The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-11-12
c,plent y, reorganization from President

Stua-k and enc could srr from the WA
his speech was received that he holds
warm place IA the hearts ~ the member
OF Humphreys division
Tn band played a Hot Time in tn
Old Town Tonight"
President Geo h. Baer, a the commits
sion, delivered MI address, IN which h
Transferred the monument 10 Governo
Stuart for the Common wealth OF Penn
~ lvania.
CAPT HAERs ADDRESS
Capt. Baer said in part: Pennsylvania
appointed "a commission 10 erect ruit
able monument on the Battlefield 81
Fredericksburg, Va, 10 commemorate
the charge of Humphreys Division on
Marye's heights on the l3ih oi Dec 1862
The monument has bceg erected. We
are here today to unvril and d. dicate II
COmradesl 1862. l9OS-near hail
century has passed siDcs we charged
these heights. Our charge has b 'en hiRh
ly commended, but IL was a failure. II
WAS lost hattle, but not "A lost cause
Ii Is no dishonOr To us that We did not
carry the heights. Ii would have been II
disgrace t. thu American S)dle deiend-
ing them had our charge been snccessiul.
We were assigned an Impossible task
But IN war:
at IL not 10 ask the WIN,
lis but To do aud die.
( The war has long since ended The
tina victory MAS ours We fou ght with
the political and moral advantage that
Wa were beet'nI 10 maintain, ~ again-t
those who : ught 20 destroy the Union:
A Union IL Iiyrr, lake ocean Ind sky,
d Man breaks not the medal
" hen God mOulds the die.
In this Yalha.ia there are n longer
enmities. Tne blu aud the gay meet
a. friends. whe. = once they met IA ices.
The dead past Lao. buried itsdsaJ. Now
thnt the hatred and passion WI aiw ays
erg-nders haVs pas ed away We Ncan
Judge charltably AID fairly.
Whatever judgement Oi cOnd' mnaton
may be passed on the State~mauship
~ hich cs.uss u the war. the devotion ol
the Southern people. the sacrifice they
made, the fighting quality OF their army
and the splendid generalship OF theii
military leaders must command admlra
ton. aud when we recall the heroic phil
osophy with which they accepted defeat
and have now become so steadiast II
their devotion to the Union and Consti
tutional liberty. we marve'; Tor not II
past history has hatred between PEG
pies with all It's strife been so complete
~ eliminated.
The monument Is capped by "a heroi'
statue of Gen. Humphreys, tie darint
commander OF the division who led th'
charg,. His fame will be more enduring
than this bronze statue. He was one o
the great soldiers the Commonwealth o
Pennsylvania gave to the Nation. BE
hold il;
As President Baer finished the cord at
tachcd to the monument was pulled b,
Miss Letitia Humphreys, daughter o
gen. Humphreys, the tlag covering 1t ifl
apart and the monumentin all its beauty
stood before the admlring gaze OF th
thousands lnc music, The Sta
Spangled Banner" was enthusiastlcall,
received.
In "A short speech the monument wa
rece d by GOV. Stuart. After this Pres
ident Baer introduced Assistant Secrt
tary of War. Robert Shaw Oliver. wh'
made a speech OF acceptance on behalf {
the l.. ; Government Wary land
was rendered by the band.
Col Alex X Mcclure, former editor o
the Philadelphia Tunes and one OF tn
most distinguished sons OF Pennsylvania
made the chief address oi the day.
col M'cLuEE's ADDRESS.
The GRAFTON OF the occasion was de
ivered by Col A. X Mcclure, whose III
erarg abilities are 80 widely known AM
highly apprecist d.
The colonel introduced hir subject b.
reference t. the hero who IL All honor t
any country. but took time To define Oh
true hero. and stated that true "heroisn
ha, given the world allits wonderful AM
beuefceut progress, and IL will be wOr
shipped until the last syllable of record
ed time
THE GRAND CHARGE.
The charge on Marye's Heights, ate
the lines of battle were formed 10 front o
the formidable "stone wall" was 81
graphically depicted by the speater tina
the old soldier could almost imagine tina
time rolled back for iorty-fve years on
he was PLAYING the ssme part mieus tn
blood and carnage.
1t was a march to almost certain
death, Yet it was the late OF tie sOl5iei-
Il was his unialteriug devotion to hi
country. And the speaker here raised L
his highest praise OF bis fallen comrades
when he declared that hopeless as /
seemed t. the soldiers who made this a.
sault with the officers In advance OF tn
men. either TO gain the heights or to hole
them II gained, these Pennsylvania bri
} gades started with hearty cheers 10 fac
the grim reaper OF death Next to Pick
etts Charge at Gettysburg, IL WAS th
{ most bloody assault OF our Civil War.
PICKETT AND HUMPHREYS
In speaking of the magnificent charge
! OF Pickett and Humphreys, the speake
said, Only what were accepted as su
preme military necessities made Pickett
charge at Gettysburg and Humphreys
charge at Fredericksburg, but the!
. both stand IN history, aud will ever 81
! stsnd.as highwater marks OF the herOisn
! and American sOldiery.
In speaking OF the contribution to tn
( war. he brings into notice Che comman
ders who were in the army OF the PotO
I mac. gives an epitome OF the part tskeI
, by Pennsylvanisns in the battle OF Fred
t ericksburg and declared that "Pennsyl
vania made the most lustrous record o