MAJOR HIGGINSON'S SPEECH

Major Henry Lee Higginson '55 gave a delightful and interesting talk on "Reminiscences of the Civil War" before an audience that filled the Living Room of the Union last evening. He told of the lives of several of his companions in arms in the Civil War, who were willing and anxious to give their all in the service of their country. Nothing can be more profitable than to study the lives and characters of these men, whose names have been inscribed on the tablet at Soldiers Field as an everlasting monument to their courage and devotion.

James Savage '54 as a boy was not bright, but very thoughtful; full of fun and energy, and possessed of strong personality which commanded respect. He enlisted at the outbreak of the war and was killed at Cedar Mountain. Edward Dalton '55 died of exhaustion after the war. James Lowell '58 was shot once and returned to the North; later he went back to the front and was killed at Glendale. Stephen Perkins '56 was pleasant and witty, a brilliant student, standing at the head of his class in College. He was shot in the battle of Cedar Mountain. Robert Shaw '60 was given command of the first black regiment, the success of which was largely due to his energy and ability. He was killed in the battle of Fort Wagner and was buried with his black soldiers.

Charles Lowell '54, of whom Major Higginson spoke at greatest length, was full of mischief and fun, always ready for anything, but a brilliant scholar, graduating at the head of the class of 1854, at the age of 19. After leaving the University, he was employed in a counting-room, and later worked as a mill hand, in order to study, the men of the working classes. Through obstinate disregard of his health he contracted tuberculosis, making it necessary for him to travel. He tried Spain, Italy and Aigiers in turn, but finally returned to America and went to take charge of a newly constructed railroad at Burlington. Coming east again he took charge of some iron mills in Maryland, where he remained till he enlisted. As captain in the sixth Massachusetts cavalry he was ordered to Virginia, where he was given a place in General McClellan's staff. After the battle of Antietam, Colonel Lowell received the honor of carrying the captured flags to Washington. While fighting with Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley, he was wounded in the chest. Despite this wound he charged a village held by sharp-shooters at the head of his troop, receiving a fatal wound in the neck. General Sheridan said of Colonel Lowell "I never had to tell Colonel Lowell what to do. He had always seen it and done it before I told him."

Charles Perkins in later life was a great railroad owner, but as a young man could not afford to go to college, as his mother depended upon him for support. As the successor of Charles Lowell in the control of the railroad at Burlington, he received his first experience in railroading. It was upon his advice that the first line across the state of Iowa was built. Throughout his career he always commanded respect for himself and his road by consideration and kindness for all those with whom he came in contact. In the capacity of officer of a bank in Lincoln, Nebraska, he spent $1,100,000 of his private wealth to prevent its failure, solely because he felt the bank should be saved for the sake of the country. This case of an individual's advancing so vast a sum for the sake of the community is entirely without parallel.

In the lives of these men, we see splendid devotion to the good of others and a total disregard of themselves. In the words of Charles Lowell, "The one thing we must not do is to think of ourselves."