Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1889-04-18


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Fsosa the wooD Five. Tsxss. March II. 1851
W0AT TIE G. A. X. Is.
When men and women see badge
worn they At once ask what it is. and
WAY Il 10. Humsnity At large is Gu
rious to learn, and prone to mauufac-
tare causes and reasons, however ig-
aorant Of facts they may be.
Ths G. A. r. is vast society, CON-
posed Of veteran soldiers of the Union
armies and their sympathizers. To
be more explicit, it consists OF the So
cities of tho armies of the Potomac,
Ohio. Tennessee, Cumberland, and
those OF the Gulf; also the Soldiers
and Sailors Memorial Association, the
Legion Of Honor, and the Woman's
Relief Corps.
The fundamental and governing
principle is symbolized by the letters
F. c. L., which emblem fraternity,
Charity, and Loyalty. The organi.
zatioo numbers to-day 100000, and
extends, unbroken and harmonious,
throughout the limits of the United
States. Wherever the "stars and
stripes" floats IN token OF sovereignty,
there the members of these societies,
oil blended into the G. A. R., live and
flourish. A grand whole, composed
Of many particles, distinct like the
pillows, yet one like the sea.
More than this. Throughout the
entire South-that portion of the
United States once known As the
Southern Confederacy-the societies
Of Southern soldiers who also have
their veteran organizations), are ra-
pidly assimilating and uniting with
those OF the Northern soldiers.
If the TIMES mistake not, in all
these societies there is one requisite
in common. That is, that q member
must have an honorable military rec
ord. No deserter need apply, for he
who deserts his flag, and runs away
from the principle it symbolizes, can
never and will never have the sen,i-
ments of Fraternity, Charity, and
Loyalty. We thus see what the G..
A. r. is.
But mea and women, especially
those of the generation just stepping
upon the tbeater of life, who happen
not to have the means Of information
the soldiers children have, ask: "Why
is this thing kept up? The war is
over; the guns are silent and rusty;
the sresenals are closed; the tents
long ago are struck and laid away, and
the soldier has put aside the fierce
way Of war for the mild manner of
peace. Why keep up this reminder
Of strife aud blood, of misery and des-
olation?' The answer is, that the G
A. r. is no reminder of war. 1t is a
blessed symbol of peace. 1t is the
raiubow.promise of no more war, no
more suffering, no more section, no
more frsternal strike.
Those 100000 veterans gathe,
around their scamp fires" and tell,
not in anger, the stories OF olden
times. OF march, bivouac, and camp
song. OF battle calls and bugle.
blasts. OF long roll and line forma
ton. Of skirmish and deadly fight
They repeat the story of the desper
ate charge; the shout of victory ano
the triumph of their comrades. They
tell, too, of the dark days, when doub
came following fast upon disaster
When the "hurrah" of the morning
was changed, at evening, to groan.
and cries for "water." They tel
again the story of crawling, in the
misty, struggling moonlight, or the
more lonely darkness, to bring of
some mangled friend, or bury some
Inartyred hero.
They exchange, with generous EN-
plation, stories OF the exploits OF dis
tinct military organizations. The,
repeat the memories of capture and OF
prison life, where, inch by inch, tneil
fellow. men died from disease, OF yiet ~,
ed to the horrors of white.lippedfap1
ipe. =
They recall the purposes of the
war. They remind each other and