hour ''