Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-04-17
BY SHILOR'S SPRING.

BY SHILOH'S SPRING.
The Union Veterans Return 10 the
BIoOdy Observation-Disclosures ofRep-
sRresent alive Tennesseeans DepIored.
SHILOH, Tenn, April -Four hun
dred members of the G. A. R., who
fought at Shiloh, revisited the battle
field to-day. On landing, @ column
was formed, and, led by the bands,
marched to the center of the National
cemetery, the bands beating a dead
march. Here they played Webster's
Funeral march, the men standing
with uncovered heads and tears run
ming down their cheeks. Many, as
they looked around, recognized the
names of old comrades, while marble
slabs at the heads of graves rose like
undulatlng waves as far as the eye
could see.
Among those present were Gems.
NJ. r. S. Wallace, D. 0. Smith, T.
L. Dickey.; Coils. J. D. Godfrey, w.
[. Shays; Maj. B. B. Bingham;
Capts. S. S. Garrett, Fl. r. Sinkle,
Z. D. Patterson, f. II. Kyle, S. L.
Enseng, George G. J. Entries, T. J.
Bryant, FL. Q. Clock, David Jones,
S. S. Garrett, Judson Mccoy, Fred
a. Smith, Chas. Vangorden, A. II.
Vershy, D. @. Address, M. T. Rus
sell and =. P. Searles. All named
took part in the battle of Shiloh as
federal officers.
The ceremonies opened with ap-
propriate prayer by Capt. T. J. Bry-
ant.
SOUTHERN SENTIMENT.
The Rev. Thos. Cotton, local
preacher, explained that the small as
semblage was due to the fact that
many people had been scared away in
consequence of smallpox. Capt. II.
r. Hinkle, Savannah, Tenn, a mem
Der Of the @. 4 r., said Gov. Bates
had promised to be present and make
a speech, and Capt. Payne, state
superintendent of education, had
promised, if Gov. Bates didn't come,
he surely would and deliver an address
Of welcome to the visitors. Mr.. Hin
kle heartily depIored that there were
no representative Tcnnesseeans from
the confederate army present to wei
come the visitors.
The Hon. f, D. Smith, of Illinois,
was the orator of the day. He said
''As the quiet, steadily flowing current
of the beautiful Tennessee which per-
petuately bathes the feet of the hills
on which rest our beloved dead, com
ing down from the uplands OF the
south to JOIN its waters with that of
the great rivers Of the north, so may
the current Of patriotic love of country
come from Southland and join the
others from all parts Of the country
until all are embraced in one senti-
ment Of love and respect for the insep-
arate union of the states"
Gen. {. Lyle Dickey, judge Of the
supreme court OF Illinois, spoke OF
the motives that animated the parties
to the contest and the substantial ben
efts that resulted to the south, even
from the fire through which it had
passed and terrible experience always
realized by the people of the soil
where armed hosts came together to
prove the earnestness of their con-
victions by appealing to arms He
said that from the terrible civil war
that had become a political necessity
the south had suffered greatly, but it
was recuperating so fast that within
the next decade it would be far more
prosperous than before the war He
spoke of the great self-sacrifce Of the
soldiers of the north, and said that the
Union had been cemented together
with their blood.
The entire audience then sang
Nearer my God to Thee"
Children of a neighboring Sunday
school sang a hymn founded on Stone
wall Jackson's last words, LET US
pass over the river" This affected
many of the audience to tears. This
was all that was said or done in mem
Dry of the confederate dead, VINO
lay buried in the surrounding fields
without a stone to mark the spot The
audience sang II love to tell the
story" The veterans then dispersed
over as far as old Shiloh church, look
ing for places where there comrades
fell and where they fought and many
were wounded beside them. Great
interest was manifested III searching
for old bullets and buttons, and large
numbers were found on the field near
by. There was an old-time camp fire
last night on the battle field by the
spring.