Chapter 54

314. CCXXIII. This is considered one of the best martial lyrics in the language. Its author, FITZ-GREENE HALLECK, was born at Gifford, in Conn., August, 1795. He has written but very little, but that little is of such excellence as to make us regret that he has not written more.--Marco Bozzaris, (bot-sah'-ris): the most famous hero of modern Greece, fell in a night attack on the Turkish camp at Lapsi, the site of the ancient Platæa, August 20, 1823, and expired in the moment of victory. His last words were:--"To die for liberty is a pleasure, and not a pain."

315.--Old Platæa's Day: B. C. 479, when the Greeks, under Aristides and Pausanias, defeated the Persians with great slaughter.

317. CCXXIV. JOSEPH RODMAN DRAKE was born at New York August 7, 1795, and died September 21, 1820. The most popular of his poems is the spirited ode, The American Flag, though his fame rests chiefly on the Culprit Fay, a poem of exquisite fancy and artistic execution.

318. CCXVIII. Old Ironsides: the frigate Constitution. This poem was written when it was proposed to break her up and convert her into a receiving ship, as unfit for service.

321. CCXXVI. CHARLES WOLFE was born at Dublin, Ireland, December 14, 1791, and died February 21, 1823.---Sir John Moore a British general, was killed at Corunna, in Spain, in a battle between the French and English January 16,

1809. He was wrapped in his military cloak and buried by night in a hasty grave on the ramparts of the town.

335. CCXXXVI. From the last canto of Childe Harold. Compare this with the splendid prose poem by Dr. Swains page 396.

336.--Armada, (ar-mah'-da):a naval or military armament espacially applied to the fleet sent by Spain against England, 1588, which was dispersed and shattered by a storm.--Trafalgar, (traf-al-gar'): a cape on the coast of Spain, memorable for the great naval victory of the English under Nelson, who was killed in the action, over the French and Spanish fleets, October 21, 1805.

355. CCL. From a lecture on The Eloquence of Revolutionary Periods, delivered in Boston before the Mechanic Apprentices' Association, February 19, 1857.

356. CCLI. From the same as above. 357.--Mirabeau, (me'-rah-boe''): the greatest of French orators. Bema: a raised place in Athens whence the orators addressed assemblies of the people.

358. CCLII. From an oration delivered in Boston, July 5, 1858, before the Boston Democratic Club, his last address on general political interests.

360. CCLV. From a speech on Boston Common, in the autumn of 1861, on the occasion of presenting a flag to the 22d Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers, commanded by Senator Wilson.

361. CCLVI. From a speech on Boston Common in 1861, at a grand rally of Union men to promote enlistments to put down the rebellion. 365. CCLVIII. From an oration delivered on the 4th of July, 1861, before the municipal authorities of Boston.

387. CCLXXIV. From an address delivered before the Norfolk County Agricultural Society, September, 1863.

388. CCLXXV. From an oration delivered at Roxbury, before the municipal authorities of the city, February 22, 1864.

391. CCLXXVI. From an address by Governor Andrew, to both branches of the legislature, at the opening of the session, January, 1863.

392. CCLXXVII. From an address before both branches of the Legislature, at the opening of the session, January, 1864.

393. CCLXXVIII. From a speech delivered in 1861 on the occasion of presenting a flag to the Second Regiment of Volunteers.

396. CCLXXX. From a discourse recently delivered by the author, in his own pulpit at Providence, on his return from a voyage to Europe.

404. CCLXXXVI. From the author's speeches in the memorable canvass with Douglas for the senatorship in Illinois.

406. CCLXXXVII. This extract and the succeeding one, are from the author's last great speech delivered at Springfield, Illinois, in 1861.

423. CCXCVIII. GEORGE THOMPSON, the great English agitator and anti-slavery leader delivered numerous addresses in different parts of England, during the summer of 1863, in defence of the American cause. This extract, from one delivered at Carlisle, England, was written out by the author, especially for this book.

433. CCCV. This extract and the two following were taken from an oration delivered July 4, 1863, before the municipal authorities of Boston.

440. CCCXI. From a eulogy on Webster, delivered in Boston, September 17, 1859, on the occasion of the inauguration of his statue, in front of the State House.

441. CCCXII. From an oration delivered at the Dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery at Gettysburg, November 19, 1863.

449. CCCXVII. From a speech delivered in Tremont Temple, Boston, 1862.

451. CCCXVIII. From a speech delivered in New Orleans, at a grand celebration, on the occasion of the election of a Union Governor.

455. CCCXXI. From a discourse delivered in Boston, before the Ancient and honorable Artillery Company, at their anniversary, June, 1861.

462. CCCXXVI. Suggested by the President's first call for volunteers, April 16, 1861. The fabulous bell Roland, of Ghent, was an object of great affection to the people because it rang them to arms when Liberty was in danger.

468 CCCXXIX. GAIL HAMILTON, the nom de plume of Miss Abigail Dodge, a popular authoress, who resides in the town of Hamilton Mass.

472. CCCXXXI. Ziska's hunted flock, (shish'-ka): the Hussites in Bohemia.--Toussaint L'Ouverture, the great St. Domingo chief, an unmixed. negro, with no drop of white blood in his veins, having been treacherously arrested by his French foe, he was taken to France, and then sent by Napoleon to the Castle of St. Joux, to a dungeon twelve feet by twenty, built wholly of stone, where he was finally left to starve to death.

478. CCCXXXV. On Saturday, the 7th of March, 1862, the United States sloopof-war Cumberland, commanded by Captain Morris, was sunk in Hampton Roads, by the Confederate iron-clad. Merrimac, her men firing a broadside as she went down, with her flag flying.

490. CCCXLIV. The subject of these stanzas was Ormsby McKnight Mitchell, a distinguished astronomer, and major-general of volunteers in the United States service, who was born in Kentucky, August 28, 1810, and died at Beaufort, S. C., October 30, 1862. He was commander of the department of the South, and was making preparations for a vigorous campaign when he fell a victim to the yellow fever.

493. CCCXLVI. This is one of the finest productions which the present crisis has called forth. General Banks, in his official report of the assault on the fortifications of Port Hudson, on May 27th, thus speaks of the negro troops: "On the extreme right of our line I posted the 1st and 2d regiments of negro troops. . . . . The position occupied by these troops was one of importance and called for the utmost steadiness and bravery in those to whom it was confided. It gives me pleasure to report that they answered every expectation. In many respects their conduct was heroic,--no troops could, be more determined or more daring. They made during the day, three charges upon the batteries of the enemy, suffering very heavy losses, and holding their positon at nightfall with the other troops on the right of our lines. The highest commendation is bestowed upon them by all the officers in command on the right." And thus the question which had been so often asked, Will the negroes fight? was answered, and settled, and ever since our brave white soldiers have been glad to "Hail them as comrades tried."

511. CCCLV. C. F. BROWN, the comic writer, known as Artemus Ward.

End of Project Gutenberg's The American Union Speaker, by John D. Philbrick