The record-union., 1896-05-30

| ~A~~>'Ss
pas Sake Mamie Garrett; recitation,
Decoration Day." Miss Neary's class
song. Miss Harrisonis class; song, Miss
Brogan's class; song, Miss Groth and
Miss Sherburn's classes; song, Amer
ica," school.
| FRANK MILLER'S ADDRESS.
l was a. scholar in the Sacramento
High School from 1857 to 1860; in 1861
entered Yale College The next year
enlisted in the Second Wisconsin In
fantry to serve in the civil war between
the North and the South. That war
lasted four years; two million men
fought eight hundred battles and half
million men were slaughtered.
Colonel Fox has published book of
tables compiled from the muster rolls
and gives to our regiment the credit of
| losing more men killed In action than
any other regiment in the service I
was detailed away from the regiment
most OF the time, but I managed to fall
in with my company at second Bull
Run and Fredericksburg and some
other events
To-day have been detailed to come
to this school to tell you to reverence
the stars and stripes, and to be always
ready to die for your country in time Of
war.
Let me begin by telling you of a
young man who became a private SOL
der. He was very much surprised to
find that he had to march all day, rain
OF shine, and sleep every night on the
ground. He got few hard and dry
crackers ITO eat occasionally he got
| cOv r. h< 4
sugar. He had big tin cup, and in
that he made his coffee as best he could.
He tore down fences and even houses
to get fuel in cold and wet weather He
saw many of his fellow soldiers sicken
and die from these exposures. He was
always ready to shoot at "a rebel when
ever he could see one, and the rebel was
just as anxious to shoot him. For all
this he got miserable pay and lost much
happiness and money while away from
his home and family.
His first duty was that Of standing
as a sentinel one night over a small
railroad bridge. He walked up and
down thinking over how brave he
would be If General Lee should ride
out Of the bushes ON white horse with
a drawn sword. Suddenly a couple of
bullets whistqed past his head; the rest
OF the squad seized their muskets and
ran out and captured some Of our own
men who were stealing pigs. This SEN
tinel then continued to walk his beat
thinking that he was in more danger
from pigs than he was from General
Lee.
This soldier boy got into his first bat
tie very Unexpectedly. He was march
ing along with his regiment one even
ing at sundown when some bombshells
fell near them: they came from a hill
on their left. The regiment wheeled
and charged UP that hill until they got
within three hundred feet of the en-
emy; then they halted and began to
fire through the smoke and twilight.
This young soldier Of whom 1 speak
had no gun, but he followed his regi-
nent up the HILL got a gun from the
first wounded man, and fell in behind
the waving flag. In moment couple
Of men in front Of him We're killed or
wounded, and he was In the front rank
leading and firing carefully. In those
days there were no breech- leaders; the
cartridges were made Of paper. He
bit the end Of the paper with his teeth
and tore the cartridge away from the
end, poured the powder down the muz-
zle and forced the ball down the barrel
with an iron ramrod; then he put on a
little copper percussion cap and then
he was ready to fire.
While he was loading for the fourth
time piece of shell struck his gun and
knocked him and his gun backward
down the hill. He rolled around quite
a little before he could get any breath
into his lungs, and he was very badly
| frightened, but he was not severely
hurt. He felt like another soldier who
was running away and when an officer
stopped him he begged to be allowed to
go back to the old farm and get into
| his fathers barn. When he was told
| that would do no good he answered that
| then he could go from the barn into
mothers kitchen! Well, this young SOL
der finally picked himself up from the
| ground and started for the rear. He
| then saw other regiments coming up
that hill with banners waving, in mag
nificent lines, and going into battle
at one hundred yards distance; not
the distance between two of our streets.
After the battle was over he saw the
most cruel sights in the world; the
!
hours and days before food and water
could be given to them; the bodies of
the dead became black and swollen be-
fore they could be buried. War is hor-
rible, but say to you young men that
when your turn comes you must go and
meet your fate like heroes. Every boy,
and, nowadays, every girl, wonders
whether they would be brave in time
- a ;,1y t11rv f1~
bravery is a very common thing. Most
people do their duty and that habit
makes them brave in any position. If
a person shirks his lessons and skulks
from his daily work, then that chap is
a coward, unless his vanity is strong
enough to make him fight little bit
| where people can see him. If I were
to pick out soldiers from this school I
should call for the roll Of faithful work
ers and should take them ALL 1 would
not take one who did not work at his
lessons. The best of soldiers do not
amount to much unless they are drilled
all the time. There is so much confu-
sion and SO many accidents that the
drill must provide for everything. At a
cannon the men and horses are taken
away one by one and the drill goes on
until any two or three Of the squad can
work the piece. At Antietam there
were two cannons almost within reach
of column of Confederates who were
charging against us. The horses and
men had been killed. Our General ran
forward, calling upon our men to fol-
low. They double loaded these two guns
in a few seconds with canister and
fired the dreadful bullets into the head
| n a ha a ct
and the guns were saved. Our General S