The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-01

still. from Fort Sumter to Appomattox; We are
assembled at the capital of the State of Indians
State whose record In the great civil war 10 untar-
nshed by single instance of Disgrace, but whose
every page of history is brilliant with glorious achieve
ments and patriotic devotions all along the way from
her humblest soldier up to her grandest statesman.
| Oliver p Morton the great war Governor
The speaker depressed from the theme of his
| Grafton to speak of the church in which the au-
dience had assembled, remarking that during the
war the Methodists had strongly supported the
Union cause, and while he had met various
kinds OF rebels he had never met q Methodist
rebel He spoke at considerable length OF the
| hardships of soldiers life in the field. One of
| the things the soldiers had learned was that.
| with all their bravery and the genius of their
commanders, the great rebellion could not have
been suppressed without the active aid, sym
| pathy and devoted services of the glorious and
| glori6ed' women of the great, loyal North.
| Another thing that had been learned was that
| an army in the field needs strong reserve of
| friends at home. This reserve was furnished
the Union army by the great mass of patriotic
| men who, while they did not fight battles at the
| 'front.' nobly performed duty in the rear.
| After reviewing briefly the beginning of the
war. the speaker referring to his own personal
experience. said:
/ thought if I could get into nv company all the
great big DULLES and bruisers that had known
loon brawers and general shoulder hitters would
have an invnciba phalanx, and that the rebels would
was coming. | found afterward that such fellows
fight when hot shot and cold steel have to be
and were to meet squad of fighting rebels would
at once send out flag of truce. and surrender my
command to save the efusion of blood. No, it was
the wellreared boy. the of the farmer the mer
chant the mechanic the professional man, the cool
unassuming, resolute. fomeoving, law abiding boy
who furnished the raw material out OF which heroes
| were nodded.
Another great lesson every soldier learned. and
learned it well: The rebels would fight The soldier
snap long way in the rear. 1t is of the crown
ing gores of success, that conquered one of
the bravest armies ever marshaled under the sun.
Inc British army, few years ago. captured the
| Egyptian stronghold of Telel Kebir in night Had
that stronghold been defended by Southern rebels
led by Lee, Longstreet johnson and Jackson instead
OF Arabs, that British army might have been there
yet.
The rebel cause shall ever condemn. Their flag
we shall ever despise but their splendid dasn their
heroic courage, and their sublime devotion to their
leaders must admire bright chapter in the
history of the brave achievements of American sol
dery And neither the recent reasonable mutterngs
of that old unreconstructed unrepentant unhung and
undamned archt traitor the silly display of rebel
flags by his deuded followers can dim the lustre of
our victory or reverse the verdict of the
| This allusion to the champion of the slost
cause" was greeted with an outburst Of applause
| from the audience.
| In speaking Of the commander of the Union
| army. General Bennett said:
| He was loyal to the core. Never for moment did
he in his devotion his country and its nsti
buttons. Patriotism, deep and fervent, part of
! the man. He never despaired He believed the
tional bound to succeed for he had implicit
faith in the in his army in himself and in the
| God of battles He patient and obedent, never
| complaining of bad treatment. although he had
abundant cause to do He sulked in his tent
for lack of promotion. He obeyed orders as he re-
ceived them, and never criticised found fault with
| his superiors. He was imperturbable and unexcita
| able-never lost his head. In the midst of battle
when the stoutest hearts quiverng with excite
ment. as messenger after messenger brought him
word OF disaster on his left, crushing flank
ment on his right frightfu breach in his center
| dangerous move on his rear not change came
his countenance, not muscle quivered as, smoking
his omnipresent cigar he quietly ordered reinforce
halt of anoth. This seeming indifference at first
caused those ound him to have a feeling akin to dis
gust, but when the smoke would clear away and his
master plans were developed there that feeling
of admiration of confidence Of faith in him that made
every officer and soldier in his army feel imregnable
| as the very mountains around them, for they knew
that master spirit was at the helm and they had
no fears of the result An incident Of
| ton at the battle of Thompsons Hill, in
rear of yicksburg. My regiment occupied danger
Gus advanced position. noticed a road coming from
| the left somewhat to our 1t seemed to me to
betoken danger in rebel troops might come that
| way mentioned the fact to my leutenant-colonel
That gallant officer reped Colonel YOU need have
fears of that road for old Grant will have troops
there in time for he never leaves any gaps OPEN In
less than fifteen minutes afterward brigade of Union
soldiers, the double quick came up that very road
| under the lead of glorious John A. Logan and the
battle ended Grant had clear ideas of the thing
that he wanted to do and knew that the way to get
that thing done to do it. If he wanted to whip
his enemy he knew he could do it at long range
nor by making mouths at him. by hurting proclama-
tons at him nor by hiding in trenches and waiting
for the fellow he had to whip He just simply hunted
his enemy in the field, in his works. and in any and
| every place where he most likely to be found and
when he found him he fought him, and kept on fight
ing him as long there anything left of him to
| fight He was of the people-a common have
seen him riding the march, eating dry army crack
| ers and raw bacon have him sleeping OIL the
| ground with blanket, in drenching rain. AS to-
day these ceremonies bring us close to his grave it
be truthfully repeated that the life that closed
its career at Mt McGrego7 the most renowned in
history and neither the present the past
ord that will down the ages inseparabe part
of the grandest and greatest of modern times.
And the muster-roI of the millions who went out
to battle for their country his will have the first place
and be the pr0udest name.
| In conclusion the speaker said:
| And now let not forget the noble army of mar
| tyrs who are borne on the army rolls the 'kiled
and missing" That silent army of the dead (5OO.-
900 strong1 who lie to-day in soldiers graves all
| the country, along the Potomac, the Rappahaunock
| the James, the Cumberland, the Tennessee and the
trenches in the woods and the swamps. in the great
national cemeteries in every public and private grave
yard. the tombs of these immortal heroes are found
| Each soldiers shall shine untarnished on the
rolls OF fame,
And stand the example of each distant age
| And add new luster to the historic page.
Did it ever occur to that these mon owed their
country no more than did, They loved the walks
of life and peace they loved home and wife and babes
but when their country called them to arms with
heroism that was patriotic and patriotism that was
heroic they nobly met the shock and the graves we
this day decorate with beautiful flowers bear glorious
witness of their devotion and their sacrifice e
We born for higher destiny than earth
There is a realm where the rainbow fades
where the stars will be spread out before like islands
that slumber in the ocean, and where the beautiful
beings that pass before us like shadows will stay for
ever in our presence Yes nv friends we shalt meet