ence, made
PITTENGER an early and constant friend of freedom. Any mind imbued
with an admiration of God's marches in the Heavens as an Omnipotent
Creator, and inspired by a contemplation of God's finger in History as
a merciful Deliverer, will rise to the high level of universal love to
man, and will comprehend the broad equality of Gospel liberty and
republican brotherhood. Let a man be educated, head and heart, and he
will love freedom, and demand freedom, and "dare and suffer" for
freedom, not for himself only, but for all the oppressed of the whole
earth.

Reader, you may draw lines. You may profess a conservative
Christianity that would theologize the very grace out of the command,
"_Love thy neighbor as thyself._" You may ignore this Christ-like
precept, and adopt something more fashionable and aristocratic; but if
you do, you entertain in your heart treason, both to your Father in
heaven and to your brother on earth. This law of love is revealed to
lowly men. It cuts down through crowns and creeds and chains, and
rests as a blessed benediction on sufferers and slaves. This is the
inspiration that brings victory to our arms, and deals death to
destroyers. This was the spirit that prompted our young hero to stand
forth, one of the very first from his native county, a soldier for
right and righteousness, the moment the Sumter cry rang up the valley
of his Ohio home.

When PITTINGER became a volunteer, it was for the suppression of the
Rebellion with all its belongings,--and if its overthrow should tumble
slavery, with its clanking fetters and howling hounds, to the
uttermost destruction, he would grasp his gun the firmer for the
hope, and thank God for the prospect, the test, and the toil! He
enlisted as a soldier for his country, ready to march anywhere, strike
with any weapon, endure any fatigue, or share any sorrow. He went out
not merely an armored warrior, to ward off attacks, not to strike off
obnoxious top-growths; but to "lay the ax at the root of the tree,"
and to pierce the very heart of the monster iniquity.

In three days after the receipt of the startling intelligence that the
Stars and Stripes had been fired upon by rebels in arms, PITTENGER was
on his way to the Capital as a private soldier in the Second Ohio
Regiment of volunteers. He fought bravely on the disastrous 21st of
July, in the battle of Bull Run, while many of his comrades fell
bleeding at his side. For his calm, heroic conduct through