The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-06-19

born when the strife commenced, and the babe
In arms when ended, have become the SOL
dicrs who must now fight for and the electors
who will govern the country, IL 1t not time
when all bitterness should cease between the
people Of the different sections on account Of
that contention, as the sorrow for those who fell
IN the battles which concluded 1t has passed
away2
Why should not the men OF the North claim
ror I'm the glory won for the american
impetuous charge on Cemetery Ridge at Gettys-
burg, and the men of the South appropriate rs
their own the admiration OF the world for the
bravery and stcadiness OF the Northern soldiers
by which that unequaed assault was rcpulsed
as only Americans could have done 1t?
The glory and fame won In the war places our
country In a most Gnvable position. At Water
loo the French can only claim credit to her SOL
diefs for the terrible assault upon the Chateau
HouRoumont, the key I'd the British position.
England can claim renown for the Guards be-
cause of the obstinate valor which held the place
against that charge. But with Americans the
case is different. When a European shall saw.
What a gallant charge was that OF Long
Our brothers charged n obly there" And when
another shall say to a South Carolinian, What
q steady icpulse the Yankees gave Longs.rect's 8
viii be the reply, nobody but Americans could
have done that" There nael be no balancing
OF probabilities whether the American soldier
can best make or repel charge. We do both
best. We have gained the double glory: and
whoever shall make war on us must ever be
In doubt whether an American army can
can best defend or attack position: that Is to
say, whether the American soldier most excclS
in dash and deeds of daring in. chivalry, or In
the plucky stcadiness Of dogged defense against
a charge.
There Is another popularity OF the American
soldier which it vii be well for the rulers Of
any country who shall in the future ever desire
to test the military strenath Of the United States
carefully to weigh and consider. The devotion
to the cause for which they fought en- both
03s n1n1 ntx,fvx
solaiery in religious wars. like the Crusades and
the Garlic II incnrsions Of the armies OF Mahome-
tan iai,h into Europe, shows that although the
American army, like every other army when
fully instructed in that art Of war, Is a machine
vet 1t Is a thinking and reasoning machine. In
the beginning OF our struggle II was almost
wholly Of volunteers, for our regular army was
war Of thinking men IL dcfnonstrable from the
almost entire cessation of enlistment into the
regular forces during the war. Our volunteer
II bonnties which never should have been given
but once offered by one State It must be fol-
lowed by all States-was composed on both
sides Of men who fought because OF patriotic
IN the ranks quite as calAple as their
officers or their legislators of understand
ing the questions in controversy, and OF
advising strategic movements and Legislative
measures to meet the exigencies Of the occa-
sion. Many private soldier gave needed in
struction to his representative In Congress aa
j
country in which he was stationed, and many a
private soldier could and would have given like
advice to some of his commanding officers had
not military etiquette forbidden, by which some
OF the enormous blunders, to the great sacrifice
of life, might have been avoided, IL the voice OF
the soldiers themselves had been heard and list
ened to.
Nowhere in the history Of the world Is there
to which have referred-which are known tc
all. Whatever may be the cause OF this pccul-
iarity of the. American army may well be left
to speculation and philosophic research; but
this great fact itself must be taken into accoun,
hy whoever shall deem 1t convenient or Heces-
sary to make war with America.
These considerations suggest another topic
which IL one OF the reasons why we to-day do
them honor at the graves of our soldiers, tho
patriotism which actuatcd the volunteer soldier
Of the armies North and Sonth.
In both a. mics by whom was all this glory foI
military prowcss gained to the American name
And fortunately we shall find that the same
answer Is equally true Of the soldiers Of the
| armies Of both sections OF the credit due t
the American soldier the generals can only
clam that portion, Ii any, which came from the
strategy which brought on the battles under
circumstances more or less observation-disclosures on
the one side or the other under which those
hattles were fought. To the regimental officers
field and line. who sustained their troops in the
defense, or marched with them In the charge
under the fire of the defense. very high credit
has been and ever will be given. We need not
inquire into the particular qua .itics which gave
them the hardihood and daring of their action
or the motives which brought them into the
war: 1t is sufficient to say they could not dc
otherwise Noblesse oblige. Upon every one oi
them was the eye Of the community in which
he lived, and from which he went forth. fully
turned. No act of his could escape criticism
or approval Promotion, the plaudits of good
men and fair women, the consciousness of good
deeds well done, and OF deserving well OF his
country, sustained the officer in all he wa
called upon to do. and from any act of cow.
| ardice or baseness he was deferred by knowl.
edge that his shame would follow him and his
SO long as he might live, and his descendants
after him.
But what shall we say of the rank and file, til,
private soldiers, the men who did such wonder.
ful deeds. even under the direction of Others
No bulletin of glory goes to him by natiie: his
regiment sometimes, but even his company
never gets the credit Of his and his companions
| daring courage. The grave into which he sinks
may be--nay. most probably will be-unknown
and the weeping for him will be by the lowly
hearthstone in the cottage, by those who's.
moan will never be heard outside of 1t. No per.
sonal glory, and hardly personal shame, car
ever come to him. Why stand he, therefore, IL
the very front Of the battle facing the canon's
| mouth belching forth storms Of shot and shell
aud the scrried line along which piled the dead
ly rifle. raining bullets upon his column or hi,
position ~ to- be called into this firc Of hell
What could he gain to himself that should lool
like shadow Of compensation for itg Ever
the high plaudits he received in the later year.
vision for his family in case of his wounds o.
| ioss lie was brought into the line Of battle BY
no conscriptson, by no draft, for the attempts Il
draft men by the Government into the servic,
were so sporadic and unfruitful that they necs
hardly be noticed when we are speaking OF tn,
| great whole. War was not his trade, nor wa
he plying his trade as soldier brought up 7
his task, though deadly the peril might be, b!
| force of discipline. In the great armies OF tn
| Norta at the close Of the war very few regula
| soldiers could be found. do not seek to de
.f he 4,
this statement OF the fact, but do it in justic
| to the volunteer soldiers of the country, b,
whom substantially the battles OF the war wer
| fought on both sides.
as to suppose that 1t was the SIS month pait
| in a deprecated currency in the North, evel
/ with plenty to cat, which brought our soldier
to the field, And who shall dare say that fis
| month paid in no currency at all, with nothing
/ to eat. kept the Confederate private soldier II
line for four yearsg What, then, was tn
motive2 There can be but one truthful an
swer: The firm, nnwavering. steadfast belief o
| the private soldiers on both sides that the.
/ were doing patriotic duty to their country b,
fighting in just cause, as they believed. TO
their people. Admit, II you please, that tn
/ officers, especially those OF the higher grades
/ ought to have known better, or at least ha,
doubts of the Justice OF the cause for whic
| they fought, and that the winning side nigh
have grounds for strong animadverson upO
the course Of some Of those officers, especial
those who, taught In the military school OF tn
/ Government their duties to that Government
| deserted their nag In obedience to the politics
| creed of their section. Admit also there ma
| still be some lingering feeling even NJ this day
| that 1t would be better that some punishment
| had been mcted out to such, when they becam
4 the prisoners OF the conquerOrs. Yet, lookin
| back on the whole field A. true-hearted men
Americans and patriots, and above all NJ soldier
VIGOROUSLY engaged I'm that strife, Ii there an
| man who really does not thank God that n
| measure OF vengeance by the Government va
| dealt out to anybody after the surrender at Ap
| pomattoxg And that even in the widest frenz
| of conquering power. when all the hurts OF tn
/ contest were smarting, and all the passions O
| strife aroused 1t can be said to the glory of tn
| American name that no man ever thought Q
| dealing out either punishment or adimadver
| sions upon the soldiers OF the ranks Of tn
Southern armies.
Still another peculiarity distinguishes tn
| American soldier from all other soldiers Of tn
| world: when he ceased to be soldier he becani
| a good citizen. When the armies of the Mort
| OF nearly million and n half OF soldiers wcr
| almost multaneously dsbanded, there was n
| shock to the peace OF tie country, no assem-
| Ilage of men lawless and riotous, not differen
from what there might have been from the r.
turn of like number of men from y polite,
convention. And when the forces of the Sout
broke up their organizations and returned I
their homes, the greatest boon that the CON