The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-05-31

Lhe very air, they, Win courage anC
valor unsurpassed by soldiers of any ags
through carnage and blood into the very
jaws OF hell itself and triumphantly
planted Is upon the rampartS OF treason,
there to remain forever, monument &c
their gallantry, their heroism and theil
fortitude
In these old men gathered around me
with furrowed cheeks, frosted hair. stoop-
ing shoulders and hating gait, l recognize
the brave boys that were, who, when an
lnsolent and brutal slave power demanded
Kansas for its nefarious purposes, said
mol Never! Rather than give one acre oil
its sacred soil to such an Infamous object,
we Will GreDch the continent with blood. y
And how well you kept that sacred prom
ise, Lees and Johpson's scattered columns,
your bFokeu constitutions and the graves
that mark the last resting place OF your
dead comrades attest only too well. You
kept the faith so well that today there are
no masters or slaves under tile sheiteris z
folds of the American flag; SO well that all
men in this great government or ours are
today free to eat the bread OF honest toll,
with an equal chance IN TIE race OF life,
unveXed by the lash of master or the
brutality of an overseer. When the per-
petuity of the nation was meuaced, with
out previous training as soldiers, without
any preparations whatever for war, these
old men, then boys. hastily left their voca-
tioAs in life and, abandoning the comforts
of home and the compaulonshIp OF loved
ones. amidst the anguish and the tears OF
such a separation, left for the field OF earn
age. And N the camp, OH the march, and
upon every battlefield of that war, proved
their heroism as soldiers and their patriot
ism as men, demonstrating by the shed
ding of their blood that they were the
worthy sons of the brave sires who hum
bled England and founded the government
under which we live. Four hong weary
years of suffering, privation and strife
they faced the foe always.
When the great rebellion was over
thrown, and the last armed traitor sur
rendered, and the flag of our country
foated free and unveXed everywhere
throughout the length and breadth of the
land and our erring brothers until then
our fOes) lay prone, PROSTATE and helpless
at our feet, having by their treason and
treachery forfeited their liberty and their
lives; which would have been exacted by
any other government on earth, our
soldiers were the men who, forgetting the
conflict aud the terrorS through which
they had just passed, unmindful of the
death and carnage inflicted upon them by
the foe, with a charity as broad as the gulf
which heretofore separated them. reached
forth the helping hand and lifted them to
their feet, furnished them with food and
and, without the further sacri-
flee of single life, sent them
to their homes and loved ones
with their benediction, admonishing them,
only, to sin no more. Thus demonstrat-
ing as never before, that even in war the
world grows better as it grows Older How
different was the treatment OF the yam
uuisIed in another age History tells us
that Zenobia, the proud and hauty queen
of Palmyra, smarting under what she con-
ceived to be the unjust assumptions OF
Rome. threw off the imperial yoke and
raised the standard of revolt. To reduce
her to subsection the Emperor Aurellan
great army against her, after
bloody battle overthrow and took her cap
tive to Rome, where clad in the manner
best calculated to show her great beauty
Of face and form, bedecked with jewels and
sparkling with diamonds, she was harness
I'd with gold chains to that great monarchs
chariot aud dragged by him In her bare
feet twelve miles through the streets of
,hatsgreat city for the amusement of null
,itudes who gathered OH either side to wit
Hiss that evidence of his wonderful victory.
no man fought because lie loved fight
NC. None did so without an ever present
ear in his mind that the next to die
night be himself He faced death for
hours aud days at a time; he was always
surrounded III one form or another by 1t,
put with a courage that was simply su-
0lime he met it at all times and every
where, unfiinchinsly Men may define
he influences which animate them under
such trying ordeals as they will, still in
nv judgement the sense of duty and the
ear of shame are the only excuses for
heir bravery, without which no man Will
assume such risks.
Upon the field of Shiloh when and
where the battle ragged most f1ercely, a rab-
lit came running through our lines, when
IN Irishman loading his gun looked up
md said: 'Run ye little divll, if l had no
more character to loose than ye have, be-
lad Pde run too"
Another scene comes to me now that
will go with NE to the end. On that fatal
ield mere boy was battling with wonder
ul bravery when rebel ball pierced his
ii tails and he fell A hasty examination
evealed the fact that he was mortally
He was told that the end was
lear. The poor fellow, gasping with pain,
aid: ''Teli mother that have tried TO do
ny duty; tell her that / died bravely, and
hat we shall meet again in the sweet bye
nd bye" My attention was drawn to the (
nemy for moment; when my gaze re- !
urned to him he was dead his face /
vrea,hed in smiles, Thus soldiers died. /
10 prayers, no tears, no signs, no fears; /
WIN a SEdHNy LuSJ
IL braced the grim monster
Who that has read the story of the con- /
uest of Mexico can ever forget that brave 4
nd gallant Alvarado, Cortes' chief lieu
euant, mounted on that splendid mare of .
is clad in armor, with battte-aX III hand, |
Nth prayers on his lips to the Virgin I
larry, he rode among the hosts Of Monte !
una, slashing right and left. while she, I
itiny with her teeth, striking with fore
l. iol~ ,r-i. /, bar 1.IH
De out right, front. left and rear, while he /
her with words OF cheer and
1t was and IS one Of the
randest spectacles in ali history.
Thus, men will fight TO the eud for their
eligion. their loved ones, or their lives,
md this reminds Inc that this trait of
harecter is not confined TO my sex
lone. At the battle OF Corinth,
e were drawn up in battle array just out
de of town, Forts Robnett ou our left.
Williams on our right, both manned with
eavy artillery. while an ONO battery Of
* guns was placed in the road leading
rom the head OF one OF the streets to the
1untry, where. less than mile away,
an Dorn and Price with 10000 confeder-
te veterans crouched ready TO pounce
pom US. their hated flags Haunting in our
ices, the bright rays Of tAe shining sun
leaning from their rifles. Ia command
{ this battery, mounted upon a splendid
1arger, sat tie captain. By his side GA a
Ike animal dressed in a dark velvet riding
abie, large hat with long Jet black
-,ther glisteniag IA the sunlight. sat- has
ife The word was passed down the line.
lady men. here they come Bach mau
-asped his muskes with renewed ylgOr
ID steeled MS nerves for the stock Of bat
e. Over raviues, feiIed tiniser alid or
rucl ions pl tcea ~ their way, shat EIizAty
Ost bore d0yu pom Is u hen within
o yards that captain. rising n his stir
lps, with a voice heard abgve tie bell ot
Ar, shouted, Fire Six zuHs ieapea
ON tue ground; SIX flames Of fire heicheG
ON their uoslriI-; Williams and Rotsi- I
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