Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-06-17
An EXTINCT RACE.
"Ihs Soldier OF the War OF the ne.
bollton."

"Ihs Soldier OF the Wal OF tho Re,
bollton.H
Burlington HaWkeyo.l
At the decoration Of the graves of the
Union soldiers in the National Cemetery
at Gettysburg, General B. F. Butler de,
liVered an address on The private sol.
der in the wal of the rebellion" II
was a touching theme. There is always
a wonderful pathos in a speech or play
or story founded on q life that had ceased
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 Gen.
Buffers address.
The private soldier in the war of the
rebellion" He is dead. Or lost. Strsyed
or stolen, possibly, We do not know
where he is, but be is not here. He has
gone away to some place. Perhaps he
has ceased to be necessary. Perhaps, if
he we're here, be 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
I sought as a candidate for anything.
Nobody appears to know anything about
him. Occasionally he appears at the
pension list, with one leg, e wife and
seven children, and eight dollars a
month. If -four takes much of a rise,
be will not last much longer at this rate,
aud we will soon be deprived ever of the
occasional glimpse we have of him.
1t is asserted, and quite generally be.
lieved, that at enc time be was quite
numerous, and was even considered
rather convenient, if not, indeed, quite
Indispensable. It was found that M
ward Of one hundred Of him were neces.
sary in order to secure mere line com.
missions for three eminent aud deserv.
ing men. When field commissions for
three wen more eminent and great men,
upward of q thousand private soldiers
were necessary. One thousand 1t
seems an enormous lumber now, when
by consulting the congressional d,rec.
tory 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 a
small number. There we're private sol.
diers and private soldiers. There were
even hundreds of thousands Of them.
And they we're useful They dug
trenches; they constructed long lines OF
breastworks, and then, when an enemy
came within sight, they climbed over
them and wen outside Of them to fgbt.
They worked and watched and fought.
Cooperating with great and eminent
men who have since passed to their re.
wards in n office and anOther-ihess
private soldiers sometimes rendered very
useful service in winning great battles.
Oh, they were useful. Some historians
have eve gone so far as to maintain
that without them the war could hardly
have been carried to q successful termi-
nation. They were really quite useful
And DOW they are all gone. 1t seems
sad, looking back at the wa7, that none
but the generals and colonies and ma
jors and line officers should have sur.
vived its dreadful ravages. Providence,
ever mindful OF the wants of a great and
growing nation, undoubtedly took special
care Of these great men, and in its great
anxiety that the country should not
suffer from a lack of eminent mep kind
Of forgot the private soldiers and let
them wander away. And so they are all
gone. Some Of them got shot. Some
of them died. Some Of them got mar.
ried and moved out of the world, to set
tie upon tracts Of government land,
where the Indians could get at them
more easily. Some Of them vent into
business. Some of them are teaching
school. Some of them are driving drays.
Some of trem went away and didn't
leave their pr rent address. But all the
same, they are all gone, and it seems
.dreadlully lonesome without them.
There used to be so many of them.