The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-06-09
RICHMOND,
made eligible to hold the highest off ;


essarily carry with it honor and re-
ward. / have never thought / should
do such a thing, but l believe now
that I am willing to vote for bill
next winter doing away and relieving
the last disability growing out of the
rebellion, to take effect on the 4th OF
July next; SO that all men, all races
and colors, without regard to previous
condition of servitude or of arms,
shall begin the next century on an
equality before the law. CApplause.1 j
And may God put it into the hearts
Of the people everywhere, North and
South, to accept in all its fullness and
extent, the new birth Of the nation, to
administer justice, humanity and
charity, and to exercise to each and
to all Those gifts, and do those things
that they would have others do unto
them.
INDIANA IN THE WAR.
I am permitted to-day to speak
eomewhat in regard to the part which
Indiana bore in the late rebellion.
As the Governor of the State during
the war, and having intimate cOnnec-
tion with the organization of armies
that went forth from Indiana. l feel
deeply upon this subject. / take just
pride in the glorious part Indiana
bore in that struggle, and may be ex-
cused for speaking of it few minutes
to-day. When Mr.. Lincoln made his
first call for $4,000 men, and requi-
sition was made on me as Governor
of the State for six regiments Of $40
men each-that was Indiana's quota
of that CALI issued my proclamation
asking for volunteers, and a proml-
nent paper in Indianapolis said:
When Governor Morton gets six
regiments oil men for such cause we
will all know it," And yet before
the end of the war there had been
mustered into the service of the
United States in the State of Indiana,
2O8, 1867 men. There we're killed in
battle of Indiana soldiers, or died
while In the service from disease
their names and places all being given
in the records-of commissioned Off
GERS, 652; non-commissioned officers
and privates, %, ,764, making an aggre-
gate of 24,4l6. OF the Indiana sol
diers mustered into the service. 13, ,779
were never accounted for. 1t has
been estimated by the Adjutant-G Gen
eral of the State, General Terrell, who
had perhaps the best sources of infor
nation upon which to make it, that
of this number six thousand were
killed upon the field of battle. or died
in remote hospitals, or by the way
side, or perished in rebel prison pens.
of whose fate no record has been
made. This added to the other would
make a,416. By the census of 1870
Putnam county contained population
of q, $50. 1 believe, SO, that accord
ing to that statement, Indiana lost
nearly 1900 men more than the entire
population of Putnam county. But
that was not all. There were many
of those men who were discharged
from the army on account of wounds
and disability from disease. They
could no longer serve in the field, and
were discharged; consequently they
did not die in the service, and are not
taken into the account that l have
given. OF this number it is estimated
that Ii, 600 died from the disabilities
received from wounds and diseases
contracted in the service, which, add
ed to the other sum, would make 49,
GOO men given by Indiana in that
struggle. Rut the account does not
stop here. Oh, no. Many of those
men who served until their time was
out, or until the end Of the war, had
their constitutions shattered by dis
ease, and by hardship, and by wounds;
and whose deaths since that time
have been fastened by those hard
ships, wounds or disease incurred in
the army, and so the account goes on
who
LOST THEIR LIVES UPON THE FIELD,
or whose deaths were occasioned or
hastened, until it runs up to fifty,
sixty, it may be seventy thousand
men, and the account still goes on
from year to year. Why, since I was
here have heard of the death of sew
eral of my soldier friends in the
county of Putnam, men who were
honorably discharged at the end of
the war, but who since have died, and
whose deaths were unQuestionably
fastened by the hardships which they
endured. l may mention among these
my friend, Captain Osborn, with whom
many of you were acquainted; and so
it is all over the State. Soldiers.
your numbers will grow smaller as
you meet from year to year. your steps
will be less firm, and your eyes less
bright; but as you go down the de-
clivity of time you will be accompanied
by the love and admiration of your
for services you have
rendered and the sacrifices you have
made, until at the foot you shall find
honorable graves.
THE MAGNITUDE OF THE ARMY.
AS an evidence of the magnitude of
the army, may refer to the fact that
/ issued. as Governor, Is. .S84 commits
sions to officers in Indiana regiments
and batteries. A large proportion of
these were, of course, to ill vacancies
occasioned by death and resignation.
Indiana troops fought during the war
in sixteen States and one Territory.
From Pennsylvania tc Texas they
were in 3O8 engagements-in the first
battle fought after Mr.. Lincoln had
made his call for troops, and in the
very last battle of the war. The first
was at Phillippi. in Western Virginia.
We thought at the time it was a very
large affair. We were all much ex-
cited about it. l remember the bells
in indianapolis were all rung when
we got the announcement. But when
compared afterwards with the great
battles Of the war it was thought to
be rather a email affair. The last
battle fought was at Palmetto Rancho.
in the State of Texas, on the old bat
of Terra Del Norte, by $50
Indiana troops, belonging to the
Thirty fourth Regiment, in conflict
with 500 rebel troops, with battery
of six guns.
1t is impossible to give an accurate
statement Of the sacrifices made b.
the people of Indiana in the way of
money and property, entirely aside