Soldiers' record, 1868-10-10

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I > e v o t e < i t o t l i e I i i t e i - e s t s o f t l i e S o l d i o i - s mt<l S a i l o r s o r t l i e l a t e W a r .
VOL 1. HARTFORD, COJTN., OCTOBER 10, 1868.
lortrg.
MUSTERED OUT.
We publish the following poem without knowledge
of its origin, believing that its thrillng beauty and
tender pathos will touch every heart, and awaken a
thousand precious though saddened memories of those
who fought so gallantly on numerous battle fields.
Let me lie down.
Just here in the shade of the cannon-torn tree,
Here, low in the trampled grass, where I may see
The suiige of the combat; and where I may hear
Tlie glad cry of victory, cheer upon cheer;
Let me lie down.
Oh, it was grand!
Like the tempest we charged, in the triumph to share.
The tempest—its fury and grandeur were there,
On, on, over the entrenchments over living and dead,
With the foe under foot, and our flag overhead.
Oh! it was grand.
Weary and tainf
Prone on thejsoldier's touch, ah, how can I rest.
With this shot-shattered head, and sabre-pierced breast
Comrades, at roll call, when I shall be sought.
Say 1 fought till I fell, and fell where I fought.
Weary and faint.
Oh, that last charge !
Right through the dread hell-fire of shrapnel and shellj
Through without faltering, clear through with a yell—^
Eight in their midst with turmoil and gloom,
Like heroes we dashed at the mandate of doom.
Oh, that last charge !
It was my duty!
Some things are worthless, and otheis so good.
That nations who buy them pay only in blood.
For freedom and union each man owes his part—
And here I pay my share all warm from my heart.
It is my duty.
Dying at last!
My mother, dear mother, with meek, tearful eye,
Farewell! and God bless you forever and aye.
Oh, that I now lay on your pillowing breast,
To breathe my last sigh on the bosom first pressed;
Dying at last.
I am no saint.
But, boys say a prayer, there is one that begins
"Our father," and then says "Forgive us our sins,'
Don't forget that part, say that strongly, and then
I'll try to repeat it, and you'll say amen!
Ah, I'm no saint.
Hark ! there is a shout,
Eaise me up comrades, we shall conquer, I know.
Up, up, on my feet, with my face to the foe;
Ah, there flies the flag, with the star spangles bright.
The promise of glory, the symbol of right!
Well they may shout.
I am mustered out!
O, God of our fathers, our freedom prolong.
And troad down oppression, rebellion and wrong;
O, land of earth's hope, on thy blood-reddened sod,
I die for the nation, tlie union, and God.
I'm mustered out.
NO. 14
ADDBESS OF CHAPLAIN WALKER
at the
EE-UNION OF THE EIGHTEENTH C. V., AT
SAUNDERS' POND, SEPT. 26th, 1868.
Comrades of the Eiehteenth :
To each one, and all, I extend a hap-py
greeting and affectionate welcome.
And first of all let us iinite in sincere
and hearty thanksgiving to the Father of
all mercies for the delightful intercourse
and joyous congratulations of this hour.
This is one of the happiest and proud-est
days of our life. Re-assembling un-der
such pleasant auspices, every counte-nance
beaming with gladness, every heart
in full sympathy with each and all others,
or in the language of an old song.
"Were all united heart and hand.
Joined in one band completely."
Iti^ more than three years ago comrades,
since AVO were mustered out of service and
bade each other an affectionate farewell
at Hartford, since wo looked each other
in the face, pressed eacli others' hands,
and that organization ceased of which we
were proud to be members during three
long years of war. More than three years
liave passed since we gazed with patriotic
devotion upon the dear old banner that
led us in many a long and weary march,
in terrible campaigns in the valleys and
mountains of Virginia, tliat led us in the
battles of Wittchester, New-Market, Pied-mont,
Lynchburg, Snickers Ford, Bciry-villo
and Cedar Creek ; that led us on
Hunter's long and terrible raid up the
Shenandoah and oTer the mountains of
the old Dominion. Under the same old
banner more tlian three years ago we re-joiced
together that the cruel war was
over, and wo were permitted to return to
the sweets of domestic life, socialpleasures
and quiet duties as citizens ot this glo-rious
commonwealth.
More thftn three years ago comrades,
you returned with h.ouor, to the authori-ties
of this State, the emblems of liberty
and equality, which had been entrusted to
your patriotic and valiant care, and these
are all the more beautiful for the scars of
honor and victory they bear, received
while waving in bold defiance to a treas-onable
traitorous and determined foe.
Long may it wave.' Though defaced
and worn in severe campaigns ; though
pierced and rent by rebel shot and shell,
it is more beautiful in our pride and glory
on this account. Tliank God that the
precious old banner is still waving.
See the flag, the dear old flag
On the breezes waving,"
Sec it float.from east to west,
Treasons' tempest braving.
Boys, does not the old flag look good to
you ? But why do your hearts throb and
swell, and your eyes fill with tears ? Ah!
the sight awakens tender memories of pri-vations,
sufferings and losses; tender
memories of our brave companions who
died for the love they had to that glorious
banner. With sorrow we left many of
them behind when we cd,me marching
home from those fields of blood which
witnessed the valor of their deeds and
sacrifice to give power and victory to the
nation
The flag that our brothers died nobly to save.
Shall never go down o'er liberty's grave :
Still free and unfettered, our Eagle shall soar,
T.ill the reign of oppression forever is o'er.
From the forests of Maine,frora tho prairies so grand,
One shout has arisen, God bless our fair land;
The Union forever, firm noblo and true,
And the flag of our Union, the "Red, White, and
Blue."
Comrades—I remember my deep eino-ticJns
as I witnessed your devotion and
enthusiasm in the great struggle to res-tore
this banner to its rightful position in
those states, Avhere it had been trampled
upon by armed rebels and traitors. One
day as we were nearing Harrisburg, Va.,
and while the advance of our army was
skirmishing with the foe in front, there
came rolling down our whole regimental
line in tones harmonious and grand, tho
voice of song. I seem to hear it even
iiow:—
"Three cheers for the red, white and blue,
Three cheers for the red, white and blue,
Tho Army and Navy forever.
Three cheers for the red. white and blue."
And never shall I forget your enthu-siasm
after days and weeks of toilsome
marching, we drew near to Buchanan,
where the Union flag was displayed by a
company of ladies and gentlemen from the
balcony of a fine house we were passing.
As the Stars and Stripes were up-raised,
with the waving of handkerchiefs by the
ladies and the shouts of the whole compa-ny,
there went up to heaven such a cheer-ing
as we seldom hear.
And no wonder. We had marched one
hundred and fifty miles or more up the
Shenandoah, had been two weeks within
the enemys' lines, and no citizen ofVik'gin-ia
had greeted us with shouts of welcome
since we left Winchester. The event was
so rare and even unexpected, our joy was
imbounded. Boys let me hear you give
tln-ee more cheers for the old flag!
0, dear Comrades, that sound has the
old true Union ring to it, that made such
sweet music in tho ears of loyal men both
North and South, wliich produced such
terror in rebel ranks, "Away down South
in Dixie," and soundod like ten thousand
thunders in the ears of northern rebel sym
palhizers.
I know your devotion to the old flag.
It was your love for its honor and glory
that made you soldiers in the Union Ar-my
for nearly three years. I was witness
to your fortitude in long and tedious
marches, to your bravery in self denials,
in sulferings, in sickness, in hunger, in
starvation, in heat, in cold, in storms of
shot and shell, and in the midst of death
and destruction, I have scon you stand
where only brave men will stand. I have
admired your courage in danger and your
constant devotion to the flag of tho free.
Yea, the Star spangled banner that waves
O'er the land and the sea.
Tho homes of the brave, tlie eternally free.
Comrades, you stood up nobly and
bravely for the right. I repeat it, for the
right. For as God is God, and truth is
truth, our government was in the right in
resisting and putting down the late rebell-ion.
Its call for troops at various times
was just, and hence imperative. The re-sponse
was prompt and characteristic. It
was made by a people that worshipped a
grand and sublime idea. Liberty and not
self-interest. Herein are found the pre-dominate
motives of the two sections of
our country in the late contest. 1 boldly
assert that the South fought for property
in man, for self ease and power. The
North fought for the glorious idea of uni-versal
freedom and the universal brother-hood
of the races an equal right to "life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness"
You rushed,Comrades, and hundreds of
thousands of other good men and true, to
the scene of conflict, and covered your-selves
with glory in defense of the old-fashioned
democratic principles. The in-stant
and general uprising of the people in
1861 and 1862 was a grand and sublime
manifestation of American patriotism with-out
a parallel in the history of the world.
As we praise the heroic deeds of our fath-ers
and bless their memory for establishing
a republican form of government upon
this continent'devoted to science, justice,
equality, religion and humanity, so in
like manner future generations will rise
up to call those blessed who gave their
property, energies,and lives to maintain
and defend the same in its consolidated
form, purity and power. One genera
tion shall praise that wonderful uprising
of a patriotic people for the right, to
another till the end of time.
"Brave mon were they,
Their Countey's cause defending."
Their deeds are immortal. We can
hardly over estimate the importance of
the late struggle and its results, in their
relation to the cause ot civilization, and
human progress.
On the one side were united all the el-ements
of despotism, of this and' .the old
world, to crush out the spirit of .republi-can
ideas of liberty and civil freedom.
The despots of Europe especiallyj were
a unit in rendering aid and comfort to a
rebellion which had its origin in hatred
to the doctrine of equal rights and privi-leges.
No means were left untried to
give success—to give the power of the
country into the hands of a few rich
planters, man-drivers, and demagogues.
The struggle was a long one, bloody, and
terribly in earnest. But right and truth
triumphed. It was your honor and priv-ilege,
Comrades, to fight the great battle
of the world, and to bear a noble part in
achieving the greatest victory of the ages.
You can never doubt the justice of your
cause, nor regret the sacrifices you have
made. It Avas this conviction that led
you to become identified early with the
noble men who were determined that the
rebel power in this country should be an-nihilated,
Avith the shameful causes in
which it originated. Our government
courted no conflict with the men of tho
South. It bore and foreboro until for-bearance
ceased to be a virtue, and as the
last resort appealed to the patriotism and
power of tho North and West to defend
and save the honor of the Nation. That
appeal, tliank God, was not in vain. The
consequences that followed were a terri-ble
lesson to the mad followers of the
dogma of secession. But the North was
no way responsible for these except so
far as aid and comfort were given to those
who had meanly betrayed their public
honor, trampled on the national flag, and
rejoiced in any disasters that attended tho
National cause.
Comrades, wo fought wholly on the de-fensive.
A rebel oflfieer asked me when
we were at Staunton, Va-, "what right
the United States Government had to
wage an aggressive war on the South."
1 replied in substance: "Our govern-ment
is doing no such thing. It is acting
wholly on the defensive, You Southern
people are the aggressors, you have raised
a foreign flag over soil, every inch of which
belongs to a republican form of govern-ment.
A people with despotic laws and insti-t
u t i o n s , n o right at all in this country.
They are robbers and usurpers. Said I,
would not the English oi' the French peo-ple
be considered the aggressors if they
should here raise their banners and set
up their national authority, and would the
United States allow them to do it? Then
what right have the Southern people to
set up,a new banner, the "Stars and bars"
in opposition to the "Stars and Stripes ?"
None at all. You are just as much the
aggressors and robbers as though you had
come from the old world and raised a for-eign
flag. Let me remind you again that
every inch of the soil of Virginia these
luxuriant valleys, grand old mountains '
and beautiful rivers belong to the "Stars
and Stripes. And now it is your duty
either to submit to the United States, or
quit.
With a proud and haughty air that rebel
replied, " No, we will, die first." Then,
said 1, made up your mind to die. For
our government will certainly put down
this rebellion. If you kill every man of
its p resent army, it will raise another just
like it, and prosecute this war until the
object is accomplished if it takes twenty
years. A lady said to me at Buchanan,
she thought our government was very
cruel to cut off their medical supplies, and
feed its armies from the granaries of the
southern people. 0, said 1 ,you can easily
remedy all this. Stop fighting the gov-ernment.
Let your guerillas cease inter-rupting
our provision trains and all will be
well. We have enough and to spare up
North, but if you will not let our trains
come to us, of course we must do the best
we can. And we did. (This was a spe-cies
of sarcasm which my lady friend did
not much relish.)
Comrades and Citizens—I am here to
say that I have no compunctions of con-science
for the part I acted in the late war.
Where are cases no doubt in the course
human events when serious minded men
may have doubts with reference to the
path of duty. But it seems to me the
late issue was not one of this character.
As I have not met my former friends in
this county, until now, since my retnrn
allow me to say as much as this in justifi-cation
of my course.—Fully believing
that our cause was just I am not ashamed
nor sorry that I went to the war, I am
only sorry that I was so long a time get-ting
into it, or that I came home so soon.
For I honestly believe that had Grant or
Sherman given Lee or Johnson one more,
good, sound thrashing, we should not have
found so much difficulty in tho work of
reconstruction. Wo might have got
along pretty well, perhaps, as it was, if
the reins of our Government had contin-ued
to liave been held by sober, kind and
firm hands.
Comrades ; when we consider tho prin-ciples
involved in tho late struggle, and
thetr probable consequences to civil gov-ernment
as tho great moral questions of
the day, I am bold to say no man who
stood by our great Leader in that crisis has
any cause whatever to be ashamed of his
course. Wiiat, is it a crime for a man to
love such a country as ours? IJe gives
his infhience and property and himself to
defend its laws and perpetuate its humane
and civil institutions ? Does a man deny
the religion of Heaven, his manhood, and
the instincts of humanity bocuuso ho gives
himself to the flag of his country ? Are
the noblo mon and young men, who left
their virtuous homos, tho Sabbath Schools