The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-06-09

mistaken. The true soldier goes
, where he is sent, and that NAV be on
guard or police duty in tTe ,egions of
'liasmatic swamps. as ~ the Missis-
s'ppi bottoms or tae Louisiana la
gooDs.
The figures Of war show that dis
ease, the exposures and hardships of
camp and field, and the strain of those
unavoidable incidents of soldier life
IN all sections are more deadly foes to
health and vigor and the vitality of
soldiers than battle wounds.
In the unhealthy regions of swamps,
in the hot scorchlng suns of summer
and the chilling rains of winter, in in
adequate protection from the elements,
in food but poorly cooked and limited
in variety, and in the many inconven-
fences and deprivations of the COM
mon comforts of life are met more
deadly foes than rifle or cannon. He
who was SO unfortunate as to be sent
to southern prison pens was going in
to comparatively certain death. The
records of Andersonville show NOR.
tality for the month of October, 1864,
OF IS per cent. Do you realize those
hgures ? 1t mears total annihilation
of a body of men in less than six
months Very few men remained in
prison over six months and came
home to a future of health. If any
did they had Jared better than com
mon. You cannot understand the
terrible trials Of prison life in the
south. You may see the picture, but
the whole truth in its realism is not
there any more than the picture of
Niagara Falls can convey the thunder
| OF the cataract or the irresistible force
of the moving mass of water. would
not, if l could, describe all the horrors
of that life. And even what is told
you cannot feel. You cannot feel
that gnawing hunger, morning, noon
and night, hour after hour, week after
week, month after month, while the
body shrlnks, and you are constantly
growing weaker, fighting vermin, look
ing into the eyes of comrades miser-
able as yourself; seeing CANT and
hagsard shapes about you that are the
shadows of yourself; ; jealous lest your
comrade shall get crumb of bread
that belongs to you, watchful that the
rations are divided as exactly to a
hairs weight as human eye and human
judgment can make it. | have had
to step in between men to stop fight
because one comrade complained that
some crumbs fell on his side of the
knife, in dividing the bread ration, had
been scraped up by another.
Look further and see the scurvied
: flesh. Scant quantity was joined
, with scant quality and scant variety.
The end Of the finger pressed on the
, flesh left a cavity that no longer sprang
, back with life, and teeth could be rat.
tied against each other by touch oi
the finger. Mems feet were frosted
. to blackness and to the loss of nails
} and worse. All this have seen and
l more. have heard in the dark nigh,
when every ray Of light was shut out
the groaning Of those who, compelled
to grope their way to another part Of
the room, have fallen through the un
! protected stairway opening to the fool
). below. Groaning the night long, the
, stairway having been removed, nj!
: comrades could not, and the rebe
guards would not help him. 1 dart
! not tell you all, but as an American
e am proud to say that with grand forti
4 tude those men in their starving con
n dition encouraged each other will
1 patriotic fervor to confidence IN th'
t ultimate triumph Of the nation.
said men and they were men. Youths
|. like these before me, made men in th'
$ highest sense by the strong growth o
e patriotism and the forcing culture O
J, trials and hardships. Young il year
d but old and haggard in experience
e From three to FIVE years taken ava
/. from ones life between I8 and IS i
:. no light matter. Those years thus los
: can never be regained, and he witt
). loses them is that much behind in tn
4 life race. Add the hardships and ex
\ posure, wounds or disease, the physi
d cal constitution weakened and yo,
e have large bill to count in sacrifc
h by him who obeys the call of his coun
4 try as soldier. Here, in the path o
e peace and homes Of prosperity, tn
n killed and crippled are but incident
n in history. We are apt to forget tn
e sacrifice of the best years Of life, tn
# weakened constitutions, the lingering
|, disease, sometimes latent, but yet, es
n pecially with men naturally rugged
Il springing up in later years to sap tn
n health and strength. Over 100000
e Union soldiers laid down their lives ii
:. suppressing rebellion. About tw'
8 of these by disease to one by wounds
a This is remarkable when the record c
# wars in civilized countries give hv