The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-31
FOR BOTH Blue and GREY
The Maryland Monument Dedicated
at Antietam.
The President Makes nm Address
on the battlefield Where He
stood ns n soldier Thirty-ciEht
Years AgO-McmOria1 Accepted by
Secretary Root for the Government

an oak tree that was standing there thirty
eight years ago in front Of the Dunkard
Church. the centre Of operations on An
tietam Battlefield, where 23,5O0 Americana
fell fighting against each other. the Presi-
dent of the United States sat today at noon
the honored guest on the occasion of the
dedication of the Maryland Soldiers Monu-
ment.
According to the statement OF the Gov
ernor of Maryland today, it is the first
monument ever erected in the worlds his
tory to commemorate valorous deeds OF
men who fought on both sides of a battle.
1t was the first time that William Nc
Kinley had returned to this historic spot.
where, as boy of eighteen years. he was
recommended after the victory for gal
lantry by his colonel. Rutherford B. Hayes.
On that spot where. in the words OF the
President, "the achievements OF valor are
just as much the inheritance Of those who
failed as of those who prevailed the sur
yivors gathered today who fought on
either side. Speeches were made by men
who had been in the struggle on either
side. and the gathering which greeted the
President and his party was made up of
veterans both of the Union and Confed
crate forces. The battle flags OF the North
and of the South, saved from the struggle
on Antietam battlefield. waved in the
breeze before the Unions President.
The music of the North. Yankee Doo-
die" and Marching to the Sea- was
heard together with Maryland. My Mary
land" and Dixie" and the national an
them followed after all.
The President was not
speak, but. carried away by the memories
awakened. he made few remarks. After
ward, when being driven over the battle
field, when his carriage stopped on the
spot where the Twenty-third Ohio made
its stand in ravine on the 18th Of Sep
tember, 1862 the President said to some
friends with him that the thing he re-
membered most vividly was the review of
the Federal Army after the battle of An
tietam by Abraham Lincoln.
He said that the sadness of President
Lincoln's face on that occasion made more
impression upon him as boy than all the
carnage of that dreadful day in Bloody
Lane" at Antietam. The Presidents mem
ory Of his share in the valorous deeds
eulogized by the Secretary Of War today.
failed, he said. to recall that he had done
more than very ordinary thing and his
duty in bringing the supplies of food to
his regiment which had been fighting all
day.
The President asked the driver of his
carriage to stop when the lane was
reached where the Twenty third Ohio took
its stand. and sat gazing up and down the
valley as Gen. E. A. Carman. who laid
out the battle-ground, recalled to his mind
the various places where the forces of
both sides took their stand. The Presi
dent then. as afterward. expressed himself
as enjoying this memorable occasion as he
had scarcely enjoyed any similar occasion
in his memory. He said that it made him
feel a boy again and seemed to give him
new vigOr Of youth to return to take up
his duties as Chief Magistrate.
The Presidents Address.
The President spoke as follows
Mr.. Chairman and My Fellow Citizens:
appear, only for moment, that / may
make acknowledgment of your courteous
greeting and express in a single word ny
sympathy and approval of the patriotic &C.
casion for which we have assembled today.
In this presence and on this memorable
ield AIN glad TO meet the followers OF Lee
and Jackson and Longstreet with the fol-
lowers OF Grant and Mcclellan and Shes-
man and Sheridan, greeting ca ether Lot
souls. but with affection and respect Tor
each other in their hearts. Standing here
today, one reflection only has crow lef my
head-thc difference between this scene
and that OF thiTty-eight years ago. Then
the men who wore the blue and the men
who were the grey greeted each other with
shot and shell, and visited death upon their
respective ranks. We meet. after all these
Intervening years, with but enc sentiment
United States. love for cur flag and cur free
institutions. ard determined men of the
North and men of the South to make any
sacrifice for the hcnoS and perpz tuity Of
the American nation.
My fellow citizens am glad 1ud you
are glad also. of that famous meeting te-
tween Grant and Lee at Appomattox Court
House. am glad we were kept together.
aren't you? ICries OF Yes" ''Yes."l
Glad that the Union was saved by tie
honorable terms made between 1.an: and
Lee. under the famous apple tree. AMI
there is enc glorious fact that must be
always be gratifying to us-the American
soldiers never surrendered but to E,me:i-
cans.
My COuntrymen. the past can never be
undone. The new day brings its shining sun
to light our duty now, and | am glsd to
preside over a nation Of nearly 5000 600
people more united than they havr ever
been since the formation of the Federal
Union. | account it a great honor to Far
ticipate on this occasion with the great
State of Maryland in its tribute to the vaio,
and heroism and the sacrifices OF the Con-
fcderate and Union armies. The va'or of
the one or the other, the valor of beth. is
the common heritage Of us ALL Tee
achievements of that war, every one OF
them. are Just as much the irhertanc. OF
those who failed as those who prevailed
and when we went to war two years ago
the men of the South and the men of he
North We'd with each ether to show their
devotion to the United States.
The followers of the Confederate gem
erals with the followers of the FEEDER al
generals fought side by side in CUBA. IN
Porto Rico, and in the Philippines. and 10.
gether in those far-on islands are standing
today fighting and dying for the flag they
love. the flag that represents more than
any other banner in the world lhe best
hopes and aspirations CT mankind
Secretary Root. who accepted the monu
ment in behalf of the United States. said
in part:
1T is a grateful duty which | now per-
form. to accept. in behalf of the Govern.
ment of the United States. this beautiful
memorial of the men of Maryland wn,
fell upon this historic field 1t commem-
crates the dauntless valor of he men
upon both sides Of the great conflict.
which shook TO its foundations :he Gov
ernment of the country and brought into
high relief the noblest qualities of a rae.
peaceful in its purposes slow to ange,
long suffering. but Of warlike fibre and
terrible in its capacity for strife and for
victory.
This monument commentaries not
merely the valor and the sacrifice OF the
men who fell at Antietam but it com.
memorates the relaying of the founda