Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-01-29
''The Boys. "
A Word For The Boys Now Oc-
cupying the Town.
Boys Whose Hearts Can Not
Grow Old.
The History They Have Lived
and Made.
God Bless Them.
r.
The Boys of 1901" Now Here.
Madison Democrat


scene another class of men. The
boys in blue" the lads of 81 have
captured the town, and to-day, let il
be understood once for all, civil law
is suspended, politics are abolished,
and magistrates and policemen may
shut up shop The town is under
military occupation, and the boys who
once saved the nation will take good
care of this little burg.
How much of history comes sweep
ing back as we meet here these boys
of the last generation, these gray.
headed boys--these fellows, who are
short an arm or leg, and cannot
square their account with nature for
the limbs and sound bodies she issued
to them-these fellows who lived a
generation of life wearing hardship
in the three or four years of their
service-yet still consider themselves
the boys" and though they are
wrlnkled, grizzly and older in body
dozen years than the family Bible
would certify, yet these boys Of '61
would say with Holmes class of 20:
"Has there any old fellow got mixed with the
boysy
If there has, take him ont without making
noise.
Hang the almanac's cheat and the catalogues
sPitei
Old Time is a liarl We're twenty tonight
We're twenty We're twenty who says we are
more
He's young iacknapes show him the
Gray temples at twenty Yes, rhte if we
please.
whre the snow-aakes fall thiclsest there's moth
ing can freeze
Yes, here are the boys. God bless
them-the boys who lived and made
a famous history-boys who have
marched under southern sun that
almost boiled the blood and baked the
brain-who have slept in the dew
drenched grass with but the sky for
blanket. tucked IN at the horizon-or
bivouacked on the hlll-sides when the
boar frost glstened in the
moonlight-boys who have charg
cd their front when the
dead were falling in winrows-boys
who have langUished IN the fevered
wards of the hospital, when wo-
mans voice sounded so sweet to them
that it seemed an angels song IN a
dream
These boys could tell you a story
that would be little short OF a com
plete history of the war. They could
tell you all about the campaign c. the
peninsula. williamsburg, Malvern
Hill, the Seven Pines, and the other
battles. They could tell you Of Cedar
Mountain, of Gainesville, Of the two
battles Of Bull Run, of Chantilly, of
Antietam, Fredericksburg. Chancel-
lorsville, Gettysburg, of the march
by the left flank from the Rapidan to
Petersburg with its terrible carnage at
the Wilderness, Spottsy lvania, Toto
pat0mv. North Anna, South Anna,
Coils Harbor and the eight months
siege of almost continuous battle
before Petersburg and its defences.
They could tell you of Fort Don
elson, Fort Henry, of Stone Rlv
err. of Shiloh, of that most brilliant
series of battles and grandest campaign
and sie.,e of recorded warfare ending
in the fall Of Vicksburg, They could
tell YOU of Chlckamauga, OF Mission
arv Ridge. the battle above the clouds,
of the Red River expedition, of Port
Hudson; OF the Atlanta campaign,
with its battles of Dallas. Resaca,
Buzzard's Roost, Allatoona, Kenesaw,
Peach Tree Creek, Atlanta, and of
that roaring, rollicking old pic mic,
the famous March to tbs sea" They
could tell you, too, of that last cam
paign in Virginia, when Lee and his
army were flying from R chmond,
vet brave as a tiger IN his flight, till
The fiery Sheridan stood across MS
path at Appomattox, while the legions
of Meade closed in on his rear, com
polling that army than, which none
Drawer ever stood under banner, the
army of Virginia, with It's superb
commander Gen. Lee, to lay down
their arms. =
An. what stories these boys, gallant
old campaigBers, could tell you,
stories of valor, CT courage unsur-
passed, of the generous deeds, the
genuine comradeship of the true
oompanion-in-a arms. They could tell
YOU stories of the fun and frolic OF
soldier life that would shake you
with laughter, and then again many
an incident of the dark, dark side OF
war that would start your tears.
Aud these fellows are still THE
BOYS" And, if you don't believe it.
see the b0vish heartiness Of their
greeting. Never college lads in their
Teens were more hearty or cordial, or
free from that old mask OF hypocrisy
the world calls dignity.
And, not to put too fine point on
il. you prohibitionists, w. G. 7. U.
people and law and order leagues had
better keep away. These boys have
made the best kind OF citizens, steady,
sober. industrious, models of fidelity
10 every mandate Of civil or social
law. But they are having a reunion;
and if they do pass around the can.
teen, again, and celebrate the old
DAYS. and quicken their old blood
with something warm, VINO on this
round ball of ours has earned a better
right to TAX cup o kindaess yet,
for aald lang synei'
NAMES FOR THE REGISTER.
The 'boys in blue" registered at