, 1864-02-21

rarely, If ever, been excclled. The Polish
Lanccrs were not moro feet, nor thc frencn
Hussars more daring, nor tho EngA8a vete-
rnus more unyielding than you; ou;.it ~ ~ he tfe
Western battle fields, Ill this, the genera OF.
tlccrs under, whom you have served. 1esu5y Oh
you. ~, -. .ao,+oa1,,;c,
1861 embarkng on tra1snorss a9 ,t1 p. ~ nfS fb.t
day We hear Of Sou ut otteryille on the: ~ ist
Of October: ut Syracuse On the 14th; at War
saw on Tic 54th; crossing the Usage. on the
e5th !; Ly forced marches at Springfield On the
Sd OF November; at Sy rncuse again on tno
Inc M winter quarters December 9TH; at L.
moine Bridge again on the 18th: breathing
camp pguin md marching In mud and rain |
and snow, v It'll -scantY camp and garrison
cguipprge and half rations for Lebanon
sprjnelcld ] as part Of Gen. Curtis army to
1clt The rebels under Price at that place.
You arrive on the 18th and find the enemy
lied, pursuing and lighting the rear guard
you br,ng him TO battle and nght and whip
him at Pr Springs crossing gt1o,va thS AlNans an tSs
ed, and at Pea Ridge on the 7th and 8th a., Of
March, shoulder to shoulder with the 18th,
S7th, Dayldeou's Battery and other illinois
troops, you Fight and win one Of the most
stubborn and well contested battles 81
The War, Without rest after this terrible
struggle, and the enemy leaving their dead
Gentfals behiEd and fleeing ACROSS the Ozark
Mountains, you leave Pea Ridge on the loth
and We hear Of you at Cross Timbers April
9Th; at Bull Greek April 20th; at Sulphur
in eight of your homes, May 3oth, en- route
to reinforce Gen. Ha1leck'a army at Pitts.
burg Landing; stopping at Paducah short
time on the :a4th, you hear from Gov: Yates,
who there addressed You cheering words
NJ on what had transpired while yon were in
the " Wilderness" you proceed to Hamburg
Landing and participate In tho engagements
Of the army on its approach to Corintli,
which was evacuated on the 30th Of TINT
month. On the Sd of juno we again hear
suit Of The enemy: At Ripley, Mississippi, on
the Goth; at Jacinto, Mississippi, on the .4th
Of July; at Iuka, Alabama, on the 18th Of
| August; at Florence on the 24th; st Mur-
| freesboro September I'd; ut Nashville Sep
ttpbef 19wll1E 9 GIseR on at, the 17t; e.;
fight nt Pcrrysvi1le, on the 7th 81 October,
| with S61 men, and coming ont OF 1t with 1ess
than two-thirds that number
| The distance actually marched from the
! bivouackcd ut Franklin, Tennessee, was 2,547
miles! With such record Of marches and
! countcr-1narchcs, Of skirmish and battle. you
lave indeed merlted the compliment paid you
by one Of your Generals, as the t'Greyho1nd,
or dect-footcd fighting regiment Of Illinois"
bic and brilliant part you bore in the sub
scouent battles Of Stone River, Chickamausu
and Chattanooga. Nine hundred and tifty
men have entered your regiment, at and since
Its organization. -Four hundred and fifty
seren are now borne upon its rolls, and two
hundred and eighty.seyeu have re-enlistsd as
yete1aDe. These figures tel the tale, and are
more eloquent Of your praise thnn apy words
which could uttcr.
| You Will be furloughed for thirty days, and
ut tic expiration Of that time rendezvous
Coles, Cumberland, Edgnr. Greene, Knox,
Madison, McDonough, St Clair and Warren,
who have TN especial interest In your tame
aud welfare, will welcome you with loving
words and open Arms.
Return then, to families aud friends, nnd
receive q soldiers welcome and yQur conn
try's gratitude. But In your thankfulEcss to
kind Providence which has permitted you to
return to receive your cEfldrcu's love, yonr
brothers friendship and your parents bles-
sings, forget not to console the bereaved.
Bleeding hearts uWnit You to learn tho last
tidlngs Of those who have wasted away by
disease or been stricken down by your sides.
Comfort bereayed ones by the assurance that
your fallen comrades maintained the fair fame
ofa Union soldier while living, and died while
mnnfally battling for tLcir country and their
countyy's cause.
Gen: White, in whom recognize true
gentleman, gallant officer and an old friend,
and under whom you served On many long
marches and at the memorable battle Of Pea
Ridge, feel sure cannot resist tie tcmpta-
tion to address his old comrades, now impa-
tient 10 hear him.
Gen. White then said:
FEL1ow-soIDHas OF THE F1FTY-N1NTH-
The language usually employed, Mt the meet
ing Of friends, does not express the emotions
experienced BY me on this occasion. In you
recognize not only ,patriots, who have de-
try from the hands Of traitors, but men with
whom it was my fortune to share the tolls,
privations md dangers OF the soldicr's life in
camp, on the march and on the battlefield.
The bond Of affection thus created Is well
known, to officers and soldiers, to hare no
parallel in Ordinary social intercourse, and
thank God that this day am permitted to
meet so many Of my old comrades of 1861, to
assu1e yoq Of ny aaectionate regard, and to
Ing on your part. (Cheers.]
The history Of the part enacted by the State
Of Illinois in crushing this rebellion,
constitutes as proud record as that Of any
sion.
Among the long list Of regiments which
the State has furnfshed, the record Of the seth
appears among the most glorious, That re-
cord, Of which you may feel justly proud,
|
children, will find iully written up and de-
posted among the archives Of the State.
. "Ihe past ia secure, and the renewal Of your
! devotion to the cause Of universal liberty by
your re-enlistment. is the croWning act
which places your names high on your coun-
: try's troll of HONOR and entities you to
the lasting gratitude Of every friend Of hu-
I nanity.
Sad Is the soldiers separation from friends,
ind families, and homes; and yet without
liberty our children arc bequeathcd the lega-
cy Of a life Of degradation. Without our
country We have no homes.
After facing death as you have often done
already ip this holy cause; after all the suf-
, terings md priyations you have experienced,
. you again offer your lives upon the altar ol
J your country. For this your country will
bless you, and God will bless you.
Comrades! cannot, as would like to
do, take you each by the hand; but salute
} you as brothers; and as I clasp the hand oi
. your gallant commanding officer (sllaking
hands with Mn}or Stookey), I extend to each
, and all Of you, through him. comrade'a
: hearty greeting.
!; At the conclusion Of his remarks, three
cheers were given for General White, three
for Governor Yates, three for Adjutant Gen
ernl Fuller, and three for the 37th Illinois in.
fantry General Whites regiment, which,
; with the 53th, constituted his brigade in the
army under General Curtis, in 1s81).
Il IDAHO.