Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-06-07

turned. Their bodies lie Wondering In
southern soil, many of them in unknown
and unmarked graves, but they persisted
in just and holy cause and their
memory will forever flourish in immor-
tai green. When we consider the great
services they rendered and sacrifices
they made, what wonder is it that d
grateful people all over the land have
adopted the custom of assembling to-
gether once in each year to decorate
their graves with flowers rs slight
tribute OF respect to their memory and
regard for their services. 1t is a very
slight service indeed as compared with
the services they rendered, but it shows
our appreciation of their services and
that their memory is cherished in. our
hearts. And as long as this grand old
government shall exist, as long as the
rocks and hills of old Grant county shall
stand, l hope that decoration day will
continue to be observed in honor of
our fallen comrades.
have said good deal about the
dead, those who died in defense of their
country, and now it seems to me that
a few words about the living would be
right and appropriate. The men who
took their lives id their hands and went
into the army to fight their country's
battles did a great deal to save it from
ruin, they did more than all others,
but they did not do it all; and without
the encouragement and support which
they received from the thousands of
loyal men and women at home they
could not have done what they did, and
| want to say to you to-day, in behalf
OF the old veterans, that the encourage
fnent and support which we received
from you fired our hearts and nerved
our arms on many a battle field. We
knew that while we were toiling and
fighting at the front thousands of loyal,
Christian hearts were praying for us at
home. There were men at the North
who by their patriotism and fidelity to
the cause made records that will live in
the history of our country for all time
to come. There were Lincoln, Doug
lass, Sumner, Stevens, Morton, Har-
vey and our poor unfortunate friend
from my own state ''Dick" Yates, the
war Governor There was not an ILL
nois soldier in the field who would not
have assailed any man during the war
who dared to speak slightingly of
"Dick" Yates. The names of these
men will be repeated by our children s
children generations hence as patriots
OF the true type.
And again could not in Justice to
myself and the old veterans represent
close my remarks to-day without pay
ing tribute of respect to the ladies.
God bless them. believe they did al
most as much as the old veterans to-
wards putting down the rebellion. We
speak in glowing terms of the brave
men who left their wives and families
and went to. the front, but we forget to
consider how it was with those wives
and families who were left at home.
Tongue or pen will never be able to por-
tray one thousandth part of the terrible
anguish of spirit and suffering of body
that many of them endured during the
four long years of war through which
they passed. Too proud for their own
sakes and the sake of their husbands to
let their wants be known, they have
oftentimes, during the long intervals
between pay days, suffered for the COM
mon necessities of life, morning, noon
and night. AS those loyal and devoted
wives and mothers gathered their
little ones around their scanty board,
how often, in order to divert the minds
of the little ones from the scantiness of
their meal and to shut out the ever
present vision Of that vacant chair,
have they stifled their own tears and
painted in glowing colors for the chill
dren the picture of their father at the
front. fighting the battles of his
country. They would tell them that
their father had gone into the army to
help put down the rebellion but that the
war would soon be over and then he
would come home again, and that when
he returned Gney should never want for
anything again. Oh! would to God
that those bright dreams had all been
realized, but how many of them were
doomed to a bitter, bitter disappoint-
ment. Perhaps the very. next succeeding
mail would bear to them the fatal an
nouncement that the dear one for whom
they were waiting and watching had
been numbered with the slain.
And to you, ladies, who were con-
stantly presenting little mementoes OF
affection and esteem to soldiers as they
were leaving for the front, want to
say that, not one of those little acts OF
kindness was ever lost. Every tesla
ment or needle case you gave was treas
ured up by him to whom you gave it
and your image craven in his heart. |
shall never forget as long as live, my
experience after the battle of Shiloh or
Pittsburg landing, and if you will par
don me will briefly relate it as an illus
tration of how soldiers were treated in
those days, and to show you that there
are two sides to every picture-a bright
as well as dark side. was
wounded on the 9th of April, 1862,
at Shiloh, and lay all day and night and
the greater part of the next day on the
field without a bite of anything to eat or
drop of anything to drink Chat was
part of the dark side of the picture). l
was finally taken and placed on board a
Sanitary commission of Cincinnati, and
taken, with a lot of other wounded men,
to that city, where we were placed in a
large brick hospital on Third street, and
all of the time we were there it was more
like ladies fair than hospital. They
came focking through our wards, ladies
of all classes and denominations, all
seeming to vie with each other in sect ng
who could contribute most to our hap
piness and comfort, and if you could
have come there any hour of the day or
night and raised one corner of my pill
low you would have found almost
enough oranges, apples and confection-
cry, to start good sized fruit stand.
When became able to travel and re-
ceived furlough to 60 home, as was
being helped down stairs l met bevy
of ladies going up, and they filled my
pockets with oranges. When we got
into the light express wagon that was
to take us to the depot, and were being
driven along Third street, we met
another crowd of ladies on their way to
the hospital, they recognized us and i'm
mediately sent a perfect shower of or
anges and apples into our wagon.
When got on board the cars and start
ed had just twenty cents in my pocket.
We had not gone tar until blind man
came through the car begging. l
thought he was worse off than was so
l divided and gave him. ten cents.
made up my mind that when my re-
manning ten cents were gone there would
be nothing left for me but a season of
fasting, but when we reached Chicago
in the morning some members of the
sanitary commission of that city met us
at the depot, took us to their rooms, and
gave us a magnificent breakfast, what
the boys used to call '.good square
IL. l. IL.