The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-09-17

Hagerstown, Md, Sept. 17.-The
handsome monument erected to the
memory of the New Jersey troops
who fought and fell on the battle
field of Antletam was dedicated to-
day with impressive ceremonies in the
presence of President Roosevelt,
Governor Murphy, Senators Kean ana
Dryden and other prominent men of
New Jersey and a number of citizens
Of HagerstOwn and vicinity. Presl-
dent Roosevelt delivered the principal
address.
The monument stands on a site pur-
chased several years ago by the New
Jersey authorities. 1t consists of a
plain shaft Of Vermont granite, forty
feet in heighth, surmounted by the
bronze figure of Captain Hugh c..
Irish, of Company K 18th New Jersey,
and it is placed on the spot where
Captain Irish fell, mortally wounded,
in the historic engagement fought
forty-One years ago today. The base
of the monument bears bronze tablets
on which are engraved the numbers
of the regiments from New Jersey
which took part in the fight. There
is also q large tablet bearing a dia-
gram Of the battlefield, showing the
troops on the day of the fight.
Two New Jersey commands played
important parts in the battle. One
was the Thirteenth New Jersey vol
unteers, in the ranks of which Cover
nor Murphy, then STRIPPING of less
than 20. fought and marched. The
other was HeXamer's Battery Of HO-
boken. Both commands left many
dead and carried more wounded from
the bloody field after the engage
ment. Four other New Jersey regi-
ments were on the outskirts of the
Antietam battlefield during the en-
gagement, but did not participate in
the fight However, they are each
duly credited by occupying one of
the squares of the hexagonal pedes-
tai
The dedicatory exercises this after
noon were opened by James o. Smith,
of Newark, who in brief address on
behalf of the committee having in
charge the building of the monument,
formally turned it over to the rep
resentatives OF the state, headed by
Governor Murphy. The GRAFTON of
President Roosevelt was followed by
brief historical addresses from sever
al of the prominent survivors OF the
battle. At the close of the exercises
the deed of the tract of land on which
the monument stands was formally
turned over to representatives of the
United States government.
When the president reached the old
Dunkard church he received a salute
of q guns from the United States az
tillery. Governor Murphy accepted
the monument in behalf Of New Jer-
sey and the president in turn accept
ed it for the Union.
The presidential party leaves here
at this afternoon.
President Rooseveit's Address.
Governor Murphy; and you, Veter-
ans of New Jersey; and you, men
of the Grand Army, and all others
here, | greet you:
I thank you of New Jersey for the
monument to the troops of New Jer-
sey who fought at Antietam, and on
behalf of the nation l accept the gilt.
We meet today upon one of the grea-
battlefelds of the civil war No other
battle of the civil war lasting
one day shows as great percentage
Of loss as that which occurred here
upon the day on which Antietam was
fought Moreover, in it's ultimate ef-
fects this battle was Of momentous
and even decisive importance, for
when it had ended and Lee had re-
treated south of the Potomac, Lin
coin forthwith published that immor-
tai paper. the preliminary declaration
of emancipation; the paper which de-
cided that the civil war, besides BE-
ing a war for the preservation of the
Union. should be war for the eman-
cipation of the slave, so that from
that time onward the causes of Union
and of Freedom. of national greatness
and Individual liberty, were one and
the same.
Men of New Jersey, congratulate
YOUR state because she has the right
TO claim her full share in the honor