avocations and the pleasures of home to the duties and discomforts of
the camp, that you may prepare yourselves whenever your country needs
it to render her efficient service. On the militia of the country the
rights of its citizens, and the honor of its flag, must mainly depend
in the event of a war; they only need to be organized and instructed
to render them a secure reliance. Mingled with the great body of the
people, identified with their feelings and their interests, proud of
the prowess of their fathers and jealousy careful of the country's
honor, if properly instructed and prepared, the first trumpet call
should bring from plain and from mountain a citizen soldiery who would
encircle the land and check the invader with a wall of fire. Your plan
of encampment seems best suited to the purposes of practical
instruction. A pilgrim in search of health, his steps had been
fortunately directed to Maine, the courtesy of the commander of this
encampment had induced him to visit it and to review the troops. In
all respects it had been to him most gratifying. The appointments, the
movements, the stern faces, and stalwart forms of the men, spoke of
the power to do, and the will to dare whatever it was needful and
proper to perform. This day to manifest respect to a citizen of a
distant State, whose only claim upon them is that he has been an
American soldier, and is an American citizen, they had cheerfully
marched through heavy mire. So much had they given to so small a
demand on their natural sentiment, he could not doubt they would with
equal alacrity, and with the same firm step, march over a field miry
with the blood of comrade and of foe, where opposing causes make to
men a common fate.

Among the objects which were of interest to him and which he had hoped
to visit, was the fortification at the narrows of the Penobscot.
During the last session of congress he had endeavored to obtain an