Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-08-30
(Coatinued from first pa6e )

III INC Singing WIN equai enthusiasm 10
any of the old veterans. At the con-
clusion of the singing prayer was offer
ed by Rev. DIR. Eaton, of Lancaster,
formerly chaplain of the Seventh Regi-
ment. After the prayer came another
song by the choir entitled 1--WE old
boys" President Baxter then said:
Fellow citizens, am not the Mayor
of this city as you know, but am re-
quested by the Mayor to welcome the
soldiers of this association, and / there
fore tender you, on behalf of the
Mayor and citizens of Lancaster, the
hospitality of the city and offer the
hope that We may have the pleasure of
meeting many, if not all, of you on
other occasions. / now have the pleas
ure Of introducing the Hon. +. l. Kidd,
who will address you.
Mr.. President. BY some strange
combination of unhappy circumstances,
am called upon to address you on be-
half of the soldiers here to-day, and, sur
rounded as / am, by men of known
oratorical ability; by men of civil and
military attainments; men at whose
feet might learn wisdom; be assured
Mr. President / would that from with
in the membership of this association,
tongue more gifted, lips more eloquent
than mine, might have returned re-
spouse TO you to-day for this, your
xVa pm. haarfad cord;aI xyal.np,a
The part taken by the citizens of
Lancaster during the dark days of the
Rebellion, from its cruel commence
ment TO its tragic close, is too familiar
to the people of Grant county, to need
the assurance impaired by your words,
that they still hold in grateful remem-
brance those who periled their lives for
the perpetuity of the nation. We can
but remember that the sound of the
first gun at Sumpter had scarcely died
away ere your city was transformed,
as il by magic, into military rem
devious and your streets echoed to the
tread of military feet and the inspiring
music of the fife and drum. We can
but remember that it was citizen of
Lancaster-your own brave, lamented
McKee-who led the first gallant, patriot
band from Grant county to the battle
field, and that your people followed
them with prayers and tears.
We remember that other organizations
followed here in quick succession, I'M
der the leadership of your citizens, a
Calls, a Farquharson, Wood and n
Baxter; and their words of comfort,
hope and cheer, gave courage and
solacc in those sad partings from home
and friends. recall wildly to mind a
time, over twenty-one years ago, when
at the stern command 'fall in" we
formed in line in yonder street and
your men crowded around us to say a
sad good bye, and with fearful eyes
your noble women gave us Bibles and
with a heartfelt "God bless you," babe
us never desert our country's flag.
Wars fearful ravages eat into the
ranks of those commands, and soon
some returned to you again with miss
ing limbs, with bodies shattered and
deformed, even as you see them around
us here to-day; others came mute in
death, and with your choicest flowers
you made fragrant their pathway to the
tomb, and their graves you watered
with your tears Others in death Jared
not so well; at times in strange land
in some lone spot, with their old tat
tered blouse, their old tattered army
blanket for their only winding sheet
With an affection not exceeded by a
David for Jonathan, we laid them
away to rest to the doleful strains of
the fife and drum. At other times
amid wars high carnival truce was
called and with the dead of other COM
mands we piled them tier on tier
huge winrows of the dead gathered
from fields of blood-and the distant
battle roar was lone, sad, fierce re-
QUEEN to the unknown dead, and when
the tidings came to you it was as though
the destroying angel had entered your
every household; had passed not one
doorway by; and your steeples rang
out one long funeral wall.
Meanwhile you faltered not in your
devotion to the glorious cause, and with
untiring zeal and unselfish patriotism,
you labored to fill the thinned ranks of
those who were at the battles front,
by the ''dead eloquence of your votes"
For the prosecution of the war you gave
us courage, and melted us to greater
effort. But battle after battle came
and when the relentless march of death
we'll nigh destroyed our nations do
nestle life, you, with all the loyal people
of the land, with bated breath asked
in anguish; "Will this carnage never
ceaseP" Aye, it did cease. But not
until widows weeds and orphans tears
were your sorrowful heritage, not until
your manned were numbered by the
score, not until eight hundred of Grant
county's nOblest sons, Were numbered
with that vast, grand army, who died
that their country migl' live. Their
names are engraved upon NOnder monu-
ment. Their deeds will be enshrined
in the memories of grateful people,
when that marble shaft will have
crumbled back even to level with the
seas. Rebellion ceased and then how
changed the scene. The angel of peace
carried Joy to yourevery household and
your bells rang out grand anthems of
victory. Upon the Independence day
following, you celebrated the event,
and if the prodigal son when he re-
turned 10 his fathers house sat down
in more congenial companionship, sat
down to q more sumptuous repast, he
Jared sumptuously indeed If you didn't
all kill fatted calves, you came near
killing all of us with your kindness.
Eighteen peaceful years have flown
and those of us who have withstood the
assaults of time together with invited
guests, come to you again to find you
Still, as ever, engaged in generous ri
valry to do us grateful homage. and
while our sins may be legion. | trust
Mr.. President we are mt least strangers
to the sin of ingratitude; and for your
kind words; for this renewed evidence
upon your part that age cannot wither.
nor time efiace the deep feelings of
gratitude YOU have ever held for the
boys in Blue" Upon behalf of these
invited guests our comrades all; upon
behalf of our distinguished fellow COM
rade, the chief magistrate of our great
commonwealth, as brave hearted as
the bravest monarch of the forest, as
sympathetic rs a woman, grand and
good, but not too grand or too good to
recognize the man who carried the mus
ket and the knapsack,S who led five
hundred of Grant county's sons under
the shadow of this bullet-riddled old
flag through dangers and hardships
unspeakable, from Vicksburg to At
lanta, from Atlanta with the victorious
hosts of Sherman to the Sea, from
Savannah to glorious peace ut Raleigh.
who led many of them-how many of
them-to death, but never to dishonor.
on his behalf | thank you. Upon be-