Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-06-05

ioft St tuefn, the PLUMBERS OF slalr ana deaths |
In hospital we're being added to daily and il
became necessary to enlarge the plan; by the
prompt and continual aid:of Mr.. J. G. Cover
through his paper, together with the Platte
vile paper, then published by Mr. Sander
son. the county at large was urged to
take hold and aid so deserving and necessary
movement, in addition to the several
and continuous calls that were being made
by the sanitary and other associations for the
use and comfort Of the men.
A county committee was formed compris-
ing A. Burr. Esq, OF Lancaster, Luther Bias
ford of Glen Haven, and myself of Platteville
We appointed agents to canvass the county
and doubtless many OF you now here freely
contributed. Judges Mills and McGonigal
Hon. j. A. Barber, j. @. Cover, T. Burr. Judge
Paine, !. Hodges, J II. Rountree, nh. Virgin,
Hammer Robbins, s. Moore, Hon. Geo. G.
Hazelton, and host Of others all through
the county, literally aided the project Our
plan requi. I'd further enlargement and more
funds as the war progressed, for we determin-
ed to have, if possible, every mans name
accurately engraved thereon who died in the
service. Esq. Burr was indefatigable in his
position as Secretary, 1t involved large cor.
respondence and without his valuable assis-
lance it Is very doubtful about our final
success Mr. Basford was quite efficient as
| solicitor and equally SO in his counsel and
interest in the work and not one of the com
mittee ever charged or asked a penny for
his services. The work was strictly with
them a labor oflove and duty to their dead
soldier friends and neighbors
We found at last that we had to provide
for 100 names, five times the amo unit Of our,
as hoped. over liberal estimate Of losses. The
plan had now grown 70 its present large
proportions, the center shaft. as you see, be-
ing. twenty-six feet high and the ceno-
taphs each feet in height Not only are
there $50 names on them, but the Regiments
| also in which the heroes served, all of which
we believe to be accurate, for we spared no
pains to make it so. We finally accomplish
ed our work at a cost of $6,4S7 SO and there
stands the first memorial tribr.e erected by
| any State, county or town OH which the names
OF privates as well as of officers are indelibly
engraved, to be seen and read and remem-
bered by parents, kindred, friends and
neighbors whenever they visit the county
| seat
| ! have seen many beautiful and magnifi-
cent Soldiers and Sailors Monuments erect
ed since ours, some of them costing five times
as much, but few occur to me now whereon
tine names Of privates form the feature of the
| memorial
FsThe war ended other interests became
prominent, taxes and expenses were very
heavy and the subscription list was yet de-
| fcient to meet our contract and it looked at
times as though it was going to be monu-
ment of folly rather than memorial to our
soldiers. In 1866 through the aid of Hon.
J. II. Rountree. than in the Senate, and at
the suggestion of some of our leading men, a
| bill passed the Legislature authors
izing the county to levy a tax of
not over one mill on the dollar I
think was the amount authorized BY the
| County Board-to complete the work and
when so completed it was to be under the
charge and care Of the County Board, all of
which was done and is so at this day. The
| work was finally completed in1S67 by Mr. S.
| ID. Wright and on the 4th of July of that
year was formally dedicated in the presence
! Of very large assemblage, by the Governor,
Judge Cole of the Supreme Court, many of
the State officials, and representatives of
several of our State Regiments in which
companies from our county had served and
how many wife and mother, father, brother.
and sister, read then and there for the first
time, on the enduring marble, the name and
names of their loved ones. had occasion on
that day to find on the request of three
mothers the names of their boys One Of them
has two sons there, and so it doubtless is to.
day and often through the year. You who
have relatives names thereon feel an owner
ship in this memorial that increases and must
increase with your advancing years.
1t is peculiar qualification to me day
to attend this gathering from different parts
| Of the county of relatives and friends who
come to revive the memory of buried fathers,
sons, brothers and friends. could speak OF
many man on that long list whom fondly
cherished, some knew as boys in the long
ago. But enough has been said 10 show you
a portion of the difficulties under which
during 81 years, that work was accomplished
and to say in closing that as in the past, SC
in the future, no political honors can be so
dear to me as to have my name associated
with that enduring memorial ofGrant County
to her $50 heroes, as one OF its chief pro-
| motors.
Major Rountree was present and
was called on for remarks. He spoke
for few minutes, combining bis re.
marks principally to the legislative
history of the monument.
The little girls, about thirty six in
number, dressed ia white and wear.
ing black sashes, then came upon
the stage and sang their cong, and
while the Band played dirge they
marched to the monument, and each
bearing boquet Of beautiful flow
ers, handed them to four young la
dies who placed them on the monu-
ment. After their return and ap-
proT rate music by the Band Mr..
Brown pronounced The benediction.
The following were by vote Of the
audience chosen as the managing
committee for peyt year: Fl. Buch.
ner, Gen. J. B. Calls, Mrs. j. G.
Clark, Mrs. NJ. Reed. Mrs. F. s..
Kidd, Mrs. Mary Hyde, David
Schreiner, DR.. A. Fl. Barber, Joel
Barber, C. Il. Baxter, L. A. Burr
(Treasurer.) Edw'd Pollock (Secre-
tary,) James Woodhouse and Mrs.
Nary Barber.