149th Monument at Gettysburg
Remarks of Miss Helen Collins
at the Unveiling
Members of the One Hundred and Forty-Ninth:
It not having been my pleasure to be present at your last annual
reunion at maple Bay, permit me to tender my heartfelt thanks for electing me
"Daughter of the Regiment," an honor I highly esteem, and a name I
trust I shall always bear.
During the last few years, in assisting my father in your
behalf, I have become more or less acquainted with the history of your regiment
and the honorable career of its members; hence it now gives me great pleasure
and satisfaction, as "Daughter of the Regiment," to unveil this
beautiful monument erected by the State of New York on this memorable
battlefield as a worthy testimonial of your loyalty and valor. So long as
a vestige of this granite shaft remains, let it stand as a memorial tribute to
patriotism and courage, such as has been seldom equaled and never excelled by
any body of men.
