Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-11-05

time to time by aft1uentS from thou
sand sources sometimes cleaving its
wsy in fam and struggle through rock
ribbed mountains turned by overmas-
tering obstacles not seldom from its di-
rect course, yet ever swinging back
again to the predestined line; now
gloomy in the thick darkness of great
forests; now in broadreaches of smooth
current and clear sunlight; now, in
scant supply of water from its distant
northern birthplace, languishing and
slow; then again filed bank full by the
gracious showers far off above and
finally, cutting, wearing and crashing
through all barriers made by nature and
by man, it sweeps grandly, silently,
overwhelmingly by hamlet, village and
city to tie sea. So with the Army of
the Tennessee. Gathered from all
parts of the country, from tens
of thousands of homes, by
mountain, hill and prairie, from
city, village, or lonely farm, from the
workbench, the counter, the school,
the pillow, from mines and from distant
logging camps, the wearers of the blue
came down to swell the ranks of the
great army of freedom. Arms in their
hands, the flag above them, their faces
set steadily southwark, column after
column, sometimes all combined, some
INES by separate routes, the grand
army moved on. There were checks !;
there were disasters there were cruel
shocks of fierce and bloody battles !;
there were long sieges there were
weary marches; there were many ex-
pcsures to illness and death. Many
fell in actual battle many staggered on
for a while, fighting che harder fight
with disease, and then fell by the way
side. Many died from want of care !;
more because of ignorance of campaign
life. Great gaps were made In our
bravest and best battalions; still, all
that lived stood fast by the colors, and
then again new blood and new life was
thrown into the reduced ranks of the
older regiments, and new members came
down to swell the column, and the steady
tramp of armed men went ON until de-
feat and disaster were known no more,
and the assurance of victory became
habitual to officers and men; and at
last, gathering together all its elements
of strength at Atlanta, casting off all its
membranes, the great army of deliv-
erance cut itself loose from all behind
it and Glove its mighty way through the
staggered population of Georgia in that
unegualed march of Sherman to the sea.
Like the river to which 1 have com
pared it, this was properly its bourne.
Its errand was finished its work was
done when Hazen and his men walked
over Fort McAllister and opened the
gateway to the sea. For, pending this
great movement, and, as a part of it,
Hood, who had swept north with the
only available force of the enemy in
the Southwest, had battered himself to
pieces against theroc of Chickamauga,
and the battle of Nashville, clearly
planned and perfectly fought out, had
demonstrated the superb olAership of
Thomas, al / the wise forecast OF the
great commander who had left him
there to do precisely the thing he did.
But although the end was evident, and
theresistance of the enemy clearly hope
less, yet military honor commanded the
leaders of the remaining armies of the
linas to prolong the conflict to the last
|
sideration of economy and of humanity
demanded that the struggle be brought
to speedy close. And, therefore, the
Army of the Tennessee, after a brief
halt, swung northward from Savannah,
and, by series of swift marches and
sharp engagements, cleared the entire
coast from Savannah to Wilmington,
strengthened itself by the detachments
of our own forces thus relieved, pressed
Johnston back beyond Raleigh, an6
stood prompt to combine with theil
brethren of the Potomac in the fina
crushing out of thelastorganized force Of
not needed. The Army of the Poto
mac, commanded at last by the frs
Aeneral of this army, was sufficient fol
itself. Five Forks and Appomattox
Sheridan and Grant crowned the patien
endurance of that army with final sue
cess and eternal glory. Lee surren
dered and Johnston followed his exam
pie, and then at Raleigh, its field dut,
complete this present Society of tn
Army of the Tennessee.,was formed. L
was wise thing to do. Few ties ar,
SO strong as participation in a com
: mon danger and recognition of mu
: tual reliance one upon the other, and i
is we'll for US to meet as we meet now
Some who were members of the Arm,
, of the Tennessee lived not to become
; members of this society. Others, one,
members, are not found with us now
They are not present, but they are &C
counted for. OF the first class ar,
those who died like c. F. Smith, leade
of the gallant charge on Donelson, O.
: Mcpherson, soldier and gentlemen
booted and spurred, face to the foe, il
the gallant discharge of soldier
duty. OF the second class, those VIII,
died like Rawlins, active in all his higl
duties to the last, filing honorably AM
with special ability the importan
duties of Ms high Office. Year by year
comrades. our ranks grow thinner, blu
as member after member drops GU
of our line, let us do as we used to d.
when decimated under fire: "Clos
|, upon the colors."
1t would not be just for me at thi
, time to give any history of your bat