Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-06-15
An Extinct RaCe-..FHe Soldiers i'm
the War Of the RebeIIi0u.''

Al the decoration OF The graves of the Union
soldiers in the National Cemetery at GettyS
b lIg, General Il. +. Butler delive - an ad-
eSs on The private soldier i'm The war q
he rebellion 1t was a touching theme
There Is always a wonderful patn,S in a
speech OF play or story founded on a life that
had ceased 10 exist. This is the charm of
'Uncle's Toms Cabin this is the power i'm
Joaquin Mixers ID Iuites,' this must have
EN- tenaerne>S and pathoS TO General But
lprS add e~S.
The private soldier in the war of the rebel
lion. He is dead. OR lost. : rayed or stolen
possibly. We do not know where ne l., but he
is not here. He has gone away to som. pace.
Perhaps he has ceased 10 be necrS,a Y. Per
haps, if he Were here, he would be in the way
60 to the Legis Stature. We do not find hun in
Congress He is not eagerly sought as a candi-
date Tor anything. Nobody appears 20 know
anything about him. Occasionally he appaars
seven children, aud eight dollars month Ii
flour takes much of a rise, he will not last
much longer at this rate, and we will soon be
deprived even OF the occasional glimpse We
have of him.
Iii asserted, and quite generally believed,
that at one lime he was quite numerous, and
was even considered rather convenient if not.
indeed, quite Indispensable. It was found
that upwards of one hundred of him were
necessary In order 10 secure mere line com
missions for three eminent and deserving
men. When field commissions for three even
more eminent and great men, upwards of a
thousand private soldiers were necessary
oHt tHouSdHu. III SttlllS an enormous num-
Der now. when by consulting the Congress
lonal directory we find there are none i'm all
his proud Republic. But twelve or fifteen
years ago even that, incredible as il may
appear TO us to-day, was considered a small
number. There WEI private soldiers and pri-
yate soldiers. There even hundreds of thou
sands of them.
And they were useful. They dug trenches:
hey constructed long lines of breastwurks
and then, when an enemy came within sight
they climbed over them and went outside of
Them 10 fight. They worked and watched and
fought. Cooperating with great and eminent
men who have since passed TO their rewards
III one Office and another, these private sol
dlerS sometimes rendered very useful service
in winning great battles. Oh, they were useful
Some historians have even gone SO far as 10
maintain that without them the war could
hardly have been carried to Succe SSful ter
mlnatlon. They were really quite useful.
And now they are all gone. Ii seems sad.
looking back at the war, that none but the
generals and colonies and ma jors and line Off
GERS should have survived its dreadful ravageS.
Providence, ever mindful of the wants of a
great and growing nation, undoubtly took
special care of these great men, and in its
great anxiety. that the country should not suf-
fer from a lack of eminent men kind of forget
the private soldiers and let them wander.
And so they are all gone. Some of them got
shot. Some OF them died. Some of them got
married and moved out of the world, to settle
Indians could get at them more easily. Some
of Them went into business. som. of them are
teaching school. Some of them are driving
dTay. Some of them went away and didn't
leave their preS"n address But all the same
they are all gone, and il seems dreadfulIy lone
some without Tie n. There used to be so
many OF them.-l burlington HdloEeye.