Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-06-30

| GIe1 De sustained III Lnelf IfldlS by the klQQ
attention of friends, and constantly receive
strong proofs of the public gratitude for their
great services. Nor will we fail to breathe
prayer for the speedy return of those vast
ing their lives away in rebel prisons.
Alas alas that the garlands of laurels
which we to-day entwine for the living must
be united with cypress for those who have
fallen on the field Of honor. How can | wor-
thily express the mournful emotions awaken
ed by the remembrance of the character and
virtues of the heroic dead ? How shall I
properly speak of Col. O'Conner, Lieut.. Col
George FL. Stevens, Captains Randolph and
COlwell, and many others less distinguished
but scarcely less Iamented, who fell upon the
field or have died of disease contracted in
the service? | dare not trust myself to
speak of them in my own words. Permit me
therefore to borrow and apply to them the
sentiments Of poet, expressed in lines
doubtless familiar to you all, but which no
cultivated person can ever listen to with
other feelings than those of pleasure and de-
light:
- How sleep the brave who sink to rest
BY all their country's wishes blessed
When Sp ring, with dewy fingers cold,
Returns to deck their haIlowed mould,
She there shall dress sweeter sod
Than Fancy's feet have ever trod
By fairy hands their knell is rung:
By forms their drge is sung:
There Honor comes, pilgrim gray,
To bless the turf that wraps their clay,
And Freedom shall while repair
70 dwell a weeping hermit there
We have not had the mournful privilege of
even cOnsigning the remains of the ilustrious
dead to their final resting place We have
not performed for them the last sad offices of
humanity, nor had the sad pleasure of giving
them
''Such honors Illion to her hero paid
And peaceful slept the mighty Hector's shade"
But no matter; no matter The soil that
drunk their blood is henceforth hallowed
ground. 1t shall for all ages possess for the
wise and good, the same undying interest
that attaches to the plains of Platsea and Mar
athon, and which consecrates the spots where
our Warren and Montgomery fell
Wisconsin truly mourns her fallen braves
And if she erects to them no columns Of
brass or marble to perpetuate their names
and memory, she will give them more noble,
a more abiding monument by engraving their
names and memory in ineffaceable characters
upon the hearts of her people,
| desire here to read the following military
order published in "The Daily journal" of
this city in its issue Of the 10th inst, to which
my attention has been called since this ad-
dress was written. 1t is alike creditable to
the heart of the brave General who issued it
and the troops so highly commended by him.
This is the order:
HEADQUARTERS, FOURTH DIvIsIoN,l
FIFTH ARMY CORPS, June 10, 1864 (
The Second Wisconsin Volunteers, having
served their full term Of three years in this
army, and being about to leave for their
homes, the General Commanding deems it
proper for himself, and in behalf of those of
their comrades who remain behind, to ad-
dress the officers and men of that command a
few parting words. Three years ago you
entered the service, more than a thousand
strong. You now leave with one hundred
and thirty-three all told. Where are they
O'Conner, Stevens, Colwell, Randolph and
many others-both officers and men-are
mustered with the hosts on high. Others
are disabled for life. Others still are in reb-
Ell prisons. Among all these things you have
always been true TO your flag and your coun-
try. You have never failed in any duty re-
quirad of you You have a right to be proud
of your record. The State has reason to be
proud of you. You leave with the best wish
es of all your comrades, and to that, | wish
to add nv most cordial desire for your future
honor and prosperity, collectively and indi,
vidually. L.. CUTLER,
Brigadier General Commanding.
Soldiers, something desired to say in re,
gard to the moral character of the conflict III
which you have been engaged-of the vast
issues and great principles involved and
staked upon it-of the sad and depressing eff
fects upon the destinies of our race which
will inevitably follow should this wicked re-
bellion be successful But 7 forbear. A
T oil ~
ic, and they are, that you took up arms not
at the call of some ambitious chief to wage q
war of aggression and conquest, nor even to
| crafty national sentiment for military glo
nv. At the call of the constituted federal
authorities, GU went to the field to protect
and preserve the best constitution ever de
| yised for the government of man against the
assaults of wicked traitors. You have fought
for the great cause ofhumanity and oppressed
peoples; for law, order, popular and consti
tutional government. You struggled to re
press and overthrow principles which lead tt
misrule, anarchy and social disorder, and tt
defeat system of government that would
blast,if successful, all hope of progress by the
vicious political and social maxims it seeks tt
establish. You have contended in behalf 0
liberty as against the curse of slavery; TO
the principles of justice and right as agains
, those OF injustice ana wrong. lou nave
struggled to preserve our free insti
buttons against those who would des
troy them. You have contended TO
the rights of all as against the privilege
of the few. You have endeavored to pre-
serve unimpaired that rich inheritance o
freedom bequeathed Us by Washington, Frank
lin, Hamilton, Madison, and other great wor
thles of the Revolution. You have freel
! ohered your bodies as shields to the life Q
this nation against the blows of those VIII
seek to destroy it. You have endeavored t
maintain the Republic in its integrity and t
make good our national motto-enscrolled o
: our flag, engraved on our coin and our arms
"E Pimibsts U'auna - One nation formed Q
manu- States-one constellation with man
stars. Can it be possible that these you
efforts should be put forth in vain ? Can it b
that the great sacrifices and exertions c
millions Of brave men and heroic wome
have been made to no purpose in this grea
} struggle Can it be that this great tempt
of constitutional liberty, whose lines an
| proportions were originally marked out b
such matchless atesmanship-whose four
! / ~ol% snr