Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-06-15

FIFTY years ago loddy Maine WAS
seeing the commencement of a struggls
/; which was to last for four long. weary
| years The first crash Of the Rebellion
| sounding in the bornhardment Of Fort
/ Sumter at Charleston on the 18th OF
| April found Maine with a militia en-
rollment of $4,000 men but less than
| one-sixth of that number in anything
| like readiness for the field. Neverthe-
less the patriotic response of the Pine
1 Tree State was so great that the First
| Regiment of Infantry was mustered
into the United States service on the
Sd day of May; on May IA. the Second
/ Regiment was leaving Bangor for the
| front and on June T. the 3rd was mus
/ tered INTO the United States service at
/ Augusta. leaving for Washington on
June ); the 4th Regiment organizing
at Rockland was to leave for Washing
ton on the 18th; the 5th organizing at
Portland was to leave on the 2Gth.
| Thus before the month OF Juna ended
Maine had five regiments in the Held
and four more were being organized
Maine contributed to the Union Army
in the Civil War one-tenth of its pop
ulation-72,9 45 men, who made up the
| following organizations Thirty-o
full regiments of Infantry, the equiVa-
lent Of three regiments of cavalry, one
1 regiment of heavy artillery, seven bat
teries of light artillery, seven compan-
les of sharpshooters, 30 companies ui
infantry assigned to regimentai organ
cations, and seven companies OF COAST
guards.
4 The total of 72,945 includes re-enlist-
ments to the number of 3400 and those
| who paid Communication to the number
of 1000 leaving a total of 6T545 as the
number who actually bore arms
OF these men 5000 died on the field OF
battle and $500 were swept or worn
away by the hardships and exposures
of the campaign" TO this total OF
nearly 5000 who lost their lives shoula
be added II, 600 wounded men, making
: In round numbers 10000 Maine men
who were either killed or wounded III
the four years Of the war
Il The spirit with which Maine met the
: situation is strikingly embodied in the
words of Governor Wasllburn directing
the enlistment of additional regiments
of volunteers following the reverse To
the federal arms at the first battle OF
Bull Run:
Il whilst observing, with the most
: grateful pride and admiration, the
: brave conduct of our regiments already
i in the field, the Governor and Com
. mander-in-Chief calls upon the loyal
men of the State to emulate the patrl-
otto zeal and courage Of their broth
ers who have gone before them. TIE
issue involved is one on which there
! can be no divided opinion in Maine.
! 1t affects not only the integf.ty oil
, our Union, but the very life of Repub-
, lican Government. For the preserva-
, ton of these, Maine will pour out her
best blood and expend her richest
| treasure. Having already contributed
generously of the flower of her youth
and manhood, Maine must send yet
more of her stalwart sons. to do bat
tie for the preservation of the Union,
and FOR the supremacy Of law. ="
! Yes Maine responded nobly to the
Presidents call for troops Throughout
| the length and breadth of our State, IN
2 the quiet, secluded valley and on the
: rugged hillside, the one earnest patriotic
feeling was that the Union must and
E shall be preserved" No town was sc
| obscure, no community SO destitute thai
, it could not contribute its share of mer
and money for the defense of the Ma
tons life and the Nations nag. Wher-
ever brave hearts were needed, or des'
perate fighting was TO be done, there
} We're the sons of Maine found from the
: first to the last of the great struggle
, | The record won by Maine troops has be
come our glorious heritage and the
names of Howard, Chamberlain, Berry
+ Conner and Jameson and host Of other:
, are written in indelible letters on the roll
of the Nations most honored defenders
The Civil War was fought by our youne
men, by our boys. The average age oil
the soldiers in the Union army was
think, less than % years. The 5000 young
men, by our boys. The average age OF
their country were a part of mat great
sacrifice of 100000 of our Nations deat
offered up for the Nations life. Had i
1 been possible for one man, with his life
alone. to pay the price that was paid By
so many thousands, what a grand and
0 heroic figure he would have made
: through all the ages. And yet, though
r 100000 died to save the nation, each fol
| himself, gave his all, even life itself anC
: is therefore as much entitled to oui
n homage as If he had paid the price alone
= 1 desire to repeat the language OF
Washington to his brave troops. lie
e me remind YOU" said he, you, the pri
S waite soldiers of the dgnified part you
$ have performed in this great struggle
For happy-thrice happy-will he be ac
counted hereafter who has contributed
1 though in the least degree, TO the estaD
lishment of this gigantic Republic on the
: broad basis of human freedom and EN-
: plre."
All men delight to honor our Revolu-
d tionary fathers who founded this great
I republic. Should not equal honors be be-
o slowed upon those who kept this Nation
y whole and made it wholly free?
e Nor were all the sacrifices. nor all the
suffering. during those dark days when
: the Nations life was in peril borne by
Il the brave men of our land. The true and
:, noble women of our country contributed
their fun share They gave freely their
: sons, their husbands, as a sacrifice upon
their country's altar. They nursed the
q sick and wounded and comforted the dy-
| ing. Even though their own hearts were
4 breaking they cheered their loved ones
: on to glorious achievements. And when
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