The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1892-02-11
AROUND THE CAMPFIRE.
Some Account of the Good Time La
Friday,

very enjoyable reunion last Friday.
By the courtesy of one of the old vets,
The Gazette is able to give an abstract
of the proceedings.
The weather overhead was fine, but
the roads were SO rough that only a
few soldiers from the country came i'll.
Notwithstanding, there was a large
audience in the afternoon and an Ov-
erfowing one in the evening.
In his address of welcome Judge
Baldwin spoke of the revolutionary
soldiers organizations and the Grand
Army as one in aim and sentiment, to
wit: TO perpetuate friendships, for
mutual benefit, and as helping to ed
ucate the rising generation.
The Rev. A. j. Williams acted as
chaplain for the occasion. The aud
ence showed their appreciation of thu
entire musical program. ltgoes with
out saying, it was god from first to
last. Miss Iva Gale played and sang
Lay me down and save the flag
The programmes were too long to be
itemized here.
1t is only possible in this report,
owing to want of space, to give more
than birds eye view of this campfire.
Your reporter is afraid some may
feel slghted by not being mentioned.
The two pieces read are mentioned
because of their subject matter, the
last by special request of several com
rades.
The address of Com. G. D. Parker,
the department commander, was his
tory of his army life mostly, inter
sp arsed with true stories. AS he COM
menced with his first enlistment, every
soldier recognized in his statements
his own experiences. We were with
him in camp during the hours of te-
dious drill, on the march through Ken
lucky, at Chattanooga during the fear
full seige; can see him foraging in the
dirt of the mule corralls for corn to
stay the pangs of hunger. We were
with him at Chickamauga's bloody
field, and again we hear the inspirir g
roar of Hooker's artillery above tie
clouds on Lookout, and see the army
on our left weltering in its own blood
in Sherman's slaughter pen, eVe!y
piece of artillery in Braggs' army avail
able brought to bear on that devoted
band. We see the center and right as
they give the yell and with bayonets
fixed charged up the ridge-the one
instance in the war where the army
ran away from its commander, gong
to the enemy. Again we SEQ them
gather around the rough and rugged
he;ghts of Kenesaw aud through the
100 DAYS of battle to Atlanta. lrom
Savannah to the end was one grand
army picnic compared to hat they had
experienced. Wherever Co IL. Parker
speaks he reads the poem entltle: {,
"Whispering Bill" ltseems that BIS
mother told him when he was leaving
for war that God would take care OF
him if he never forgot to pray. A reb-
ell bullet injured the boys brain, or as
the poem expressed it ''killed his mind
and let his body be- The rest Of his
life Bill seemed to be loading and FIR
ing at an imaginary enemy, and only
saving God will take care of you, Bill
The commander spoke 81 minutes
in the afternoon. Both afternoon and
evening h was very entertaining. y. 9
object OF the address was to define ard
imprcss on the audience the meaning
of the motto of the Grand Army, viz:
Era .ernity, Loyalty and Charity.
Charity may be illustrated by the no
Die work OF the Womau's Rellcf Cory s,
or those women who accompanied
Cows. Salmon of Wisconsin, Yates Of
Illinois and NJ r%on of Indiana, to
Pittsburg Landing, where they cared
for the soldiers as they would for their
own children. 1t was fun to see how
amused the youngsters were at the
reading of Jake S .hneider's ride "
Comrade Hopkins. Jake beat little
Pills record all out.
There was many moist eye while
Miss Marian Everett read about the
court martial in the case of Benny who
was sentenced to be shot for sleeping
at his post, and the ervocation OF the
order by President Lincoln at the IL
tercession of his sister.
'"Don't be in a hurry" was read by
Miss Fannie Everett. Apiece Of very
different nature, but equally as well
read. A short time before the death
of Gen. Sherman, Don't be in a hur-
nv" was written. 1t is as follows:
They feel that the oil soldiers are in the way
and ought to get out o. the way of the rising
generation and that the law giving veterans
the preference should be repealed. Again
and again have I heard the complaint witt
caustic illusions to the length of the life OF
the veterans. such as, Twill they never die|
DO they want the whole earth and how Ions
do they want it?" Young men, 100000 OF then
died when you was in your cradle; lo,ooo OF
them died in Is minutes before Cold Harbor
the morning of the Sd of June, 1854, when the
army of the Potomac made an attack al
along the line. From 1900 to II, 900 died June
81, 1864, around Kcnesaw's bloody heights
Many thousands of hem died in rebel prisons
, and hospitals, naked, hungry, suffering ant
far from the dear folks at home. They are dy
ing fast enough. More than half a million o.
them still live. Every one of them, barring
none bears in his body mar ks of battle O
germs of disease, contracts d while campaign
F ing in order that this government might no
fade from the earth But for them there
would be no government for you to serve OF
protect YOU Don't be in a hurry, young man
> Don't be in a hurry. These old soldiers are
marching off the field by brgades every year
regiment after regiment Is passing away ove
the brow of time. These old soldiers are
/ marching off the field aud will soon, all too
} soon for me- be out of the way. God bless
them. 1 wish they could live forever as thei
fame will. Was Sherman in your way? Gran
has gone, Sheridan has followed. Gone are
the serried columns which stood in the way a
, Gettysbargh, Fredericksburg, A>taTta, Chick
) amauga, Lookout and a thousand bther plac
, es Their deeds are blazoned on more fields
, than your weak brain can remember. The!
will soon be out of the way out while they art
p here the republic will give them the prefer
ence.
Col. Grants address is to be pub
lished. The colonel was suffering from
< severe cold in his head, which mad,
1 him feel so miserable he could not tel
i e l. ~ L / -.