The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1891-06-13
THE CONFEDERATE SOLDIER.
Address on Federal Decoration Day at
bingham, Mass, by Rev. DIR.
Lindsay, an Ex.COnfederate
Snufhnrnnr
SOuthernOr

Modern civilization is marching
forward steadily to the period when
mel .'shall beat their swords into
plowshares and their spears into prun-
ing hooks" and nations shall not ..learn
war any more" The arts and agricul-
turc, manufactures and commercial
intercourse among the nations, and,
above all, the spirit of Christianity
dominating mankind, Will make war
impossible and compel a peaceful
settlement of the controversies Of the
countries of the world. We feel the
movement that is bearing us on to
this consnmnation. Already the mi
litary hero is yielding his place in
public admiration to the civic leader,
and the pages of the historian are
beginning to glow with the story of
the victories of peace.
Why, then. are We assembled here
tonight, ut the call of Il Grand Army
post, to do honor to the soldiers of the
r%epuhlicP 1t is because we recognize
the virtues of the soldier and would
paN,ur tribute TO the noble men who
illustrated those virtues in lives that
We're rirlt and inspiring. 1t is because
soldierly qualities are. admirable and
useful ut all times-uo less in piece
than iE wal. I shall therefore feel
justified in speaking to You on this
Sunday night preceding the national
Memorial day of the American soldier
as a true type of character.
You were soldiers of the union, and
I, for IL short time, filed an humble
place among the followers of Robert
E. Lee. But we are Americans row,
and we were Americans then. | shall
therefore paint the picture of the
American soldier from the original
character, as seen in the two armies.
We shall discuss no political princi-
piles, but dellneate moral qualities,
which were the same in the men who
fought in the northern and southern
armies.
The first quality that attracts the
attention of the student in the Ameri-
can soldier is an intelligent sense of
duty coupled with military discipline.
Duty has always been the soldiers
watch word. His common tasks are
called duties. From the first impulse
to enlist III his cOuntry's service till the
day that he was mustered out. the
American soldier was moved by high
sense of duty. North and south men
entered the armies for the sake of
duty. They obeyed orders for the
sake of duty. They understood the
cause for which they fought they
were intelligent fighters, they took in
the situation in battles and cam
pains, and yet they were submissive TO
the authority of others because it was
their duty. To this was added a
homelier quality discipline sub
lection to rule, training OF the powers
in regular action. For the soldier
everything is prescribed = dress.
carriage, hours Of rest and of service,
advancing and re~treating, freeing aud
ceaseing to fire. The Americac soldier
submitted to such discipline, though
he was an intelligent man, had help
ed to elect his company officers and
was their equal. | remember being
struck with a remark let fall by IA
member of the late Pan-Anglican visit
ing committee. He characterized
some clever piece of mechanism, or
other, as IAN intelligent machine"
An army, regiment or corps was literal
ly Gan intelligent machine
The heroic qualities of patience en-
durance, fortitude and courage char,
acteriZed the American soldier. The
war that most people expected to last
three months continued fol four years.
How it taxed the private soldiers
power of patient endurance histoy will
eve tell. 1t was marked by peculiar
hardships on both sides ard by al
formations of victory and defeat that
tested fortitude. The confederate army
lacked clothing, tents, food, medicine
almost everything save skill and
strength and courage that go far to
supply material d~etiancies. Men of i'm
mense p,wer, with arms of terrible
destructiveness, were pIttied against
each other, and the conflicts demand
ed desperate daring. 1t was never
wanting in either army. The world
can never forget the courage displayed
by our countrymen at Malvern Hill
and Gettysburg, at the bloody angle of
Spottsylvania courthouse and in the
awful carnage of Cold Harbor. We
turn to the specially American char
acteristics of patriotism and generosity,
love of country and kindness to enne
mics that distinguished the soldiers of
the late war.
It was not a cold sense of duty that
drew men into the armies of the union
in 81, and it was neither self-interest
nor love of adventure nor hatred of
the union that created as by magic the
armies of the southern confederacy.
You say the destruction of your coun-