The National tribune., 1895-11-21
ANOTHER PLEA
For the Men Whose Sacrifice of Themselves
Gave the Country Prosperity.

| Gave the Country Prosperity.
| EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Are We
| forgotten? Has this Nation for which we
| have done so much to maintain as a Union Of
| States left us out in the cold ? To be sure
| we have no hospital record In the
days of war we were young, able-bOdied,
! stout and strong ready to spring to the
ranks when the bugle sounded the call to
charge and fight. Days, months years of
such service in defence of the Union; finally
mustered out with a soldiers noble record, in
apparent good condition and health, after
faithfully upholding the Government we so
much loved.
Thirty years have passed since then One
by one we are dropping by the wayside, in
poverty and distress, too proud to beg, too
weak to longer WELD the shovel and the hoe;
dreading to lose our identity as we OCCASION
ally look in at the narrow doors of charitable
institutions with the same eyes that in the
strength Of our manhood met the flash OF
cannon upon the field, but now faded, and at
times filed with tears that we are ineom-
petent to feed the hungry mouth. The nerves
and strength used in the days of war begin TO
show the great strain upon them, impaired
by the long marches, sleep upon the ground,
In the field, midst rain, sleet and snow;
wading through swamps and rivers, wasting
away with the scanty fare of the prison-pen;
cold, naked, In rags, hungTy-hungry for
months, yes, years. fighting fighting for
the preservation of the Union Oh how hard
the struggle now to even keep bread in tho
mouths of our loved ones Has the Nation
determined we shall 90 down along this path
of WEAKNESS to the tomb without one penny
of help, when we helped the Nation 80 much
in its dread hour of need-staked our all,
even our lives, that it should be maintained?
/ am sure my countrymen, my people, who
live in this beautiful land of peace and plenty,
made so glorious and grand by our faithful
services, will not let us starve and die by the
wayside, now that the once-strong right arm
that raised the blade in defense Of the old
flag is 50 weak and powerless.
Let the Nation show its gratitude to those
who were fortunate enough to worry through
without sickness or wound, wasted away inch
by inch in the prison pen, always in the front
rank with uncovered bosom ready for the
deadly missile, stood steadfastly loyal in the
hours of rags and suffering from hunger in
the prisons Of the enemy, to the alluring
promises of liberty and plenty if they would
but forswear the flag of their country, I'M
yielding, and would die rather than see Old
Glory go down. Surely, our Government
could spare few pennies to help along those
who have failed to make the Commissioner
of Pensions understand their ailments Let
us look over the War Department records of
these soldiers who so long stood the brunt of
battle in safety to himself at that time
these nOn-penSiOnable true and tried soldiers
of that great, grand, victorious Union Army.
Their once iron frame is now racking and
crumbling and no one with q liberal thought
can deny but what their services through that
long and terrible struggle made an inroad up
on their once powerful frames. Oh, you whom
necessity compelled to remain with the COM
mercial and other interests of that busy time;
you whose youthful age made you unaecept-
table to the Union ranks; you who stood by
us with your cheers of encouragement when
victory rested upon the banner of the free;
You who stood sentinel upon the midnight
watch of the Rapidan and the RappahannOck;
YOU who crossed the Chattahoochee and Ten
nessee on your sweeping march to the sea,
storming the wild hills of Resaca; you who
are fortunately cared for through your honor
able disability upon the field or camp, take
ND the cause of the cOmrade-he who fought
so long by your side and was fortunate in
coming out whole You know he has an all
ment; you see him as he passes along the
street and highways looking for friendly
shelter over night or q morsel of food from
some loyal hand to sustain his now ever-fail-
ing strength; you see him as he passes down
along the path to the tomb, hungry and SILENT
and clothed in rags. Stand by him as he
stood bv YOU in the smoke of battle, through
the fiercest charge and when the political
war rolls high within the next II months,
select the men who have the Union soldiers
interest at heart-FRANK A. HUBBELL,
Captain, Co. ID, 9th Pa.