Oliver wendell holmes jr civil war decorations
Oliver wendell holmes jr biography!
On May 30, 1884, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. delivered the following remarks to the John Sedgwick Post No. 4, Grand Army of the Republic chapter.
Oliver wendell holmes jr civil war decorations
This speech is best known for Holmes's famed quote, "in our youth our hearts were touched with fire," but the entire address is noteworthy for Holmes's moving eloquence and his ability to powerfully convey the meaning behind Memorial Day.
Holmes himself was a seasoned veteran of the Civil War, having been wounded in several engagements, including the Battle of Antietam.
On the morning of September 17, 1862, Holmes's regiment, the 20th Massachusetts, was engaged in a fierce fire fight in the West Woods. Amidst the melee and confusion of battle that morning, with Confederates sweeping up the Federal flank, Holmes was wounded in the neck.
His story of suffering and survival is a harrowing one, and one perhaps best told in a separate blog post. For today, Holmes's address in 1884 describing the purpose behind Memorial Day will suffice, s