The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1877-06-14
A HERO'S ELOQUENCE.
A Brilliant Battle Picture by Gen. John
A Logan.
From his address at Rockford, Decoration Day

From his address at Rockford, Decoration Day
last week.
| suppose there is not one here to-day
who took up arms in defence of his coun
try, who does not on an OCCASION of this
kind See the vast armies marshaled again
and passing in panorama before him, and
as the picture flashes before his eyes
how his heart swells, his imagination
grows, and in a moment he hears again
the words of command, and on yondel
high ground, in the midst of the tall oaks
he sees the line of enemy moving; he
hears the muffied drum in the distance,
the bugle notes to the cavalry to forward
the dull, heavy rumbling Of artillery car,
riages, the heavy tramp of infantry col
umns, the commands of the officers, "For.
ward, guide center" On they come
WHAT sight! We wonder why our own
lines are not moving. An officer rides up
gives orders and moves on to some other
command. Soon orderles and staff off
GERS are seen riding at full speed from
camp to camp, the long-roll is heard ITO
arms" "To arms" the line is quickly
formed; skirmishers are deployed; the ar
tillery moves; the cavalry takes position
on the TANKS; the order is given to "For-
ward the skirmish line;" then another,
then another; the skirmishers engage
they are supported by one detachment af-
ter another from the main line; he hears
the rattle of musketery, growing quick and
sharp, sounding like hail pouring down !;
then the cavalry moves; the artillery
opens and like thunders in the heavens it
roars; the very ground shakes and trem-
bles under the shock; the shells shrek
through the air, bursting and shooting
forth flames Of fire, dealing out death and
desolation in their track; the infantry are
all engaged; the rattle of musketry is
heard as the long roll from a thousand
drums is given; charge after charge is
made, one line gives away, then RECEIVERS,
then the other falls back, then moves for
ward; the sabre stroke is heard; the cav
airy engage in deadly fight; the air is
thick with sulphrous smoke as if from
the bettomless pit; lighting streams of
flame flash across the field; the wounded
are carried to the rear; the groans of the
dying float on the air; the right flank of
our line is turned, and on in deadly arms
comes the enemy; the musketry pours
death into our columns; the artillery
make wide gaps in our lines with its dead
ly shells; our cavalry on the right is re-
treating from the field in the midst of
great slaughter; there is a lull in the
firing; a weak spot is discovered in the
enemy's center; the command is heard,
"Close up" STEADY" forward march )"
on the columns move. receiving the fire
of the enemy, and as our lines are thinned,
the command heard is, "close up" "close
up;" the space is filled; on, our columns
move; the stern command is given,
"charge bayonets-;" with the ghstening
steel to the front, with hands clenched on
guns, forward they move at steady step;
the command is given to "charge along
the line;" the artillery opens its deadly
fire; the cavalry on the left come, sabre
in hand, like a hurricane; the infantry
move at a rapid pace; the very earth
shakes beneath its tread; the breast of
brave men heave, the eyes glare, the teeth
set, and the great line, with Liberty"
on their colors, sweep forward, and the air
resounds with the voices shouting "Victory
or death" as they sweep on over wall
and ditch, they break the enemy's center,
and in confusion the enemy roll back, they
retire slowly, fighting desperately; bayo-
net strikes against bayonet, sabre clashes
against sabre, fire flashes from the
highly-tempered steel; then hand-to-hand
they fight, and in both lines thick and
fast they fall; horses trample over the
dying and the dead, where in piles they
lay; the enemy again fall back on the left;
they retreat on their right; they are in
confusion, broken in the center; they are
lost; they leave the field; the day is ours.
In memory we gaze; the field is literally
covered with muskets, camp equipage,
cannon, wounded dying and dead; shout
goes up along our lines; the air resounds
with cheer upon cheer, when, high over
the battle plain, the old starry banner we
bore flashes out its stars of gloryl