The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-05-09
'BaIdWin's Tribute
To Citizen Soldier
Memorial Address at Ser
vices of New Haven
Grays
Part We Have Taken in
Peace Movement

New Haven, May Ex-Governor
Baldwin made an address at the me-
mortal services held by the New Ha-
ven Grays at the Church of the Re
deemer Sunday evening. General Sloat
of Washington also spoke. Governor
Baldwin said in part:
The church and the military power
of the state in time of stress have al
ways stood close together. 1t was
for cathedral worship that the stately
march of the TIE Deum was compos-
ed, for those gathering to thank God
for victories of arms. 1t is in church
es, in hours of national peril, when
armies were contending, that prayer
has gone up for national preserva-
ton. In the early churches of New
England men brought their guns to
church on Sundays, and each sat at
the head of his pew armed and pre-
pared to rush out and repel any sud-
den attack of hostile Indians. 1t was
from the pulpits that came many or
the most glowing appeals to patriot
ism and military duty, in the days
when the American revolution was
impending and again when the civil
war broke out, fifty years ago.
There is then a fitness in our as
sembling thus on a Sunday in
house of God, after this half century
has rolled by, to commemorate the
the story OF that war with sad but
noble splendor,and to recall the glor-
ious triumph for civil liberty, with
which, under the favor of Almighty
God, the long struggle was brought
to its final close.
outset depended upon its citizen SOL
diery. 1t was then, as it is now, the
distinctive feature of our nation, as
compared with every other of the
great powers, that its military estab-
lishment is the mere skeleton of one.
need, into a great body of men, and
trained officers are ready to guide
their movements; but it's normal con-
dltion is ineffective except to preserye
civil order, and as a nucleus Of some
thing greater.
1t is the opportunity which makes
the man. 1t was the sad opportun-
ity of striving to re-unite a disunited
country, which lifted President Lin
coin to heights of achievement In
craftsmanship, and of eloquence ana
pathos in public speech, which have
made his name immortal.
TO the New Haven Grays there
came an opportunity, fifty years ago.
Should they try to organize a COM
pany for active service? Could
enough of them be found to enlist
on the sudden call of Lincoln, and
hurry to the front, bearing the knowI-
edge of military tactics, not little
then as not little now, that theyy ac-
CURED in their armory hall as citI-
zen militia? You all know how
prompt was the response
Forty years ago this day, COM
pany formed by the efforts of the
Grays' was ready for the three
months service, and when that ex-
pired, another, under like auspices.
was organized for a longer term The
(aoY m q 6o vaf of no 90 toir E,v-a
D. Sloat, now of Washington, we are
proud to welcome here tonight
The town of New Haven sent more
than one company, more than one
brilliant commander, into the field.
Her military record is an illustrlous
one. Her citizen soldiery took their
full part in the war of independence.
We COMMUNICATED last month the
march of Arnold with the Governors
Guards to join Washington at Cam
bridge, a year before the Declaration
of Independence. Next July will come
Haven, brave but fruitless, in 1879
against a hostile invasion, New Ha-
ven commentaries her patriot dead
by the lofty monument which, fifty
placed on the highest of our sur
rounding rocks. dominates the land
scape from every point of view. She
has forgotten none.
On an occasion like this, we of New
England feel the prideeof citizenship
in each of three political communal
ties; In our town; in our state; in our
nation.
The civil war did not threaten the
existence of town or state, but town
and state were from the first identi-
fed with the cause of the nation.
That cause called to itself our best.
1t called many to enter, on south
ern battlefieelds, and in southern hos
pitfalls and prison pens, into that
bourne from which no traveller re-
turns. The dearest friend of my
boyhood was one of them, and lies
in an unknown grave by Cedar Noun
tain. More tears than those of kin
dred have been shed for him. More
hearts than those of kindred have
overf1owed with sorrow as death came