The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1909-05-13

4
This Il the Bloody angle" Here on
May 18th, 1864. the Fifteenth New Ter.
ssy, advancing, defending. recediDg. bu,
NJ ell TINES fighting. lost more uen Ia
thirty minutes. Ia proportion to those
engaged. than any other regiment in this
battle, " not more than In any other
battle Of the Civil War Standing bers
IL seems impossible 20 comprehend th,,
terrible slaughter shat marked this spot
forty i've years ago, or TO realize the IA.
triotism and courage required TO do the
deed that those brave men did here.
rhey were all young They were Of our
unest eltz 'nship. Their death desolated
homes and crushed many hearts. lie was
ever 50 with war. But, the personal an-
guish has passed. tune has SAT ctifisd the
cause Tor which they fought; loyalty has
reunited the country; all who fought
hsre are now caHon'z d ss heroes, and
history will immortaliEs them. Their
death has been turned from "a cause for
launeDtstion and sadness into the price
less lnherisaucs OF their Kindred Their sur
viviDg Comrades add lustrs 10 their h -
roism by the signsliz ID devotion 10 their
memory In the erection Of this monu-
ment. The State Is Justly proud that IL
produced such patriots Their valOr en-
hances It's fame. They died that the
Union might live, that liberty should be
forever assured. and that the greatness
OF the United States. as q Republic.
should abide for all time. Our lesson IL
greater devotion TO the country for
which they gave so much.
The acceptance address on behalf OF the
Association was made by Theodore f.
SwayEe. OF Washington, ID. c. An ad-
dress was then delivered by Congress
man W. Parker, of New Jersey. The
singing OF Hal Columbia By the as.
semblage followed. and then Col. White
bead, OF New Jersey delivered an address
returning The battle flag OF Georgia
Regiment. He spoke as follows:
SPEECH or COL. A. W. WHITEHEAD AT THE
"BLOopY ANGLE"
Comrades OF the Army OF Northern Viz
ginia.
OF the many memorable battles OF the
Civil war. there lie none more firmly fi1ed
In the minds OF some veterans OF both
armies than the one fought here, " here
thousands OF brave men leid down their
lives Tor what they believed was right.
Forty-hve years ago this very day,
Thursday, May 18th, 1861, two gr. at
American arrfNes were contending ON
this bloody field as to which OF the two
tlsgs-.he stars and bars or the stars
aud stripes should continue to float
over this country OF ours
In that struggle. we learn that the
Third Corps OF General Lees Army OF
Northern Virginia was engaged under
command OF General A. p Hill, and 10
the Third Division and Fourth Brigade.
commanded by General Edward l..
Thomas, was the Fourteenth Georgia
Infantry. our opponents that day. Vow
Il 80 happened. through the fortunes of
war. aud not through any fault OF the
men who composed that regiment. for
no Drawer soldiers ever faced an enemy,
the flag which you loved fell into our
hands.
Now allow me To say that we have
demonstrated TO the world tha0 no
Drawer or better soldiers ever lived than
those produced In the two American
armies which met on this field
We respect good soldier, no matter
hat Il AZ he fought under, aud Co prove
too that We can forgive and forget. |
have the honor Tn represent the survivors
OF the Fifteenth n. j. Regiment. ia re-
turning to your command the flag
which you so nobly defended 10 1854
This Was followed by sounding the re-
treat. and benediction by Rev Dr. W. :.
Cranmer. Of Sumerville, n. J. Lunch
was then served To the entire party on
the battlefield
The shalt on Bloody Angle battlefield to
tie memory OF the Fifteenth Regiment
New Jersey Volunteers. who fell on that
field May - 1864, consists OF a carved
granite shalt nine ieet high, four feet
wide. mounted on a cold granite pedes-
tai two and one hall feet high On the
shalt Is a pedestrian statue OF q private
soldier seven Zee: high. with muskets 81
arms rest" position. The cost OF this
shalt was $4,000 IL bears the follow
log inscriptions:
lS6l-1S65.
Fifteenth Regiment, New Jersey Volun.
teefs
Erected by the State OF New Jersey 10
mark that portion OF the Confederate
line held 10y the Fourteenth Georgia Reg.
iment and assaulted May II, 1864 by
the Fifteenth Regiment, New Jersey Vol.
unteer Infantry. commanded by Lieuten.
ent-Colonel Edward X Campbell Men
engaged. 423; loss, 116 killed. l59
wounded, 80 missing.
On the opposite side Is the folio wing
inscription:
Commissioners appointed by Governor
John Franklin Fort, viz Hon. John T.
II. Wyckoff, treasurer; Private stephen
w. Gordon, secretary; Sergeant William
II. Crawley, General Joseph W. Plume,
Private Albert W. Whiteland, Private
John 8. Gibson and Privat, Henry W.
Hoffman.
AT SALEM CHURCH.
After lunch was concluded, the party
made q start for Salem Church. The ex.
ercises there commenced shortly after J
O'Clock, with sounding the assembly, fol.
lowing by prayer by Rev. DIR. W. S
Cranmer. OF New Jersey. An address
was delivered by Hon. J. Taylor ELY.
son, LieuteDantGOvernor OF Virginia
representing Governor Swanson. Sing
Ing OF the star Spangled Banner" by
the assembly The monument was then
unveiled by Misses C6wley and Gordon
OF Ne y Jersey, and Misses Lena Rowe
| and Grace Jones, OF Fredericksburg, va.
The monument was then presented q
the State of New Jersey by Gen. Plume
OF that State, aud was In turn accepted
by Gov. Fort, of New Jersey, and by hin
! transferred 10 the Fifteenth Regiment
Veterans Association. Mr. Theodore +
Swayze, OF Washiukto ID. c., accepted
the monument on behalf Of the associa
ton. Singing by assembly OF Columbia
the Gem OF the Ocean" The address o
the occasion was then delivered by Hon
Jos. 3, Frelinghuy sen, OF Raritan, N. j.
| State Senator. g. follows:
SENATOR FREIINGHuyEN's SPEECH
Veterans OF the Fifteenth regiment and
lello W citizens. these words oi DAME
Webster ssem to be appropriate on thi,
| occasion:
"Although no sculDfn rad m a -bia ahoolx