Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-04-13

the vessels that met the scouts of
ShermaE's army when they reached
the coast of Georgia on its march to
the sea- With some of our officers
while it was encamped in it's out
skirts of Savannah soon after it's ar
rival. Seeing an officer passing in
the uniform of a major general
inquired of a sentry who he was.
Standing to salute, with evident
General o. o. Howard commanding
the army Of TIE Tennessee
Twenty five years later I had the
pleasure Of introducing General o.
Q. Howard TO a large audience in the
Sunday School room of my church
in Brooklyn. In doing this, I men
toned the circumstances of my first
meeting with General Howard, which
was news to him as well as to the
audience. That evening both of the
and General Slocum, addressed US.
Well do L remember what a graft
fication it was to my two sons and to
many others to shake hands with
these men who commanded the right
and left wings Of Sherman's army on
its famttls March to to the Sea-
AT another time, while we were
at Jacksonville, nearly 5000 Union
soldiers who had been released from
the Confederate prison at Anderson
VIE Cc|I0 u JdChSOnN1ll0 on In6lr
way north. Such wretched specimens
of humanity, caused by exposure,
disease and starvation, never saw
before. Hundreds of them after be-
ing released, died on the day before
they reached the transports that were
to take them home.
'Mo"e than 50 years have passed
since the tidings were flashed across
the country that Fort Sumter had
been fired upon and that war had be-
come stern necessity. All hearts
were nerved to the contest and men
homes and fresides and enrolled
themselves in the service of their
country. That grand an dspontaneous
uprising OIL the citizen so1diery, fully
armed and equipped for battle has no
parallel in the history of any age or
country. The armies that went from
the various states we'll deserve the
name Of the Grand Army of the Re-
rubiic.' 1t was grand in the numbers
which swelled its loyal ranks. 1t was
grand in the purpose which inspired
it. Nol conquest led it on, but the
sentiment of the popular refrain
| which sang out on land and sea-
We are coming. we are coming,
Our Union to restore,
We are coming Father Abraham
| Six hundred thousand strong
sit was grand in the quality of the
| men who shouldered the musket and
| buckled on the sword. Such men as
these never before composed an army
| The flower Of the nation took the
| touch of elbow to save it. 1t was
| grand in the results it achieved. The
victory it wen over a brave, deter
| mined, we'll disciplined foe has nc
parallel on the historic page. Victory
| has its value precisely proportional
| to the measure and men to be. over
| come. In our Civil War West Point
met West Point, volunteer met volun-
teer. The iron in the blood of ou1
soldiers was in the blood of the sol.
diers dead of the South. Sincerity
strove against sincerity. Prayer pre-.
scented it's petitions against prayer
Not men OF alien nature were they
| they were our brothers; they Tough
| as men who would not disgrace tn.
| family name. And now, thank God
we are brothers once again. Whe1
Lees army surrendered at Appomat
| tox and General Crank refused to &C
| cept the swird Of his conquered foe
/ when he fed the half-starved Confed
crate army and bade them keep thei
| horses as they would need them TO
the spring ploughing, the era Of bet
/ ter things began. The ties Of rela,
tionship BETWEEN North and South ar,
| ten-folds stronger than ever before
! and no one rejoices more than tn,
heroic Confederates that their caus,
/ was lost"