We also have a magnificent
monument testifying to the best and worst
of man. And shelves of souvenirs and
paintings that depict this remarkably
encouraging moment that will be forever
frozen in time. Most importantly, we have
the collective memory of a young man who
was able to rise above the madness of war
and extend a helping hand to those who
were not 'really' his enemy.
In closing, I would like
to quote an excerpt from a poem about
Richard Kirkland that was penned by Walter
Clark in 1908:
"Like Daniel of old in the
lion's den,
He walked through the murderous air
No touch or tear his gray-clad form,
For the hand of God was there"
"And I am sure in the Book
of Gold,
Where the blessed angel writes
He wrote that day with his shining pen
The Angel of Marye's Heights"
We can see that this man's memory is
worthy of the myth and that his was a life
that certainly touched Fredericksburg (and
beyond) during the Civil War. It is a
story that touched me, and I certainly
hope that it touched you too. Thank
you.
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