Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-06-06
.hey lost chem in such a way as to place a

Il
| imputation of crime, and effaces forever
| the ignominy of felon's death. She pro-
| claims 60 the world and future generations
/ that they were neither thieves nor maraud-
| ers. but brave and honorable men and sol
diers; that their punishment was unmer-
| tied, and that their names shall shine on
the roll of honor among the brightest of all
that illumine the pages of our history
| (Chcers).
IL is but another added 10 the many illus
trations the world has given of the impo-
tency of blind malice TO biacken virtue,
disfigure worth and pervert the truth. Soc
rates has been all the nearer and dearer
| to the worlds generations because com
| PEELED to drink the fatal hemiock. Cicero
has grown continually greater and grander
| through all the centuries that his name has
outlived the wicked madness that con-
demned him TO death. And as truth and
justice have vindicated these and thous-
ands, so, too, have they vindicated those
whom we are here TO hspor.
This monument is our visible and endur-
ing testimonial of that fact. We erect
and dedicate IL in an impressive presence
Not only are we in the midst of the dead
but we are surrounded with bloody fields
and historic heights. Every spot ON which
the eye rests Is hallowed ground. Our
memories are filled with the deeds Of other
days. Visions long gone come back. A
| torn, dismembered and bleeding country
1
| in every household. Countrymen are
striving against countrymen Two flags
are in the sky. Two governments are
| striving for the mastery. Hooker IL again
| battling In the clouds; and once more
Thomas is storming Mission Ridge
| Again we see the moy ing columns, waving
| flags and glittering bayonets. Once more
| we hear the roar and tumult of battle
the rattle Of musketry, the shrek of shells,
the shouts of the victors and the groans
of the dying. Oh, horrible nightmare
Break away from il and look again. The
scene is changed. The armies have van
ished. Where was war, reigns peace.
| Warning states have become loving sisters.
One flag floats for all The same institu-
tions everywhere prevail. The curse of
| slavery Is no more The union has been
| preserved. The best blood of the nation
has washed out the one and cemented the
other. The constitution of the fathers has
been perfected by the sons. The nation
has entered upon q new life. We are
already the strongest, richest and happiest
people on the face of the earth, and yet all
that we are is but feeble preface 20 the
grandeur that awaits US. prolonged
cheering.)
What has wrought this transformation
| The union arms. Their triumph secured
| all these blessings.
Who now can paint the picture we would
have presented today had the rebellion
succeeded Disunited-slavcry here--free
states yondcr. An irrepressible conflict no
longer restrained by common interests.
| The Ohio river "a boundary line between
| hostile governments. As many flags as
fancies, and as many rebellions as JEFF
Davises Standing armies, burdensome
taxes, deprecated credit respected by
nobody, despised by all, even by ourselves
| And yet there are men who sanctimon-
| iously roll up their eyes and lugubriously
l.,...
was right
TINS monument is solemn protest
against such silly and wicked nonsense
| The man who would degrade the war TO "A
mere trial of strength or display of valor Is
guilty of crime second only to the re-
bellion itself Valor there was on both
sides, and that, too of the highest quality,
| but the sublimity of the struggle was in
| the principles at stake. They related to
our moral as well as our political welfare.
Human rights and personal liberty, as well
| as American nationality, were bound up in
the issue. Free, popular government was
on trial. Success was our triumphant sal
vation-failure would have been our un-
| speakable ruin. Great applause.)
Who SO blind as not TO seel Who so
unfaithful not TO accept those results
| and abide by themi Their good influences
have not been confined To ourselves. While
| uplifting us, they have gone abroad 20 be
! felt in every civilized country on the
| face of the earth. An enlargement
| of the rights of the subject in Eng
land; n republic in France, universal man
hood suffrage in Germany, a substantial
| curtailment of the prerogatives of royalty,
| and a broader recognition of the right of
the people everywhere to participate in
their own government. are but "A few of the
| many important consequences that have
resulted from the impetus of our achieve
4 m have he lf htlm
ity. Who so insensible 10 all this glory, as
not 70 be proud Of the United States of
darkness of the past. Thank God that
darkness can not last much longer. The
brightness of coming greatness will shortly
dispel it's faintest trace. Soon the last of
the war generation will be gone, and
almost before we know it our &c, ,000,00 of
people will have grown to more than l00,-
O000O0 In that day no one will be heard
expressing doubt as 10 the right of that
great struggle. With our merchant
marine Oh every sea, our ships trading in
every port, and the influence of our insti-
tutions dominating the continent and
inspiring the world, nobody will
mourn for slavery, defend rebellion or
chatter about state sovereignty. Obeying
a common constitution and following a
common flag TO a common destiny, the
preiudices that have drawn sectional lines
will be swallowed up in "A generous rivalry
or west, but only a common pride in every
portion of our common country. The glad
day is swiftly coming. Let us run to meet
it," Loud and long continued cheering.
When the orator resumed his seat there
was another demonstration Of enthusiasm
exceeding in intensity that which greeted
him when he first made his appearance
In the midst of the applause young Marion
l.. Ross, nephew and only male survivor
of Marion a. Ross, one of the executed
men, drew the cord AID unveiled the mon
ument The band struck up THE Sweet
Bye-and-Bye," and 20 600 voices joined in
the refrain. A brief valedictory was pro-
nounced by Hon. Stephen b. Porter, sec
retary of the Ohio Andrews Raiders COM
mission. and &. w. Norwood, secretary Of
the local Andrews Monument committee
In behalf of Mission Ridge Post, No. 45,
and Lookout Post. No. 2, accepted from
the Ohio commission the gift as n sacred
trust. Short addresses pledging support
were made by Mrs. Hattie S. Stewart,
provisional department treasurer in behalf
of Lookout corps and the Mission Ridge
corps, and Captain John A. Patten, of
Camp No. o, of the Sons of Veterans,
pledged that order 10 maintain the trust
Then the audience sang America and
with the pronouncing of the benedietion dy
Rev. William Pettingcr, one of the surviv-
ing Ladders, the exercises OF the day came
To an end.
Historical sketch.
The monument unveiled today is n
tribute from the state of Ohio to the
eight executed raiders. On March 20,
1889, the general assembly of that
|; state appropriated the sum of 81, 1000 for
its erection, and this amount was
largely increased by private snbscrip-
tions. The names of the eight raiders
are as follows: James j. Andrews, citi-
zen, late of Flemingsburg, KY; Will
!. liam Campbell, citizen, late of Saline
vile, Columbiana county, o.; George
ID. Wilson, Company ID, Second Ohio
infantry, enlisted at Franklin, Miami
county, Ohio: Marion A. Ross, Com
pany A, Second Ohio infantry, enlisted
, at Urbana, Champaign county, Ohio,
! Perry g. Shadrack, Company X, second
) Ohio infantry, enlisted at Mitchell Oil
works, jefferson county, Ohio: Samuel
Slavins, Company 4, Thirty-third Ohio
infantry, enlisted at Portsmouth, Scioto
county, Ohio; Samuel Robbins, Com
! pany G., Thirty-third Ohio infantry,
enlisted at Bourneville, Ross county,
Inbio. Iohn NJ Scott s.nrunanu II