Evening star., 1928-10-19

lie the fields of Fredericksburg, OF
Characteristic, of the Wilderness and
of Spotsylvania Court House. where the
heroic sons of the North and South met
In mortal combat. each contending for
what he thought was right as God gave
him the power to see the right.
The first of these engagements oc-
CURED in December, 1862, when Gen
| Burnside, sending a force across the
Rappahannock. made an attack on Gen
Lees position. which was we'll protect
ed and amply supported by artillery
Assault after assault was made by seven
divisions, the one after the other, with
the greatest gallantry, only to be re-
pulsed with the most disastrous losses.
In the following May of 1863 Gen
Hooker, then in command of the Union
forces, marching upstream and crossing
the Rappahannock and the Rapidan
met with such resistance at ChancellorS-
vile that his losses were over $1,000
Gen. Lee lost about 12500. But among
these was the ablest military leader OF
all his generals. Stonewal Jackson. who
fell through the mistake of his own men
His loss wa irreparable Following this
action Gen Lee led his forces north
until he was turned back at Gettysburg
The next battle in this locality took
place a year later. in May 1854. Gen
Grant was now in command of all the
armies, with headquarters with Gen.
Meade. who led the Army of the Po-
tomac.
Grant sent his army across the Rapi-
dan at two points, and the battle of
the Wilderness followed. which checked
his advance After resting few days
Grant started the Spotsylvania cam
paign by attempting to turn the right
flank of Lee. Three days of desperate
fighting took place, in which the losses
on both sides were very severe, the
heaviest being around the struggle for
possession of the bloody angle. 1t was
during this battle that Grant sent his
famous dispatch to Washington an
nGuncing his purpose ito fight it out on
this line, if it takes all Summer" With
the superior forces at his command
Grant began that campaign in these
two battles, which he followed up until
less than year later it was all finally
ended at Appomattox.
Lees Force Smaller.
In these four important engagements
Lee always had the smaller force His
being on the defensive and his brilliant
leadership each time saved him from
defeat. He always inflicted much the
larger losses On these four fields it has
been estimated that the total number
engaged on both sides was about TOO 900.
The entire casualties for both armies
we're close to 100000 in about 10 days
of actual fighting. Those who fell sleep
here. near where sleeps the mother Of
Washington.
- t1as.. l. -
their valuable military lessons, the Con-
greSS unanimously passed a bill last
year, introduced by your distinguished
Representative, Mr.. Bland. to make
military park and mark and preserve the
important points on these battlefields
The unanimous action of the Congress
and the joint participation of the
people, both of the North and the South.
in carrying in>o effect the law which
1t passed is another welcome demon
stration in long line of events, not
only that the war is over, but that
reconciliation is becoming complete.
The Union which this commonwealth
did so much to establish, the Union
hallowed by tho name of Washington,
the Union which jackson defended with
fervor no less pronounced than that
OF Lincoln, the Union which took a
new place in the world under Wilson. is
not accorded a loyalty in any other
part of our Republic more devoted and
sincere than that which is constantly
manifest in the life of the people of
Virginia.
AS We look over the course of history,
as we give it more and more considera-
ton. our confidence in mankind can
not but increase. The more we con-
template their actions, the more we
learn OF their motives, the more We are
convinced that on the whole they at
tempt to do the best that they can
under the circumstances in which thev
ma themselves. The progress of the
race has been long and hard and toll
some, marked by many mistakes and
requiring many sacrifices. 1t never goes
forward but one step at time. When
we set up our Republic on the founda-
tion OF liberty under the law. much of
the best thought both of the South
and North realized that the structure
was incomplete. Almost Immediately
10 articles of amendment were added
TO the Constitution. Certain obscurities
still remained. certain powers we're still
disputed ana underlined. The question
OF universal freedom and of whether
the constitution provided temporary
confederation or a permanent union
were sure to arise. Their decision in
volved most terrible and appalling
sacrifice on the part of two great con-
tending forces.
Cites Rebuilding of South.
The main reason why we can all join
in the movement to commemorate the
deeds of immortal valor which marked
these battlefelds is because we all
realize that out of g. common expiation
our common country has been greatly
blessed. In these advantages, as it has
slowly risen from its prostration, the
South has more than amply partici-
pated. Since 1900 that progress has
been most marked. In the Southern
States alone the wealth, the manu-
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