The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-07-19
Return of WISCONSIN Rattle Flags.

The late Fourth of July was a great day in
Madison. Some thirty thousand persons were
present to witness the ceremony of presenting
the remains OF the battle flags of Wisconsin reg
iments to the State. OF course, to the men who
believe, aud endevor to make others believe,
that the rebels were fighting in great and glo-
rious cause and therefore entitled to rank with
the "PaNp pit fathers" of l776, will see nothing
in this ceremony to admire, and hear nothing in
the speeches that were made, but the teachings
of revenge against the deluded men of the
sonth.''
Col. W. P. Lyon made the presentation. We
should be glad to give his address entire, but
our space will not permit We give the OPEN
ing only;
Governor Fairchad: 1t now becomes my
pleasing duty, in behalf of more than ninety
thousand soldiers who went from Wisconsin du-
ring the late war, to aid in the preservation of
the Union, formally to surrender to the state,
through you, its honored chief magistrate, these
standards, which, from time to time, it commit
ted TO our care.
FIt ia right and proper that this day, dear above
all other days TO the hearts of reemen, should
be selected for this interesting ceremony. 1t is
meet that these banners should be returned to
the state amid the roar of artillery, the ringing
of bells, the inspiring strains OF marital music,
| and in the presence to these c0ngregated thou
sands of people, so many of whom have march
| ed benea& them through all these weary, anx-
| ious yeats Of war, aud through so many
scenes of peril and suffering and death. 1t is
| well, on such day, and on such an occasion,
that you receive these banners from the hands
| that have borne them so proudly and so gallant
| ly and, with fitting ceremonies deposit them
with the archives of the state.
| They whom represent to-day neither expect
or desire that should enlarge upon the SUBJ
ject of their services, or speak the language OF
| adulation. Yet l will not attempt to disguise or
suppress their emotion of glad exultaton with
which / regard these mute Yet eloquent witness
| es of the herosm, the fortitude, the fidelity to
! duty of Wisconsin soldiers
| Whom treason began its wicked work, and
| when the institutions of freedom and the cause
| of human liberty were in deadly peril, til ousands
of our sons rallied around these banners, and al
every call a our revered president and comman-
| 6er>in chief, thousands aud tens of thousands
more rushed to the rescue, and they bore these
banners to every field of danger and duty. They
| carried them in every memorable campsgu
and through most of the fiercest battles of cur
terrible struggle for national life. From the
Potomac 10 the distant western frontier, from
the Ohio to the Rio Grande, wherever there were
toes to face or duty to perform, these banners
were borne.
Some of them waved proudly over scores Of
west. They were at Shiloh Iuka and Cornh
at Perryvie aud Stone river and Chickamauga,
at Mission Ridge and Franklin and Nashville
Manassas and Fredericksburg and Cedar Noun
tain at Chancellorvie and AntieaN and Get
tysburg glorious Gettysburg where you sir,
received the stern baptism of fire and blood !!
And many of them were conspicuous in all the
battles which marked the triumphant advance
of our armies upon Vicksb urg and Atlanta and
Richmond, and many other strong holds of the
rebellion.
But l must not dwell longer upon these in
spiring themes. Ny comrades do not require
that should do so, but they do require that
should improve this most suspicious occasion,
in their name to thank the people of Wisconsin
for their constant sympathy, and their untiring
devo ton to the best interests OF the soldiers in
the field.
The Response of Gov. Fairchild, was brief,
but go eloquent and so appropriate that we can
not do our readers greater favor than to trans
fer il TO our columns