Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1890-06-05

was on their side. Abroad, it gave the !
position and prestige, and
made imnsinent the danger of the recog-
nition of the Confederate Government
by foreign powers.
The confident assurance of the South
in ultimate success, did not abate, till
on the 4th of July 1863, the old flag
foated over the captured city of Vicks-
burg, and over the field of Gettysburg,
burdened with the slain,
but won. Thereafter the old elan, born
of assured success, was wanting. Nor
did it help their hopefulness, when on
November oath, of that year, the Union
Army swept over Lookout Mountain,
and on the following night, Missionary
Ridge was ablaZe with Union Camp
fires, nor when on the 18th of March
1864, in accordance with an act of Con
gress, and by appointment of President
Lincoln, in general order No. IL, Gen.
Grant, as Lieutenant General, assumed
command of the armies of the United
States. Nothing SO revealed the wan
ing strength of the COnfederacy as
ShermanS march, in the fall of 1864, of
300 miles, from Atlanta to the sea.
Hood, who had succeeded Gen. John
ston in command, had been compelled
to evacuate Atlanta on the night of
the 1st of September. But he planned
dire disaster for Sherman. Jefferson
Davis limited at the scheme in speech
at Macon, Georgia, on the 23d of Sep
TENDER. Atlanta was to be to Sherman
another Moscow, and his retreat to the
North more disastrous than that of
Napoleon from his barren Russian con-
quests. In pursuance of this plan,
Hood moved northward upon Sher-
mans communications. But Sherman
detached Thomas to Nashville with a
force sufficient to protect Tennessee,
with orders to draw Hood northward
if possible and fight him or follow him
if he took the alarm and turned back
upon Sherman. Sherman had not plan
ned a retreat to the North. On the
10th of November his entire army was
in motion for the march across Georgia
to Savannah. Beauregard at COrinth,
by proclamation, tried to arouse Georg-
ians to harraSs Sherman in front and
flank and rear. The Georgia delega-
ton in Congress blew a bugle blast.
Let every man fly to arms" but no.
body flew except before the irresistible
advance.
Senator Hill, of Georgia sent an APP
peal published in the Augusta papers,
cOunterSigned by Seldom, rebel secre-
tary of war. But these appeals were
blank cartridges and hindered Sherman
us a pile of chatf might Obstruct the
march of a cyclone. He swept across
Georgia, as the flood one year ago to-
morrow swept through the valley of
the COnemaugh. In three weeks and
three days he was before Savannah,
three days later he StOrmed Fort Nc
Alister: and nine days after telegraph
ed savannah as a Christmas present
to President Lincoln. 1t was easy to
fOreSee that the funeral of the rebel
Confederacy was not far in the future.
Its finances were in deplorable condi-
ton. Its last man was in the field. In
desperate straits it was even proposed
negroes. On the 18th of February 1865
Columbia the Capital of South Carolina
surrendered to Sherman, and next day
Charleston was surrendered to Gen
Gilmore and the flag again raised over
Sumpter, amid deafening cheers. On
the first of April, Sheridan, who had by
Gen. Grant been placed in command OF
all the Cavalry and of the 9TH Army
Corps, fought the bloody battle of Five
Forks. 1t was the key to Richmond
commanding railroad communication:
with the South and the Confederate
troops made a desperate defence
Again and again the charging column!
of the 9Th Corps staggered back from
the murderouS fire and binding flame
of the rebel batteries, but encouraged
and inspired by Sheridan who was nov
here and now there, over the field the,
at length poured over the entrench
mentS, and Sheridan stood on the blood
stained works master of the field.
Next day came the assault on Peters
burg, and mud despatched Orderl,
stOrde into st. PaulS church in Rich
mond, interrupting the Rebel presi
dents deYOtiOnS with a note from tn
Rebel war department, that Richmond
was no longer safe. In a few hours h.
was fleeing fugitive. One week late
Gen. Lee surrendered 1900 men, al
he had left him of the great army o
Virginia. That, virtually, ended tn
war: and the war worn, weary veteran
before whom rose visions of home an,
loved ones and reunion near to come
for which their hearts hungered a
they only knew, We're wild with delight
What a contrast between Bull Run an,
AppomattaX. At Bull Run the EN-
blem of National Sovereignty gOin
down in dishOnOr and in disastrous de
feat before the first outset of full
organized rebellion. At AppomattO
the Nations sovereignty, and suprem
authority, settled the Union, the grea
temple of our liberties, which had bee
shaken as by an earthquake, standin
more sOlidly than ever before, the fla!
no longer bearing the dark blot of hu
man bondage; the United States frs
class military power; with navy, with
out peer atloat upon the ocean; wit
an army the like of which had neye
before mustered or marched to victory
and the skies bright with the outcom
ing of a new day of peace.
i have said little, that is not familia
to the members Of this Post, or to thos
of us who are of the same generation
But know they have for you, soldier!
an interest that will be fresh as tn
morning, while life shall last or memo
ry retains its powers. And the genera
ton that is crOwding so close upon us
in the solemn march of life, should b
aided by the yiYiduess of our realiZa
ton, and as it were be permitted to us
our eyes to see the tremendous mean
) ing of our civil war, the far reachin
Importance of the issues involved, tn
almost infinite interest imperiled an
! by consequence the grandeur and glor
of the triumphant victory. You VIII
have come upon the stage since, shout
estimate the value of the Union and c
National Sovereignty by the patriC
7 blood poured out for their Yindicatiol
their preservation and perpetuity. 70
should have patriotic devotion to til
flag which has been borne through
life-ank death struggle, over fields an
Notifications, red and slippery with tn
1 blood of self sacrifice, up to that hig
2 place where now it is planted, til
1 proudest and the grandest emblem {
g nationality in the round world. Lit
r this Memorial Day. if not to you da
< of recollectiOns, yet Oe q day of dee
g impressions of the events of that blood
d but glorious chapter of your country
). history. 1t is not a day to arouse o.
d bitterness, or stir up hatreds engende
: ed by the war We are one peOpl
It God help us to be one in heart. Ye
:, let flowers be scattered on the gray,
. H.. q,