Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-07-17

"And so, just as Gettysburg was the
turning point of the great war, so, to
my thinking, was the grapple with and
overthrow of Stuart on the fields Of
the Rummel farm the turning point of
Gettysburg. Had he triumphed there,
had he cut his way through or over
that glorious brigade of Wolverines
and came sweeping all before him
down among the reserve batteries and
ammunition trains, charging furiously
hausted infantry even as Pick
ett's devoted Virginians as sailed
their front, 10 man can say where
scenes of rout and disaster might not
have occurred. Pickett's charge was
the grand and dramatic climax of the
fight, because it was seen of all men.
Stuart's dash upon the Second Division
far out on the right flank was hardly
heard OF for years after. It would
have rung the world over but for the
Michigan men. Pennsylvania and
New Jersey, New York, and the little
contingent Of Marylanders had been
fighting for days, were scattered, dis
mounted, and exhausted when the
plumes Of Stuart came floating out
from the woods of the Stallsmith Farm,
Hampton and Fitz Lee at his back. It
was Custer and the Wolverines who
flew like bulldogs straight at the
throat of the foes; who blocked his
headlong charge; who pinned him to
the ground while like wolves their
comrade troops rushed upon his TANKS.
1t may be, perhaps, an outcropping
of the old trooper spirit now, but as I
look back upon the momentous four
years struggle, with all it's lessons of
skill and fortitude and valor incompar
able, it seems to me that, could have
served in only one Of it's great combats,
drawn saber in just one supreme crisis
on whose doubtful issue hung trem-
bling the fate of the whole Union, I
would beg to live that day over again
and to ride with Gregg and Mcintosh
and Custer; to share in the wild,
fierce charge of the Michigan men; to
have my name go down to posterity
with those of Aiger and Kidd, Town
and Trowbridge and gallant Ferry,
whose dead hand gripped the saber
hilt and the very grave 10 have it
said that fought with the old Second
Division of the Cavalry Corps that day
when it went and grappled and over
whelmed the foe in the full tide of his
career, at the very climax Of the strug-
gle, and hurled him back to the banks
Of the Rubicon of the rebellion, to
cross it then and there for the last
time. to look his last upon the green
hills of Maryland to vex
our soil until, casting away the sword
he could come with outstretched hand
to be hailed as friend and brother.
Young gentlemen, yours IS glorious
heritage. You are to-day representa-
tives Of the knighthood of the State OF
Michigan, many of you bearing the
very names of those who won such SOL
dierly renown upon the most famous
/ field in our country's history. l have
watched with unhagging interest the
steady progress and development of
this admirable institution wherein you
are being schooled for duties that may
nroye as onerous and exacting as those
which fell to the lot of your slres, ana
I congratulate you, and congratulate
the commonwealth, upon the fact that
so long as these walls remain there
will issue forth, year after year. a
corps of young officers fitted thorough,
" 10 lead. to teach and to command
the troops, not only of your own State,
hut of the nation at large.
tits glorious country to serve: 1t
;s a beautiful land we live in. 1t is
sc Something q more than inspiring to note
Tho grandeur, the power and the posi-
h;lit;es of the nation o-day. and to re.
o1ize that all this is but the result OF
tha heroic lives and the even more
1 InT deeds of those who fought with
nenr fathers for the maintenance and
sUur Of the Union in the stub
, born war q quarter of a century ago.
Gona since the bitterness has vanished.
a,,d With the new south-so rich and
prosperous pro-, and loyal to tlay--there has