The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-04-03


coffee coolers" who charged up the
bloody slopes Of Kenesaw, aud stood
amidst the storms of shot and shell at
Shiloh, Antietam and the Wilderness;
some one else besides ''coffee coolers
who faced death and hell at Little
Round Top, and drove back the rebel
hordes. shattered, broken and bleeding,
from the hills and valleys of Gettysburg;
some one else besides coffee coolers
who, starving, thirsling, furnishing in
southern prison pens, came forth living
skeletons, or persisted within those
awful confines; some one else besides
"coffee coolers" who. ere the war ended,
flied 300, 600 loyal graves!
have often thought, when reading
Of the fierce struggles o. that contest,
where shot and shell plowed their bloody
way through the ranks OF living men
ard thousands were falling, never TO
rise again-how the shattered columns
would closs up and still face the storm
of lead and steel, ready to do and die
for country and the flag have often
thought If l had been there ! would
have wanted more than anything else
on earth to run. Whether would have
run or not do not know. ] can only
hope the Almighty would have vouch-
sated me some small shars % tina cour-
age aud devotion which crowned the
heroes Of that dav. Bur this ] know;
The more think Of that great struggle,
and the glorious heritage o. freedom
and nationality their vaIor preserved for
nv children and for me, the more
thank God for the men who stood fast
in the hour OF the nations peril, and
brayed death In all its forms rather than
that the nations flag should 90 down.
When was u boy, away back Ia my
childhood's home on the banks Ut Lake
Erie, there was an old man. weather
beaten, feeble and gray. Hs was IN OBJ
iect OF veneratiou and honor in all the
country around. Men went out Of their
way TO speak to him. Strangers sought
10 meet and talk with him, and felt hon.
''Oi3 Ben Fleming" who had fought
with Commodore Perry. eighty years
ago, in the famous battle Of Lake Erie.
He was plain, simple old man; but in
the great patriotic professions upon the
anniversary of thai day, surrounded by
figs and banners, the cynosure OF all
eyes, would ride "Old Ben Fleming
the surviving hero Of e bygone age.
waved their hands, and men took Off
their hats as the old hero OF 1919 rode by.
A quarter of century, now, and
more, since the battered regiments turn
ed homeward from the great war-a
generation has come upon the earth
since then. Que by one the old heroes
drop by the wayside, and we hear tho
foolfalls Of younger men IL the
haunts and places Of the brave men who
are passing away; and, In the not far
distant future, can see the last old SOL
der of the grand army of the Union. 1t
may be thirty, forty or fifty years, but
IA day will come, some day. when the
last old hero of the great war, with
whitened hair, and wrinkled face. and
Bonded form, will stand solitary and
alone amid the people Of the nation he
fought to save. Glorious and solemn
thought! What honor will be TOO great
for him then? What matter where In
this broad land he may be, the whole
nation will claim him. Each tottering
step will be watched by the eyes of
thousands. Each faitering word viii be
caught and treasured. How reverently
even great men will uncover before him.
And how small, and petty, and selfish,
now lncomprehensiDie 10 me men OF
that day Will seem the din and contro-
versy of this generation over the ques-
ton as to how much this country owes,
or whether it still owes anything, to the
heroes who saved it!
Old soldiers, l want to say to you that,
in the ignoble warfare now being waged
upon SO many of you by men IN high
places, the young men of tins country
are with you! We glory in the history
you made for us, we love you for tile
country you preserved for us; we honor
you for the flag you saved for us; and, as
you stood by your country in her time
of need, so every patriot, young and old,
will stand by you today and stand by
you TO the end.