The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-07-03
An Extinct Race.
sT-"fsS.
THE PRIvATE.soLDdER IN THE WAR OF
TIE REBELLION.

Cemetery at Gettysburg, General B.
F. Butler delivered an address on
"The Private Soldier in, the War of
the Rebellion" 1t was a touching
theme. There is always wonderful
pathos in speech or play or story
founded on a life. that ceases to exist.
This is the charm of "Uncle Toms
Cabin )" this is the power in Joaquin
Miller's ''Danites," this must have lent
tenderness and pathos to General But.
lsr's address. 80 .a' .'.1 'ah "nl 81.
The "private soldier in the war of
the rebellion" He is dead. Or lost.
Strayed or stolen, possibly. We do
not know where he is, but he is not
here. He las gone away to some
place. Perhaps lie has ceased to be
necessary. Perhaps if he were here he
would be in the way. At any rate he
is not around. He does not go to the
Legislature. We do not find him in
Congress. He is not eagerly sought
as a candidate. for anything. Nobody
seems to know anything about him.
Occasionally he appears OH the pen
sion list, with one leg, wife and sew.
EN- children, and So month. If flour
takes much of rise he will not last
much longer at this rate, and we shall
soon be deprived even of the OCCASION
al glimpse we have of him. 1t is as
serted, and quite generally believed,
that at one time lie was quite numer-
Gus, and was even considered rather
convenient, if not indeed quite indis
pensable. 1t was found that upwards
of one hundred OF him were necessary
in order to secure mere line commits
sions for three eminent and deserving
men. When field commissions were
wanted for three even more eminent
and great men upwards of one thou
sand private soldiers were necessary
One thousand! 1t seems an enormous
number now, when by consulting the
Congressional Directory we find there
are none in all this proud Republic
But twelve or fifteen years ago even
that, incredible as it may appear to us
to-day, was considered small mum
Der. There were private soldiers ant
private soldiers. There were ever
hundreds of thousands of them. Ani
they were useful. They dug trenches
they constructed long lines of breast
works, and then, when an enemy cam.
within sight, they climbed over then
and went outside of them to fight
They worked and watched and fought
Cooperating with great and enlinen
men who have since passed to tllei
rewards in one Office and another thes'
private soldiers sometimes rendered
very useful service in winning grea
battles. Oh, they were useful. SOM
historians have even gone so far as tt
maintain that without them the wa
could hardly have been carried to
successful termination. They wer
really quite useful. a1
And nos they are all gone, it seem
sad, looking back at the war, tina
none but the generals and colonel
and majors ana line officers shout
have survived its dreadful ravages
Providence, ever mindful of the want
of great and growing nation, un
doubtedly took special care of thes
great men, and ngreat anxiety tina
, the country should not suffer from
lack of eminent men, kind of forge
the private soldiers and let them wan
der away. And SO they are all gon'
Some of them got shot. Some of thel
got married and moved out Of til
3 world to settle upon tracts of govern
, ment land, where the Indians coul
q get at them more easily. Some
them, went into business. Some
? them are teaching school. Some 4
r them are driving drays. Some of the
t went away and didn't leave their pre-
q ent address. But all the same, the
y are all gone, and it seems dreadful
/ lonesome without them. There use
i to be so many of them Burlingte
Hawkeye.