St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-26
SAINT PAUL.
bAYE THEM WELCOME.
Gen. IL. w. Johnson's Address to
His Old Comrades.


1t was expected that Mayor Smith
would have been present at the camp
fire of the Minnesota encampment OF
the Grand Army of the Republic Thurs
day evening, but he was unavoldanly
detained at home, and Gen. X. w. Joiln-
son delivered the address OF the wei
come to the veterans.
"Tbe MAYOR of the city, Hon. R. A. Smith"
said Gen. johnson, being engaged ana I'M
able to be present this evening, has requested
me 10 welcome you: the repres entatves oI
the Grand Army OF the Republic, TO this city,
and TO express the hope that your meetlne
may be as pleasant 10 you as it is to our PEG,
pie, who havenot forgotten the brave ana
gallant services you rendered to the country
III the break, dark days of the Rebellion. vet
Grams, in the name of the municipal govern
ment and of all our people, welcome you
to st. Paul. These annual meetings are
sources OF pleasure and benefit to each one
of you. Here you renew the friendships
formed during the war; and here you rene"
your faith in and allegiance to the great
principles for which you battled. AS you
gr So the warm hands of the living you can
but remember the cold hands OF your com
rades, whose lives were given mat lne prlh-
ciples of republican government might be
established on a sure foundation Inc wal
of 1S61-5 was almost
CONTINUOUS BATTLE,
and it might be said, during those long years
of combat that eliminated in the surrender
of the rebel armies that, like the ISraelites of
old. you followed cloud by day and pillar
of flame by night. Every day the smoke
cloud of battle kissed the heavens, and every
night famed and flashed with the lambent
lights of your blazing guns and you followed
that smoke cloud and those blazing guns
over a hundred fields of strife, until the old
flag fioated in exuiation over every portion
of The American domain. Some of you joined
in that gala DAY of glory when 20o,u00 sol
diers, in all the spendid pomp and gntterlng
pageantry of their magnificent equipment,
tramped up the avenues of the Capltal CIV
of the land and heard the p&anS OF the great
jubilee of the nations deliyerance ring IN
deep thankfulness from ocean 10 ocean. ana
when The war was ended your grand armies
resolved themselves once more into thelr
constituent parts, and you turned naturally
and Zealorsly To the arts of peace. The glory
of your splendid deeds will be transmitted by
the painter, the sculptor, the poet, and Will
ever shine forth OH The glowing pages OF our
national history. When old soldiers meet TO-
gether to fight their
BATTLES OVER AGAIN,
there Is one class of persons whose sacrl1ceS
are rarely considered. On the return of the
volunteers 10 tfeir homes, long before the
the arrival of the train, the depot, platform
ard grounds around were crowded with
women and children to catch the first
glimpse of husband, son or father, and what
burnt veteran clasred his wife within his
braMny arms for long, long embrace L ars
of JOY were freely she'd, and then the little
ones received a fathers kiss upon their rosy
cheeks. Mothers clasped their soldier boys
to their bosOms and welcomed the lorgab
sent ones to their homes. But all is not JOY
and gladness. There are heartbroken women
here. Over there stands group clothed IN
the habiliments of mourning. There is q
lady whose white hair shows her to be well
advanced in years.
HER FORM IS BENT,
and she weeps as if her very heart would
break. She came 10 the train not expecting
to see any of her kindred. for the three boys
she gave to-her country have all been killed
in battle. Two were killed outright. the third
fingered few days, and she has been told
that the last sentence that passed his fevered
lips was message to her, and these words
ring in her ears and she cannot become rec
onciled to her loss, but she thought it would
be some relief to her wounded heart to see
the men at whose side her dear boys went
down. THERE'S another, 10 the skirts of
whom clings beautiful little boy who, look
ing up into her sad, sad face. exclaims:
homer Alas! alas! he will never come.
His body lies on the wooded banks of Ten
nessee, or IN the mountains or gorges of
Georgia, in the swamps Of South Carolina, or
possibly his dust has mingled with the red
CLAY OF OLD VIRGINIA.
"Oh, the horrors of war! v no can tell of
them more feelingly than those bereaved and
dis ressed women? May God in His goodness
and mercy care for them and spare our be-
loved country, through all time to come. from
the demoraizing influences and the heart
sickening experiences of another cruel,
bloody war. Again | welcome you to this
city, whose citizens love to honor the old
war-worn veterans through whose courage
and devotion the Union was restored. and
peace established throughout our borders.
May Heavens richest blessings rest upon and
abiGe with the old veterans forever"