USA > Pennsylvania > Adams County > Gettysburg > Historical sketch: with exercises at dedication of monument and re-union camp fire of 150th New York Volunteer Infantry, Gettysburgh, Sept. 17, 18, 1889 > Part 2
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COMPANY A.
Capt. JOSEPH H. COGSWELL. ist I.t. HENRY GRIDLEY.
2d Lt. JAMES P. MABBETT. 143 Men.
COMPANY C.
Capt. HENRY A. GILDERSLEEVE. Ist Lt. EDGAR P. WELLING. zd It. ROWLAND II. MARSHALL. 113 Men.
COMPANY E.
Capt. ANDHIS BRANT. Ist Lt. OHED WHEELER. ed ist. PARRY W. CHAPMAN. 127 Men.
COMPANY G.
Capt. EDWARD A. WICKES. ist Lt. DE WITT C. UNDERWOOD. 2d Lt. JOHN SWEET. 124 Men.
COMPANY I.
Capt. BENJAMIN: S. BROAS. Ist Lt. RI. HARD THIUS. 2d Lt. DAVID B. SLEIGHT. 122 Men.
COMPANY B.
Capt. ROBERT MCCONNELL .. Ist Lt. ALBERT JOHNSON. 2d Lt. ROBERT C. TRIPP. 126 Men.
COMPANY D.
Capt. WILLIAM R. WOODIN. Ist Lt. ROBERT G. MOONEY. zd Lt. FRANK MALLORY. 122 Men.
COMPANY F.
Capt. JOHN L. GREEN. ist Lt. STEPHEN V. R. CRUGER. 2d Lt. POULASKI BOWMAN. 122 Men.
COMPANY H.
Capt. PLATT M THORNE. Ist Lt. WM. S. VAN KEUREN. ed Lt. CHARLES J. GAYLORD. 137 Men.
COMPANY K.
Capt. JOHN S. SCHOFIELD. ist Lt. MICHAEL J. CORCORAN. 2d Lt. WADE H. STEENBURG. 120 Men.
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ROSTER.
MUSTERED OUT, JUNE STH, 1865.
COLONEL ALFRED B. SMITH. L1. COL. JOSEPH H. COGSWELL. MAJOR HENRY A. GILDERSLEEVE. SURGEON CORNELIUS N. CAMPBELL .. IST ASST. ALEXANDER HAMILL. ADLI. WILLIAM H. BARTLETT. Q. M. HENRY C. SMITH. CHAP. EDWARD O. BARTLETT.
COMPANY A.
Capt. STEPHEN V. R. CRUGER.
Ist Lt. WILLIAM WATTLES.
2d Lt WILLIAM H. BARTLETT. 77 Men.
COMPANY C.
Ist Lt. HENRY J. Flicks. zd Lt. I CURTIS SMITH. 79 Men.
COMPANY E.
Capt. OLED WHEELER.
Ist Lt. PEPRY W. CHAPMAN. 2d Lt. CHARIES P. BARLOW. 80 Men.
COMPANY G.
Capt. EDWARD A. WICKES. Ist Lt. DEWITT C. UNDERWOOD. 2d Lt. BENJAMIN T. MURFITT. 77 Men.
COMPANY I.
Capt. RICHARD TITUS. Ist Lt. SENECA HUMISTON. ad Lt. CHARLES H. SMITH. So Men.
COMPANY B.
Capt. ROBERT C. TRIFF. Ist Lt. ANDREW V. OSTROM.
2d Lt. JOHN McGILL. 76 Men.
COMPANY D.
Capt. WILLIAM S. VAN KEUREN. Capt. WILLIAM R. WOODIN.
Ist Lt. FRANK MALLORY. 2d Lt. JAMES B. FUREY. 75 Men.
COMPANY F.
Capt. JOHN L. GREEN. Ist Lt. SAMUEL H. PAULDING. 2d Lt. LANDON OSTROM. 77 Men.
COMPANY H.
Capt. PLATT M. THORNE. Ist I.t. JOHN FITZPATRICK. ed 1.t. JOHN D. BROWN. 81 MEN.
COMPANY K.
Capt. JOHN S. SCHOFIELD. Ist Lt. CYRUS S. ROBERIS. 82 Men.
This Regiment was recruited to 1,277 Men. Killed in Battle: Offi- cers, 2 ; Enlisted Men, 44. Died from wounds and sickness in service, 3 Officers and 59 Men. Total lost in service, 100. Transferred to 60th New York. June 8th, 1865, 176 Men. Mustered Out, 524 Men and 36 Officers.
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DEDICATION CEREMONIES.
ORDER OF EXERCISES.
Gen. JOHN H. KETCHAM, late Colonel of the Regiment and President of the Regimental Association, called the assemblage to order, and delivered the welcoming address: Fellow Soldiers and Friends :
It is with mingled emotions of pleasure and sadness that I welcome you to-day, and invite you to join in the ceremonies that have been deemed appropriate for our celebration, and which I find ordered upon our pro- gramme.
As your comrade, rather than as your Colonel, of twenty six years ago, I ask you to assist in commemorat- ing the occasion which first brought us to this beautiful spot. In those days, and long before them-before we ever dreamed of war as a possibility in our favored land, we were most of us neighbors and friends-born and reared in one of the finest counties in our great state-on the banks of our noble Hudson -- when the summons came to serve our beloved country, we started as one man -- animated by a common impulse of devotion to duty -- with a common ambition to do our very best to make for our Home Regiment a record second to that of none in the service. Where all were noble and true sol- diers -- every inch -- there was little need of rule, and little thought of rank.
How well you succeeded in doing your duty is a mat- ter of history. These ceremonies to day, and the pres- ence of these kind friends, attest that your sufferings and sacrifices are not unappreciated and forgotten. Let me read a brief report which I made after this momentous battle,
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and which I found the other day in the War Department at Washington :
No. 285.
REPORT OF COL. JOHN H. KETCHAM, One Hundred and Fiftieth New York Infantry.
IN CAMP NEAR GETTYSBURG, PA., July 4, 1863.
CAPTAIN : In compliance with orders, I have the honor to make the following report of the movements of the One Hundred and Fiftieth New York Volunteer Infan- try during the recent battles near Gettysburg :
This regiment arrived here about SA. M., July 2, and was held in reserve on the right until about 6 P. M., when it was ordered with the First Maryland Potomac Home Brigade Volunteers, Colonel Maulsby, to proceed at once and re-enforce General Sickles on the extreme left. Upon reaching the battle-ground, these two regiments were ordered forthwith to the front in double-quick time amid the most terrific firing of shell and musk- etry. They continued to advance until after they had crossed the line of battle of the enemy, the rebels meanwhile retreating, when the firing ceased. The One Hundred and Fiftieth Regiment New York Volunteers brought off three pieces of artillery which had been abandoned by the enemy.
This Regiment then, about 9 P. M., returned to the right and remained under arms all night, in consequence of heavy skirmishing on the right.
About 4 A. M. we were ordered to support Best's bat- tery, on the left of the Gettysburg road, where we re- mained nearly two hours.
About 6 A. M. this regiment was ordered into the rifle- pits on the right, under command of General Geary. where it remained about two and a half hours, when it was relieved. In about an hour it was again ordered into action, where it remained about the same time as before.
The average number of rounds of ammunition ex- pended by each man was 150, and from the large number of dead bodies lying upon the ground, as seen the follow- ing morning, it is evident the shots did good execution. A detail from my regiment was made to collect and bury the rebel dead.
The enemy kept up a continuous, direct, and terrible firing of musketry during the whole time engaged. My men rallied to the front in double-quick time, cheering loudly, and they fought earnestly and bravely. Not a man faltered or betrayed the least cowardice. This regi- ment was never before under fire, and for the coolness and courage displayed on this occasion the men are en- titled to the highest praise.
After this last engagement it was ordered to a position on the left as a reserve, where it remained until about 6 P. M., when it was ordered into camp.
About 7 A. M. the following morning it was ordered into rifle-pits on the right, where it remained about two hours, then relieved.
I am, captain, very respectfully your obedient servant, J. HI. KETCHAM,
Colonel 150th Regiment New York Volunteers.
Capt. WILLIAM M. BOONE,
Asst. Adjt. Gen., General Lockwood's Brigade.
I think we have no cause for regret in recalling that memorable struggle. To every one now present, who stood by me during those fierce July days, this peaceful hour must bring most thrilling and sacred memories. You must recall every scene, every incident, every hour, almost every moment, when with anxious hearts we nerved ourselves for death or victory, and prayed for strength to do our duty to the end. It requires no effort to picture ourselves as we stood facing the enemy in deadly conflict by day, or rested on our arms at night, snatching such sleep as we might, amid the crash and roar of cannon and musketry, expecting momentarily to renew the conte .t.
We cherish tenderly and proudly the memory of each of our devoted band who fell here. History, and this en- during marble will tell our children's children of their heroism and valor. But these remnants of our once bright and beautiful colors speak to us loudly, not only of them whom we are met to-day to honor, but of others as gallant and great as they, who afterwards perished on many other well-fought fields. We think of them rever- ently, and affectionately -- and of others who came not here to-day, who have one after another fallen by the way. whose services to our regiment and their country we re- member with profoundest gratitude. Nor do we forget the loved ones who staid at home to work and pray for us -- the wives, and mothers, and sisters who labored in camp and hospital unremittingly, many of whom have gone to their reward. And of all who helped to rear this beautiful memorial to our heroes, I would make grateful mention. I will not detain you longer. Others will tell you of the patriotism and devotion of the legions with whom we are proud to be numbered, who here on this holy ground turned the fortunes of our dear country from disaster, defeat, and discouragement, to hope and faith, and final victory.
Upon concluding his address Gen. Ketcham called upon the REV. E. O. BARTLETT, D.D., late Chaplain of the Regiment, to offer the dedicatory
PRAYER.
Almighty God, our Father, for the sake of Thy son, our Saviour. inspire us with Thy spirit and sanctify us for the solemn, patriotic and loving services of this hour.
We praise Thy name for Thy great mercy in preserv- ing our lives during these years to enjoy the fruits and honors of a peace won by periling all for country, and that, after the lapse of a quarter of a century, Thou dost permit these veterans, these soldiers of the Union, to come back to these blood-stained hills and fields to dedi-
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cate this noble monument to the memory of the brave men who here poured out their blood upon the altar of their country.
We consecrate this monument to Thee, Thou God of nations, who has so marvelously guided and blessed us in the past, leading our forefathers, like Israel of old, to a land abounding in riches. We give Thee thanks, that when tyranny stretched out her iron hand, Thou didst raise up wise men and brave men and true men who pledged their lives, their fortunes and sacred honor in defence of liberty and equality. And when the nation was yet young and foreign foes dared to strike, Thou didst nerve the arm of this liberty-loving people to de- fend their rights on the sea and on the land. At last, when the great conflict came and the nation had grown rich and powerful, and bad men and ambitious men up- lifted the foul flag of rebellion and would break into fragments the fabric of the most benign government the sun shines upon and the most perfect constitution of the world's history, we praise, laud and adore Thy holy name, Thou didst bring forth a man from the people and of the people to be, like Moses and Joshua, a worthy leader of a mighty host. At his call Thou didst put it into the hearts of thousands and hundreds of thousands to take their lives in their hands, leaving their homes and the comforts and emoluments of civil life, to go forth to war, that liberty and union might not perish at the bid- ding of those who would build an empire upon the corner stone of human bondage.
We thank Thee for the great victories that came, and that where we now stand the hosts of rebellion were hurled back, smitten and dismayed. We thank Thee even for the defeats; that by them we were made to feel our dependence upon Thee, and were compelled to break the shackles of the slave.
We beseech Thee that these granite stones and bronzed letters may tell our children and all coming generations not only of brave and true men who here fought in the
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defence of their country, but that all these monuments may speak of Thee and Thy righteous judgments, that righteousness exalteth a nation but sin is a reproach to any people.
O Lord bless this people, this united nation, cemented by the blood of the brave. May it grow strong in integ- rity, in intelligence, in charity, in loyalty and love to Thee, and in good will to men. Let neither sterility blight its fields, nor famine nor pestilence destroy its people. May plenty follow everywhere in the footsteps of honest industry, and may those who labor for their daily bread find it in abundance. Deliver our country from the fierce conflicts of avarice, selfishness and poverty and unite all as the heart of one man in sustaining the supremacy of law and the peace of the land.
Bless our President. May he be clothed with right- eousness, and may truth be his robe and his diadem. May he be like thy servant Job in the days of his pros- perity, who was eyes to the blind, feet to the lame and a father to the poor; and the cause he knew not he searched out and plucked the spoil out of the jaws of the wicked. Thus may he earn the commendation of the Saviour,-Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Bless our two Colonels. We rejoice that Thou hast preserved their lives for this supreme hour. Reward them abundantly for their never-flinching courage on the battle-field, for their never-failing kindness and industry in the camp and on the march, for their manliness and whole-heartedness that never turned away from a com- rade in distress, and that to-day commands the undivided loyalty of this entire regiment. Bless him who shall in- terpret the meaning of this hour and speak the lesson of this monument. May his words kindle anew our love of country and liberty and union that has cost so dear.
O Lord bless all the officers. We thank Thee for their hearty fellowship and united spirit and honorable record in all these years, and that so many have filled worthily
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offices of trust and honor from the people. Bless every comrade in basket and in store, and at last may all re- ceive the welcome plaudit, -- Well done good and faithful servant. enter into the joy of thy Lord.
Bless, we bescech Thee, the widow and the orphan and all who are suffering from wound or disease contracted in the service of their country. May there be abundant provision for all their wants. May this nation so care for its heroic defenders that the verdict of history shall be reversed, and henceforth it shall be said,-Republics are grateful.
Bless and reward the friends of the regiment. God bless Dutchess county. May she be as the garden of the Lord, as a fruitful field, and may her patriotism and be- neficence realize the divine promise, -- The liberal soul shall be made fat, and they that sow bountifully shall also reap bountifully.
Do for us all exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. And unto the King, eternal, immortal and invisible, the only wise God our Saviour, we ascribe ever- lasting praise. Amen. .
The Grand Army Band of Gettysburgh furnished music, and then the
MONUMENT WAS UNVEILED BY MISS ETHEL B. KETCHAM
amidst the huzzas of the multitude and the inspiring strains of a patriotic air from the band.
The monument was then presented to the Battle-field Memorial Association by the late Colonel of the Regi- ment, Gen. ALFRED B. SMITH, in the following words :- Hon. John M. Krauth, of the Gettysburg Memorial As- sociation :
As I am called upon to present this monument to you, it is proper to give a brief description of it.
It has been erected by the surviving members of the 150th Regiment, N. Y. Vol., and their friends in Dutchess County, N. Y., as a tribute of respect to the
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memory of those who gave their lives in heroic defense of our country on this field twenty-six years ago, as also, an enduring memorial of the valor of those who escaped the perils of war, and a fitting expression of the patriot- ism of old Dutchess and the Empire State. It is com- posed of thirteen massive stones, emblems of national birth, unity and stability.
Upon the front panel of this monument our artist has, with rare felicity, twined the laurel wreath over the oak- leaf wreath in indestructible bronze, symbolizing the crowning of the citizen soldier, and has told the story of the deeds of the 150th Regiment upon this field ; and under this record has formed a border of state and na- tional escutcheons deftly hiding the emblem of the Em- pire State behind that of the United States, to teach that supreme loyalty is due the Nation.
Beneath the laurel and the palm, we engrave, on the reverse, the names of those heroic men who fell in de- fence of the Union, and those who were wounded in this battle, and the names of the battles in which their comrades were afterwards engaged ; for on this hallowed ground our regiment was cemented together, tried by fire and taught to stand with unfaltering courage and fortitude.
Here we stood six hundred strong, shoulder to shoulder. riveted to these rocks by loyal love to the Union and the . government of our fathers.
So the massive stones of this monument, reared one above the other, are significantly appropriate, each hold- ing the other in place, representing a tower of invincible strength.
They also fitly typify the unity, love and mutual re- spect which characterized officers. and men of this Regi- ment.
May this monument endure forever as a symbol of that fraternity, inspiring courage, loyalty and true manhood, which are the life-blood of the republic and its only war- rant for existence.
Below we have our title " The Dutchess County Reg- iment," a name we were all so proud of and united under that discipline was easily maintained. It was sometimes applied to us in playfulness by our gallant Second Massa- chusetts friends as a nickname.
Unlike all the other regiments from our state, this was a county regiment, the formation of which was suggested by a lady now with us (Mrs. Benson J. Lossing). The ladies of the county gave us our flags, caused the banner to be beautifully painted, and, after carrying them through storms of fire, riddled with bullets and both shafts shattered, the members of the regiment carried them in their hearts through the Confederacy, with Sher- man to the sea, from Savannah to Raleigh, and returned them to the ladies from whom we received them.
We have them here -- rent, tattered, battle-scarred and faded-on the spot where they stood so many years ago ; who shall say their magic power does not at this moment summon from a better land our departed comrades to re- joice with us in the grand consummation of their labors here, where the rocks burst forth from Mother Earth to tell their glory and that they died not in vain, while their sacrifices tell the story of " liberty and union, one and in- separable, now and forever," more eloquently than the words of Webster implied ?
The seven men of the Regiment who sanctified this ground by their life-blood so freely poured out, wrought more mightily than they dreamed for the intrepidity, dis- cipline and success of their comrades.
We also present to you, carved hereon, the roster of the regiment as it went forth and as it was mustered out ; also the number of men who survived ; the principal bat- tles in which the regiment was engaged ; and, bearing aloft, as this memorial shaft does, the escutcheon of our Empire State, the flag of our brigade, and the royal star of the 12th and 20th corps, in which organizations we took just pride.
It has been very appropriately unveiled by the daugh- ter of our beloved Colonel. the covering being the first
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camp flag that was raised over the city of Atlanta after Sherman captured that city.
This day is opportune, being the anniversary of the birth of Henry Gridley -- the noblest Roman of us all-the first officer of the regiment who fell in battle; it also is the anniversary of a regiment most intimately connected with, and friendly to us-the 13th New Jersey ; it also commemorates the great battle of Antietam.
We commit this monument to your loyal, loving care, trusting that it, with all the other memorials of art and nature, which so wonderfully mark this battle-ground in varied forms of beauty, may tell to the latest cycles of time how grandly a republic could terminate the direst civil war the world has ever known, by making a broken country one, bringing foes together as friends, exalting the Nation by elevating manhood, inspiring loyalty, cour- age and fraternity, and love for national unity and liberty under the old flag, all through the ages, until the happy day shall come when mankind " shall beat their swords into plow shares, and their spears into pruning hooks ; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."
Response of Hon. JOHN M. KRAUTH, of the battle-field Memorial Association :--
Gen. Smith, members of the Monument Committee of the 150th N. Y. Volunteers, Veterans and Friends of the Reg- iment :
The Gettysburg Battle-field Memorial Association was organized shortly after the great battle, by a few large-hearted, patriotic gentlemen, for the express pur- pose of securing by gift or purchase, and holding and preserving perpetually, such portions of the battle-field, with its natural and artificial defences, as were identified with the engagement. In pursuance of power granted by legislative enactment, the Association has secured nearly all the ground occupied by the National forces, opened avenues, re-constructed breast-works and defences, and
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located the sites and received in its charge and keeping two hundred and eighty-seven monuments. The Association has a watch-care over these memorials and is responsible for their preservation ; it hopes soon to acquire title to those parts of the field not now included in its trust, and to continue to locate and superintend the construction of monuments until every organization engaged in the decisive battle has its position marked by, and its record inscribed upon, an enduring memorial.
The Association welcomes you to this historic spot ; the great Empire State, from which you came, sent into the field and into the battle of Gettysburg, and lost more men, than any other state. It is, thererore, fitting that you should leave your homes and gather here for the pur- pose of dedicating this noble monument to brave, patri- otic men ; and this is no unmeaning ceremony ; its sug- gestive power and influence will be known and felt long after those participating in it have passed away.
On behalf of, and in the name of the Association, this monument is accepted as a sacred trust ; and I assure you we shall faithfully guard thro' coming ages, your me- morial to the living as well as the dead.
Judge HENRY A. GILDERSLEEVE, of New York, late Major of the Regiment, delivered the Oration, saying : Comrades and Friends :
Battle-fields are epochal steps in the grand stairways of the Earth constructed of the lives of men. Steps by which altar and throne have often been established and overturned. Steps that have led to the destruction of ex- isting governments and the birth of new.
A careful study of the history of the world shows that war has been the only final arbiter of nations ; and man- kind, even under the benign influences of Christianity, in an enlightened age, have not found a substitute for this terrible tribunal. Our fathers, renowned for wisdom no less than courage, did not stop to estimate the price of human life when they began the great structure of our
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national existence, and, laid in blood, the sure foundations of liberty and justice on which it rests. We should have proved degenerate and unworthy sons had we failed to follow their noble example when secession lifted its heret- ical head and threatened the destruction of our National Government. The Constitution of the United States of America was ordained and established "in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure do- mestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, pro- mote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of lib- erty to ourselves and our posterity."
Under it the States and Nation had prospered and grown strong as few people have ever prospered. It pro- vided a system which continually drew for its sustenance and growth upon the virtue and vigor of the people-an inexhaustible source where a people remain harmonious and united, but a barren desert in a nation composed of States " dissevered, discordant and belligerent." Se- cession, if acquiesced in, made our Union, after all it had cost in blood and treasure, a weak pile of blocks that could at any time be toppled over at the will of a single State. All that was won upon the battle-fields of the rev- olution was at stake upon the issue of the Civil War ; and in addition thereto, the emancipation of a race. Fa- mous among men will always be the founders of our Government, and, second to them in lustre, shine the bravery and fortitude of the men who secured the per- manence of their noble work.
We stand to-day on ground made famous by the de- fenders of the Union. Here was fought, more than a quarter of a century ago, the most important battle of our great Civil War. While from other fields may be gathered as appalling records of slaughter by contending armies, Gettysburg was the most decisive in its results, and in history it will be the most conspicuous. On the escutcheon of nations, written with the blood of heroes, France has its Austerlitz, England its Waterloo and the United States its Gettysburg.
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The 150th Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry, were of the troops who fought and won that battle for the United States. It was a victory that insured the perpetuity of the Federal Union ; made permanent the establishment of Republican government among the na- tions of the earth ; cast off the fetters from three million bondmen, and abolished slavery in America forever. It has been customary throughout all time to féte and honot soldiers of every country. The return of victorious ar- mies to Rome was the occasion of grand displays and the most sumptuous festivities. The earth's surface is dotted all over with monuments erected to the memory of dis- tinguished soldiers killed in battle, and few indeed are the exceptions where bravery in war has not been recog- nized and some effort made to pay a suitable tribute to those who have had to fight the battles of their country. In ancient Egypt the soldier shared with the priest the highest consideration. When he fell in battle he was at once transported to the regions of ineffable bliss in the bright mansions of the sun. The Christian Crusader was not only raised to a contempt of danger, but coveted it for the imperishable crown of martyrdom that he was taught to believe awaited him after death. The victories and battles of the Revolution that made our Republican form of government possible, we never lose an opportunity to celebrate, and the noble deeds of the heroes of that memorable war are our choicest heritage, and the subject of constant commemoration. The men who fell upon this field are entitled to no less grateful remembrance than those who fell at Bunker Hill and Valley Forge. We cannot claim originality for the ceremony we now celebrate, but when we look about us and are reminded of the brave men who here gave up their lives, and recall the causes that made the terrible battle necessary, we do proudly claim that for no nobler cause did patriots ever fight, that for no grander country did heroes ever die. Yes, and thank God, they died for the whole country, to- day the homes of sixty million freemen. The triumph
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