The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1871-06-08
PnoRosED ARuY REUneN.

fnefosED ARMY REUNION.
It has been proposed that the army Of
the border, or that portion Of the United
States army which served in the States
Of Kansas and Missouri, and in the terri
tory rs far south As the Arkansas river,
meet in grand reunion At Lawrence OF
at some other available point, this year,
in cOmmemoratiOn Of the battle Of West
port. The battle was fought We think
in September, 1s64-at any rate that
was about the date. The response, SO
far as we know, has net with q very
genera! approval. from the old soldiery
in Kansas and Colorado. There would
come within the army Of the border, be-
sides those in Colorado, Kansas and Mis-
souri,, many citizens Of Iowa, Illinois and
other States.
Why not have an Army Of the Border
and reunion this year! Other old ar
my corps and bodies hold their annual
grand rallies. Those who soldiered in
the West are none the less deserving of
renown, and their services were none
the less arduous, their responsibilities
none the less faithfully executed, their
trusts none the less periodically obeyed.
They were not SO numerous as those
true men Of the East, but thousands Of
the heroes of the West consecrated their
lives in their deaths for the good Of the
country at Wilson creek, Prairie Grove,
Westport and Oh other numerous we'll
fought and victorious fields.
The battle Of Westport was the diverg-
ing point in.which veal or woe was to DC
bequeathed to the people Of Kansas,
Missouri and the Indian country, and the
Union cause u be materially strengthen
ed and SUBSCRIBED or ruin and devastation
were to follow upon our State AID other
portions Of the country. The union ar
my were thrown upon the defensive. A
rebel foe, under the command Of the val
orous Price, had j',arneyed from Arkan-
sas nearly the entire length Of Missouri,
resolved to tread the soil Of Kansas with
torch and sword and cannon. The people
of Kansas do not, We fear, fully realize
what they owe the brave men who gain
ed tor them and themselves that battle !.
Had the enemy been the victors, it would
have taken herculian effort to have
wrcsted the west from rebel dom Union.
Prairie Grove aud Westport were fields
on which they strove desperately, stalk
ing their all, and their defeats brought
to the Union cause renewed hopes and
renewed excrtions. The armies Of the
East had suffered series of defeats and
gained some successes, but the victories OF
the West infused into them, Us it were
new life, having the partial effect ofnerv-
ing them on to the work that lead on to
the elimination at Appomattox. Men
who have soIdicred know that successes
in one body will cause in another the
wish to march on to strife and to victory,
while defeat often causes depression and
encouragement and ruin to follow.
The soldiers Of the West should meet,
each year, in grand conclave, to talk over
their past glorious deeds and to send
forth to their brother soldiers kindred
words of love and friendship. There
were never Drawer lot of men than those
men of the West. They never shirked
duty or forgot a responsibility but
promptly answered the rallying call.
None others have the juster right to tell
over their past acts. Let the reunion be
held and continued until the last soldier
shall have passed to his rewards, and
then let it be taken up by his posterity
and breathed afresh ut the fathers graves.