The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-10-30

sand sources sometimes cleaving it's
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 the 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
brayest 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 it's 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
unequaled march of Sherman to the sea.
Like the river to which / 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, rs 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 the rock of Chickamauga,
and the battle of Nashville, clearly
planned and perfectly fought out, had
demonstrated the superb soldiership of
Thomas, and 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
Confederacy in Virginia and the Caro-
linas to prolong the conflict to the last
possible moment. On our side all con-
sideration of economy and of humanity
demanded that the struggle be brought
to speedy close. And, therefore, the
Army of tie Tennessee, after 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, and
stood prompt to combine with their
brethren of the Potomac in the final
crushing out of the last organized force of
the Confederacy. Your aid, however, was
not needed. The Army. of the Poto-
mac, commanded at last by the first
Aeneral of this army, was sufficient for
itself. Five Forks and Appomattox,
Sheridan and Grant crowned the patient
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 duty
complete this present Society of the
Army of the Tennessee: was formed. 1t
was wise thing to do. Few ties are
SO strong as participation in COM
mon danger and recognition of a mu-
tual reliance one upon the other, and it
is well for us to meet as we meet now.
Some who were members of the Army
of the Tennessee lived not to become
members of this society. Others, once
members, are not found with us now
They are not present, but they are ac-
counted for. OF the first class are
those who died like G. F. Smith, leader
of the gallant charge on Donelson, or
Mcpherson, soldier and gentlemen,
booted and spurred, face to the foe, in
the gallant discharge of soldiers
duty. Of the second class, those who
died like Rawlins, active in all his high
duties to the last, filling honorably and
with special ability the important
duties of his high office. Year by year,
comrades, our ranks grow thinner, but
as member after member drops out
of our line, let us do as We used to do
when decimated under fire: "Close
upon the colors."
1t would not be just for me at this
time to give any history of your bat
ties, marches, and movements. 1t has
been long since done by better hand
than mine, and was separated by the
fortune of service from the line of the