St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1863-03-26

.~~~ SeSsS'sS W 40 AuuCNAVuS, duU yl0IuluH
implicitly to its requirements. In it,
wladom tho people have oontltt.es, and
By them it will be respected. ~ 4
i & I'll. Army and Navy Of the uh,,ed state.
In their patriotism, courage and endurance
the country has unlimited trust and conf
denco upon their brilliant acAieysments We
look with proud satisfaction aud II their de-
votion to the Constitution and the Union We
find q sure guarantee for the unity and liber-
ty OF .he American peeple. ,..- 49,.
The response BY Cvl. Minor T. Thomas,
Of tho 9th Minnesota Regiment, has tue
ring Of the true soldier:
GENTLEMEN: The Army aud Navy,
now the main reliance for the support aud
maintenance Of our once prosperous aud
happy Republic, deserveq an orator instead
OF soldier to respond to the toast you
have just proposed. But as you gentle
men citizens have borne SO patiently with
the blunders aud failures Of an uueduca-
ted army, so ask your indulgence while
l attempt a few words on the subject.
Two years ago our army-the army of
the then great aud prosperous United
States of America-contained less than
nice thousand men, our navy less than
FIVE thousand and this insignificant force
in a country containing thirty millions Of
people, at that time was looked upon az a
nui ance that must be tolerated for forms
sake OILY
This state Of affairs existed until the
crater Of political volcano, whose thun-
ders we had long heard surging up from
the South and East, actually opened at our
feet, and found weak Government al
most without soldier to defend it from
the deadly assaults Of portion Of its re-
belllous children. At this point our Gov
ernment did what all things human would
do in the hour Of peril it called for help.
The call was weak, but the response was
mighty. In week its call Was satisfied
and hundreds Of thousands more Amer
lean citizens asked the privilege Of help
ing to defend their county.
The first acts Of our young uneducated
army were almcat total failures. We
found we had an enemy to meet who could
thwart our distracted efforts, and that they
were as earnest as We when We cast off the
accused British yoke and fought for. sew
en- long years to acquire our independence.
Now indeed did our Government real
ize its mighty danger. Call. after call,
resounded through the land, and it is
enough to say, that within the space of
two years almost a million American cit
liens have cast aside the endearments
OF home, the association of kindred and
friends, and that which was and is so
dear to the American people-pursuit Of
the almighty dollar-and now. OF have
answered the roll call in our Arm5 and
Navy.
But you may ask, what has this great
force done? You remember when the
rebel flag de6antly waved within sight of
the Capital when the great States of Vir-
GINA and Missouri were almost entirely
in their hands; when rebel cannon frown-
ed upon he banks Of the Mississippi, al
most to Cairo? Now cross over the clay
hills Of Kentucky, from east to west, and
not day but you will cross the tracks 0!
our armies as they drove them south.
ward. Go into the Clark deep woods OF
Tennessee and if you can find a town,
city, village or country read that has not
echoed to the tramp Of our army; it was
because the mud was SO deep that no
sound except the fierce anathema Of a
Minnesota soldier could escape it. Go,
as have, through the swamps and over
the pine hills Of Northern Mississippi, look
at the, def:nses of .Corinth ride over re.
constructed railroads to Tuscumbia, Co.
lumbus or Memphis, or over the, Scared
fields of Shiloh Church. Iuka, Corinth or
the Hatchie; take any secluded bride
path into the dark, deep woods, you will
find the .ravages of war, and a desolation
so terrible that you will say, that this
portion of this rebel land has been pun
ished enoug oh.
Follow our Western Navy from Forts
Henry and Donelson to Pillow, Island
Ten, New Madrid and Memphis, up the
Arkansas and White Rivers, and now to
the last great stronghold, Vicksburg-
there see our Army and Navy Sec their
uuQ'ethlueU CAVtoeo1 aSVcuVuteu AOIuSe auu
hollow! cheeks, the effects Of disease and
hardship marked in every feature go from
camp to camp, through the mud aud
slime where they have toiled for days aud
weeks: but look into their flashing eyes
as they catch a glimpse Of the rebel flag
as it floats over that city on the hill, and
you will know what our army is doing.
Go from there to the veteran army Of
our gallant Rosecrans-mud bound on the
bloody field of Murfreesboro, and see the
determination with which they are again
setting their faces southwark: And as
you have passed along, have you not seen
the battle rent banner Of our. own beloved
State in every army? On almost every
battle field you will find little hillocka
covering the gallant forms Of Minnesota
soldiers. TO every branch of the service
we have given our mite, and although, the
number is small, their fame is unsurpassed
! The army Of the Potomac have their