Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-03-01

wisconsin kept her regiments hiied with re
/ cruits whereas other states filled their quots
by new regiments, and the result was that WI
estimated a Wisconsin regiment equal to an
ordinary Brigade, while General Mower, who
! was brave officer, said Give the Wisconsin
: men and Will march through JohusOn's arm =
at a right shoulder shift
II would seem that those who sacrificed their
lives had done all that could be done i'm defense
of their country; but there isanother class that
even did more than this. ana when we meet one
of them we feel like bowling in reverence Ii
is the prisoner of war, who starved for DAYS
weeks and months in the prison dens of the
south. There NAV be those among us tonight
who would be willing to step forward and say
that they would be willing to sac ificc their
lives for their country but who among Won
viii say that he Is willing TO starye to death for
his country Aye. even MGre thiu that /,
there one here who will say ne Is willing 10 be-
come maniac through starvation and priva-
ton for his country. How many thousands
were in those prison pens who said thisY Why,
the rebel officers said to them 'Renouuee
your country and its cause, join our army, and
we viii feed you, clOthc YOU and DO everything
in our power TO make it pleasant for You.
But ont of $4,000 prisoners less than >. 600 of
them accepted these terms And $4,000 said:
NO we will remain loyal 10 our country, and
II need be starve that it may livc,'
CoMRADE j. II. WHITNEY,
of Baraboo, then told the story, as
arranged by himself in rhyme, of a
celebrated old war character called
Quattermaster Ben There was
great feeling thrown into the rendi-
ton, and the attention of the audi
ence was completely absorbed by
the story.
Marching Through Georgia" was
then sung by comrades H.L.Farr, of
Cottage Grove, and Geo. b. Carter,
of Madison, the audience joining in
the
"Hurrah! Hurahl we bring the jubilee"
with the greatest enthusiasm.
CoMRADE NNl. +. Villas,
Of Maids n, being called upon, re
sponded to the toast, The Old Flag:
lie had been given to understand that there
WIS to be no speech-maldng. and now he was
asked to respond TO toast before a concourse
of 500 persons who had come together 70 par
take of the rations for 300 persons which had
been prepared, when ordinarily 300 soldiers
could dispose of the ratinns OF 800 persons. such
Il campfire as the present one was much moro
delicious, with the attendance of ladies and
children, than those of years ago. hen he
came into the hall this evening he looked about
for the campfire, but did not find il until the
music of the fife aud drum began. Then he
discovered that it burned in his own heart, and
famed into u fierce flame by the air of the old
eleventh Wisconsin. The speaker then turned
to the flag and wanted to know how ne was
able to do ii justice. He said. "All nations
have two emblems of soveregnty-the flag and
the seal. The latter is used in transactiIg for
mai business, in treaties, etc, but the flag, 10y
the law of nations, marks the nationality. You,
my comrades, have seen the flag in its place in
the smoke Of battle, amid the bullets searching
for 70 II bodies The old soldier feels for the
ia old fla 4 a
q cut across his cheek. You, old comrades, are
growing gray and fewer in numbers and II
seems, with increasing years aud diminishing
numbers, that the occurrences of the war would
be more deeply engraved upon your hearts
When we reflect upon the numbers who have
been laid away, who will never tell the old
Stories who will never listen 10 the old songs
again. We must realize that our time is coming,
and that soon we must turn oGr faces toward
the other shore. When are old soldiers so hap
Ply as upon occasions like this, when the hands
OF those may be graspcd who years ago shared
the terrible dangers through which we all pass
ed for the love of the tidgf NUthtug Is more
delicious to the old soldier than, in his last mo-
ments, TO look out upon prosperous nation
which he has aided in maintaining and To know
that when he shall take ms last march, the glo-
riOus old 1ag viii be at the head OF the column.
"The Battle Cry of FL eedom" was
then sung by the choir, the audience
aiding in the chorus, after which
GOMRADE Il. j ~ LINZ,
of Menomonie, responded to the
toast, The High Private, saying that
it was pleasant task to speak of the
men who stood elbow TO elbow in the
service. The high private was des-
cribed as a man of answering 10y
atty, who enlisted, knowing that, I'M
like the officers, he would have to go
through to the bitter end, I'm ess kill
ed or compelled to fall out through
illness.
MRS. CoMRADE A. II. JONES,
of Madison, recited in thrilling
manner, in rhl me, the story of "Johu
Burns at Gettysburg" and a dirge,
"Our Departed Comrades" was sung
by the choir, while the audience
arose and stood with bowed heads
and folded arms.
CoMRADE C. MAYERs,
of Madison, recited in hi, usually
effective manner, "The Charge of
the Three Hundred" and the au-
dience listened with bated breath
while the exciting story was told.
COMRADE L. 4. CAIKINs,
of Milwaukee, responded TO the toast,
" TIE Girls we Left Behind us" and
thought younger man should have
been assigned the duty. But he pre-
sumed that he had been selected for
the reason that man who was young
enough at the opening of the war to
leave a girl behind him would be
gray by this time, He knew Of one
girl whom he had left behind him.
The Summers which had since come
and gone had left traces in her hair
The speaker closed by saying that
there was no place like home-the
home the girls we left behind us
have helped to make. THE Girls
we Left Behind us" was thenrender
ed upon the fife and drum by Com
rades Chittenden and Nichols, and
afterward
JUDGE ADVOCATE GEORGE GRAHAM,
of Sparta, was called upon, who