The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1896-05-28
PREACHED TO VETS.
Rev. Crosse Delivers an Interesting
Memorial Sermon.

| memorial Sermon.
Memorial Sunday services we're held
in the Methodist church last Sunday
Rev. R. G. Grose preaching the SER
mon. Rev. John Sinclair of the Pres
byterian church assisted in the SER
vices. The pulpit of the church was
tastefully decorated with wild ferns
beautiful potted plants and cut flow
ers, interviewer with flags and bunt-
ing. The seating capacity OF the
church was taxed to the utmost. The
choir, composed of Misses Nettie
Houck, Grace Chadbourne and Jessie
Waldron, and Messrs. Martin and
French, with Miss May Ferris as or
ganist and Mason Terpening as cornet
accompanist, rendered several appro-
pirate anthems during the service
The seats Immediately in front of the
pulpit we're reserved for the G.. A. r.
Post and Women's Relief Corps, and
about 80 members Of those two organ
izations were present. After reading
of scripture and prayer by Rev. John
Sinclair and an anthem by the choir,
Rev. Grose commenced his sermon.
He prefaced his remarks by saying
that he had never heard memorial
sermon, he not having been born in
the right country, but had hoped to
have heard one this year if it had not
been his lot to preach this one. The
subject of his sermon was taken from
part of the 10th verse of the SD
chapter of Exodus, 81 will make of
thee great nation" These words, be
said, were spoken to Israel, but par
ticularly to Moses. Every nation which
had achieved greatness had to go
through trials, and this nation was
one of them. At this point he stated
that while in Cleveland last week he
heard VIM. Mckinley, the possible
future president of the United States,
give talk on this nation from the
time of Washington to Lincoln. Our
fathers began this nation gloriously,
and declared that all men are free and
equal, yet slavery existed for seventy
years, and foreigner coming to this
land during that time and asking
where our freedom was, only received
as reply blow or blush. Slavery
brought with it the policy that one
State of this nation could withdraw
and form a nation of its own. A ca
tastrophe was averted in 1880 by An
drew jackson and several times after
until 1860, when the people of the
north declared that Abraham Lincoln
should be president of the United
States. He then spoke of the great
conspiracy in Baltimore to assassinate
Lincoln.
At this time the last gunboat was
gone, the North taken up with money
making and the South defiant. One
Sunday morning Fort Sumpter was
fired upon and from San Francisco to
Portland, and FROM the north line to
the gulf, the sword was unsheathed
never to be sheathed again until it
was buried in one grave with the
shackles of 100000 of slaves. Lin
coin declared that slavery must be
put down if it took 100000 of Amer
ica's best blood to do it. Rev. Crosse
said that the campaign of the war
that followed we're unparalleled in
history of war. He then spoke of
several cases of hardship, sacrifices
and patriotism, one incident of the
latter being of small drummer boy,
who had been shot in one of his legs,
who said to passing soldier, "Put
me on your shoulder and let me drum
it through" He then spoke of the
prisons and of the man who had
charge of Andersonville, and who
hoasted that he was killing more
Union soldiers than the South had in
the front. He spoke of 4th of july
in Libby prison, of how the prisoners
made flag and hoisted it before day.
light; how the cheers, songs and hur.
rahs rent the air and how thu guards
rushed out.
Time, he said, would not permit
mention of the great leaders, not one
OF which was living, but their spirits
walk abroad. He thought the natior
was worth DYING for, and that it wa.
; great monumea It to the boys in blue
mi