The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-06-02
MEMORIAL DAY
in HONESDALE
Andrew Thompson's Address.
Continued from page A.

Some of the events of Thursday,
April 18th, 1861, are fixed in my
mind, although As years have pass
ed away since they occurred.
The always welcome vacation had
arrived to the boarding school boy.
With bright anticipations of meet
ing parents and others of the home
circle, besides exemption for short
time from study and the daily
routine of school life, started on
the morning of that day from
Flushing, l.. l., to pass through New
York City on the way to my Orange
county home. That city was tull OF
excited people; flags were nylng
from the buildings which lined
Broadway and the downtown streets,
and men in uniforms were rushing
hither and thither. There were no
SKY scrapers' in those days. The
height of the buildings at that time
did not exceed five or six stories,
and the most prominent structures
on lower Broadway were the Stewart
building at Chambers street, the
Astor House, and the City Hall, with
its park of trees and grass, which
included the site of the present
Postoffice building. The churches
of Trinity, st. Paul, and st. John
were the prominent ecclesiastical
buildings, and their spires seemed
to tower up into the sky to per-
son when crossing the Cortlandt
street ferry from Jersey City. Why
all this unusual excitement, one
might ask? The answer was readi-
ly given. The flag of our country
had been fired on five days before.
and the United States garrison of
Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor
had been compelled to capitulate to
the southern forces. Washington,
the capital of our nation, was
threatened by Virginia troops, Off
cered by men who had hastily left
the United States army without even
waiting for their designations to be
accepted by the proper authorities.
On the 18th of April. President
Lincoln issued call for 10000
volunteers.
The sleeping Samson of the North
had been aroused by the insult to the
nations flag at Fort Sumter.
John \. Andrew, the War Cover
nor of Massachusetts. had for sew
eral weeks foreseen, the impending
conflict, and he quietly organized and
equipped few regiments of militia
in view of possible emergencies
The descendants of the heroes of
Concord and Lexington were ready
to respond to the cry of their coun-
try for help in 1861.
The day after the Presidents call,
the Sixth Massachusetts regiment
assembled on Boston Common, and
during the evening of the 9TH start
ed from Boston, and reached New
York the morning of the 18th.
AS this regiment passed down
Broadway and Cortlandt street to
the Jersey City ferry, it received an
ovation long to be remembered.
The vast crowds, the loved flag
in every window, the cheering, the
military display, all contributed to
make an ineffaceable picture in my
memory.
The North was scarcely prepared
to regard the city of Baltimore as
the outpost of the Army of Rebel
lion, and yet the next day, the Sixth
Massachusetts, which l had seen as
they marched down Broadway. was
mobbed in Baltimore, as the rail-
road cars, in which they were travel
ling, were being drawn through the
streets of that city from the Will
mington to the Washington station.
During several days after this,
communication from the North to
Washington through Baltimore was
interrupted by the burning of rail
road bridges and tearing up the
tracks. These acts of violence only
infamed the war spirit of the
North. Influential papers, which
before had upheld the South and its
demands, now spoke for vigorous
prosecution of war. WarAke
speeches in assemblages and
churches; tenders of troops from
States and municipalities; offers oi
money; military proclamations;
cities and towns radiant with bunt'
ing; camps or drilling grounds in OF
near almost every town; the making
of bandages and lint by the women;
all this showed how the energies Of
people could be turned from peace
full pursuits to the prosecution Of
war.
How much more forcibly than
can relate, the members of th'
Grand Army of the Republic, WHIT
are with us to-day, recall the event
of those days when they gave VI
business and positions of profit, an,
left so many sorrowing hearts il
their homes, and went to the from
at the call of duty when their coun
try needed their services on tn
battlefield.
When / returned to school, afte
the vacation was ended, grea
change had taken place. Some @
the older boys and one teacher ha
enlisted in the Union Army, an
nine from the southern states di