“Standing beneath this serene sky,overlooking these broad fields now reposing from the labors of thewaning year, the mighty Alleghenies dimly towering before us, thegraves of our brethren beneath our feet, it is with hesitation thatI raise my poor voice to break the eloquent silence of God andnature. But the duty to which you called me must be performed;grant me, I pray you, your indulgence and your sympathy.” Even atthe age of eight-six, and though sickly, his strong orator’s voiceresonated, carrying to the mass of people waiting, as if to receivemanna from heaven.
A shiver of excitement shot through Tillie.She too read his speeches in honor of his visit.
He began speaking of funeral rites andcustoms of ancient Greece, expounding on a battle in ancientAthens. Tillie’s brow creased, and she tilted her head, trying tokeep up with his logic. What did ancient Greece have to do withwhat happened here? She and Sam glanced at each other.
“What in the world?” Sam mouthed.
Tillie shrugged. “He’s just getting started.I’m sure it’ll get better,” she whispered in Sam’s ear. She crossedher arms, shifted her weight, and turned back to Mr. Everett.
As his speech continued, he brought thebattle of ancient Athens into sharp relief, and again, she thrilledto the excitement of his oration.
“…That battlefield where Persia’s victimhoard first bowed beneath the brunt of Hellas’ sword.”
So caught up in his oration, Tillie couldalmost imagine the blade sliding between her rib cage. She breathedin deep.
“We have assembled, friends, fellow citizens,at the invitation of the Executive of the great central State ofPennsylvania, seconded by the Governors of seventeen other loyalStates of the Union, to pay the last tribute of respect to thebrave men who, in the hard fought battles of the first, second andthird days of July last, laid down their lives for the country onthese hillsides and the plains before us, and whose remains havebeen gathered into the cemetery which we consecrate this day.”
Tillie nodded in unconscious agreement. Menfought and died here, and they should honor them.
She scanned the crowd and saw a woman pull ahandkerchief out of her reticule and dab at her eyes. A man slippedan arm around her shoulder and kissed her temple.
Mr. Everett talked about the days ofSecession, addressing the issues surrounding secession, and broughtthe crowd forward to July. Tillie leaned forward, eyes locked onhim, mouth open slightly. He told her things she didn’t knowbefore, or never took the time to put into the grander scheme ofthe war. He came to June thirtieth.
Such an exciting day, the day the soldierscame to town. In her mind’s eye, the river of blue flowed upWashington Street and through town. She reached over and claspedSam’s hand. He squeezed and let go.
“And now the momentous day, a day to beforever remembered in the annals of the country, arrived. Early inthe morning on the first of July the conflict began. I need not saythat it would be impossible for me to comprise, within the limitsof the hour, such a narrative as would do anything like fulljustice to the all-important events of those three great days, orto the merit of the brave officers and men of every rank, of everyarm of the service and of every loyal State, who bore their part inthe tremendous struggle.”
Mr. Everett went on to describe the fightingon the second and third days as well. Sweeping his arm across thefields of Gettysburg, he let his voice ring out over the crowd. Shethrilled to the cadence and rhythm of his words.
He turned to the crux of the war, and onceagain, she found herself learning something. He spoke of theConstitution, explaining how the South did not have theConstitutional right to secede. He explained the power of theFederal Government, established by the People of the United States.Not by individual states, but the people. He spoke of the rightnessand justice of putting the rebellion down.
“And now, friends, fellow-citizens ofGettysburg and Pennsylvania, and you from remoter States, let meagain, as we part, invoke a benediction on these honored graves…Youfeel that it was greatly auspicious for the cause of the country,that the men of the East and the men of the West, the men of thenineteen sister States, stood side by side, on the perilous ridgesof the battle…God bless the Union; it is dearer to us for the bloodof brave men which has been shed in its defense.”
Too bad she didn’t have a handkerchief towipe her wet eyes. Instead, she used a corner of her cloak cuff. Asshe tilted her head to wipe her face, her gaze caught Father usinga handkerchief to wipe his eyes.
Mr. Everett’s speech lasted two hours, thoughthe time flew past. A moment of hushed silence greeted its end.Then the crowd broke into wild applause. Mr. Everett bowed hishead, acknowledging them, before shuffling back to his seat. Hisdaughter rose and helped him to sit.
The military band played through a quickrendition of “Lincoln And Liberty”. The last notes drifted away onthe breeze as Mr. Lincoln rose, extending his hand to Mr. Everett,who half rose and shook the President’s hand.
Mr. Lincoln towered over the podium. With hisleft hand, he reached into his coat pocket for his speech whileholding his spectacles in his right hand. Then he reached up andremoved his hat. With his hat in his hand, he couldn’t unfold hisspeech. He started to put his hat back on, but seemed to change hismind. The wind picked up and almost snapped his speech out of hishand. He half turned first to the right and then to the left.
People around Tillie snickered. Men shooktheir heads. “Our fearless leader,” the man next to her spoke in alow voice to his companion. They laughed.
Tillie glared at him, but he didn’t glance inher direction.
Mr. Seward rose and took the President’s hatsaying something as he did so. The President smiled and answered.Mr. Seward sat back down, crossed his legs, plopped the top hat onhis lap, and folded his arms.
Again, President Lincoln surveyed hisaudience. In his high tenor voice, he began to
