Year: 1868

|


AT the recent reunion of the officers
OF the army of the James in Boston, some
interesting war stories were told


General Charles Devens said: .l


i" 1t was the good fortune of the troops
on the north side to be the first to occu-
py Richmond, reaping indeed, what 9TH
ers had sown, but it was much to lift up
on those rebel towers the flag of our
Union, and to be the first to bring again
that symbol of liberty and law to the
stronghold of rebellion. Even here there
were hearts that throbbed and eyes that
we're wet as they gazed upon its starry
folds. l remember well the day after
our occupation. / called upon lady
known to more than one officer of our
army for the unshrinking loyalty which
she manifested throughout the rebellion
Can absolute prisoner in her house during
part of the time) and as we stood upon
the piazza which formed the river front
of her beautiful mansion, she pointed
out the Newmarket road and told me
how she had watched on the morning of
our coming. 'All night said she, we
heard the sound of the retreating rebels,
and we knew that our trials were nearly
over. With the first light we came out
here to wait. Soon we saw the skir-
mishers advancing along the hill in a
minute more, just as the sun was rising,
came the solid column, and above waved
the American flag. 1t was the first time
| had seen it for four years, and, Gener-
al, l sank down here on my knees and
thanked my God that he had permitted
me to see it come again in triumph"


Chaplain Trumbull said:


"How can we ever sufficiently honor
the memory of those most uncommon
soldiers who died for the government in
our recent war with the rebellion. That
boy of General Plaisteds and Major
Adams regiment, who fell in the skir-
mish line in that fght-which General
Foster and others will remember-of the
I'd of July, 1864, on the north bank of
the Janes-Strawberry Plains, we call
the fight.


Every man of our handful counted
then as ten, and our brave boys knew it.
As one of them fell mortally wounded,
and as General (then Colonel Plaisted
saw him lying gasping for breath under
the burning rays of that midsummer
sun, he said to those near him, Take up
TorthaNer aud carry him back to the
hospital No, no. said the dear SOL
dier, that would only take two men
away from the front, where every man
is needed now. | can just as we'll die
here And there he died. Can we ever
forget him? 1t was about that time that
on Sunday, as / was moving among
the company tents of my regiment, /
found soldier boy crying in homesick-
ness for lack of letter from mother or
sister. He seemed too boyish for place
in the ranks of regiment in the field.
But only few weeks went by before our
regiment was in battle line on the 7th of
October, the fight in which General Bir-
ney spent his last strength, and as the
enemy was pouring his fire directly into
our faces, at scarce a pistol shot distance,
that frail boy, just in from night of
severe picket duty, while fighting man
fully, was shot directly through the body
and fell in his tracks. Lifting himself
up with full consciousness of his mortal
wound, he uttered never whisper or a
groan, but tearing off his equipments to
gain the breath he struggled for, he
struggled for, he looked along the lines
of unwavering veterans and called out
in cheering, inspiring tones Fire away,
boys! fire away 7 and then dropped back
to die-his mission accomplished, his last
strength used for his imperiled country.
Shall not such mans memory be hon
ored?"