Evening star., 1909-05-19

MAHONE.
PETERSBURG. Va. May 19.-Paying a
tribute alike to the soldiers Of the north
and of the south. President Taft today
witnessed the unveiling of an heroic
statue in bronze erected at Fort Malone,
On the Petersburg battlefield in memory
of Gen. Hartranft and the Pennsylvania
volunteers who fell In the stubborn fight
about this outpost of the Confederate
capital. The President arrived in Peters
burg shortly after o'clock. His private
car. the Olympia, was detached from the
regular Washington train at Richmond
and was run as q special from there. The
President went Immediately to Fort
Steadman, where q tablet was unveiled.
and then proceeded to Fort Malone,
where he made his first address of the
day.
The day was warm but the sky was
overcast throughout the morning and the
heat was not seriously felt. The Presi-
Gent GaApAed with every tribute to the
linton scfafeFS q seulosy Of the valor of
"We could, not dedicate this beautiful
and enduring memorial he declared.
Ito the volunteer soldiers Of Pennsyl-
and appropriateness had they not been
confronted by an enemy capable of re-
sisting their assaults with equal vigor
and fortitude. Pennsylvania's pride must
he in the victory achieved by her men
against SO brave, resOlute and resource
full an enemy
The President declared that the battle
between the states had to be fought. and
that enduring good had come of it.
Memorial to Pennsylvanians.
President Taft said:
My Fellow-citizens: We are met to-
day on the soil Of Virginia to dedicate
memorial to the bravery of the sons
OF Pennsylvania. exhibited in contest
to the death with the sons OF Virginia
and the south. We stand here in the
center of the bloodiest and most critical
operations of the last year of the civil
war, only few miles distant from that
Grant and Lee, which marked the great
qualities of the heart and soul of each
and which was the real end of the ter
ilfic struggle between the two sections.
Here, in and about Petersburg, the
outwork of Richmond. the home of the
onfederacy, were carried on those be-
siegiDg operations begun late in the spring
OF 1854 and continued with the courage
and the tenacity of purpose characteristic
OF the federal commander for nearly
Year. and resisted with the bravery and
strategy and wealth of expedient of the
Confederate leader until the forces of the
and the incessant hammering. were COM
PEELED to yield to the greater numbers
and the resources of the north.
TO Pennsylvania. as one of the greatest
states of the Union. engaged in the de-
termination to save it. fell the burden of
furnishing tens of thousands of men for
the struggle In every part of the line of at
tack, but especially in the Army of the
Potomac was the force of her people and
their devotion to the cause felt. Besides
her serried columns, she contributed to
the Union army Maj. Gen. George c.
Meade, the commander of the Army OF
Hancock, Humphreys, Birney and Parke
together with Gregg, the commander of
The cavalry division. a roster of which
She may well be proud. The mine under
the Petersburg works which was success
fully exploded in the early summer OF
1854 was the work Of the miners OF Penn
sylvania. enlisted in the 9th Regiment OF
that state. and the work which was done
py them called for especial mention in
the dispatches OF Gen. Meade. In the
operations in and about Petersburg from
Inc early summer of 1864 until the sur
render at AppOmattoN in 1860 there were
engaged from Pennsylvania upward of
10000 men, larger number than now
constitutes the army of the United States
Lees Assault Repulsed.
Upon the 25th of March. 1866. Gen Lee
determined TO make an assault upon the
federal besieging lines east of the town
and successfully carried them by attack
of division under Gen Gordon only to
bc ultimately defeated by the resistance
off ared by Har.rarst's two Pennsylvania
brigades. Those briSades had just been
recruited, ar! might have been expected
10 yield 10 the terrific onslaught of the
Confederate veterans; but. taking on the
stubbornness and. courage of their great
brigade commander. they withstood the
battle and turned the enemy and added
10 the martial renown Of the keystone
state. II is forty-four years since the bat
tie OF Fort Steadman and the victory of
the Hartranft brigades.
I'm the time which has passed the bit
terness OF the internecine struggle has
passed away, and now treasure as a
common heritage of the country the
bravery and valor of both sides in that
controversy memorial which marks
the steadfastness. the courage and the
soIdierly qualities of the forces engaged
I'm defense of the Union finds its true sig
nificance and meaning in the correspond
Ing bravery and courage OF those with
whom the battle was fought. The Army
OF the Potomac, under Grant and Meade
was seconded and Supported by a gem
erous government Constant reinforce
ments, generous supplies OF food and
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