The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-03-23
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VOL. Ill.

welcoming address on this occasion, ant
of expressing to you how sincerely ant
ssfdlally our retarn1 y ;sreeted spds ~
jeiAed kia By tbems Nay, <mcr<, {scsl
assure YOU that this rejoicing. this. greet
ing, this welcoming With creu and gate
ful hearts is not confined merely to thi.
city and community, but is and, viii b
deeply felt and shared in by the people
Of the whole State And 10 sfFords me
|inexpressible satisfaction to give you ioy
great Joy, for the proud and elevated DO
sition IN which you to-day stand Before
the country. sssa 81
After more than two years of hard mill
tary service, you come back to us NOT
vanquished, not weary Of the service, noa
despairing Of the cause. not unwilling to
make still greater sacri6ces for the salvs-
ton of your country. But Jon come back
to as, battle-scarred and weather. bsaten d
veterans, to repose few days upon your
arms, at your own firesides, and among
your own kith and kin. God bless both
you and them. May your communion
with them, in the charmed circle of your
homes, be as sweet and comforting as
your deeds of heroism have been brave
and brilliant upon the field Of battle.
I'need not tell you in what estimation
the renewal of your services to the gov
ernment, with that of other regiments, to
ride out the storm and to fight out the
battles of this war, is held by the whole
country. They regard the magnanimity
of the act as being above all praise They
feel that it is the highest testimonial of
your patriotism and devotion to your
country. They know that it should and
does challenge the pride and admiration
of every true friend Of his government;
for they are not insensible of the import
ant fact, that in this great struggle for
the life of tie fairest government organi-
cation which the sun has ever rose or set
upon. that its destiny and fate hang, in
large measure. upon the arms and brave
hearts of our veteran soldiery. That word
veteran is the high distinctive name con-
ferred upon those who, after long and
arduous service, have re-enlisted, name
around which clusters the association of
SO many dangers. hardships and sacrifices
on the one hand, and of renown and glory
on the other.
Yes. it is upon you, and your brother
veterans, who have already been the he
roes of SO many victories, and gathered
your inspirations Of liberty and the un-
rights of men from 60 many
hard fought battle fields, that the country
now confde for its safety and protection
from overthrow by its enemies.
Officers and soldiers Is il wonderful
under these circumstances that your fel-
on your return, should
desire to manifest IN some way their ap-
probation of the high honor due to you,
not only fuT past services, but for your
willingness to consecrate and TO risk ali
that you are and all that you have for the
great stake thar is still 10 be fought for
in this eentest
! well remember. as do all cur citizens,
that i'll this month two years ago the l5.h
Iowa, with its due complement of men.
fully panoplied and oflicered left Keokuk
for the seat OF war on the Tennessee
river. As your wiuter-quarters had been
in this city, and most of your field officers
taken from our midst, it Was natural from
our acquaintance with you thatwe should
feel al uncommon interest in your vel
fare and fame; and as you left, you car
ried with ycu our hearts, our sympathies
and our prayers.
Yet what a rough introduction to the
hazards and accidents of grim war did
you meet with in the opening scenes of
your career. Scarcely two weeks had
passed before you were suddenly and un-
precipitated into one of the
hardest contested and bloody battles Of
this war. 1 refer to the battle Of Shiloh;
iu which your Colonel, now Gen. Hugh
T. Reid, was severely wounded; in which
your Major, now Colonel Belknsp, was
stricken down; in which q number of
other officers and many men (whose
names l do not now recollect) we're killed
and wounded. This but proves how we'll
and faithfully you performed your part
in that terrible conflict, and that you came
out of the same with your names untAr-
nished as warriors. Since then you have
participated in the siege Of Corinth, after
wards in the battle of Corinth, in the
ever memorable siege OF Vicksburg and
the battle Herewith connected, and in
| know not how many. You
had the distinguished honor of forming
part of Gen. Sherman's command in his
late wonderful advance far into the do
main of rebeldom. In that expedition
you left behind you your tents, you took
with you only eight days rations, you
were absent thirty days; during which
time you travelled near four hundred
miles, and inflicted an amount of injury
upon the material resources Of the enemy
that made them stand abashcd, and which
filled the whole country with astonish-
ment and rejoicing.
] am reliably informed that since you
left us you have travelled in the service
35l9 miles, that 1870 miles Of this dis
tance you have marched on foot. You
have changed and pitched your camps
one hundred and thrty-three times. and
you have witnessed every phase Of life
which attaches to q military campaign.
Out of your original force with which
you left Us, some two Years aimee. only \