college；　could　see　in　the　red　light　around　him　that　not　merely　the　freedom　of　a　race　and　the　saving　of　a　nation　were　at　stake；　but　that　behind　all　this　was　the　forward　movement　of　civilization；　brought　once　again　to　the　arbitrament　of　the　sword。　Slavery　was　barbarous　and　barbarizing。　It　had　dragged　down　the　civilization　of　the　South　to　a　level　from　which　it　would　take　generations　to　rise　up　again。　Was　this　barbarous　force　now　to　prevail　in　the　United　States　in　the　nineteenth　century？　Was　it　to　destroy　a　great　nation；　and　fetter　human　progress　in　the　New　World？　That　was　the　great　question　back　of；　beyond　and　above　all。　Should　this　force　of　barbarism　sweep　conquering　over　the　land；　wrecking　an　empire　in　its　onward　march；　or　should　it　be　flung　back　as　Miltiades　flung　back　Asia　at　Marathon；　and　Charles　Martel　stayed　the　coming　of　Islam　at　Tours？　The　brilliant　career；　the　shining　courage；　best　seen　always　where　the　dead　were　lying　thickest；　the　heroic　death　of　Charles　Lowell；　are　good　for　us　all　to　know　and　to　remember。　Yet　this　imperfect　story　of　his　life　has　not　been　placed　here　for　these　things　alone。　Many　thousand　others；　officers　and　soldiers　alike；　in　the　great　Civil　War　gave　their　lives　as　freely　as　he；　and　brought　to　the　service　of　their　country　the　best　that　was　in　them。　He　was　a　fine　example　of　many　who；　like　him；　offered　up　all　they　had　for　their　country。　But　Lowell　was　also　something　more　than　this。　He　was　a　high　type　of　a　class；　and　a　proof　of　certain　very　important　things；　and　this　is　a　point　worthy　of　much　consideration。
  The　name　of　John　Hampden　stands　out　in　the　history　of　the　English…speaking　people；　admired　and　unquestioned。　He　was　neither　a　great　statesman；　nor　a　great　soldier；　he　was　not　a　brilliant　orator；　nor　a　famous　writer。　He　fell　bravely　in　an　unimportant　skirmish　at　Chalgrove　Field；　fighting　for　freedom　and　what　he　believed　to　be　right。　Yet　he　fills　a　great　place　in　the　past；　both　for　what　he　did　and　what　he　was；　and　the　reason　for　this　is　of　high　importance。　John　Hampden　was　a　gentleman；　with　all　the　advantages　that　the　accidents　of　birth　could　give。　He　was　rich；　educated；　well　born；　of　high　traditions。　English　civilization　of　that　day　could　produce　nothing　better。　The　memorable　fact　is　that；　when　the　time　came　for　the　test；　he　did　not　fail。　He　was　a　type　of　what　was　best　among　the　English　people；　and　when　the　call　sounded；　he　was　ready。　He　was　brave；　honest；　high…minded；　and　he　gave　all；　even　his　life；　to　his　country。　In　the　hour　of　need；　the　representative　of　what　was　best　and　most　fortunate　in　England　was　put　to　the　touch；　and　proved　to　be　current　gold。　All　men　knew　what　that　meant；　and　Hampden's　memory　is　one　of　the　glories　of　the　English…speaking　people。
  Charles　Lowell　has　the　same　meaning　for　us　when　rightly　understood。　He　had　all　that　birth；　breeding；　education；　and　tradition　could　give。　The　resources　of　our　American　life　and　civilization　could　produce　nothing　better。　How　would　he　and　such　men　as　he　stand　the　great　ordeal　when　it　came？　If　wealth；　education；　and　breeding　were　to　result　in　a　class　who　could　only　carp　and　criticize；　accumulate　money；　give　way　to　self…indulgence；　and　cherish　low　foreign　ideals；　then　would　it　have　appeared　that　there　was　a　radical　unsoundness　in　our　society；　refinement　would　have　been　proved　to　be　weakness；　and　the　highest　education　would　have　been　shown　to　be　a　curse；　rather　than　a　blessing。　But　Charles　Lowell；　and　hundreds　of　others　like　him；　in　greater　or　less　degree；　all　over　the　land；　met　the　great　test　and　emerged　triumphant。　The　Harvard　men　may　be　taken　as　fairly　representing　the　colleges　and　universities　of　America。　Harvard　had；　in　1860；　4157　living　graduates；　and　823　students；　presumably　over　eighteen　years　old。　Probably　3000　of　her　students　and　graduates　were　of　military　age；　and　not　physically　disqualified　for　military　service。　Of　this　number；　1230　entered　the　Union　army　or　navy。　One　hundred　and　fifty…six　died　in　service；　and　67　were　killed　in　action。　Many　did　not　go　who　might　have　gone；　unquestionably；　but　the　record　is　a　noble　one。　Nearly　one　man　of　every　two　Harvard　men　came　forward　to　serve　his　country　when　war　was　at　our　gates；　and　this　proportion　holds　true；　no　doubt；　of　the　other　universities　of　the　North。　It　is　well　for　the　country；　well　for　learning；　well　for　our　civilization；　that　such　a　record　was　made　at　such　a　time。　Charles　Lowell；　and　those　like　him；　showed；　once　for　all；　that　the　men　to　whom　fortune　had　been　kindest　were　capable　of　the　noblest　patriotism；　and　shrank　from　no　sacrifices。　They　taught　the　lesson　which　can　never　be　heard　too　oftenthat　the　man　to　whom　the　accidents　of　birth　and　fortune　have　given　most　is　the　man　who　owes　most　to　his　country。　If　patriotism　should　exist　anywhere；　it　should　be　strongest　with　such　men　as　these；　and　their　service　should　be　ever　ready。　How　nobly　Charles　Lowell　in　this　spirit　answered　the　great　question；　his　life　and　death；　alike　victorious；　show　to　all　men。
  SHERIDAN　AT　CEDAR　CREEK
  Inspired　repulsed　battalions　to　engage；　And　taught　the　doubtful　battle　where　to　rage。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Addison。
  SHERIDAN　AT　CEDAR　CREEK
  General　Sheridan　took　command　of　the　Army　of　the　Shenandoah　in　August；　1864。　His　coming　was　the　signal　for　aggressive　fighting；　and　for　a　series　of　brilliant　victories　over　the　rebel　army。　He　defeated　Early　at　Winchester　and　again　at　Fisher's　Hill；　while　General　Torbert　whipped　Rosser　in　a　subsequent　action；　where　the　rout　of　the　rebels　was　so　complete　that　the　fight　was　known　as　the　〃Woodstock　races。〃　Sheridan's　plan　after　this　was　to　terminate　his　campaign　north　of　Staunton；　and；　returning　thence；　to　desolate　the　Valley；　so　as　to　make　it　untenable　for　the　Confederates；　as　well　as　useless　as　a　granary　or　storehouse；　and　then　move　the　bulk　of　his　armythrough　Washington；　and　unite　them　with　General　Grant　in　front　of　Petersburg。　Grant；　however；　and　the　authorities　at　Washington；　were　in　favor　of　Sheridan's　driving　Early　into　Eastern　Virginia；　and　following　up　that　line；　which　Sheri　dan　himself　believed　to　be　a　false　move。　This　important　matter　was　in　debate　until　October　16；　when　Sheridan；　having　left　the　main　body　of　his　army　at　Cedar　Creek　under　General　Wright；　determined　to　go　to　Washington；　and　discuss　the　question　personally　with　General　Halleck　and　the　Secretary　of　War。　He　reached　Washington　on　the　morning　of　the　17th　about　eight　o'clock；　left　there　at　twelve；　and　got　back　to　Martinsburg　the　same　night　about　dark。　At　Martinsburg　he　spent　the　night；　and　the　next　day；　with　his　escort；　rode　to　Winchester；　reaching　that　point　between　three　and　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　of　the　18th。　He　there　heard　that　all　was　quiet　at　Cedar　Creek　and　along　the　front；　and　went　to　bed；　expecting　to　reach　his　headquarters　and　join　the　army　the　next　day。
  About　six　o'clock；　on　the　morning　of　the　19th；　it　was　reported　to　him　that　artillery　firing　could　be　heard　in　the　direction　of　Cedar　Creek；　but　as　the　sound　was　stated　to　be　irregular　and　fitful；　he　thought　it　only　a　skirmish。　He；　nevertheless；　arose　at　once；　and　had　just　finished　dressing　when　another　officer　came　in；　and　reported　that　the　firing　was　still　going　on　in　the　same　direction；　but　that　it　did　not　sound　like　a　general　battle。　Still　Sheridan　was　uneasy；　and；　after　breakfasting；　mounted　his　horse　between　eight　and　nine　o'clock；　and　rode　slowly　through　Winchester。　When　he　reached　the　edge　of　the　town　he　halted　a　moment；　and　then　heard　the　firing　of　artillery　in　an　unceasing　roar。　He　now　felt　confident　that　a　general　battle　was　in　progress；　and；　as　he　rode　forward；　he　was　convinced；　from　the　rapid　increase　of　the　sound；　that　his　army　was　failing　back。　After　he　had　crossed　Mill　Creek；　just　outside　Winchester；　and　made　the　crest　of　the　rise　beyond　the　stream；　there　burst　upon　his　view　the　spectacle　of　a　panic…stricken　army。　Hundreds　of　slightly　wounded　men；　with　hundreds　more　unhurt；　but　demoralized；　together　with　baggage　wagons　and　trains；　were　all　pressing　to　the　rear；　in　hopeless　confusion。
  There　was　no　doubt　now　that　a　disaster　had　occurred　at　the　front。　A　fugitive　told　Sheridan　that　the　army　was　broken　and　in　full　retreat；　and　that　all　was　lost。　Sheridan　at　once　sent　word　to　Colonel　Edwards；　commanding　a　brigade　at　Winchester；　to　stretch　his　troops　across　the　valley；　and　stop　all　fugitives。　His　first　idea　was　to　make　a　stand　there；　but；　as　he　rode　along；　a　different　plan　flashed　into　his　mind。　He　believed　that　his　troops　had　great　confidence　in　him；　and　he　determined　to　try　to　restore　their　broken　ranks；　and；　instead　of　merely　holding　the　ground　at　Winchester；　to　rally　his　army；　and　lead　them　forward　again　to　Cedar　Creek。　He　had　hardly　made　up　his　mind　to　this　course；　when　news　was　brought　to　him　that　his　headquarters　at　Cedar　Creek　were　captured；　and　the　troops　dispersed。　He　started　at　once；　with　about　twenty　men　as　an　escort；　and　rode　rapidly　to　the　front。　As　he　passed　along；　the　unhurt　men；　who　thickly　lined　the　road；　recognized　him；　and；　as　they　did　so；　threw　up　their　hats；　shouldered　their　muskets；　and　followed　him　as　fast　as　they　could　on　foot。　His　officers　rode　out　on　either　side　to　tell　the　stragglers　that　the　general　had　returned；　and；　as　the　news　spread　the　retreating　men　in　every　direction　rallied；　and　turned　their　faces　towa