Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1891-09-03
SOLDIERS REUNION.
A Large Crowd Present.

the Phillips county soldiers and sail
ors IS now in progress at the Fair
Grounds. Fifty tents have been
erected and all are filed with old SOL
diers and their families. Wednesday
the opening day was cold and gave
indications of rain, which kept MANY
at home. busy times also interfering.
Wednesday afternoon ex-President
AIcNay called the audience in the
ampitheater to order and introduced
Ritner Smith the present President,
who called on Mayor Woods to vel
come those present. Mr.. Woods
greeted the visitors with the following
words:
Ladies, gentlemen, fellow citizens
and old soldiers: It gives me great
pleasure to grant to you by virtue of
the Office which I hold, the freedom
of our city and to bid you welcome to
it. How it anImates our patriotism.
when we read of the brave deeds of
our soldiers. When we read the ac-
count Of the minute men of Massaehu-
sets, who left their farms, their work
shops, and counting houses, and hast
ened to their homes bidding wives
and children goodbye, shouldered
their old rifle and hastened to the bat
tie field Of Lexington, and there de-
feated the British sOlderv.
Again they gathered from the val
legs and mountains all over the colon
les forming into companies and regi-
ments, marched to Bunker Hill and
there again defeated the we'll trained,
we'll equipped and we'll differed Brit
lsh troops, and drove them to Boston
Harbor under the protection of their
war ships. War had now began in
earnest. Men rushed to arms; moth
ers said to their sons, ''go IN defense
of our rights, and turn not your back
upon the enemy in battle. If you do
do not want to see your face again. -
Such is the patriotism of our Ameri-
can women. I have often thought
that if 1t was not for the zeal, courage
and patriotism of our women, we
would have fewer dead heroes and
more living towards. The revolution
after many defeats and victories, f.
nally ended IN the surrender of York
town, and a new nation was born.
bought with blood and baptized with
tears, but it was made free and in
dependent nation that has been trans
mitted to rs by the patriots of the
revolution with all its blessings. You
old soldiers read the historical ac-
counts in your boyhood days and
when you read the accounts and gazec
upon the picture of battle field your
boyish patriotism swelled in YOU
young hearts as you read about the
deeds of valor of the American soldier
But little did you think when yor
rehearsed these deeds of daring and
gazed upon the picture of carnag,
that occurred on the battle fields oil
the revolution that it would fall tc
your lot to engage in even greater bat
, ties than these were, to help maintain
those free institutions that wer,
bought by tho blood of our forefath
ers and had been transmitted to us b,
} your blood. And that flag still waves
over the land of the free and the
home of the brave.
: So old soldiers take the city O.
: Phillipsburg. It is yours to enjoy a.
the sacrifices you have made, the suf
fering you have endured, the deed.
of heroic valor you have done entitle
2 you to all its freedom, and as its
, Mayor bid you thrice welcome"
, At the close of the Mayors remark
DR.. Wallace entertained the audienc
, with one of his most happy speeches
and an adjournment was had until at
ter supper At o'clock Fred. Close
of Troy, one of the old soldiers VIII
bears the mark of service on his per
son, made very appropriate address
urging the Posts to Danish all mat
ters of a political nature from thei
organization. and also touching u
those old soldiers who are now doin;
the fighting twenty-five years sine
the war closed.
> MIR. Close was followed by Mr.. Nc
Nay and others, when flights out
l was sounded and the audience dis
missed.
Busy times doubtless will proven
the presence of many, nevertheless
the reunion promises to be one of til
moot s,7coassf,l ovar haI5