The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-24
IN HOLDING MEN TOGETHER,
WHO FoJ7GHT HARD IN THE LATE
WAR OF THE REBEL
LION
TEARS WORK WAS REVIEWED,
with the Result That the Session
Was More Than ordinarily
Interesting.

hall at the capitol yesterday afternoon
The meeting was called to order py Tue
president, Mrs. r. M. Newport WHO
requested the flower girls to take the
front row of seats, that their presence
and the sight of the dainty bouquets
they carried might lend inspiration TO
the speakers. The ladies began their
session with the singing Of America;
The report of the last monthly meetlng
was then read by the secretary, ana
was approved as read. Major M. Z.
Wilkinson, the subject Of whose paper
had been announced as who Won the
Battle?" gave the address, which was
the chief feature of the afternoon AS
an introduction, Major Wilkinson said
that he had changed his theme to
"Conouerors," since that title best in
dicated his thoughts. The first part of
the paper has a special interest, since
the sketch of the BOY at Arlington
is really autobiographical. The major
said:
Seated in front of his tent on Arlington
heights, Va in July 1861, was "a young
soldier, a subaltern officer in New York
regiment
his owzs company had been to direct large
detachment Of his regiment IN making tae
first slashing in the beautiful park III rear
of Lees historical mansion
Across the Potomac, within his view stooq
the nations capitol, with the most IeaF5ul 5il
War-storIn center of the centuries rapluIy
encircling it. Over the long bridge coluliiHs
of troops were constantly crossing 10 tAls
Virginia side. ,,. sz
him slim bIue-eyed, not brawny OF arm or
deep of chest-in fact, his five 1eet ten ana
over seemed largely laid out, but rather
thinly settled. He was type but not Oh
But a vision other than the one we de-
scribe quite shut out all else; 1t was quiet
little church yard near d beautiful village III
a lonely valley in the interior OF MS own
This church yard held an unmarked grave.
1t was that of his mother ;.
His country's call had made 1t I'M
7,ossible to carry out his dearest the alb
sorbing purpose of his Efe, that a ntting
testimonial of his own selection shouiu nIaih ar h
that sacrded spot. But now, aIas, the wal
with it's possibilities, nay, more, lts pTU2a-
bilities-how often since has ne hVed thdt
night over again, that one gwen TO the sIuuy
of fitting monuments for the loVeu anu VS.
Nav It not be said that sometimes moth
ers help more dead than living? The outcome
of this soldiers reflections mlght susgTsC
such a thought HIS meditations ran: Inc
foundations of his mothers monument shouiu
he we'll and strongly laid. Tne 1nterInlndDle
years should witness how well; of mar9le,
white or gray? Just then taps were soundeu
flights OUT might sound for him before
the war was over. Yet, after all, what monu5
ment would please her most? one OF IRON anu ~
marble in that far away, silent church yaru
The soldier rose, and, with his up-turheo
face to the heavens in the quiet OF thaI Houi,
caught the inspiration that was 10 pe ms
polar star in all the years OF the war, SO
MANY as Coo might give him, for ne salq
''But for my mother not this brain, II sndn
harbor no thought that would PAIN ner; DuI
for her not these lips, she shall STAND guard
md hands
oniv upon whom her benediction might rest.
He himself would be her monument, ana IN
all his soul he knew that tnat purpose "ouiu
have pleased her most. n,
In all the years of the war TINS oeu!caIlo1 "
himself never ceased to inspire his daily lie,
and in this he was DuI type VI Ai"i5 INV
sands more. IT, ;4l
Does not the historian certify US that with
Homer and Pericles woman was slave, anu I
only a little better, a goddess with chNaTy
and Don Quixote? and but toy ana playthlng
with Chesterfield and the clubE II Is the
crowning glory Of the centuries that IN tne
American daughter wife and mother has been
found the fairest flower, the greatest prom
ise of the highest possible civilization Ana
this mother we proclaim the conqueror III
ali the bloody fields of the Rebellion.
The first to fall in my own company, NOR
tally wounded, at Antietam, just there In
front of the Dunkards' chlrch, ana near ear
the head of Bloody lane, the bloodiest OF the
war was a corporalj two comrades carried
h.m from the field. Late in the day my regi-
ment was relieved from the support OF q bat
tery and 1 hastened to look after some
wounded the corporal among the numper;
finding him with hundreds CT others, sought
the help of a surgeon, who came only at my
very earnest request. One look OF ms sur,
feed Dropping ON one knee by my faithful
corporal's side it mine to tell him that
he must die Should l reach home would
he give me some message for his mother?
His hand tightened on my own when he
heard the fatal words that he must de. A
tear, and then another slowly tod their own
pathetic story but quickly recovering hlIn1 nm
self he firmly said Captain, you can tell
mother that 1 never disObeyed an order, can
you?
That was his dying his only his last mes
sage
Where got he this lesson of obedience? the
best, the grandest ever fought or learned?
In the Christian, Amer can home, and who
was the conqueror? AS for the corporal, he
obeyed. even unto death: Whom? His moth
er, his country and his God.
Just how fitting are Garie-d's words, Gar
field the son of another such mother: "A
noble life crowned with heroic death far out
lives the pride and pomp and glory of the
mightiest empires of the earth
Such was my corporal's life and death, and
he also was but type.
1t was a great day for the troops in and
about Wash ngton. Pennsylvania avenue was
selected as the focal point. At the fixed hour
the different regiments were assembled, ranks
were opened and then and only then, did
we know what it was all about. The famous
Billy Wilson zouaves, Of New York city, ar
rived that day and were to receive ngu- ar
and special honor. They were headed for the
front.
An, me, will it ever be forgotten those
pangs Of envy that surged through the hearts
of the poor country boys, the slim Jims, "
as they were called, who really const tuted
this army Of reception. as they did in fact
of the whole army-but the Zouaves! the
"Zoo-Zoos," " as they so dearly loved to be
called. Out from the depot they came, and
as they turned into the avenue with drums
beating and flags flying, it was sight to al
most paralyze. With intervals between their
files they filed their allotted space; on they
came, each regiment standing at present
looked. Here at last at last, We're the fight
broad and sinewy shoulders their jaunty lit
tie caps were set at the proper angle on their
defiant heads, so that the dazzling tassels
had no interrupted swing-there were the
brawny arms, the chests so deep; such legs
such calves Bright red jackets and 200
ZOO trousers, and white leggings, too-yes
red was the color for these fighters, and their
step had such an easy confident swing to it.
and the cheers that the loyal thousands gave
them on that July day in 81 they were long
and loud.
That ended it.! The boys, the reception
BOYS. all said never a johnnie Reb" would
we ever see broom would sweep every
mothers son of them into the Gulf of Mex
leo after one such sight as we that day be-
held so we said to each other and we wrote