Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-03-02

my own, was spent on whatever came 10
hand or eye. Over the river, st the Al
giers dock yards, l looked on as the ram
Manassas received her armor of L rails,
the first course together and the second
! OF the same material, inverted so that the
ball of the rail slipped and fitted in be-
tween those of the first course. Or l
would go up to the yard where the great
floating batteries Louisiana and Tenne-
see were building, and where, later, fruit
! less efforts to launch theTenResee result
ed in the discovery that she had secretly
been bolted down to her ways. Again l
went out to the old depot of the jackson
| Road TO bid farewell to gallant fellows off
10 the field OF battle. Receiving farewell
messages, delivering good byes, finding
| s@eethesrts and lovers and bringing them
together for Que more last, long embraces
-ah. brave fellows, smiling gally when
! you would much rather weep, going
AWAY FROM swKErusARr,
sister, mother, wife, and little ones, some
of you to return with tattered frames er
shattered health, the best years of your
lives gone forever; many more to come
back never at all! You smile SIS though
| your hearts were light; but to many of
| you there will come an hour when racked
with anguish, your bloody and smoke
grlmed faces upturned to the stars yoG
will never smile you: last smile on earth!
But the city, what of it? Down the
great Bourse, where the magpates of the
| cIty's trade once trafiicked and made
fortunes: down that same street, passing
their own now deserted and silent offices,
regiment, their gray kepis not grayer
than the heads beneath them; down the
wide street they marched with fixed bay
onets and sad hearts, while between them
there drundled dray-Iead efter dray-load,
of gold and silver. All! those little iron
bound kegs upon the drays! They were
full of golden coin and golden hopes, all
going away together! And as we looked
on that sad, strange sight, we knew the
city was in jeopardy.
We needed not to wait long for confr
nation of our fears and our forbodin gs.
Out upon the cold, wet morning there
fioated the sound of bells. 1t was the
stroke of y, that told Us the forts we're
passed.
Running TO the nearest engine house,
at the corner of COrondeIet and Perdido
streets, 1 found the engine with horses
harnessed ready for the run. Answering
my inquiry the hostler said they were to
be ready for service in case the city should
be shelted by the approaching fleet.
Oa! that horrible day. Confusion, dis
order, chaos all around. Men, women
children, vehicles of every sort.
RUNNING, PUSHING, CRYING;
those who could find words of coherence
asking the unanswered ard un8nsweruble
question, "What next?"
But the fleet came on unchecked, the
city was found and possessed without the
falling Of a single shell. Standing at the
corner of Carondelet and Gravier streets
on the following Saturday If memory
serves me rightly stepped aside to
give free passage to two men who, arm in
arm, walked past me going out, Gravier
street One of them 4 stout dark man
with the blaokest of hair and beard, was
enveloped in flag of the then invader
Catching one of its torn folds in his grasp
he shook it aloft as in angry protest he
declared that flag never should wave over
him, Some one spoke the mans name
and the couple passed on. | saw that man
once again, sitting on his coffin, his head
bowed, his hands clasped between his
knees. Before, behind, around him mar
| ched the soldiers OF the Union as they
bore him to his death. It was Munford,
the man who tore the nations flag from
the United States Mint, and now was to
| die on the spot of his late daring deed.
Ring down the drop upon these fatefnl
| scenes. Let those last years of the now
aged century be years of peace and joy.
Where once the cannon's shot and Shrek
ing shell uptore the land fair fields and
| smiling haIvests, contented hearts and
happy homes abound. So let it be. The
keen swords that in those other days clash
ed on each other in fraternal strife, have
joined US all togather as with hooks of
steel, which must indeed tear out our
very lives if any would again divide us.
Let prejudice aud passion henceforth
stink away, and in their stead may patriot
ism and the patriots God bless, keep and
prosper us in all that leads TO His own
glory and the welfare of all human kind.