Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-08-31

| 1888, by the heV. ID LutileT
Roth.
Ye that hare escaped The Smord,
90 array, stand mol still; remember
The Lord -Jer, 5l:50.
When your commanding officers
gave you the general order that you
are now obeying, to assemble this day
in the sanctuary, their action was
obedience to this Injunction of the
Lord. BY this assembly, you demon
strate that in the formal manner you
do remember the God of battles who
delivered you from thousand dan
gers. And it is but meet and right
that you should show and declare
how great to you has been His mer-
cy. Here you proclaim that you be-
lieve it to be your simple duty. not
merely as men and Christians, but in
an especial manner and particularly
as survivors of long and bloody
war, to remember the God whose
mercy preserved you And with this
"duty Of UeteranS to remember the
Lord" as our theme, let US consider
|. Why Veterans should remem-
ber the Lord, and
ii. How they should do it.
And in this may the Lord direct
us, by the Holy Spirit, for Jesus
sake-Amen.
NY hearers, the soldiers who have
gone through the scenes of carnage,
the storm of battle, camp fevers, hos
pisals and prisons, and survived
through all, know better than we, why
they ought never to forget the God
who kept them alive through all. The
horrors of war no tongue can tell.
Look how assidiously they began.
At first the men set forward in high
health and spirit, infantry, cavalry,
artillery undisciplined, well-fed, and
were organized to go into camp.
There all was novelty the situation
was enchanting with its freedom from
the dull routine of the farm and shop
and store and school All they saw
there was the glittering pomp and
circumstance of war. New uniforms,
bright weapons, streaming banners,
music, no responsibility; and all foil
of health and hope and gaiety. 1t
seemed continual holiday, The
blunders on the parade ground and in
the drilling-camp, the quick, stern
discipline, all were new, all strange,
all part of the experience that had to
be acquired. Ahd there they were
kept at it, drilling, drilling, until they
could load with rapidity, fire with
precision, and keep step as one man.
And then away 20 tue frcEt, where
they had been longing to go. But
then war took ON another visage. AL
ready homesickness, dread nostalgia
was enervating them. Army fare,
hard tack and bacon, was making the
boys wish for the soft bread and fresh
meat at home. Then fevers mysteri-
ously laid hold of them in their camp.
Forced marches tired them out.
Sleeping on the ground in ell sorts of
weather with little shelter undermin-
ed their health And thus it contin
ued until one day the roar Of battle
was upon them, beautiful fighting
all along the Understanding shells,
pattering bullets, whizzing shoG,
shouts CT officers, falling comrades;
shrieks Of the wounded and groans Of
the dying; this was war in another
light You veterans who have es-
capped the sword do you remember !?
When you went for the first time in
to battle the same men who thirty
days before were pushing the plane,
following the plow, measuring goods,
preparing briefs, coming your books
--that Gay yGq had revelation. You
were brave No man doubts 1t. But
did you bravery save your lives that
day? No God did it. Remember
your obligation to Him-"reme ember
the Lord"
Ana sfter foEr years of such scenes
where then was the PomR and Cir
cumstance of war? Those neat uni
forms cut, soiled and torn; those
bright arms battered, those streaming
regimental colors riddled with shot,
and those gallant ranks depleted
Here is the showing: Company "a, "
after the battle of Malvern HilI-kill-
sd. &c; wounded mortally, 6; serious
ly, -; slightly, 5; prisoners, 8; m.iss-
|; total casualties, 81 That is the
way the reports came into the wait
ing friends at home And many a
heart, in some peaceful cottage far
away FROM the aognd Of canpopading.
broke as the names of the dead were
read God knows, O soldiers, you
were not the only sufferers in that
fateful conflict. Remember the ord
who spared you; remember Him for
your own sake. But for the sake of
the dead, for your comrades sakes,
you ought to remember the Lord.
And here, with my whole soul, | can
Join you Let me tell you why. |
go back into the days when the CON
flct began,to short history impress
ed indelibly upon my memory. 1t is
a sacred memory. This sacred place,
this holy hour, are fitting to speak Of
1t.
My brother, tall, straight, am
bilious, nineteen years old, but in
every thing save years man and a
noble one, home from school on va
cation, cautiously annogn9es his in
tention to enter the army. His eau
tion was out of solicitude for mother,
that the full import OF the intelligence
might come gradually to her. And
when, with tears in her eyes, she pro-
tested "You are too young. he fold.
ed ber in his arms aud answered
gaily, "Mother, what if they should
all say that ! am not to young to
defend my county" For u day the
preparations were in progress and
then he was away. A week more
and he was in camp, and then the
letters began to arrive, What u sad
| intense interest was in them as his
genius pictured the scenes ana INCL
dents, the hardships and trials Of the
camp and march. Over and over
again. by every member of the family
together, and by each one alone, those
letters were read; and every morning
1 II