The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-01-26


Col. D. g. Mcintosh, Of the ToWson bar,
was one Of the speakers at the banquet given
at Hotel Herman, Baltimore. last saturday
night, BY the Confederate soldiers Of Maryland
in honor Of the one hundredth birthday an
niversary Of Gen. Robert f. Lee. Col Mcintosh
said:
Fellow Comrades-When we review the brief
action In which you have just been engaged, and
survey the mutilated remains OF this feast. we
can console ourselves with the reflection that
we have made fairly successful attack. If any
Of you have failed TO achieve complete success.
It can only be because you have had to wait on
appetite. and lacked the old time hunger which
always abounded In camp. and grew biggest out
has been. how small the satisfaction compared
with the fuIneeE Of that product by whole
sized ration. issued to supply an aching and an
Pretty nearly 80 years separate us tonight
from the time when. to many of US. those were
ice on the third day Of January, 1861, over 10
years ago, and was under arms on the beach of
Sullivans Island on the morning of the 9th of
West endeav0red to euccor Fort Sumpter, and
was driven back by the first hostile shot OF
the war.
In speaking to the toast which has been as
signed to me for this evening feel the embar-
rassment of one following in q procession where
those who have gone before. You have heard
this afternoon from the lips Of the distinguished
and eloquent Virginlan, who graces this occasion
whose centennial birthday we commemorate in
words the beauty and fidelity of which, In de-
scribing the life and character Of his Industrious
subject, no one can hope to equal or approach.
The great mother Of states and statesmen is
blessed not only ia producing the greatest OF
soldiers but in having the most gifted Of orators
to illustrate the character of that soldier. The
many virtues which adorn his public and private
life belong to his fsmy bis ssSse the R PM 60
Q soldier, the great leader and commander OF
the Army of Northern Virginia, and as such he
For myself 1 count it the greatest honor Of
my life to have been borne on the muster rolls
Of that army. It was In the summer OF 1867,
were collected about the defenses of Richmond.
when the corps Of obseryetIon was called IL
the contingents arrived from the coast Of North
Carolina and Virginia. and when the victorious
VsIaT that shs new army fea,ne for the rst
time its cohesive strength and animated by the
spirit of its superb leader, blossomed into its
with the seven days battle around Richmond.
and ended It ct Appomattox was, verify Pc Pc
ieye 10 pluck ana G ~ i.s w 9h as
splendid army that ever existed Cd this planet.
It's morale was superior to any Of which his
tory tells us. The armies of Napoleon were or
ganized for foreign conquest and the spoliation
of provinces and states was held out as an in
centiye to the covetoIs eyes Of the greedy sol sol.
its beggarly pay, and its empty commissariat
and for its incentive the stern sense OF fidelity
to duty. 1t was accounted the proudest dis
tinction of the French soldier to be called one
of the Old Guard. How much pr0uder the dis
tinction to be called one of Lees veterans.
In my Judgment. the most daring exploit which
General Lee ever undertook. and which has no
parallel in military annals, was when, at Chan.
cellorsville, Longsfreet. being absent south of
Petersburg and having to fight Sedgwick's corps
in his rear, he marched in broad daylight across
| the whole front Of the enemy's line and swooped
down upon his unsuspecting flank. No one,
| unless inspired by the genius OF war, would
have ventured upon such q feat, and even he,
/ we may venture to say, would not have under
| taken it If he had had any other than the i'm
/ mortal Jackson to carry out the plan. In the
! fierce conflict which ensued on the second day
the artillery, in spite of the tangled wilderness
and the difficulties of locomotion. rendered coz
| spicuous services and helped to convert General
/ Hooker's ostentatious advance into an almost
| disastrous r0ut.
General Lees old veterans everywhere bow
l in reverence to his memory and lift their uni
versa acclaim In attestation of his lofty charac-
| ter and splendid life.
"Ah, Muse, you dare not claim
A nObler man than he I;
Nor n0bler man hath lessof blame,
Nor blameless man hath purer name,
Nor purer name hath greater fame,
Nor fame another Lee"