Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-02-07
Grand Rally Of Ex-Soldiers at
stones Hall Last Night.
Interesting Speeches, Patriotic
Music, Pleasant Remi-
niceifces-
A Pss.na nest soldiers Orxanifasson
E1ecle1.

g the call ind;cases that the boys Ia blae
hare not yct forgotten, their days Of Trial
and danger and sacrifices aud have mol ye'
how to enjoy revival Of old
memories.
The hall hsd beeu handsomely decorated
by the Yankson soldiers, under direction
Of caps Lyon. II waa literally clad in the
national colors and beneath the improsised |
canopy of stars and stripes there assembled
an audience of which any Of the cities Of
The cas-, might well be proud
The music Of the fanklon GDTnst band
was The signal for .h2 gathering OF the peo
Pile and for half an hour before the eser-
ciscs be ,t,u the streets in the neighboIhood
Of The scene werc crowded with people
mtsvi,g IN 10 the halt
The exercises OF the evening we're open
ed with prayer by Rev. s Sheldon, Of
Yank,on. followed by the singing OF Amer.
lea bY the choir.
Mr., Wallace. chairman Of the meeting,
announced tha, Capt. Hughes, Of Elk
Point, was confined TO his bed by sickness,
induced by wounds received while 10 the
service OF his country during the war OF
tac rebellion, and was therefore unable To
attend the reunion and speak, as had been,
| announced.
| Judge q q Bennett, of Yermiliion, was
/ introduced as the orator of ihe occasion.
| He spoke as follows
JUDGE BENEFITS ADDRESS,
Mn PRESIDENT Among al the ties
I that bind US In close and lHsting friend
ship, none are SO strong as those formed
in days Of associated peril and hardship
Aud the cause that demands sacrifice
aud acts OF daring aud danger, draw
most closely together those who espouse
it, and are willing to surrender all, even
life, to secure its triumph. 1t is not
strange then that soldiers OF The grand
army of the republic, those who enlisted
for the suppression of gigantic rebel
4 lion that aimed at the destruction Of The
nations life, and tho liberties Of the peo
pie, aud who gave proof Of their devo-
to the old Gag through many weary
campaigns, and on many hard Tough,
t fietd. shuuii it u pleasure to ftee.
togc her 10 talk over the experiences and
!, revive the memories of the times thai
! tried mems souls. To us how recenl
those times seem, as if but yesterday
and their story SO fnIt Of sunshine anc
: of shadow, as indslibly impressed or
. each soldiers heart, AS ii written with I
i pen OF iron and loaded III the rock.
. And as we stand hare TO- might, fellow
| soldiers, how thick and fast come troop
ing up the recollections of the past, TIL,
call TO arms, the good byes said, through
binding teara, to father, mother, wife
sister aud sweetheart, aud the long days
sImontas sasd years, alternating bctweel
! hope Ard dcspfir, jYy and sorrow, tha
/ followed. Tie batterness that scttlet
down on the heart as we lald one com
trade after another away in their fadee
: coats Of blue. With them we had share,
. the sports, the tolls and the tedium o
: the camp; We had endured with them til
u iiresome march; we had tested their gen
d erous natures in times Of suffering an,
j. want, and their powers of endurance i
r the decimanng campaign; wehad watch
= ed with them en- the treachcrous pickle
!, post, had witnessed their courage in th
y hour of danger, had seen them fall i
. the deadly conflict, and waste away i
/. the cherries warus of the hospital, al
s with patient devotion to the Cause o
n our common country, rising to the high
est degree OF sacriiicial susIimity Th
!, nations dead Lot thsm sleep on i
peace. There Is no hostile tread abov
:. their graves. The starry banner unde
q whose shining foIds they feII, waves j
c. triumph, aud guards their quiet res,
!. while q nation holds them Ii grateful r.
:, membrance, and will not prove recrear
: TO the great cause for which they dice
From the army below, to the great arm
above, where, may we not hope the iaur,
THAT decked the brow In the fierccst I
; life.s -caa alctsr has bat changed-
I wreath Of f2deless beauty IN the land b,
y yond the shadows.
. "On flames eternal camping grouu,
" Their silent terts an spread,
70 While glory marks with solemn roun
The bivonac Of the dead
u Like the mute spectator Of some stu
ming sorrow, or the awed worshiper !.
natures temples of grandeur and sud-
4
nifty, we this evuuinU, N the spectrsi I
my of the sisin passes In review, sndy
find ourselves again in the presence
te the nations great sacrifices and peril, fe
Y. ike bowing The head in silent revercnc
ne and putting the shoea from off our fes
i, for the ground on which We stand
holy.
This day is the anniversary Of the bait
iof Fort Henry. 1t has been chosen 1,
!. proper time for holding our reunion, nc
& npprehcnd, because Of Itself, 1t was
importaat battle or decisive victory, b
at was the frst breach made in the e
emy's line OF dsfenses, across which tI,
"a. iiondly hoped the devasta,ions of "
: might never pass. II WAS the beginni1
= d the onward march of the army Of Il
g west, Irresistible, seldom knowing
20. verse, and neve, defeat, until 1t hew,
b. its way to the gulf, swept around throuI
IL Georgia to the sea. leaving no sttor
!, hold or organized army Of the confed
r " 4