The National tribune., 1910-02-17
INCof.N nAY Nr ToGUs.

The celsbratlon of Lincoln Day n
Togus. Me-, was of unusual interest
and participated in by an extraordinary
audience. The orator of the day was
Gen. George Il. loud. of New York.
Notwithstanding the inclemency of the
weather, the opera, house at the Home
was flied with veterans and with Wis
itors from Gardiner, Randolph, Halo
well and Augusta, including Heath
Post and w. r. c., of Gardiner Gen.
Loud held the rapt attention of all for
about one hour, during which time
no one left his or her seat. The most
significant feature of the address was
his graphic picture of the effect upon
the army of the news of Lincoln's as
sassinstion. A correspondent sends US
a portion of this, which speaks well
for the quality of the whole address:
"Well do I remember that fearful
morning of April Is, 1868, when the
news of Lincoln's assassination flashed
Iacross the wires of the civilized world,
looming at a season prosperous 10 the
arms of the Union, like destructive
thunderbolt hurled from n clear ana
Iunpromising sky, shaking the soclal
lsystem of the country with the terrible
tidings, until all loyal hearts were filled
with a dreadful suspense which made
men tremble with the palsy of direful
lforebodings; and even the South, till
then so embittered in the despair CT
Threatened defeat, lifted up hands OF
hcrror, fearing the result of such use
less deed of murder.
Among our Union forces where L
was encamped at Terre Bonne, La, on
the line of the Opelousas Railroad, now
the Southern Pacific, the news produced
Ian effect it would be impossible to de-
lscribe with justness at this date, or to
have graphically delineated at the time.
For a moment a great feeling of OPP
preston weighed down personality and
everything around us; the very cane
brakes on the border of the bayous
iappeared to join in the melancholy OF
the hour and, as it were, assumed mcst
dismal appearances, while the over
hanging moss upon the live oaks and
magnolias seemeC. to shed their green
lish-gray hue and don a somber shade
and additional length of natural
drapery, trailing to the very earth like
natures vail of mourning for the mar
ltyred President. For the time, chaos
of thought and condition took prece-
dence of military order and duties.
Drills and other exercises were suspend
standstiIl; man looked at man with
that silent questioning in which souls
talk to each other without the aid or
speech. IT seemed as if a terrible light
ming shaft had struck our camp In
front and rear, and in falling had scar
ed US all intellectually and physically,
both officers and enlisted men speak
ing in whispers when conversing. Even
our appetites were gOne-the food re-
maining untouched upon the mess
, tables OF the officers and in the COM
pany Kitchens Men turned away, with
: trembling lips and moistened eyes, their
= rations. h h.- -
I But when the news was fully con-
firmed and the horrible details reached
us in full. the colored troops of one Of
Y the detachments became almost fran
tic and unmanageable in their despair.
Great lamentations in company quar-
lters ensued during which means and
prayers of the most heart-rending pa
v thos followed each other and with a
+ lsincerity of utterance which no one
could hear unmoved; for those men
somehow seemed to think that in the
4 death of Lincoln their freedom was
] in jeopardy, if not entirely lost. Sc
+ long as he lived they believed their
freedom safe; hence, with the posi-
: Tive news of his assassination, their
j hopes of liberty after the war became
1 for the moment, clouded, confused and
, seemingly blasted, for to them Presi-
dent Lincoln was father, brother, lib
orator and friend.
t II want to say a word right here
4 in reference to the colored people OF
-. the South in those days. The unwaver-
ing loyaly to the Union army on the
S part of the colored race was theil
0 lcrowning glory. Nowhere did ] ever
, see or hear of a negro who would not
>, befriend our soldiers, care for our sick
divide with them his last morsel Of
e food, and freely furnish all the infor-
4 nation about our enemies in his pow
n er. He might be hogged or shot ol
torn by bloodhounds, but wherever anG
= whenever our boys met a black face
they knew that the heart which beai
q in that breast would prove loyal anc
:. faithful to its latest throb.
''It seems fitting, as there was moi
. one of all the millions who loved him
n and who would have shielded him "a
+ any cost but knew not OF his peril
, THAT the flag he loved should have be
l. come his avenger, and caught the foo
l, of the assassin in it's loyal folds ano
r hurled him away to certain deatf
n later That flag. kept securely in 8
glass case is held sacred in the Treas
: ure- House of the Nation.
# "It was as tho there was one dead
g in every house. The mourners Wen
= about the streets uncontrolled; mer
. forgot their love 1Or BOlu ana tneil
II lust for power; statesmen groped abou
|. like blind men for some hand to lead
@ the world was in mourning, for all the
world knew that he had come to the
kingdom for such time as that
: mo event of the war, including the
S loss of a battle, ever carried such con
sternation into the camps of the Unior
armies as did the announcement o
L.incOn's death. I remember that wher
the final news was understood tina
r evening q down-pOur Of rain came upor
V us from overshadowirg black clouds
;. as if the very heavens Joined with thu
loyal people of the country in weep
u ing and wailing over the calamity which
s had befallen this Nation on the eve
:. of returning peace"
6 BUTLER AT PETERSBURG.
Y Editor National Tribune: In your is
4 Ieue Ian 90 CHAPTER / of the Wilder