The Portland daily press., 1897-06-01

| "Su DIS pdUFlOUS SQOulQ acU.
Dr. worcester closed his brief, but elo-
quent ADDRESS with the following poem,
written by himself for this occasions:
| MEMORIAL DAY.
| May 31st, 1897.
| My Comrades, well do we. this day. re-
| call
| The days from sixty-one to sixtv-five.
| When we responsive to our Countrv,s call
| Determined that this Union shoilld sur
| yive!
| That not one star upon that glorious flag.
| Should ever be displaced by traitor
| hands,
Nor should they in the dust, that banner
| drag.
demands
The dear old flag! Oh, how we loved it
then,
And bore it onward! loyal boys in blue.
In those dark days that tried the souls of
| men,
And patriot hearts were beating brave
| and true!
How vividly today is brought to mind,
| Our life in camp, with tents on open
| field,
|
I. The morning Surgeons Call,'' where
all were healed (?)
Then mounting guard;' each evening
l'dress parade;
Where ali were present or accounted
| for"
And all the Colonel's orders were obeyed.
Thus were we drilled for service in the
| war.
Soon orders come for us our camp to
| break,
Take three days .rations, knapsack, forty
A long and tedious march for us to make.
With drums, and bugle-calls, the air
| resounds.
We march across the fields, DER noun
| tains high
Through swamps, and thickets, valleys
hills and plains;
Through tangled woods, in weather wet
or dry,
Wherever. duty calls, and honor reigns.
We halt for rest and rations; forward
Till darkness force "a bivouac for the
night.
Then gather round the amp-fires, all the
men,
With naught above our heads save
| heavens blue dome,
Thick studded with the bright and
| shining stars,
We fall asleep; and sweetly dream of
| home,
Where allsis peace; and naught our
| pleasure mars
The long g-roll'' beats before the morn
| ing's dawn,
| And quick the coffee must be made
| and drank
| The men in line the pickets are with
drawn,
| The skirmishers deployed in single rank
We forward march to meet our country
foes,
And conquer all who'd rend this land
in twain;
Secession's host we go forth to oppose,
| And thus one Country and one Flag
maintain.
So days go by, and weeks, and months,
| and years;
In camp, on guard or on the picket
| line,
| On march, and battlefield mid shouts
| and cheers!
Or captured, and in prison-pen repine.
In hospi tai, on ship-board, or on land,
| Wherever we were called upon to co. a
Performed each duty Country could de-
mand,-
What greater gift could loyal men be-
stow?
At length the great rebellion shows de-
feat;
Triumphant is the right! Our work is
donel
| Our victory is final and complete,
The Union is preserved! The Nation,
One!
Full two and thirty years have passed
" since then;
And do we now "Old Glory" love the
We answer Mol We now are older men,
And, as we older grow, we love and
bless.
The stars are all in place, not one is lost!
What treasure was poured out to keep
them there!
Four hundred thousand loyal lives it cost,
And cripples, widows. orphans-every-
where!
And, as returns the month of May, each
We gather at our Posts throughout the
land,
And homage pay to mem ries we revere;
A tribute to the loyalty SO grand
Of those who sacrificed their lives to
save
Their Country from disruption and dis
may,
And to all the loyal host, as true and
brave,
Who, since the war, have fallen by the
way.
What more appropriate tribute can we
bring,
Than heavens own dainty tints, and
cOlOrs rare,
With sweetest perfumes laden-fowers of
spring?
With these we make our offerings pure
and fair.
But what of those who've fallen? Where
are they?
Do they still sleep beneath the turf of |