The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-08-21

tected. 1t well deserves to be kept as
small national park.
At the next general celebration, per-
haps a dozen years hence, the veterans
of the battle will all be gone except a
few lettering old men, nearing the last
scene of all that ends the strange
eventful history of one August morn
ing in Missouri when brother met
brother in battle array.
Two points came out with great dis
tinctness in the reunion. One is that
the veterans are getting to be old men.
They had various plans for long
marches, but they were abandoned af-
ter the condition of the heroes of '61
was seen. Many were anxious to take
a long march under the hot sun, but
they were persuaded to be prudent and
not attempt it. The average age of
the men who fought at Wilson Creek
was %. Now it is go. and the old SOL
diers physically show the differ
ence between leading a life of ease
n serving in active warfare for
three or four years. 1t was curious to
see the wiry young regulars stepping
buoyantly, a d the veterans marching
near without the old swing of youth.
h young soldiers looked like those of
a third of a century ago, and the old
soldiers like spectators of their own
army era. Those statistics showing
how many veterans will survive 20
years from now are absurd. The sur
vivors of 80 years old and upward will
be comparatively few. Octogenarians
are scarce, counting both sexes, in any
country.
The other point referred to is the
complete determination of the union
and confederate soldiers. They have
reached a time when they mingle to-
gether as comrades and are ready to
divide with each other, regardless of
having been oil opposite sides. iii
tell you what l think" said a union
soldier, 1.-The time is coming when the
national military homes will have but
a few of the old boys left, and 1 hope
the government will use some OF the
spare room on equal terms for crippled
and disabled confederates. would do
this because they are American citizens,
and as brave soldiers as ever stepped.
Our government has been liberal in
closing up the old scores of the war,
and it can still afford to be generous"
The veterans were formed in two
lines, the blue and the gray side by
side, and the Marine band led the
march to the ground in front of the
grand stand. Here the lines were sep
arated several rods, and the United
States infantry. in full uniform ap-
preached from the interior of the fair
grounds, commanded by Capt. Rod
man. The officers of the regular troops
rode into the center of the space be-
tween the two lines of ex-soldiers and
were introduced to the veterans by
Col. Harrington. Capt. Rodman made a
short speech to the old soldiers, ex-
pressing his pleasure in being permit
ted to see SO many men who had
learned the lessons of war on the bat
tle-field. He had brought out his men
to show the veterans of many great
battles some of the later movements
of army tactics. He hoped the survivors
of the war of thirty years ago would
enjoy the little display of the military
art about to be exhibited. The vet
Grams cheered the officer with en-
thusiasm as he concluded his address
and rode away to advance the troops.
The regulars marched through the
passage between the lines. and as the
1900 -,E1 fo,-bH ,r;t1 500, 81 D..oo
at Wilson Creek beheld the perfect |
movements and improved arms Of the
regulars the pride of the soldier again
glowed in the features of the old vet
Grams. The mountaineers of Missouri
and Arkansas who nodded their
own bullets the night before the
battle of Wilson Creek and
picked the fints in their
squirrel rifles, must have wondered
what would have been the fate of
Lyons army had such guns been in the
hands of old "Pap's" boys on the 10th
of August, 1861. Following the regu-
lars came the First regiment, and the
st. Louis guards were loudly cheered
as they marched by the veterans. The
troops then moved out into the fair
grounds and gave an exhibition of
skirmish drill for an hour.
About 400 veterans also were in line
for an hour, but after a short counter
march they took seats in the shade on
the grand stand. There they watched
the tactics used in the United States
army at the present time, and
were aole to compare them with the old
Hardee drill, with which they were
familiar SO years ago. The points of
are a ~ The marching
pace itself is a little faster, put the
manual of arms is so changed that an
old soldier would be compelled to learn
the trade over again. Cartridges
are not torn by the teeth now,
and ramrods and printing are unknown.
Guns are handled more swiftly. and the
from the flank march into
line of battle, Dr. vice versa, is very
quickly performed. In the skirmish
drill the company reserves are a novelty
to the old soldier. When the order is
given to fire, the rapid pumping of the
magazine guns is new to him, but when
the charge came with a yell the vet
Grams were entirely at home, and joined
In the shout with deafening effect from
the benches. They felt that while Our