Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1858-07-09
The Flag Presentation.

presentation OF the flag to the German ouhtceto has
been kindly placed at our disposal The address OF MISS
Minded was follows:
Capt. Cornehlsen, Officers and Soldiers
of the German Volunteers:
feel hiphy hOnored at being chosen to present you
with this stand Of coors.
For an of how you will guard the trust we
need only revert to the pages of the past where D the
side of Washington stand the Of Dek alb and those
other scions of the Fatherand who helped to plant the
seed of liberty in this country, which has since grown
to such giant tree waving its branches from the At
lantc to the Pacific and from the fiery that sets IN
the Mexican Gulf to the starghted ice peaks OF Labra-
DOR
May these coors float above scenes as peaceful
as the present but should time come when the war
trumpet shall be heard then you will remember the dear
old land of your birth and the fair young country OF
your adoption and raying round these colors, Will
prove to all that the American flag has no more brave
or trusty defenders than the German ' ounteers.
10 which Captain Cornehlsen replied
Miss Minded: In behalf of myself fellow officers and
soldiers of the German Volunteers accept from
your fair hands this beautiful emblem of devotion to our
adopted country.
| As DcK alb and his followers, with many others OF
little less note occupied position In leading I'M
der Washington the American banner to victory IN
days of trial. shall we, trust, not degenerate sons
under this bright ensign be found ever ready to act IN
concert with those who fight under the eagle banner IN
defence of rights, homes our laws, and our IN
situations.
To you fair lady, and through you to your associates,
desire to express the sincere Acknowledgements OF this
corps for this valued token of regard and while 1t shall
remain in our hands, we pledge its preservation In I'M
sulIied purity as is now, the emblem of those whom
we shall ever hold dear in remembrance, during our
darkest day of trial. shielding it, would yourself
and those whom you represent together with the veneer
ated stars and stripes of America.
Captain Cornchsen then delivered the flag to the
sign of the Company with the following charge:
| Ensign: This beautiful Banner which fair cOun-
trywomen have just presented is placed in your charge
with the that you will stand by it and shield
in behalf of this corps a sacred treasure.
The flag is of beautiful blue silk with gold border;
the flag staff surmounted by gilt eagle. One side Of
the flag bears the portrait of Washington and the COL
ors of the United States and the following inscription:
"Presented by the Ladies of Wilmington, July 4th,
1853 to the German Volunteer company organized Sep
TENDER 9th, 1892.
The reverse side bears the portrait of DeKalb and
the following inscription:
"The Old North Statc.-The Home Of our Adoption"
On one corner is quartercd the German Independent
Flag of lS49.
OUR ARMY AND OUR New TERRIroR1Es.-Ihe sol
ders in the American armyarc better fed and cothedthan
those in any other service but general rule they
compelled to perform class OF duties more harraSsing,
atigung and annoying than those of any other force.
Stretched along frontier Of thousands of miles, in so-
lated squads out among the mountains, the burning
steppes the waclcss praries, watching the wild and
debascd Indians, the scarcely less wild and
debascd floating white population, the outcasts of civil
zaton either driven off for their crimes, mpelcd by
reckcssncss and mpacncc of the restraints of social
life such arc the localities and such the characters with
which the L. $. Army has to do, and surely it has
enough to occupy it,
The halo OF romance with which the tales OF Cooper
and others had once surrounded the Indian, has passed
away The rule is that the wild Indian is good for moth
ing and the tame is worth less than nothing, being
u nuisance and blot in the sight of Heaven They
strong on fire watcrhcy will drink anything that will
" make drunk COME but they will not work.
! The boundary line between the United States and
Mexico reaching from San Diego on the Pacific, to the
mouth Of the Rio Grandc on the Gulf, is constantly
crossed and rccrosscd by wild Indians and runaway Mex
lean peons become more fcrocOus than the orgi
nal Camanchcs, ApachcS, ArapahOocs or others of
that sort. Bands of these make incurSonS upon the
outlying settlements Of Texas and New Mexico, attack
cmigrans passing Ito plains, take advantage
of the weakness of any isolated post or small body
of United States troops, carry off the property
der feeble escort or at least stampede and steal
the animals. Among these people, and getting into
constant collision with them, the class OF white
men to whom reference has already been made 10 act
as frontier pOcc-tO interfere bctwee1-to restrain
regulate, protect punish such population composed
of all coOrs compilations and characters is the duty Of
one portion of the army, while another portion is scat
tered the Pacific from San Diego to Puget's Sound
tracking Indians and sometimes fighting then1-occa-
cionaly getting whipped These the pleasures of
soldering on actual service. Oregon is worse than
Florida.
The worst Of the thing is that although the Indians
are bad enough all conscience the outbreaks which cost
the Government hundreds thousands of lives and mil
lions of treasure to repress generally spring from the
reckless brutality grasping dishonesty Of the low
whites who actually drive the red men to desperation
We threatened with league of the Indians in Wash
iDgton and Oregon and most expensive and annoying
Indian war. 1t is said that Col. Steptoe has been de-
teated with the loss of considerable number of men,
and under circumstances which indicate the extent and
dangerous nature of the league against which hosttes
must be carried on.
The Oregon Indians do not fully understand the pow
er and resources OF the Whites but they have heard of
them and have presentiment of their fate which
they have wish to precpate by rushing into hostil
ties, but no doubt this to the cupidty of
traders who have been furnishing the Indians with
bad whiskey, California desperadoes who think
it quite pleasant amusement to shoot down
brave squaw, for these mighty men seem to make
small difference irthat respect
These territories, as they multiply, also multiply the