^^•n*, ••/ i-^-n*-. 0* ♦»J^'* *> v ••• . '^.. .-«> /^^^/uV V f^^-. >^'n.. ^* vN^ * ^^'% '^ /v '•^- C^\-^5^v/°o ^"^^ •^^o'* ^' :^T* .A <^* '- '^oV^ .<^'-°- ,«^ >, '- \.4-'' -' : ^^ v^ /V-.Z-^o '^bV^ ^^-n*. . '*^ -^^0^ • o'^ <^ A*^ ^T7^» A '^bV^ .^ .^^\ 0^ *»J>>L'* '^> . -iL ^i:;;.'.- •>. .v ..:--. 'c^ .. ^ .0* *o. ♦-... . %.^^ ^^ • , •f> *• .^' o "U^ 0* 'O^ *•'.•' ^: ^^''^ ■■■. / .a^' "^^ --^^O^/ . ^' : ^^'-Hc \ , -p -oV^^ ^*\.1'^1-X ^^ or 0°" •*U.o< .^.^'-^ s ■^^0* o > .<>' -^/•o^ . '..ss^S^^*'* ^ »^J V- * ^> '. -^/-o^ .* .^^' "V •-»».* >^ ♦^'"'^. '^iscum was but nineteen years of age; on the ^nd of May. 18()1. he was enrolled as a Union volun- teer, a few days later going to the front as a cor))oral in Co. H. 11 He served with credit tlirouiili liis three months' enlistment, and in the course of this ser\ iee lie ))artiei])ated in the aetion at l?iu' Bethel. Va. l-'ehruary J. IS()'2. a few months after the dischar<.-e of the First Wrmoiit Ret-iment. lie enlisted in the l^^th I'nited States Infantry and joined the Army of the Potomac. As first sergeant of Co. A, Second Battalion, I'lith Infantry, he was ])resent at the bloody battle at Cedar Mountain. \'a.. Aui>ust <). 1S()'J. and was wounded in the left elbow. For gallant service in that en- gagement he was mentioned by name in the report of the battalion commander, as well as in the report of Major-Gen. Augur, com- manding the Division. February 1<). 18(),S, he was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant, and May Ith of the same year was made first lieutenant. At the battle of Chancellorsville, May 1 and "2. 18(i,S. he commanded his company, and on the second day of the battle of Ciettysburg. when the 12th Infantry suffered heavy losses in the \"alley of Death in front of Little Round To]). Lieut. Liseum fell with a seri- ous bullet wound in his right tliigh, which for a long time incapaci- tated him for service, but his ])atri()tic s])irit was so strong that even before he was able to discard his crutches he reported to the War Department for duty, and was ordered to Elmira, N. Y.. where was stationed a battalion of his regiment, Gen. Alexander S. Diven commanding the Post. It has been said, and I am inclined to be- lieve it true, that the youthful officer, his glorious record as a fighter, and the crutches resulted in a romance which terminated in his marriage with Gen. Diven's daughter, and todav inanv a soldier of the United States Army and his family bless the name of ^lay Diven Liseum. In the Wilderness campaign in May, ISfif, Lieut. I>iscum was detailed as an ambulance officer for his division of the Fifth Corps, and for coolness in danger and faithful performance of duty lie received high commendation. August 1. 1864, he was brevetted captain for distinguished gallantry in the battle of Betliesda Church and in the final cam))aign before Riclimond. 12 At the close of the Civil War he was promoted captain of the ■J.-jth United States Infantr_v, July '28. 1866, and transferred to the .SOth Infantry September '21, 1866; Jidy 5. 1870, he was transferred to the ]<)th Infantry; May 1th. 18.')'2. promoted major '2'2nd In- fantry, and May '2.'ird, 1896, was made lieutenant-colonel of the x!ith Infantry. He was appointed brigadier-general of volunteers July 12, 1898. servina: in that capacity until the following Decem- ber, and on tlie ^.Itli of A])ril. 1899. was l^romoted colonel. 9th U. S. Infantry. For thirty years following the close of the ^^^■^r for tlie Union nnich of our hero's service was on tlie Western frt)ntier and in the campaigns against the Ute and other war-like tribes of the plains. In Cuba, during the Spanish-American War, Lieut. -Colonel Liscum commanded the 24th Infantry, which formed a part of the 5th Army Corps, and in the storming of San Juan Hill in the action of San- tiago, after Col. Wikotf and Uieut.-Col. Worth had Iieen killed within fifteen minutes of each other, the command of the Brigade devolved upon Col. Liscum; a few minutes later he fell, struck bv ;i Mauser bullet, which passed through his right side and out tlirough the shoulder blade. The banks of the San Juan creek were covered with wounded men. and to the surgeon who came to him. Col. Liscum said: "Helj) those men first, they need it more than I do," and lifting himself upon his unshattered shoulder, he ordered back to the charging line such of the men near him as were fit for duty. His wound ))roved a serious one. from which he never fully recovered, but M'ith the careful nursing of his devoted wife, after a nine months' absence on sick leave he returned for duty for service in the Philippines. For his gallantry in Cuba he was ])romoted a brigadier-general of volunteers. His service in the Philip])] nes was characterized bv the same faithful jierformance of duty as elsewhere, his wise and sound mili- tary judgment proving of great value, and to him was made the first surrender of a considerable body of organized insurgents. His 13 volunteer ai)]iointinf nt having lajjsed. Gen. I.iscinn was assigned t(. the i)th L'. S. Infantry, tlien on duty in Luzon, and in June. l.yoO;, when it became necessary to send troops to China, his regi- ment was the first selected from the United States Army in the Philiiijnnes. because of its splendid record and the full confidence reposed in the ability of General Liscum to })erform a difficult and trying duty under the eyes of the soldiers of England. France. Russia, Germany, Italy, Austria and JajDan. On the pth of July he landed at Taku with his command, 1,350 strong, and immediately pushed forward to participate in the assault on the walled city of Tien Tsin which took place on the 13th. Gen. Liscum. with two battalions of the . Goodell 14 and thirty-one others, he made public confession of the Christian faith in the old First Church of Burlington, and through the whole forty-five years of a strenuous life he lived in faithful conforniitv to the vows then assumed. On tlie ith of November, ISyi, when a Captain in the 19th U. S. Infantry, he joined the Vermont Commandery, Military Order of the I.oyal Legion, and with INIajor-General Oliver O. Howard, U. S. A. (retired), Brig.-Gen. Stephen P. Jocelyn, U. S. A. (re- tired), Col. Herbert S. Foster, U. S. A. (retired). Admiral George Dewey. L'. S. X.. Rear Admiral Charles E. Clark, U. S. X. (re- tired), and others of the Army and X'avy materially assisted in establisliing for this Commandery the proud position it holds today among the twenty-one Commanderies of these United States. Emerson H. Liscum was indeed a "modest hero and a Christian soldier, without fear and without reproach." After his death a brother officer who knew him well said of him: "His military ca- reer was one continuous proof of liis indomitable courage and skill as a fighter, his energy and aggressiveness as a commander, and his constant devotion to duty, no matter what that devotion might in- volve. Personally he was the soul of honor and integrity, a pol- ished gentleman always, and a man whose physical aj^pearance always inspired confidence and respect. His soldiers idolized him. and his officers, even though they might differ with him, never with- luld from him that loyalty boru of esteem and admiration." "He scarce had need to doff his pride or slough the dross of Earth — E'en as he trod that day to God so walked he from his birth. In simpleness and gentleness and honoi' and clean mirth." On the 22nd day of October. 1902, the State of W'rmont hon- ored Gen. Liscum by placing his portrait near the entrance to the Hall of Representatives in the State House, Montpelier, an able address being delivered at that time by his long-time friend. Col. Geo. Grenville Benedict. A monument to his memorv has been 15 trcctcd by tlic officers and men of the Ninth Rcgiiueiit. United States Infantry, near the sj)ot where he fell on the battlefield at Tien Tsin, China. And now. .Mr. Chairnian. as one who j)layed marbles with him on the streets of Burlington in our boyhood days, went to school with him in the old academy, fought with him in the fearful foot- ball fights of those days, and marched with him in the "Howard Guard" when our boyish strength would scarcely permit of our carrying the hea\ y muskets which we later learned to use, I deem it a privilege and a pleasant duty to respond to the call of my friend, Mrs. I.iscum, and in her behalf to present to you this beau- tiful bronze tablet of her soldier husband. General Emerson H. I>iscum. which. I am sure, in your safe keeping will forever stand as a daily object lesson in true patriotism to this and future genera- tions. 16 Z c 1^ HON. WILLIAM J. VAN FATTEN. Mr. Cliairniaii, Governor Mead, Mrs. Liscitm, Ladies and Gentle- men : It is with great pleasure and profound gratitude that on behalf of the Board of Trustees of the Fletcher Free Library I accept this biautiful memorial tablet of the patriot soldier. General Emer- son Hamilton Liscum. Tlie trustees are very glad that this l)uild- ing has lieen selected as the ajipropriate place for the permanent location of this memorial, and they assume its care with a deep sense of its value as part of the permanent possessions of tliis in- stitution. After the Christian church, the public library is the most direct agency for the uplifting of any community. It gathers its scores (.f individuals, older or younger, day by day, year after year, and tlirough its service gives to all something of the wisdom, the aspira- tion and the histoi-y of tlie past as these are recorded in the i)rinted pages. No part of that service is of higlier value or of greater interest than that wliich ministers to love of country and to the growth of true patriotism. The shelves of this library have lumdreds of books telling the story of our heroes, and of the great men who have labored, fought and died that this nation might be born and that it might be pre- served and fulfill its mission, among tliem being "Hester of the Cirants." by one of our own Burlingtonians, Miss Theodora Peck. IL is our earnest effort to ])r()mote the reading of these books. In all the annals of this Nation the record of Vermont is almost peerless; from the day of Ethan x\llen, Seth Warner, Remember Raker and their comrades to the day of Emerson Liseum, the Green 19 Mountain State has been at the front, where brave hearts haw been ready to ])our out their life-l)h)o(l for tlie cause of their country. We are glad tliat rejiresentatives of tlie (irand Army of the Republic are present with us on tliis occasion, and we remember wliat a list of honored names tliere are — Stannard, Wells, Benedict, and many otliers. who have passed on to the lilessed future, those whom we loved and wliose memory we delight to honor; but of them all there was no braver soldier, no truer patriot than tiie man whosi memory we honor today. His boyhood friend has already given you the story of his service from tlie time he joined the First Vermont Regiment through all his arduous career. In how many phases of our country's life did he serve! He defended her honor in the days of the Civil ^^'ar; upon the frontier he served to protect the builders of our empire ; he helped to rescue Cuba and set her free from the atrocities from which she was suffering; on the other side of the Pacific he helped to establish peace; and finally, in what was perhaps one of the most dramatic incidents of modern history, he led his men to aid in the rescue of the foreign legations at Pekin. It was one of the chances of war that his regiment was given perhajjs the most dan- gerous and difficult duty of the eam])aign. In his endeavor to fulfill that duty he yielded u)) his life. It is meet and worthy that this memorial, showing so beau- tifully the features of the man and the soldier, and recounting his deeds, should be jjlaced here where the peoi)le of his early home may note his record. We thank Mrs. Liscum, who has. in her de- sire to perpetuate his name and fame, so appropriately chosen this method. T repeat again that we accept the gift and assmne its care witli the ])urpose to make it of real value in the u])building of the appreciation of what our heroes have done for their country and thus to insjiire greater patriotism in the coming generation. 20 GOVKHXOK JOHN A. MKAD. Mr. Chairmen}, Mrs. Liscinn, Ladies and Gentlemen : The pangs of sorrow are ofttimes relieved somewhat by deeds of commemoration, by those living, of the good deeds and virtues cf the loved ones, that their memory may be kept alive. We love to visit the graves of our loved ones and sitting beside all that is left us of their mortal bodies, there to silently summon the memo- ries of our loved ones. There seems to be a certain satisfaction in such communion. It seems as if we were in communication with the soldiers when in company with the ninety-two millions of our people we celebrate what we call Memorial Day, when the graves of the heroes of '6l and 'Qo, and the soldiers of the Rebel Army as well, will be covered with nature's most beautiful flowers. It is a pleasure to think that the spirits of those who risked and lost their lives that the Nation might live are with us. And on this occasion it is a great pleasure to us to feel that while the l)ody of our hero lies at rest in Arlington, the spirit of General Liscum is here with us today. The influence of the life of General Liscum will not fade away as his body returns to the earth. It is such lives that give our Nation the place that she holds in history. I remember him at Big Bethel, again when charging against the rebels at Cedar Mountain, where he first fell stung by a rebel ^Mauser, and again at Gettysburg, where he Avas one of those holding Little Round Top and where he received another Avound from Avhich he suffered long. While in the Avords of the famous General of the Potomac, "all is quiet at Arlington," the si^irits of those that rest there are still Avith us. inciting us to great and noble acts. It is a great 21 ))lt;isurr to me to !ic licrr on this occ/isioii .•iii(i to he :i\)\v to s;i\- a t'fw words on bthall of tlif Statf of WTuioiit in aj)j)rtciatiou of this tal)let so generously <>iven in memory of one of the sons of our State, ^^'e feel proud of General I.iseum. We feel proud of the history of Wrniont. ])roud of the jjlaee that she has held in the Nation, but mostly we feel proud of the men of Vermont. There is no degeneration of her people, as Mr. Rossiter has charged. I believe that we can revert to the history of any State in the Union and find that ^"ernlont stands on line with them all. on the firing line. As 1 jiave said, it is a pleasure to be here at this time and in this ])laee. It is the deeds of just such men as this that has kept our Nation one. that has kept our flag flying in the free air. and beloved in our hearts. (APT. CHAS. T. BOYD, U. S. A. Mr. ('li(tin)tau : I met (ieneral Liscum in Manila, he was in command there and I joined him, I went ashore with him. There was some fight- ing then, but little did I realize then that before I would return to my native land he would have met his death. He made his supreme sacrifice, when at the head of a thousand men he fell fighting. He gave his life that our ])eople within the walls of the City of Pekin might live. In the full strength of his glorious man- hood he passed on. His ])assing was that of a soldier. He marched on to glory. He lives in glory. His life was his daily dutv. His was a shining figure, an example by which we may measure our actions. In showing respect for his virtues we show that tliose virtues still live. In honorino- him we honor ourselves. CAPTAIN HEXRY O. WHEELER. Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: April 1 ith, 186.'), our great and good President. Abraham I>in- coln. just as the dawn of ])eace was appearing after the long and sanguinary confliet. was stricken down by an assassin and on the following morning his mortal life came to an end. The announce- ment of liis death had hardly been made when a few of the Union officers met in Philadelphia to consider what action should be taken by tliem in the emergency. One conclusion reached b}^ these men was that a permanent patriotic organization should be formed, and they at once took the necessary steps to carry out this ])urpose, and the "Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States" was the result. April Lith, 186;), is therefore considered the birth- day of this Order, and on that day the name of x\l)raliam Li'icoln was enrolled as a member of the new organization. The two fundamental ])rinciples of the Order are, as might be expected from the occasion which gave rise to it and from the close connection with the life of President Lincoln — first. "A firm belief and trust in Almighty God"; and, second, "True allegiance to the United States of America." The objects of the Order are in i3art, "to cherish the memories and associations of the war waged in defense of the unity and indivisibility of the Republic; to strengthen the ties of fraternal fellowshi]) and syni])athy formed l)y comi)anionship in arms; to protect the rights and liberties of American citizenshi]), and to maintain National Honor. Union and Inde])endence." Thus the religions and political creed of President Lincoln found expression in the constitution of our Order. Of the or- ganization brought into life by the death of President Lincoln. 23 t'oruud on sucli (lt«|) aiu] hroad priiu-iplr^,. and for a jjurposc so ])ure and lofty, lu' in whose lionor we arc gatlicrcd here today was a worthy conipanioij, and a striking fXfni))lification of the t-harac- teristics of the ()r(Ur. He was elected an Original C'oni])anion of llie First Class through the Commandery of the State of Massa- chusetts. April <). 1891, and transferred to the C'oniniandery of the State of Vermont. November i. 18.01. To the public this tablet is erected to General Lisenni. but to a few of us it stands as a memorial of the boy and youth, and the friend we knew as Emerson l.iseum. and today we recall the attractiA-e face and manly figure, the clear o])en eyes, tlu' air of firmness and self-reliance, and the direct and forceful bearing of our friend. And it was not strange that a young man of sueli qualities should be among the first to respond to his country's call for help when its life was in danger. Our friend was born to be a soldier, if there was need of soldiers, and born to connnand if there should be troojis to command. He loved peace, but when something more important than peace called him. he ])rom))tly responded "Here am I." Cieneral Liscum's career was remark- able. From the day he entered the First Vermont Regiment to the hour when, holding aloft the Stars and Stripes in the Celestial Kingdom, he gave his final command. "Don't retreat." his course was forward and upward. Wounded at Cedar Mountain, at (iettysburg, at San Juan, and finally at Tien Tsin ! What does that signify? This. He was always on the firing line. Consideration of personal safety when his command was called into positions of danger seemed to have no weight with him. He went wherever duty called him. His life was devoted to his country and he was ready if need be to make the su]n'eme sacrifice. In these days when so much is said about ])acific adjustment of differences, there is danger lest we forget what ])art the Army and Xa\y have ))layed in the ])rogress of civilization and Christianitv. even in the historv of the world. Sacrifice is n condition of progress, and life from death is a law of the universe. Courage has always been regarded as a manly virtue, and the spirit of self-sacrifice is divine. ^Vt• will hope and pray that universal peace shall prevail, and that war shall be no more, but meanwhile we will remember that jieaet'. when an obstruction to right progress, or when cou^jled with dishonor, should be broken in tiu' interests of humanity, and that there are some things worse than death and other things more precious than life. This tal)let with its record of a noble life, characterized by devotion to his country's fiag and all it stands for. by a courage that was sublime, liy a willingness to make any sacrifice, even life itself, for the country he loved, will be an incentive and an inspira- tion to all who read the words engraved upon it as long as tlie bronze shall endure, and thus the name of Emerson Hamilton Lis- cum have a ])ermanent })lace in the Roll of Honor of our country's jjatriots and heroes. COMRADE RICHARD J. IRNMN. Mcnihcr.s of the Loi/nl Lc(/i()ii, Comrades of the Post, Ladies (Did Gentlemen : With the boy Emerson Liscum I am well acquainted^ for aside from his own immediate family probably no one knew him better than I did. Our families were neighbors and friends and from the time he was eight or nine years old until he left school we spent most of our waking hours together. In winter we skated and slid down hill together and went to school at the little brick school house on Maiden Lane. Schools were different then; this was counted as good as any. The seats were arranged for two at a desk, the higher seats at the back of the room and lower down to the front row, what we called the ABC row. We went to school together and sat at the same desk, studied our spelling lesson out of the same dog-eared spelling book, and wrestled with the three R's together. Em. Liscum, as he then was called, was a good-natured boy, he was a general favorite with the boys. In all our games he was generally the leader. He liked to command even then, and while he was a little quick-tempered at times he was always fair in his decisions. He was set in his opinions and if he thought he was right in a thing he would hang on till the end. He showed then the traits that developed into the tine character later. Burlington then was not built up as it is now, it opened out beyond Pearl Street and most of the residents in that section had nice orchards ; and there were no two boys in Burlington who knew lietter where tlie fine, juicy sweet apples grew than Em. Liscum •ind I. When the Civil ^^^ar broke out and they called for volunteers we both enlisted. When my term expired I came home and en- tered civil life again, he kept on and took up the profession of arms as his work. I never saw him but once after the War, but I kept in touch with him all along, I knew what he was doing. He walked riglit up along the line to a brigadier-general, but when I look at that tablet I don't think of the General sitting before his tent in command of thousands of soldiers, but my mind goes back to the bright, manly little fellow that was my playmate between fifty and sixty years ago. The following is an extract from the sermon preached by the Rev. I. C. Smart, D. D., pastor of the College Street Congrega- tional Church. Burlington, Vermont, Sunday morning, April 30, 1911. "The unveiling of the tablet in memory of General Liscum brings to mind a generation rich in brave, true men wlio made a new standard of manhood — men wlio. like Caleb and Joshua, in- spired a whole generation with their own spirit. The finest ex- pression of that mood is Lowell's Commemoration Ode. He wrote it while the fresh memory of his soldier brother was going through his mind." ■"I see them muster in a gleaming row With ever youthful brows that nobler show; We find in our dull road their shining track; In every nobler mood We feel the orient of their spirit glow. Part of our life's unalterable good, Of all our saintlier aspiration; They come transfigured back, Secure from change in their high-hearted ways, Beautiful evermore, and with the rays Of morn on their white shields of exijectation." 27 IXSCRIPTIOX OX TABLET. Emerson Hamilton Lisctm. Born Huiitino-ton. Vt.. July 1(). 18U. Killfd Tien T.siii, China, July LS, UH)0. Enlisttd from Burlington. May 2. 18(jl. Corporal 1 Vt. Inf. \^ils. .'5 nios. Private Corpl Sergt. 2nd I>t.. 1st Lt., 12 Inf., U. S. A. Captain 25 Inf. ^lajor 22 Inf. Lt.-Col. 21 Inf. Colonel 9 Inf. Brig.-Gen. Vols. July. 18()8. Bvt. Capt. x\ug., 1864. for gallant service at Bethesda Church and during the Richmond campaign. '\^'ounded thrice. At Cedar Mountain. Gettyshurg, San Juan Hill. His last words as he raised aloft the fallen colors were Don't Retrk.\t. Keep Firing. A Modest Hero. A Ciiristi.\n Soldier. Without fear and without reproach. FREE PRESS H-19 89 - "^^^ ^^""^ ^'^"^ff^^-^U^: ^^\'J^t.V /.C^^.'^^^o <-. ^' • -* A^ ^• «.^" ^c*. -. -of / a^^ • " * aO ^ * • / ^ • c°\c:^.\ « « o .^^"^. ; .>^^-V. ♦'^ .^^t^ % .•^^co*"-/"*^. ^^'^0^.:%:^'^/^,..^ ^' -v- . '.'^oia^.* ^^^ '^^, -.'^^^Y'** ^v '^♦^ *-!?»^pf^' ,^^ '^^^ ^ • o. '^oV f »°-v *■ -- ^' .6^ ^o. ^ -*."' 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