From a Seneca County, New York newspaper in June 1865:
Our Returning Soldiers.
Regiment by regiment the gallant soldiers who have by their heroism and fortitude saved saved our common Government are returning home. They come to lay aside the implements of war and resume their places as citizens. They have nobly done their work as soldiers and now they quietly leave the profession to which they have added a new lustre, and take up again their old vocations or enter upon new spheres of duty. No soldiers ever earned a more honorable repose. They have fought with an unparalleled energy and determination, and their intrepid courage and unwavering fortitude have commanded the admiration of the world. They have suffered and endured without a murmur, knowing that their imperiled Government had need of heavy sacrifices, and their unswerving fidelity has entitled them to the laurel wreath of honor.
Let these brave fellows – heroes of many a hard-fought battle field, which will live in legend and story as long as the race lives – who return to us bronzed with the exposure of camp and bivouac – with ranks fearfully shattered and rent – meet with a warm, hearty, enthusiastic welcome. And though they return with a rollicking spirit and that freedom which they have learned amid the stern conflicts of martial strife, they should be none the less gratefully received.
In pathetic contrast is their return to their going out, when their ranks were full, their uniforms bright, and their hearts all aglow with wild visions of the “pomp and circumstance of glorious war.” Many, very many, of their number have found soldiers graves, unmarked and unknown; some have wasted in hospitals and from thence wandered forth into the valley of the shadow. To their companions who return, the public owe a lasting debt of love and gratitude. Their signal services have entitled them to the highest consideration, and let us see that they receive their full reward.
I copied that over Saturday afternoon at the Seneca Falls library. Returning home I discovered that Eric at Civil War Daily Gazette had crossed his finish line. I remember that when the site started out Eric wondered if he’d be able to publish a daily article for the duration of the war – longer in fact than most students attend college to earn a Bachelor’s degree (and I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t have to turn in a paper every day).
Congratulations to Eric on his success. I thought of the above article when I read that the Gazette had accomplished its mission. Eric did help keep the history of the Civil War alive by telling a factual story of the conflict day-by-day for pretty nearly 55 straight months.
I respect Eric’s achievement and can only imagine the hard work and endurance required to pull it off. I’m not sure if the Gazette itself will “live in legend and story,” but the comments of his readers on that last post show how much his web site was truly appreciated. The publishers of the “Daily News” sites to the right probably did need a lot of the qualities of the soldiers praised in the above article – like commitment and fortitude.
Thanks for helping your readers understand how the war “did really happen.” Good luck on your future endeavors!
I shall be content if those shall pronounce my History useful who desire to give a view of events as they did really happen, and as they are very likely, in accordance with human nature, to repeat themselves at some future time – if not exactly the same, yet very similar.
THUCYDIDES: Historia, bk. 1. [1]
committed to scientific history
‘tickled pink by your site, Eric”
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The image of Thucydides is licensed by Creative Commons
WPClipart provides the image of the laurel wreath
- [1]Seldes, George, compiler. The Great Quotations. 1960. New York: Pocket Books, 1967. Print. page 478.↩
