The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-08-26

1.-THE Spirit of Old West Point" by
Morris Schaff, published serially in the
Atlantic Monthly, was easily the most
notable contribution to magazine litera-
ture in recent years. Its literary style
no less than its subject matter, was such
as to hold the attention and command
the admiration of the reader. Gen. Schaff
is now writing for the Atlantic Monthly
new series in which he portrays the
feelings of the Northern and Southern
armies after Gettysburg, the prepare
tons for Grants great campaign of
1864, and the turning points of the clos
ing struggle of the Rebellion. In the
August Atlantic he writes of ''The Bat
tie of the Wilderness" and says of a
noted Maine Regiment:
And there, just coming on the upper
bridge, is another regiment in the same
division, the Twentieth Maine, worthy
companion of the One Hundred and For
tieth and the Regulars. Its record at
Round Top, where it was on the left of
O'Rorke, under Chamberlain, is thrilling;
and it was still under that same scholar,
soldier and gentleman son of Bowdoin,
at Appomattox, when the overthrown
Confederate army came marching along,
under Gordon, with heavy hearts, to
stack their arms, and say farewell to
their dearly loved colors. Chamberlain
ordered his line to present arms to their
brave foes Gordon, who was at their
head, with becoming chivalry wheeled
his horse, and acknowledged duly the I'M
expected and touching salute. Yes, the
guns you see them bearing now were
brought to a present, and those old
battle torn colors We're dipped. 1t was
a magnanimous and knightly deed, fit
ending for the war; for Chamberlain
lifted the hour and the occasion into the
company of those that minstrels have
sung. feel glad and proud that l served
with an army which had men in it with
hearts to do deeds like this. The total
killed and wounded of this regiment in
the war was 52S.
1t may be added here that Gen. Gordon,
the Confederate commander, was worthy
of this demonstration and one who could
appreciate it to the full. Like Chamber
lain he was both soldier and gentle
man, with keen sense of honor that
ever governed him in the official positions
that came to him after the war. In the
dark days of reconstruction no man,
north or south, worked more zealously
than he to efface the marks of civil strife
and restore peace and order and good will
throughout the land. And this spirit was
everywhere recognized by the men against
whom he had fought so CALAMITY but
vainly. When, a few years before his
death, he lectured in this city, Thomas
H. Marshall Post, G. A. R., gave him a
reception and a right royal welcome.
Morris Schaff, the author of these ar
ticles, was at twenty-three First Lieu
tenant in the Ordnance Corps of the
regular army, and as assistant to the
Chief of Ordnance of the Army of the
Potomac he took part in the great cam
paign which began at midnight on the
third of May, 1864, and ended the follow
ing April with the surrender of Lee
'There is unusual power of graphic de-
scription in his intimate portrayals of
the great figures of this remarkable
campaign. He saw at close range Lin
coin, Grant, Hancock, Sheridan, Meade,
Pickett, Hunt, and many others. Alto
gether, no more intimate account of that
battle summer of 1864 has ever been
written"