E 642 .H68 Copy 1 ADDRESS DELIVERED BEFORE Theodore Winthrop Encampment IPOST 35, O. J^. I^., ACADEMY OF MUSIC, CHKLSEA, MASS. MEMORIAL DAY, MAY 30, 1873, By • MAJOR WILLIAM H. II O D G K I N S BOSTON: ROCKWELL AND CHURCHILL, PRINTERS, 122 Washington Street. 18 7 3. -V. ADDRESS DELIVERED BEFORE ^L Theodore Wintlirop Encampment; IPOST 35, a-. -A.. I^., AT ACADEMY OF MUSIC, CHELSEA, MASS., MEMOIUAL DAY, MAY 30, 1873. By y MAJOR W I L L I A I\I H . H O D G K I N S . -BOSTON: ROCKWELL AND CHURCHILL, PRINTERS, 122 Washington Street. 18 73. ^V' ADDRESS. Mr. Commander and Comrades of Theodore Winihrop JEncamjrment : — We arc reminded by the prayer, the hymns, the poem, and by the address of His Honor the Mayor, that the glory of a nation is not in its institutions, or its natural advan- tages, not iu its history, but in its men; and we rejoice to-day that, iu the dark period of her history, America has not been wanting in true, brave men, who were willing to sacrifice life in defence of her liberties and honor. I approach the duty your favor has assigned me, realizing how uttcrl}' inadequate are human words to rightly express our emotions as we engage in a jNIemorial service dear to every loyal heart, and deeply conscious that I may not s[)eak as you or I could wish, of your local history or of the per- sonal character and individual actions of the men whose names you revere. Time in its unceasing flight has swiftly rolled away another year, and again at the appointed time, in this glad opening season, wc assemble to pay homage to the mcmor}' of the patriot dead. So great was the number who sacrificed life in defence of the republic that there are few indeed among us who have not some relative or friend or dear companion now sleeping in soldiers' graves. Many topics suggest themselves to the mind of one called to address you to-day. I might speak of the early history and glory of the nation, and her indebtedness to her citizen soldiers, of the resplen- dent future that awaits our country, of the relation of the soldier to the various political problems of the day, — but I shall speak only of that past history which records the noble conduct of our fallen comrades in the great struggle for the supremacy of law and order over treason. We consecrate this hour and service to tender memories of these our comrades and friends. " Blest are the martj'red dead who lie In holy graves for freedom won, Whose storied deeds can never die, While coming years tiieir cycles run." Onr hearts swell with unwonted emotion as we recall the hour, twelve years ago, when the first dread sound of war ■was heard throughout the land, and the call went forth for men to arm and defend the Capital of the Nation. That cry awoke response in every loj^al heart. " From every valley in our northern land, froml every cabin by the pleasant moun- tain side, from the ships at our Avluirvcs, from the tent of the hunter on our westernmost prairies, from the living minds of the living millions of American freemen the shout went up like the sound cjf many waters — The Union, it must he pre- served!" The land re-echoed with strains of martial music, calling our comrades from the peaceful pursuits of industry to rally around the banner of the nation and go forward as men to vindicate the honor and dignityof the republic assailed by malignant and misguided foes. The opening scenes of the Revolution were re-enacted with a spirit worthy of the revolutionary sires. Again the plough was left in the furrow, again private and selfish interests "were forgotten, and with a cheerfulness and courage far above our feeble praise, our comrades submitted to the irksome duties of the camp, and sought by every means to prepare for a soldier's life. What thrilling emotions crowd the soul as we at this distant day recall the memory of that great uprising of '61 ! How we love to linger over the record so momentous and inspiring! Again we hear the drum beat! — the tramp, tramp, tramp of the mustering thousands, — again a faithful memory photographs the stirring scenes of the commence- ment of the bloody drama. Well do I remember the noble spirit with which this city responded to the sunmions of the President; and when the strife had long continued, and hope seemed trembling, when oft-repeated calls had been answered even with the sacrifice of your bravest and best, — your patriotic exertions were never abated, but true to the promptings of freedom and right, your energies were quick- ened, and the l)rave men in the field were encouraged by still larger reinforcements from your firesides and homes. In the vast army and navy of the republic, — composed of men of almost every nationality and of various political creeds, serving under one banner, sworn to maintain a com- mon cause, — the question of state or local distinction was of minor imp( rtance and seldom considered. Arrayed in a soldier's honored garb, they went forth to battle for a Nation, and not for a State. Local and sectional pride and atttich- ment were subordinated to exalted love of country. The 6 banner floating above them, on the land and on the sea, was the flag of the Union, and not an emblem of a State ! Side b}^ side in the thickest of the fight were borne the Avhite flag of Massachusetts and the colors of every loyal State, and yet better and dearer than one or all of these were the stars and stripes of the republic. The binding obligations of the Union and the supremacy of the Constitution were to be maintained in opposition to the pernicious theor}^ of the rights of Slates, Avhich for more than thirty yeius had been nurtured in a Southern soil, and fostered by a Southern sun. The glorious heritage of our fathers, the Union of the States, was endangered. The beacon-light of political freedom to the oppressed of all the world was threatened Avith extin- guishment, and to defend and preserve this and the great charter of our own freedom — the Constitution of the United States — you buckled on the harness and went forward to battle, and, if need be, to die. To commeuiorate this national patriotism, as well as to honor the noble dead, all over our broad land to-day the surviviug comrades of the Grand Army of the Republic, forsaking the pursuits of busy life, and wearing again the insignia of their service, have assembled in consecrated burial-places and memorial-halls, and with prayer and dirge and eulogy revive the memory of those brave spirits who, in the darkest hour of the nation's history, freely relinquished the delights and comforts of home and friends, and with devoted patriotism surrendered life itself. And, conn-ades, we rejoice that we are not left to perform this delightful and tender duty alone. The spirit of the age demanding reverence for the patriot dead speaks in loud tones to all. The ofiicial representatives of our towns and cities all unite, and reverend age and tender child- hood vie with us in adding a laurel to the hero's wreath of fame.) It IS proper, however, that every locality should take special pride in its own record of service during the war, and on this National Memorial Day we are permitted to narrow the circle of our thought, and enjoy the privilege of review- ing our own j^articular history. In this mighty struggle for national existence, the city of Chelsea performed an honored and distinguished part, and has a local history of which it may be justly proud. From a population, which at the commencement of the war numbered but little more than thirteen thousand souls, 3^ou sent to the field and gun-deck more than twenty-two hundred men, one hundred and forty-five of whom were commissioned to bear the sword of ofiicial power. Of this large contingent, two thousand one hundred and eight served in the army and one hundred and thirty-eight in the navy, being a surplus of one hundred and ninety- four above every call for troops. More than two full regiments of men ! Four entire companies of your husbands, brothers and sons Avere recruited here, and in addition you had honored repre- sentatives in almost every regiment, battery and detachment that left our State ; in the regular army, iu the regiments of twelve loyal States, and in every fleet that carried the Union flao-. From drummer-boy to brigadier, from cabin-boy to naval commander, they everywhere and always reflected credit upon the city that sent them forth. Aside from large sums of money contributed by churches, societies aud individuals, which are recorded only in heaven, the amount of money for Avar expenses of the city, including the State aid paid to the families of volunteers, reached the splendid sum of three hundred thousand dollars. No city of our beloved Comnion- Avealth can point to a moi'e uoble and honored record. Of the gallant band of men who were your representatives in the service, one hundred and thirty-three were killed in bat- tle, or died of wounds or exposure, and one hundred and fifty more bear honorable scars, some having been wounded many times. There has been no loyal army the shout of whose triumph has not drowned the dying groan of a son of Chelsea ; no victory in all that long, terrible period of civil war which her blood has not helped to win ! This, comrades, is a record of which, on this Memorial Day, you need not blush ! And 3'et not alone by the soldiers and sailors of Chelsea has her fair reputation been sustained. The loyal, loving, bleeding hearts at home rejoiced with you in every victory, and wept in hours of sadness and defeat. They followed you Avith prayers and benedictions, and in the hour of calamity and sorroAV expressed the feelings of their hearts in words hkc these : — " Resolved, That it is eniineiitl\- due alike to tlie noble cause for which our heroes have fallen, to the universal sense of justice and gratitude, to the natural and sijontancous emotions of the hour, and especially to the feelings of the relatives and friends of the gallant dead, and of their surviving com- rades on the field, that the connnunity under whose endorsement and protection these patriot soldiers went forth to encounter the hardships and perils of War, should publicly commemorate that heroism and fidelity which have been thus sadly and \-et gloriouslj' sealed in death." The records of the lives of the men of Chelsea furnish instances of personal valor, devotion, self-denial and sacrifice 9 worthy of especial praise, too numerous to be recounted in this brief memorial service. How would we love to call the honored roll, and rehearse the praise of each I They all per- formed their heaven-appointed Avork, and did it well. From the equality of death we single out no names, nor dwell on special virtues possessed by some, and pass unmcntioned those whose claim for remembrance is the one great sacrifice of life. All are our heroes ! We love and venerate all. But I should do injustice to my own feelings should I refrain from alluding to one who to-day is honored by the entire community for his effcn-ts in behalf not onl}- of his own peculiar charge, the soldiers of Chelsea, but of every loyal man who wore the l)lue. It was the good fortune of Chelsea, to her glory be it said, to possess, during the war, chief magistrates, whose hearts were not only right, but one especially, who left his home, and during the years of wan- dering, struggle, defeat and tinal victor}^ of the Army of the Potomac, on the march, the battle-field and in the hosfutal, cheered and sustained the war-worn, suffering soldier, who was bearing the heat and l)urden of the day. Having per- sonally experienced his kindness and witnessed his devotion, I iiladly seize this passing moment to pay my humble tri))ute to the lofty patriotism and unselfish, noble service of one whose name I need not speak. If language fails fitly to express admiration of the deeds of valiant men, what power can we invoke to aid us in attempting to portray the devotion of noble women? We commemorate to-day true bravery wherever displayed, and pay tribute to the love and devotion manifested by woman to her country and its defenders. In computing the sufi'ering 10 caused by (be war too low nn estimate is made of tlie sac- rifices of our ]o3al women, wbo toiled, prayed, waited, liop- ing against bope during tbe years of wai-. How many sit in bomes wbence tbe ligbt bas departed, waiting for tbe coming of bin) wbo went fortb never to retiu-n ! How many sur- rendered in busband, biotber, or son, all tbat made life dear, and now long only for tbe glad reunion above ! How many beaiing a crusbing weigbt of sorrow went to tbe field to ligbten tbe pains and sorrows of otbers ! How maii}^ with almost breaking bearts join tenderly with us in the decoration of our comrades' graves ! To the comparatively small number of women wbo Avere enabled to leave home and render conspicuous s^^rvice to the sick and wour.ded soldiers, tbe City of Chelsea contributed two of tbe noblest and best. One, Mrs. Pomero}', who, 1 am informed is to-da}' in this temple, tbe other, Miss Helen L. Gilson, who is in the temple on high. The presence of the living forbids the words of praise we would gladly utter, while justice to the one who bas gone demands a passing tribute to her memory and service. None of the loyal band of women have rendered more noble service than Helen L. Gilson. The occasion admits of but the briefest outline of her character and life. When the civil war commenced she was among the first to organize Soldiers' Aid .Societies, and })rovided employment for the wives and daughters of soldiers who were in straitened circumstances. Early in 18G2 she went to the army as a muse. AVell educated, endowed with great nnisical and conversational talent, she endeared herself to the soldiers by her gentle attentions, her sweet voice, and her great executive power. During the 11 bloody years of 1864 and '65, she administered comfort and relief to tliousands of the severely wounded and dying. She also organized and conducted for many months a hospital for one thousand patients of the siclv and wounded colored soldiers of the Army of the Potomac . Absorbed in her work, unconscious of the spiritual beauty which invested her daily life, she was al\va3^s the same pres- ence of grace and love, of peace and benediction. And so through all the war, from the seven dnys' conflict on the Peninsula in those early July days of Trl, through all the campaigns of the Ai'ni}' of the Potomac, she labored stead- fastly on until the end. Through scorching heat and pinch- ing cold, in the tent or upon the open tield, in the ambulance or in tlic saddle, through rain and snow and unseen perils of the enemy, under fire on the field of battle, or in the more insidious dangers of contagion, she worked quietly on, doing her glorious part with all womanly tact and skill, clothed with •purity and mercy, being, — " In the great history of the land, A noble type of good, Pleroic woiiianhood." Soon after the closing of the war her overtasked powers failed, and she died in 1868, at the the eaily age of thirty- three, a martyr to her patriotism and philanthropy. Her part in the long death-struggle of her country had scarcely ended when she was called to enter into her rest, and hear, as she passed through the gate into the Kingdom of the Blessed, the words of welcome, " Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto Me." 12 Antl now the survivors of the giill.-iiit Third Army Corps, and the comrades of the Grand Army of the Eepuhlic, desire to erect a monument to this devoted woman, amonsf the memorials of the war. It is a tribute richly merited and dearly won ! Citizens of Chelsea, when these soldiers ask you for material aid in this tribute of respect to her memory, do not, I bceech you, for the love you bear the city she has honored, withhold anything they request. Let a monument of marble, pure and spotless as her character, be erected here, connnemorating the life and service of one who is as much a martyr to the cause of freedom and humanit}^ as any who have perished in the blood}' strife. There is a proverb, familiar I fear to many surviving soldiers, " Republics are ungrateful." We have heard this from our earliest days. Is there danger of its fulfilment in our own experience? When the clods of the valle}' cover the soldier's form, his faults are forgotten, and his virtues, pat- riotism and sutierings are eulogized by those who, when he was living, had the power to assist him, l)ut have withheld his righteous due. True, many soldiers have been the recipients of distinguished honors, but I fear I am not alone in observ- ing that in the movement for official power and fmie, the order of attack is reversed, — the line of battle, the rank and file, the men who did the fighting, are far in the rear, and the generals and coloubls go bravely to the front. These officers of high rank ai-e sent on foreign missions and to Con- gress, and made governoi's of States ; while subaltern'^, i)ri- vates, and hardy tars, do, as they did of old, the police and drudgery of the camp and ship. Far be it trom me in this memorial hour to detract one jot from the well-earned reward. 13 the glorious fame of any soldier, living or dead. Far be it from me to interpose any objection to the selection of men who held high rank in the service for the iniportant civil positions. In honoring these, all wlio wore the blue are honored. I know of many brave and noble chiefs who have been elevated to high social and political distinction, as a reward for service in the field. On the principle that brains were required to command in the service, brains are alike required in those who occupy civic stations. I do not object to the honor bestowed on the eagles and the stars, — I claim only an equal opportunit}' for thoscf who during the war, through force of crrcumstances, possessed inferior adv^antages and not inferior ability ! During the final campaign of the Army of the Potomac, many of its brigades and divisions Avere commanded by men who left home, three years before, in the ranks or in the line. The most 2;allant and distinofuished general had a counterpart in the ranks. The commander Avas a leader only by virtue of followers. Many generals have recognized tliis truth, but none more fully than the late Commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, the renowned General Burnside, who on every occasion bears testimony' to the bravery and fidelity of the coujmon soldier, and whose general orders alter a victory or campaign were filled with expressions of his lasting obligations to the men of the line ! I have in mind to-day, men who for three long years car- ried the musket, endured the hardships (^f cani[)aign, the scanty fare and p^y, the midnight picket, the thousand dcpiivations unknown to those more fortunate, shall I add, without a murmur, declining repeated offers of promotion. 14 and, Avhen honorably miistefetl out, returned, some to the pulpit to proclaim the \ove of God, some to the school and the college to teach the young the great lessons of patriotism, some to the professor's or editor's chair, to diiect the thoughts of thousands, others still to honondjle and responsi- ble positions in all the walks of life. I claim simple justice for these, and when the honors or the patronage of the nation they saved is bestowed, let them not be forgotten. ■When 1 witness the daily etforts of one of your own com- rades to punish ihose who inflict cruelty upon the dumb and unoUeiiding beast, I ck'voutly wish he could exercise the same power and authority to bring to justice those who bestow abuse on men who have loved and served their country. ^ In a few brief years the last maimed soldier at the street corner will have ceased to grind the ill-timed oi'gan, the last crutch and em[)ty sleeve, relics of oiw war, will have disa[)[)eared, and all traces of the great stiaiggle will have vanished. Shall 1 ask you to l)estow pity and charity on these weak and broken ones, who have others whom God has given, dependent upon them? Shall I ask for i)ity for those who have relinquished their claims to wealth and fame, and who stitlered for ^'ou? No! I demand their just, well-earned reward ! liepay, not pit}^ them ! When our fallen hiothers were callcMl n[)on to take the last farewell kiss of mother, w'ii'c, or child, and leave these seeiies so dear, their hearts were cheereil and sustained hy the oft-repeated promise that the dear ones left behind should be defended and tenderly cared for. The memory of this gave vigor to their tlagging footsteps in many a weary march, inspired them in hunger, pain, and languishing, and nerved their arm 15 ill the hour of deadly conflict. In fulfllment of this assur- ance, these otfei-ings have been brought to-day, and the mounds that mark their resting-places will be decixcd with the choicest gifts of nature, expressing, more eh-qucntly than words, the affection and esteem for those wh.ose names and meuiories are all that is left us. Comrades, we uieet as mourners to-day, though the bitterness of death is i)ast, for there' were those iu the grand old army who were bound to us by closest ties, — for there is no friendship so strong and abiding as that formed in mutual suflering, — uo union of hearts more sacred than that cemented by the heart's best blood. Engaging in this hallowed task, we feel the same strange influence which wrought upon the old Freuch soldier, who, after a long and varied service in the German wars/ scarred and woru and weary, he came on his homeward march to the baidvs of the Ehine which separated him from his behaved France. As he gazed upon his native land his heart was filled with emotions of tenderness, as memory' recalled two beloved comrades who, thirty years before, iu the flush and strcugth of early manhood, had crossed that same streaui w^ilh him, and whose bones had for longj'ears been bleachin<>' u[)ou the fields of Germany. He was ferried across the river, and as his feet touched his native soil, he took the price of three fares from his purse aud said : — " Take, O boatman, thricu tli}' fee, TalvG, T give it willingly ; For invisible to tliee Spirits twain bave crossed witli me." l(i As wc have m:i relied these streets have we not been con- scious of an unseen presence? Cannot we recall some com- rade dear, Avho has drank with us from the same canteen, and with whom we have shared our last morsel of bread, by Avhose side we have marched in mud or d'ust or heat, whose cares and griefs and joys were ours ? Cannot we remember one with whom we have sat long at the blazing camp-fire, and talked of far-off home, and then, after a doubtful day and in promise of a more doubtful morrow, lay d(;wn to share the blanket in his last bivouac on earth? Ah, yes ! many here can recall one such friend ! Wa remember, too, the waking from that bivouac, the stern orders the returning daylight brought, the forming for attack, the slow adxance, the quick, rattling fire of the skirmishers, and then the dust and din and t'uvy of the strife, the final charge, the shock, the vic- tory ! We seek for our comrade, but he has fallen ! We search for him among the wounded, mangled forms, and find him gently breathing out his life. We take his nerveless hand and look into his fast glazing eyes. He is going home ! His last battle has been fought. The order for his discharge has come ! No more weary marches ! No more fruitless char"-es ! No more hunger and thirst and midnight watch- ing ! — all that is done. Wc bow to catch his dying whisper, "Take care of my wife and child," and his heroic soul has passed on to join the unseen armies of the skies ! Beneath some spreading tree we make his humble grave. We rudely carve his name upon the tree, and before high Heaven we vow to do for his dear ones what we would have our com- rades do for us I Standing to-day in this presence, what memories of the 17 p:ist throng around us ! See that long procession of the fallen from the battle-fields of freedom. From Ball's Bluff, the Peninsula and Antietam, from Roanoke and Newberne, and the mountain wilds of Tennessee, from the heights of Gettysburg, and the jungles of the Mississippi, from Port Hudson and the Gulf, from the slaughter of the Wilderness and Cold Harbor, from the dismal trenches and bomb-proofs of Petersburg and Richmond, these proud meniDries come trooping, filling the soul with emotions unutterable, consti- tuting one of the richest legacies of the servicc^^ But there are other o^raves, on which no lovinfi: hand will bestow its floral tribute, upon which no tear will fall. Far away from home, in lonely thickets where no friendly eye could see them fall, by mountain stream, on rivers' banks, in rude and unknown graves, or entombed in ocean depths, they sleep, those unnamed heroes of the war. In the dark night of strife, before the sun of Peace had illumined the sky, the}'^ passed away. How many hearts still refuse to be comforted because they know not the resting-place of their loved ones ! But though we cannot visit their graves, we can cherish their memories. Sleep on, noble martyrs, and take the rest your swords have won ! Your sacrifice was not offered in vain. No I no ! my fallen comrades, ye did not die in vain ! We do not forget you ; the cause for which you died was triumphant ! A nation disenthralled, a race eman- cipated, a government re-established ; these are your noblest monuments ! For you we rear the triumphal arch, for you the Memorial Hall, for you the stately shaft emblazoned with your names and adorned with the emblems of your service and your fate. Ye did not die in vain. Ye did not fail. 18 " They never fail who die In a great cause ; the block may soak their gore ; Their heads may sodden in tlie sun, their limbs Be strung to city gates and castle walls ; But still their spirit walks abroad." I To me, comrades, it is a beautiful thought that this ser- vice is intended not only to preserve the memory of those T\'ho laid down their lives during the late conflict, but for all soldiers and sailors who have performed honorable service, and Avho, one by one, shall pass on to tlie unseen Avorld. Each succeeding year places a new name upon the roll of the valiant dead, and adds a fresh mound to receive the floral offering. We are reminded to-day not only of the rapid fli