The National tribune., 1885-10-15
GEN. BELKNAP'S SPEECH
At the Reunion of the Croker Brigade.

delivered by Gen. w. w. Beknap, at the Re-
union of the Croker Brigade, at Iowa City:
Gov KIRKwooD-LADIEs AND GENTLEMEN of
Iowa CITY: Crockers Iowa Brigade-the 18th, 18Th,
18th and 10th Iowa--won by your generous wei
come, is here tonight, where its survivors meet
and greet each other. Here where the Legislators
of young State formed the foundation on which
has grown almost empire; here near the classic
shades of the University from whose walks SO many
young men go out into the worfd well armed Tor
the fight of e here, in the home OF ti1:t honored
Statesman who beyond any name which his great
services in public life may bring, has the grand title
OF lowa's War Governor;-what place more III
| than this, my comrades, for Us 10 meet?
There have been times In life when some strain OF
music whose air has not come 10 us foryears bears
far back tosome attractive scene OF other
| days where the same air was heard The friends
who with us there, and the words and the Ian
guage, and the surroundings OF "A forgotten L ,tnow
recalled hour in the dear delightful past are with
Us again, revived 10y the melody Of that music
whose na &c power brings the forms and familiar
faces of the loved of other days once more INTO our
Though the drums sir, that beat tonight and the
buges1hat blow ring out their calls as clearly as
I ever their sounds do not summon my comrades
| and myself to active work. But we are borne back
| by them in memory TO the day when the flag was
| fired upon and the whole land was aroused; when
the citizens of the State became the soldiers of the
| Nation, and her youth became her men back to
the white tents of pleasant camps to morning
guard mounting and the glitter of evening parade
to the earnest labor of military duty; to the prompt
| movement of the early start; 10 marches by day
and TO the restful bivouac by night; to earthworks
magically made: to the skiruiish- line far in the
front; to the sharp crack of the rifle, which told
that the enemy was near; to lines of battle quickly
formed to the sudden attack; TO the ready re-
pulse; to the exciting advance; to the passionate
charge; the rolling musketry; the bursting shell
the cries of the wounded; the lusterless gaze OF
the paid dead: the lulI in the firing the renewed
| attack; the noise of the Captains and the shout
ing; the waving regmentai flags as the scattered
men rally around them; the dust and the heat and
| the smoke and tt din and the sweat of battle;
and the gradual dying of the hours of tumult into
| quiet as the welcome end comes and the tagging
| of he heated
ger on these fields of strife goes down mt last with
| the air full of our loud cheers of victory.
In the midst of eventu scenes like these, the life
| of Crockers Iowa Brigade began. The men OF its
four regiments had gathered at the recruiting drum
| beat from all parts of the State.
| When the names on their regimental muster-rolls
were called. only County here and there was
missed. From Dubuque and Pottawattamie from
| Linn and Lee, from Napeio and Benton. from
| Marion and Scott, from Muscatne aud Des Moines
| and Polk, from Cedar and Van Buren,, from High
| Henry Proud Mahaska and High Boone, and from
IS of the 80 Counties of Iowa came these men whom
| you honor here tonight, who did their work so
| we'll
| by whom they should be led. His ready force in
| civil life made him n marked man; his determined
| will gave to him the signal power to command men
| and hold them by the inspiration of his presence;
| his high spirit in action stamped him as a daring
soldier. Upon the certain bravery of this brigade
he leaned as on sure supports and, knowing what
he was they gave to him the honor of their truest
trust, and never faltered when the trial came. 1t
was n OF fate for him to die upon the field but he
had won the leaves of laurel which bind the hero
| brow, and as long we, his comrades, live, whom
| he so nobly led. there shall come from for him
| the words which he deserved to do his memory
| honor.
| And now his commander and ours Grant, the
first commander of the Army of the Tennessee has
| gone. As the bugle blew taps at Riverside on
| August 8. il was fitting requiem for him as he
| crossed the river and Joined the celestial army
| which waited for him on the other side. Gueless
in life and language tender in his affections. loyal
to his country, dutiful to his God immovabe in
his friendships as the everlasting hills brave In
| M of heroic beyOnd
of death Best and truest and most faithful friend,
| good night 1--WE shall not look upon his like
| again"
! The deeds which the men of this brigade did are
| now in history. They would be called heroes in
| any heroic age. Though not realized now, those
of their and lineage who follow them will, in
the generations coming cherish the record which
they made.
| Forsaking the embraces of affection and the arms
of love. "a years ago they left their homes under
flags whose stars were bright. and whose stripes
| were deepest crimson. They bore like men the
changes of toll and prison and field and fight.
They marched from the Mississippi TO the sea; and
then these flags soed and shot and torn and tat
| tered, but surrounded by the halo of the same old
glory, were furled in final triumph.
| Dropping the button of rank and the badge of
blue, they became the Republics citizens, and are
here now to meet old army comrades and to thank
you from their hearts for the pleasures of this hour
| But we not all here; some from our land and
its distant borders and some from other lands send
| us a soldiers love, and some have heard the SOL
| dicrs last tattoo.
| We no more face the fearful fire Mt Shiloh; no
batteries swept from life the flower of that army of
| the South; no longer hear the laundering guns at
| Vicksburg; no more go down into that Valley of
| the Shadow of Death the picket line at kenesaw,
and longer stand III the tornado of battle at At
lanta. These are past memories. we only hear
| now your tender words of peaceful greeting, and
| are blessed by the smiles of women, whose hands
wave to us tonight so sweet a welcome.
| Mr. Mayor Citizens Of Iowa City! Old men and
matrons, Young men and maidens! By your low
ing kindness you have tied yourselves firmly,
fondly, and forever TO the hearts of the men of
| "Crockers Iowa Brigade"
In the Days of the Draft.
To THE EDITOR: In the days of the draft
many jokes were perpetrated, which l think
would be interesting and amusing to many of
the old soldiers who read THE NATIONAL
| TRIBUNE If we may believe the following,
which appeared i'll the Philadelphia Press in
1865, there were some who fed to the noun
tains to avoid the draft, even in Pennsylvania:
| wild man has been discovered in a forest In
Cearfield County. lie was covered all over with
| cotton like down and when captured able to