Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-06-01

l ~ A''I il'il liit tai llly anu UpIllOD-
| stration is sealed by the blood of the
| martyrcd Lincoln himself.
My friends, this Is something Of the
vision which thrills our souls as we
draw back the curtain of the vanished
years. To you who bore a part in
those great events Of over forty years
ago 1t is a living memory. To us of
the younger generation it is but a
vision, and yet vision so real that il
has become part Of our being, q part
Ct cur personal and our national life
And when We read the glorious
story of Names part in that great
struggle how much there is to thrill III
with pride and to stir our patriotic
emotions. 1t is a matter Of official re-
cord To be handed down frcm general
ton to generation as something for
ever to be proud of. that our own Start
of Maine in proportion to its popula-
iiUn sent more of its sons to the front
i'll defense Of the Union than any other
state in the whole broad land. More
than 10000 Maine men enlisted under
the old flag-70,000 Maine men, a great
army in themselves. tic best blood ana
braln ana Drawn in our State. Think
what ii would mcaI today to have one
man out of every two or three in this
city ana county and through the whole
State march away to war.
There were more than 30 fun regi-
m"ntS of Infantry, two regiments of
cavalry, on" double regiment az heavy
artillery, several batteries and hun
dr,dS of men who went into the navy,
and hen the regiments after long and
hard service were dccimated by battle
AMI disease they we're recruited again
and again. MlincS record from tie i'll
fatcd field of Bul! Lun TO the Crowning
@lc1y IT AppomhttoX is such as few
states can boast of. More than n
quarter Of tn" federal troops engaged
ut Bull Run were from our own State.
\ Maine regiment was the first to
carry back our flag 10 South Carolina
and Texas. The largest percentage Of
10 in battle sustained by any artillery
re Gimcnt during the entire war fell to
the lot of the First Maine Heavy Artil-
icrN, and the same regiment lost the
largest number of men Of any regiment
in any one battle. Tho First Maine
Cavalry bore the highest loss of any
cavalry regiment in the federal service.
The 31St regiment was reduced in a
duty. The 18th, which had the highest
percentage OF loss in battle Of any
infantry regiment of the State, came
home with only four out Of the original
81 officers. The 3lst had Is officers
killed ana the First Maine Heavy ArtiI-
lcry %. The First Maine Heavy Artil-
Icry had, during its whole term of ser
vice, 423 mon killed or 1aortalIy
prI,r ,,fi
entire enrolment and this, too. in the
short period of 10 months. The Third
Maine infantry went 10 gettysburg
with u officers and 1856 men. out of
which it lost in killed, wounded and
three ma iorS killed in action. The
Fifth Maine had over 500 officers and
men killed ana wounded. Tho Sixteenth
Maine, at the end Of its first year and
i half, was reduced from 1000 t. ISL men,
and at Anti"ta n lost Cnc-half Of this re-
du"cd number. Tho Ninth lost As men
out of 102 in q single affair Of the picket
line near Petersburg. The sixteenth
and Seventeenth Maine, by q strange
had each $50 men killed or
rnrnied, and the Nineteenth. 6aS. The
Twcntic tn had SOS. while the 31st
I'dNli''u bllt ItISIl us vi - VI utp III al
single season.
Til" services and the sacrifices of
these ami MI orr regiments, too many
to he specified here. constitute q noble
record which the state will forever
cherish as one of It's dearest posses
sions. They we're in every campaign
AMI every great battle and the rage Of
history is lighted by the story Of their
y I,I ,Is,x-
Of Union leaders the names of Howard
and Berry and Chamberlain LuG Con-
nor ana Jainison anu others viii shine
forever bright. ECttcr than Lll this is
the proud record that no Maine rcgi-
mcnt ever lost its colors in dishCnor or
brought back its lag with any other
stain uron it than that from the life
blood of its fallen defenders. No state
we say il not in any spirit of boast
ing, but as y Simple. honest fact Of his
tory which has an abundance of evil
drncc to support it-no state in all the
Union has q more glorious war record
than our own beloved State Of Maine.
In war, as in peace. it was worthy its
proud motto Of leadership.
i;ut NcInorial E;lJ is not wholly for
not day to be devoted
ttItlGtlIlti W i'pphlIttS Dei'h INV til'
past. even though that past he 50 filled
with great deeds. noble sacrifices and
cherished memories. Primarily, Of
course. the day il dedicated To honor
ing the memory of the patriot dead and
to paving to the survivors of that con-
nict the tribute which is their due; but
X is fitting also on an occasion like this
to look at tho present and future as
we'll as the past; to ask ourselves few
questions and consider a few matters
suggested by that great war in which
you veterans bore part. Is the nation
duly grateful for what you did: Has
the country prnfitcd from the war? Is
the Union truly reunited again and the
scars of hattie healed? Are the sons
Of TO-DAY worthy Of their sircs, and
would they do their part IS well as you
did yours should another great crisis
como?
rs the nation grateful for what you
ana your comrades did? Indeed, il is;
and no nation in all history has ever
tried so hard Or 50 successfully to give