The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-10-27
DEMOCRATIC HISTORY.
Senator .. p. MOrt0n's Address at
the Soldiers Reunion, 1t indiana
polls. October 18th, 1875.

polls. October 18th. 1875.
SOLDIERs-It has heen my pleasant
duty to bid you cordial welcome.
The work is wholly superfiuous-you
have welcome in every loyal heart.
Every man who loves his country,
who loves liberty, is under a debt of
gratitude to the soldiers who pre-
served that country and established
! liberty. l have seen a grander sight
to-day than l had ever expected to
| see again. I saw the grand army of
| Indiana In column, part OF the
| grand army of the United States. [
| have seen nothing like it since the
| march of General Sherman's army in :
| to Washington after peace had been
restored and the war was at an end.
This is a most memorable day in the
history of the capital Of Indiana. [
| have seen more than a hundred regi-
ments in this very yard during the
war. They came here and we babe
them goodbye when they went to the
field They went with light hearts,
] and we received them here when they
returned with thinned and shattered
| ranks, with bronzed faces or with
countenances pale with wounds and
disease. It was here that meeting
was held on the morning after Mr..
Lincoln's S assassination. This capitol,
this yard, and this camp are full Of
memories-many that are cad and SOL
emn, aud many that were pleasant,
and as [ saw the regiments march up
the street yesterday | was reminded
of the scenes of the war, when they
came, in without uniforms to be or
ganiHed, and take their departure for
the field. But you did not march
when you came here in 1861. 1862,
1863 and 1864 as you marched off yes
terday. Yesterday you had the march
of veterans; the education of the army
had not been forgotten, and it never
will be. Then these flags were new;
the silk was unstained. Now they
come back to us stained with the
storms of war, and torn by shot and
shell. They are sacred emblems.
Many of them bear the blood of men
who carried them. They come COW
cred with memories that are sacred
in all our hearts. Here are some of
the soldiers of the war of 1872. They
have come down to US from a former
generation. Here are many heroes of
the Mexican war. We are glad to
greet them. And here are thousands
Of the war of the late rebellion, that
war that tried mems souls, that war
that has established our government,
I trust forever, upon the principles of
human liberty and of human equality.
We never can repay the debt that we
owe to the Union soldiers. Money
cannot do it; Office cannot do it. They
can only have their reward in their
own hearts, and in the love and grati-
tude of their countrymen. Applause.
And this reward you will have.
There will be fewer of you every year;
many are falling from day to day, but
you will be embalmed in the hearts
and memories of your countrymep.
You all remember how, as boys and
children, you loved the last soldiers
of the Revolutionary war; how you
now cherish their memories; and SO
will your memories be venerated.
You made sacrifices for which you
can never be compensated. 1t was
with you
NO HOLIDAY BUSINESS.
You were not going for amusement
or excitement. 1t was the most SOL
emn business in which men ever en-
gagged. The very flower Of the youth
and manhood of Indiana went to the
field-the men of nerve, of resolution;
the men who loved their country, and
they had to risk everything for its
preservation. They loved their fami-
lies, their parents, their wives and
children, as dearly as those that stayed
at home. But they felt that their
country was at stake, and they risked
everything that that country might
live. Let them be assured that what
ever may happen, that the country
will not be ungrateful. You went to
the field understanding we'll what the
issue was A great attempt was be-
ing made to divide and destroy our
country Eleven States had
FORMED NEW CoNFEDERACY,
had declared their separation from
the Nation. We know the work once
begun would not have stopped with
the first division. 1t would have been
divided again and again until it would
have been in small. bloody, and hos
tile fragments. When Indiana was
first called upon by President Lincoln
the demand was small. lie issued
his proclamation in April for seventy
five thousand men for three months
Indiana was required to furnish six
regiments of eight hundred and forty
men each, and when, as the Governor
of the State, | issued my proclamation
asking for volunteers, a leading paper
in this city said Governor Morton
cannot get six regiments for any such
purpose as that; but before the war
was over we had mustered into the
service of the United States in the
&c
eight thousand three hundred and
seventy-six men. [Applause, and
voice, Il was one OF the boys."] And
been asked for. Now, consider what
alone, only as one of the States of this
Union. OF those who went to the
field six hundred and iifty-two COM
missioned officers were killed in bat
tie or died from disease, while in the
army; twenty-three thousand seven
hundred and sixty four non commits
stoned officers and privates were killed
upon the field, or died in the field
from wounds and disease, making
twenty-four thousand four hundred
and sixteen. Then there were miss
ing men who were unaccounted for,
whose fate could not be ascertained,
thirteen thousand seven hundred and
seventy-nine. 1t was estimated by
the Adjutant-General, whose means
of information were the best, that of
that number six thousand were killed |
in battle. or died in remote hospitals,
or by the wayside, making thirty
thousand four hundred and ten that |
fell in the field from Indiana. But |
that was not all. Many of those men