The Opelousas courier., 1893-01-07
Our Lost Cause.
A TOUCHING PICTURE OF TuF PAST

A IOuCElNG PICTURE Of iiiF FAST.
On being installed into Office Of ma.
jor general of the Mississippi division
of the United States Confederate vet
Grams, at Jackson, July, l2, General S
ID. Lee, in a short address that moved
many of his hearers to tears, said
COmrads-I thank YOU from the bot
tom of my heart for this unexpected
honor. It shows me that the old feel
together takes me in, and that | am a
unit in this band Of hrotIlrr~, who hav
ing once been comrades are comrades
to the end. | am proud to feel this
still exists.
AS | look into the faces of the men
who have Just honored me, | recall the
story of the old war horses that sur,
vived the battle of Waterloo, who,
whenever they heard the thunder
storms, thought it was the echoes of the
old artillery and formed in line at once.
/ see before me many old war horses
battle SCARED veterans, and | appeal
to them, if the sight of many comrads
on this occasion does not stir their
souls and bring a rush of memories
that almost starts a tear. We realize
the great changes that have come over
US, and how few are left of those who
laid down their arms and disbanded
twenty-seven years ago
Such reunions necessarily recall "the
days that are no more.n Old memo
ries. they cling, they cling. We would
not ask to forget them. 1t would be
impossible to look at this glorious rem
nant of gallant survivors and not recall
the many battle fields and campaigns
where we shared the perils and the
same privations. Now it seems but a
dream. Where now is the SOUND Of the
bugle, the roll of the drum, the
boom of the common, the crack of the
shaIpshooter, the rattle of muketry
Where is the dark cloud of blue uni
forms that fringed the horizon and the
long lines of gray forms that charged
upon them or resisted their advance?
Vanished forever. But yet fresh in
our minds ever linger the recollections
Of the times when we sat around the
camp fires, when We marched without
r%ations, in the dreary winter rains, and
~bivouacked at night with no shelter
but the heavens.
Who can forget the patriotic motives
that inspired us, that thrill us yet ?
And we will carry to our graves our
uualtered convictions of belief in the
business of our struggle.
The ardor with which we rallied
around our flag was grand. The i'll,
domitable heroism with which we fol-
lowed it through disaster and danger
on to death could only have sprung
from ii concientious love of country.
Every soldier felt that be died in a
holy couse. We ~Uostinately refused to
have our right wrested from us. We
fought for a principle that we were
raised to brlieve in-we believe in il
yet. We always will believe in it,
Yet comrads. the issue was settled for,
ever when we land down our arms
We have accepted the situation, but
with our honAr and integrity IN
furnished, aud renewed u allegiance
in good faith to the flag of our common
country.
The struggles of half a life time
with broken fortunes and disappointed
hopes, have made different men Of
many of us but when we meet as we
do to, day we lay all aside. "We are
soldiers, just for to-night." If at home
we are battling with every discourage
ment, with the energy of despair, or il
we have settled down into the apath
etic feeling that it cannot get any
worse, it makes no difference. 1t is {
duty to those who fell on the field o
battle to treasure the hallowed memo
ries of the past.
In days gone by, when each and al
of us we're called on to make desperate
| charges on the battle field, and which
we can never forget, as our ranks were
thinned by cannon and rife balls, WI
closed up, got nearer together, till WE
could feel the elbow touch, and press
ed forward. Let us not forget thi
custom and our soldierly duty. W.
are now, in obeying natures law, fall
ing faster than we did amid the car
mage of battle. Those of US left hav,
frosted heads and furrowed faces
The command we so often heard whei
soldiers, is silently and quietly comm!
to each one of. Close up! The fewe
we become, the stronger seems the til
that binds US together. We are me
to keep fresh the memories of the his
toric past aud to renew old friendships
Such an occasion is like a green oasi
10 the dreary desert of commonplace
life. Let US enjoy it, comrades.
As long as there is a survivor left, le
US meet together from time to time ant
/" fight it over again" Let us rever
ence the past and enjoy the feeling o
a band of brothers to the end. Look
ing on such a body of men, how can
help feeling proud when they select M
as their major general. Life has it
compensations. This is one of them.