New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1885-12-02
The Silence OF Peace.

The Silence of Peace.
Alb! If they could only speak.
There is a marble slab at the head
of every grave in the National Gene
terry to tell of War. If there is no name
the word Unknown" signifies that
soldier who was killed in a certain bat
tie lies buried there.
1t is the guns which are silent
which have nothing to speak for them.
Here and there one has been saved as
relic, but the vast majority have
disappeared in the melting fur
naces, to come out in more peaceful
FORM
What of the great barbette guns at
Fort Sumpter, the black-mouthed mon
sters which roared defiance at Beaure-
gard as he struck his first blow ut the
Union? What of the grim muzzles
which belched flame from the many
port holes as brave Anderson fought
TO delay the inevitable9 A hundred
cannon, manned by Confederates,
hurled death and destruction at the
fort for fateful hours, and nearly ev-
cry one of them was called into
use in latter years. Can one single
Piece of that ordnance be found to-
day9
Great siege guns hurled shot and
she'll into Yorktown, Charleston, Pc
tersburg, Vicksburg. Port Hudson, Is
land No. 10, and half score of other
places Who can point out the spot
where one OF these monsters lies rest
ing to-day?
In the rank weeds at Fort Pillow
lies disabled cannon. It may be
spoken of dead. A great shell from
Federal gun-boat inflicted mortal in
jury. If that old cannon could only
speak, what a story it could relate of
the fierce fights in the bend of the
great river. 1t helped drive the gun
boats back again and again; it thun-
dered at them as they finally ran the
gauntlet; it fell into Federal hands; it
was retaken by the Confederates; it
saw all the horribleness of war before
it was thrown down to sink away in
the soft soil and be half hidden BY the
weeds.
On the ridge above Vicksburg-
ridge from which a hundred guns hurl-
cd shot ut the Federal craft-one may
find two cannon, defaced, crippled.
useless. They will never thunder
again. If they could speak! just
think of the story they would tell, be-
ginning with Sherman's attack. and
ending on that glorious Fourth ofJuly
which witnessed Pemberton's surren-
der! Between those dates were hum
dreds of days and nights-days of
battle-nights of alarm-weeks of
starvation-months of suspense and
horror. These cannon could tell us
all, but they arc forever silent
And what OF the hundreds of field
batteries? Each gun came TO have its
name and history. Each one came to
have it's friends and admirers in brig
ade. Each new scar added to its list.
of friends-eacil battle proved it more
worthy of confidence. Think of the.
battles of one of those rusty, defaced.
and useless pieces could name!l
Think of the thrilling incidents it
could relate!
In the roadside ditch between Fred
ericksburg and Charlottesville one
lies dead, and SO buried out of sight
that few eyes rest upon ii. On the
held of Ant:etam-over in the woods
where Hooker rushed at Stonewall
jackson and could not drive him-lies
another. No man can say that q third
can be found, though he look over ev-
cry field of battle known TO history.
What of the pieces which famed and
roared at Bull Run, Williamsburg.
Carnifex and the Seven Days? What
of those which thundered up and down
the Shenandoah and the Lurayp What
of the hundreds which belched shot
and shell at Fredericksburg. Chan
cellorsville. Getty Chiekamauca,
Appomattox? OF the hundreds not
one single dozen have been preserved
through these twenty years of peace.
The burden of silence is upon them.
They may exhibit their scars and rust.
but the secrets of the battle lie safely
hidden in their black depths. They
could tell of fathers, brothers and sons
-of heroes and cowards-oi advance
and retreat-of gallant charges and
bloody repulse. but they are silent for
eyer.--Deh,oit Free Press.
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