Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1891-11-14

TO me that at such time should bA
laid aside. wanted to help my coun-
try in her hour of peril and need. 1
wanted to aid her in that time of dis
tress What could do? Even busi-
ness was interdicted! 1 seemed help
less, possessing the heart but not the
hand to serve her! During the time
that an urgent call for more men was
being made I felt especially depressed
by the fact, and on one particular night
retired to find that sleep had forsaken
my pillow, leaving me to dwell sadly
and restlessly upon my powerlessness.
AFTER awhile 1 thought of the mass
meeti9 to recruit volunteers, held that
evening, and the suggestion came, 4
might write song for them Then
this song came to me, and arose and
wrote it out. The next evening the
glee club sang it at the war meeting,
and large number of men volunteered.
81 rejoiced and l thanked God that I
had been permitted to give to the peo-
pie a song which should inspire them to
do so. say then thanked God, my
friends, that I was able to serve my
country by stirring up the patriotism
Of her sons, but in all my professional
life / have never been so moved as
when, later, read an account of that
Iowa regiment which, during those
dreadful days of the battle before
Vicisburg, went into the fight nine
hundred strong and came out of it only
three or four hundred, but, clinging to
their soiled and tattered banner, were
singing: Yes we'll rally round the
flag, boys, we'll rally once again"
~ felt then that / did not know what
thankfulness was before. To have fur.
nished those men, wounded and bleed.
ing, a song which should cheer and sus-
tain them through such an experience
was indeed very great joy to me!
felt l had surely served my country;
/" his voice faltered. He paused
long enough to allow an excited voice
at the rear of the room to exclaim:
professor, one of those very men is
here-Mr. Baumgardner. He lost his
right arm in that very battle"
For a moment the transition from
that battlefield and its bleeding, sing
ing actors was startling.
Then came his response. Reaching
out his hand, he replied: "Come this
way, my friend come here" stir
followed, while we held our breath as
a young fellow walked up the aisle and
upon the platform to be grasped in a
hearty hand-shake, the professor ex-
claiming: God bless you" And they
stood silent, while the tears coursed
down the soldiers cheeks and many a
jewel glistened on those of the audi
ence. After 1--we hundred excited
voices" had joined in the inspiring song
we returned to the work of the after
noon, but thepicture was ours for life
time, and the melody of those words:
II thanked God that l was permitted'
that was his emphasis-mingles with
that of his many other songs and seems
part OF that reverent, genial, courtly
gentleman, whose manners and music
gave charm to other of our early
days.
Like seal upon this story is another
and later picture. We were attending
joyful reunion of the Sd Regiment,
Iowa Volunteers, at Cedar Falls, Ia,
where this story was retold. This ex-
clamation came from member of
Company X: Yes, that's the song we
boys sang July 22, marching through
the streets OF Atlanta, Ca, on our way
to Andersonyille. That's where we
fetched up! And we sang it good" he
added with kindling eyes-Helen w.
Taggart, in Washington Star.