Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1886-02-26
MEMORIES or raE WAR.

causes or tue late war, anu du mol KNOW
the name OF even any OF the prominent
Generals on either side that took part
therein. Had she been questioned reg, ,rd
ing the names of authors aud heroes Of the
latest works in fiction, she would probably
have passed very creditable examination.
But the ignorance aud erroneous inn
pressions that exist among the rising gen
Grafton, who are not OF, sufficient age TO
have personal recolectlons of the great
struggle, are not wholly due to the rising
generation, but TO, false and fictitious
education, and much OF 1t comes from
those who took part IN that struggle. The
speakers. and those called upon to relate
their experience at reunions and soldiers
ga,herings--upon the principle that TT is
better to laugh than be crying"-mainly
dwell upon the frivalous and not upon the
sentiment, causes and effects of the FIVE
years of strife. TO "crack joke" and
cause smile, the most expert methods Of
extracting a ham from q rebel smoke
house, chicken from the perch or the
wlnging OF hog or sheep OH the run are
dwelt upon to that extent that the partici-
pators therein become heroes in the eyes Of
boys that listen 10 them, and TO that ex-
tent we believe that has led many boy to
forget that he was not in the enemies coun-
try. They neglect to make clear that it
was often necessary when the supplies were
cut of IN the rear to resort to this method
Of foraging to sustain life, and ven though
The full ration was at hand that hard tack
and 'sowbelly" became very lonesome IN
a man'a stomach ps regular diet. They
neglect 10 say that many also, while relish
ing the change In diet, believed it TO be
one OF the means to impoverish and defeat
a canse and people that were seeking the
life OF the Government, while others took
TO it just as naturally as though they had
inherited those traits Of characteristic II.
naturally as they do in the present day.
| Tney neglect to tell the boys standing
around with both ears open to hear, that
when the rebels fred the first gun upon
Sumter. April H. 1861, that the Gov
ernment Of the United States was foun
10 be without arms and munitions of war
and that her treasury was virtually bank
rupt; that Secretary OF the Treasury
Floyd, took what there was left-$100,-
900 in gold-and skipped out to the Con-
federapy, that this act then wns considered
n greater crime thnn stealing double lha
amount from county treasury is now
that probably half OF the 10000 younl
men that rallied at once on the call o
Abraham Lincoln left lucrative positions
for mechanics and laboring men, OF fro IN
SIS TO S25 per week and not knowing n
that time whether they were to get $ll o
$l3 per month, and bounty or pension
or back pay WAS not thought of, and W
might cay over half Of this 10000 neve
expected to see home again that many @
these served full six months before receiy
ing penny from the Government, an
did not grumble much eithers that 5000
men, without distinction Of political party
bhtuoiCh nbohhu ttlC hC WslhiSt OuhSSo !
Cincinnati day and night for three days
ascertain il Major Anderson still kept tn
old flag aaoat over Fort Sumter, and whii
reading these dispatches aloud in front {
the Enquirer on the second night it was di
covered that the parent of the preser
, Johnny Mclean had not the flag afo'
, and was compelled To show his colors ur
der penalty OF raising the Office TO lev
4 with the ground; that ii is about time
cause the SON to show hia colors and tai
n The oath Of allegiance TO ohay the laws
especially the election laws Of the State
o Ohio. They neglect to make clear The ia
e that there were 100000 people held
i. slaves in "free America" subjected to Il
lash and all manner nf indignilies,
3 build up and support an aristocracy c
e the sweat from unotler's brow; that
. sustain this they resortea to all manner
: robbery Of the Government and then rusl
e ed to arms TO destroy that Governments
u and lost all. They neglect TO even hint
the fact that only twenty-five years lat
= there are 6O.00O,0O0 Of people to be fre,
/. from a money oligarchy and craze fl
! wealth and power that leajs to dec
equally damning to cover frauds and ro
i berry already eoamitted and retain pow
e to continue the same as those committt
by the slave olgarchy.
These memories of the struggle, an
/, many more, are called up afresh frol
n glancing over one Of Ave or six letters re
= ceived about the commencement OF the W;
J from young man who but few bri,
years before had served his Apprenticeship
g along side of the writer in the Gazehe OH
\ in Dayton, and who fell victim TO col
sumption before the close OF the war. v
/ reproduce the letter verbatim below
illustrate more than enc fact, VIZ. that
= the date the letter was written the Va
andigham idea had not msterislized
+ any great extent; that the writer of Il
e letter was stnunch Democrat and
e warm personal friend OF Vallandiglan
on whose organ he was tsiep setting typ
!. that there was n true spirit OF PATRIOTS
= and loyalty pervading the hearts of mel
boys in those days, and TO the politician
= not the statesmen, then as now, WIS attri
!. a.ed one OF the main causes OF the consiC
l. Fo Living is ve'b,lim copy of the lette
ARMoRY ZoUAyE RANGERS. !" |
u April Is. 1861 !