Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1865-07-15

the banks of the Tennessee; possessing
no interest further than that furnished
by the. railroad bridge destroyed, and
the yet remaining rubbish and filth OF
an enerny's camp. Before manxsua
the soldier threads his way up the
ley of the great river which WIND and
twists amid the ragged mountains, tillhe
finds himself beneath the rock-crowneda
steeps OF lookout. Flash after Hash,
volume after voluzne of light -colored
smoke, and peal on peal of cannon, the
crashing sound of shot and the scream
ing of shell, are the ominous signs, OF
unfriendly welcome sent forth TO meeb'
him from this rocky height. Yet on he
marches, in spite os threatening dan
ger, in spite of the ambush along his
roTlte. until he has joined hands with
his Western brother, who had come
from Chattanooga to greet him. This
is where the valley of Lookout JOINS
that of Tennessee. At this. place the
stories OF eastern land Western shard-
ship, suffering, a,tling and danger are
recspitnlated and made to blend INTO
the commonsh history, and the common
sacrifice of the American soldier. III 'f'.
Could you now have patience to turn
back with him and light these battles
over again, Behold his communications
cut, his railroad cnt for miles and miles;
enter theabloody fight of Alatooila, fol-
low him through the forced march, ria
Rome, Georgia, 4 away back to 'Resslca,
and through the, INSTRUCTED gaps of the
mountains of Alabama, You wopld thank
God for giving him stout heart and an
unfiinchlng faith in a just and noble
cause. Weary and worn, he reposed at
Atlanta on his return but one single
night, when he commenced the mentor
able march to Savannah. The soldier
has become veteran; he can march all
day with his ;musket, his knapsack, hls
cartridge box and his canteen upon his
person; his muscles have become large
and rigid, so that what was. once 'ex-
tremely difficnlt, he now accomplishes
with graceful ease. This fact must be
borne in mind when studying the sol
dier's marches through. Georgia and the
Carolinas. The enemy burned every
bridge across stream after stream; the
rivers, bordered with swamps-for ex-
ample, the Ocmulgee, the Oconee, and
the Ogechee-were defended at every
crossing. That they were passed at al
by our forces, is due to the cheerful,
fearless, indomitable private soldiers
On that you had seen him as ] have
done, wading, creeks. a half mile in
width, and water waist deep, under fire,
pressing OH through wide swamps, with
out one falterifig step, charging in line
upon the most formidable works. which
were well defended You could then
appreciate him and what he has accom-
rlised as do.s You could then feel the
poignant SORROW that i always did feel
when / saw him fall, bleeding to the
earth. aaI must nowleave the soldier to
tell his own tale amongst the people. ;
of his bold, bloody work at McAllister
against the torpedoes, abattis, artillery
and musketry of his privations at Sa-
vannah; of his struggles through the
swamps, quicksands, and over the broad
rivers of the Carolinas of the fights,
fires, explosions, doubts and triumphs
suggested by Griswoldville, Rivers and
Binnaker's bridges, aOrangeburg, Con-
garee creek, Columbia, Cheraw. FAYE tie
vile. Averysborou and Bentonviile. l
will leave hmm to tell you how his hopes
frightened at the reunion at Goldsboro.
How his heart throbbed with gratitude
and Joy as the wires confirmed the news
of Lees defeat, SO soon to be followed
by the. capture of the enemys Capital
and of his entire army. / will leave
him to tell to yourselves and your child
rem how he felt and acted ; how proud
was lis bearing how elastic his step as
he marched iii review before the Presi-
dent of the United States at Washing
toni I would do the soldier Injustice
not to say that there was ope thing
wanting to make his satisfaction com
plete, and that was the. sight of the tall
form Of Abraham Lincoln, and the alb
sence of that bitter recollection which
he could not altogether exclude from
his heart--that he had died by the hand
of traitor assassin. .3-..,.
have given you only a glimpse Of
the American soldier as have seen him.
To feel the full force of what he has
done and suffered, you should have ac-
| companied him the last four years. You
should have stood upon the battlefields
during and after the struggle and you
should have completed your observa-
tions in the army hospitals, and upon
1.-THE countless grounds peopled with the
dead. The manned bodies, the multi
tude of graves, the historic fields, the
monumental stones, like this we are
Laying to-day, after all are only meagfe
memorials of the soldiers work. God
grant that what he planted, nourished
and has now preserved by his blood
mean American liberty-may be plant
as dear to us as the apple of the eye,
and that its growth may not he binder
ed till its roots are firmly set in every
State of this Union, and till the full fru.
ition of its blessed fruit is realized by
men of every name, color and descrip-
ton, in this broad land Now, as
raise my eyes, and behold the place
| where my friend and trusted command
er, General Reynolds, fell, let me add
my own testimonial TO that Of others
that we lost in him true patriot, a true
man, a complete General, and o thor
ough soldier.
Upon him and others who died here
for their country, let there never cease
to descend the most earnest benedic-
ton of every American heart. Let me
lcongratulate tins noble Keystone State
| that it was able to furnish such tried ano
faithful men as Reynolds who fell, and
Meade who lived to. guide us success
| fully through this wonderfully and hot
| ly contested battle. In the midst of al
conflicts, of all sorrows and triumphs
let us never for an instant forget that
there is a God in Heaven whose arm II
xst~~,,r, IN bolp-whosa hahn il sweet IL