The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-17

his own. Then the clouds Of shame and disaster
which had overhung our arms were pierced by
the luminous rays of one OF the most brilliant
regulations of the war, and the scene of Stone
wall Jackson's fame became the field of sheri-
dams glory. The road to Washington was for
ever closed and the little gameeoek Of the Union
armies stood growing at the gate.
our honored armies OF the West were now
every where successful. The magnificent Sber-
man had marched through Georgia, and the
stride of his troops was over the Caroinas. The
temerlty OF Hood was repressed by sturdy old
Thomas. The extremities were paraly zed, and
now came the final blow at the head and front OF
the rebellon-sheridans victory at Five Forks
the onset of the army-the capture of Peters
burg-the fall Of Richmond-whlch no one
stopped p,oPpp to to, see. 1t was no longer ION to
race Tor life or death came to its goal at Appo-
mattox. The armies which had fought with
herolsm never equaled and chvalry never
surpassed faced each other for the last time, and
the Army of Northern Virginia, with a dignity
worthy of Its great deeds, laid down it's arms
anu standards to its triumphant but magnanl-
nous congneror-the Army of the Potomac!
What had this victory cOstl From May, 1851,
to March, 1864, the losses to the Army of the
Potomac we're, in killed. 1920; wounded, Co.,
| 500 captured, 31,37S; in all. 112,44S From
May l, 1854, TO April 8, 1865, killed. 1880;
wounded, SO, ,500 captured missing. $4,000;
| aggregate, 10000. From the beginning to the
close of the war, killed, 27,720; wounded, 155,-
| 6o2; captured or missing 59,37S. grand ag-
| gregate of 242,750. Adding those who died OF
gun-shot wounds the number of men who lost
their lives in action in the Army of the Potomac
was 4S,902, probably one-half of all who died
| from wounds on the field of battle in all the
armies of the United States. Add to this the
deaths from disease and the discharges for dis
ability, and You will see why we have SO large q
pension roll
THE GREATER MARTYR.
But another and a greater martyr was to fall
beside the Potomac. In the midst of all our re-
1oicings our great friend, our President, was
| stricken down; the commander-in-chief of our
veteran armies, the greatest in the world; the
grand admiral of all the navies that guarded our
/ coasts rauOed the distant tbe
ried battalions, which would have laid down
their lives could not him, or frigate or
iron-clad carry him over the river to whose
brink all must come. Like the humbiest of
his herOes-whose unknown face looked up from
| the sod-the man whose name shines on the rock
| of Immortality, above the waves of oblivion and
the tides of time; the great central figure of the
war, stepped down from his high Office into the
| cold waters of death and disappeared on the
| shadOwy shores of the hereafter.
But comrades, the result is worth it all. Who
| oould have dreamed that problems, involving
not only the government but society itself,
could have been so soon ana SO satisfactorily set
tiedf Romance and poetry Will emOelilsn, ana
| the ivy of time make picturesque, the heroisn
OF defeat; but every passing year will make more
plain the decree of the god of battles that the
| lost cause was justly lost Even now those who
fought us glory i'll the strength and greatness of
that nationality which they proudly share and
| would willingly defend. They see the hand of
Providence in the defeat of a cause that would
| have left America, like Europe, a group of war
ring States, and, sharing in all its privileges and
blessings, rejoice i'll the success of the war for
| the Union. This reconciliation and renewed allie
giance-which oonquering monarchies have
| failed to win in centuries of endeavor-is the
| glory of republic. ,
Peace has been greater than war The skillful
| hands OF science have brought into nse unknown
| powers of the air and mysterious forces of the
| earth, and the lovely hands of art are crowning
our country with beauty. The numbers and
wealth Of our people have nearly doubled. So
| has our territory; for the condemned deserts of
| the West turn out to be granaries of bread and
pastures of meat for the world. The forbidding
selves into mines of silver and gold, and under
| their frowning peaks are found parks. canyons,
waterfalls and geysers; the sublime glOries OF
| nature; the pleasure ground OF mankind. The
| genius of America has united our distant coasts
| with bands of steel, and planted her feet
those blue precipices which old explorers used
| 10 call ''the land OF the shining mountains, be-
| yond the western plains"
To this city, where they had met, the comrades
of many years were called, that they mig ght part.
You crossed the Potomac, and turning your
backs upon It's banks, marched in review up the
avenue That river of steel, wave after wave,
passed tho White House and moved by the Cap
| itol, to break and part and return to the utter
most parts of the Union But of all those whose
| tattered standards fioated on the air, aud whose
| triumphal music filled the heart with joy, how
| few there were of the faces that four years be-
| fore had marched down that avenue the other
way; had marched down to the battlefield, the
hospital. the grave. How much yaster the shad-
owy hosts of the dead whose pale memories
| moved with the column and kept time to the
march, From of fields, consecrated by
their deaths, forever sacred TO their memories,
they could not come, unless it shall be to meet
us under the walls of city more desired than
Richmond, more resplendent than Washington
in the last reunion of the army OF the Potomac.
sHERMAN's RECEPTION.
AT the conclusion of the Grafton there
were loud calls for General Sherman. The
veteran commander, stepping to the front
of the stage amid a storm of ap-
plause and ringing cheers, pleasantly alluded
to the old saying of the Army of
the Potomac, that "they did not want
any hummer" and said, 81 was the person
to whom you referred" A laughing chorus
of denials came from the veterans. The
General proceeded to point out that memo
ries of the war were common to all
soldiers of the war to whatever
army they belonged; they followed one flag
he said, and fought in one cause and that
cause the Union of the country and the pre-
servation of the government transmitted
them by honest forefath ers. He thought
it was well for the sur
vivors of the war to gather together
were reminded daily and weekly, that they
were growing older, and that it was
wiser to settle the little differences
that existed between them during
the war. He was willing to
concede to the Army of the Potomac all that
the orator who preceded him had claimed for
it, but he thought the laurels of the war
should be shared by all who fought in it.
AS General Sherman retired the band
played Marching through Georgia." the
members of the society and the guests on the
stage rising and joining enthusiastically in
the chorus.
There were loud calls for Rosecrans Scho-
field and Slocum, and the latter responded
in brief speech. kilograms of regret at in
ability to be present from Generals Hancock
and Sheridan were read, and the exercises
closed with Dixie and Yankee Doodle"
by the band.
Disappearance of Young Kittson.
| WINNIPEG, May 16.-There is considerable