The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-04-08

cost. -, -
And what n roll Of death. Nearly 5000 o
names OF dead union soldiers were on the
records of the War Department when the vic.
tory was Won. Choice victims were taken
from every legion of heroes who vii! never
come back. Do you ass me where they stay
Listen and will try and tell you. Some he
under the sod Of The ,wicc!?ught field OF Ma:
nassas Some sleep silently At Balls bluil'
Thousands more sucCumbcd in idle camps IN
that long first winter Of delay, and rest an
iouiet on the Potomac" A whole army OF
accomplishing martyrs lay down IN deep
rcpose in the swamps Of the Chlckahom'
inv and at Williamsburg, and Fa'r'
Oaks. and Malvern Hill, and along the route
of the strange retreat of victorious army
tor seven days back from Richmond to Der
muda Hundred. ilaycyou forgotten? IhihE
again of South Mountain, Antieam, Fred
ericksburgh, Chanceloryille, Gettysburgh,
Beaufort, Roanoake Island Hampton Roads.
Remember how they fell at Fort Donclson
Shiloh Corinth, and the gallant march upon
and siege of Vicksburgh Call up the hero
slain of Chickamauga, Stone River, and the
mountain in the clouds Don't forget sin
gle field or single man! Recall the days
ana recount the cost of the victories of Frank
lin and Nashville March again with Sher
man over tae crimson road to Atlanta. what
visions come while | catalogue Moccesin
Bend, Buzzard's BOOST, RockyFace Ridge,
Rome Cross Roads, Resaca, Pine Mountain,
Kenesaw Mountain, Lovcjoy Station, Atlanta,
and the March to the Sea. Time wouldi fail
me to tell of the red plain OF Missouri and
Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana and Florida-of
the great deluge of blood in the Wilderness in
which the wicked rebellion was drowned,
aud over which the ship of Republican Lib
erty rode in triumph to the port OF peace.
All! Are these glory fields: mention tlem
to remind you that these are all sepulchers-
our family, burial grounds. These be the
graves of the prophets-These are the Iombs
of the Kings, 1t was here that the war-worn
veterans, who suddenly ceased to answer at
roll.call, who were missing on the homeward
march, went to sleep in that heavy slumbe
which awaits the Reyellc Of the Res.
direction morning. Where are they, do you
ASK They are ichere the nation in It's need
asked them 10 10, Do You weep for the mar.
tyrdead? 1t is well. But think! What If
they had not died? Then this had been II
day of dcsolation. Then America had been
ain ost blotted out of the map OF nations, Aye,
our brave volunteers fought and died for the
unity of the naton-the integrity ofthe whole
country They were sacrificed TO The tHtted
States!' and their fame is an undying glory.
There's no land like our land,
Wherever that land may be;
OF all the world lis king-land
Crowned by its bride-thc sea.
And they shall rest in the balmicst BET
Who battle for it and bleed for il;
And they shall be head of the glorious dead
Who ii. in the hour Of need for it.
Ask you how they died, Like men, like
patriots, like christians. And l have seen
their bodies lie for days uHburied where they
fell. could not go past them and leave them
SO; | had to stop at every corse to scrspe a
little useless earth upon them, and drop some
tears for the absent wife who know no. that
she was husbandless and the children who
should kiss father no more l have seen
them MORALLY shot and dying in hospitals,
always dying patiently and without muir
muir. And count those the worthiest, the
saddcst, the sweetest deeds of my lifc-my
ministry to the dying soldiers, black anC
white, of the Union army. How grateful they
were! THANK you. thank you' they said.
Don't thank i" l answered; have come
here to thank you" told them how We
had rejoced for them and wept for them at
home | told them how easy it was TO raise
money IN the churches for the army and the
hospitals. l saw the eyes Of strong men glis'
ten for a moment and then,
Something on the soldier scheek
Washed off the stains Of powder
We sought to alleviate their sutferings as we
messages to their friends, closed
heir eyes in death, and gave them christian
burial. That is how they died; they, but
not all. Some persisted with thirst, lying
wounded between batile-lines whose fires
would not stop for mortal agones. Multi
udes were massacred in cold blood. Some
we're hunted like wild beasts and torn todeath
,y blood hounds. Thousands were shot or
lung by gucrillas. Tens Of thousands were
crowded IN the slaughterpens-the gehennas
which they called prisons, and systematic
lily starved, and exposed, and tormented by
uch imps rs Wirz, and Wlnder and Turner,
md their willing tools. Great Heaven how
Gould it be: O. my delivered county, re-
member the cost
|, IS tabled IN Roman story tina. great
assure once opened through the heart of the
,ity, dividing it in twain. The alarmed citi- |
ems Fastening to the scene, were filled with
horror to see the tissure steadily widening to
chasm, and threatening to eHguf them all.
Fleeing to the temples of their gods they i'm
,lored that the rum might be stayed. The
,racle responded that the Chasm would con-
niue to widen until Rome choicest jewels
we're thrown into It. At that word the trem-
bling people sought out their choicest treas
Tres and poured them eagerly into the yawn-
ng pitt and vet il closed not At length a
,oung Roman knight, cxclaiming that virtue
md bravery were Rome's choicest jewels,
boldly spurrcd his horse into the gulf, when
I closed over him and the city was saved.
This nations fearful rent could not be closed
but at the sacrifice of our hes, young lives.
Behold how the proud old Roman fable has
been put to shame by the American fact! A
million men, among whom you were counted,
offered themselves TO fill up our chasm that
over their sacrifices reunited people might
shake hands again IN brotherhood, in an I'M
broken nationality and an unrestricted free
dom. o, ye fallen heroes! your blood is yet
instinct with lite. and being dead, you speak.
You arc telling Us what We were in danger OF
forgetting, that our unity and liberty are be-
yond all price, and that We had better die, as
you have molly done, than live in dishonor-
ed and ruined land. You bid us not mock
YOUR sacrifice by making 1t unfruitful and
accounting il "A useless thing. You did not