mother, so well beloved, his relations and friends, many of them near
and dear to him,--some of them with clear, bright eyes that turned from
the forms of brothers in the ranks to seek his, and linger upon it
wistfully and tenderly; yet looking at all these, even his mother, he
looked beyond, as though in the empty space a face would appear, eyes
would meet his, arms be stretched towards him, lips whisper a fond
adieu, as he, breaking from the ranks, would take her to his embrace,
and speak, at the same time, his love and farewell. A fruitless
longing.

Four o'clock struck over the great city, and the line moved out of the
square, through Fourth Street, to Broadway. Then began a march, which
whoso witnessed, though but a little child, will remember to his dying
day, the story of which he will repeat to his children, and his
children's children, and, these dead, it will be read by eyes that shall
shine centuries hence, as one of the most memorable scenes in the great
struggle for freedom.

Hands were stretched forth to touch the cloth of their uniforms, and
kissed when they were drawn back. Mothers held up their little children
to gain inspiration for a lifetime. A roar of voices, continuous,
unbroken, rent the skies; while, through the deafening cheers, men and
women, with eyes blinded by tears, repeated, a million times, "God
bless--God bless and keep them!" And so, down the magnificent avenue,
through the countless, shouting multitude, through the whirlwind of
enthusiasm and adoration, under the glorious sweep of flags, the grand
regiment moved from the beginning of its march to its close,--till it
was swept away towards the capital, around which were soon to roll such
bloody waves of death.