The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-09-05

Chicago Times .f3ssal6. s. \ u ''5 3:|
The COMMITTEES appetnted 81 ~ eoytl1 III
X % mark tho pcsI lclb ! ef IilinSla
II The battles cf chickai t11GA. Eln n Il
Ridge md LouAout mountajb tIAv6 s&SrIl,
|ned and approved ftty-twd rea tsbielx %
which Will Do affixed 70 granite ineNt
ments erected On ~ field 1t chickA-
maugA There u rothink u tho bloody
shirt In this. Il y designed 70 colnmsnz-
crate the action Of gallant men opposed
to men a gallant one q the results * \
the war was to demonstrate that Amer
lea PRODUCES the lucSt soldl0ry in tho
world. With commeudAblo patriotism
States have mnde appropriations
to mark the positions occupied BY their
troops also. Thus tho veterans Of tho
two surviving parties camp together at
night on fields where little more than
a quarter OF a century ago they sought
each others lives. They tell strange tales
at these reunions, and II the shades Of
the departed are ever allowed 10 revisit
the pulc gllnpses OF tho moon y ghostly
company gathers about them and listens
TO history. Such meetings 30 far toward
celebrating memories that still have
something OF bitterness.
The pleasantest Of tallxcrs is the old SOL
der. Always there is meat in his words
and almost always he is modest. Between
him AMI tho modern Is tho difference be-
tween the man who has seen and done
and the man who has read about 1t. Tho
scenes OF the war were so tremendous
and It's oataclysms so frequent that time
can not dim their recollection of them.
They are still as fresh IN the minds of
participants us arc the things of ysstcr-
day. A veteran once told me that not
day passed over his head that he did not
unwittingly recall half dozen battles in
which he had borne his part. Thus 1t is
that in any company Of men who were
mustered out in 1855 the talk invariably
roverts To that period. The old soldiers
are dying with increasing frequency, az IL
tho nature OF things, hut still there are
enough lett to make any gathering notable
by their presence. Charles Lever says that
so long as humanity exists men Will do
three thirgs-make war. make love and
gamble--and they can't be iegisiated OUT
OF II. Certainly. although we be all ad-
,ocates OF peace, we dearly love a war
ricr aud we exalt his horn. We love him
for the things he has done. we respect
him for his bravery, we look with veneer
alton upon his wooden leg ana we listen
with pleasure to his repeated tales OF
suffering and daring.
There are many ot these tales. and
some OF them are very beautiful. A man
who had been n private in an Illinois cav
airy regiment told me once OF an incident
OF the battle OF Jonoaboro. IIe and his
comrades had been dlamounted in the
edge of thick woods. and dismountcd cav
airy are The hardest OF troops to rout, In
front OF thvm was an open cornheld, Il
~ p,il wi La
Its further side. Re.entorcel by half
dozen companies OF infantry. possibly
1900 Federais lay p,rdu. In blnnder.
company OF Confcderates, not more than
ninety men all told, was ordered to Mt
tack. With yell the handful swept out
OF the opposite woods and charged across
tho field. AZ distance Of 100 yards 4
single volley disposed OF them. Those
that were loft wheeled and sc1mpered back
TO their position. One, however, re-
NAMED Ne WINS the captain In command
and had been far In advance OF his men.
When he found himself deserted he
stopped and folded HIS arms Sixty yards
away alone In the wide field. the summer
| sun pouring down upon the silver gray
! Of his uniform, he stared stanchly into
| the eyes OF 1900 foencn. He was only
| n beardless boy and the newness OF liia
| clothing showed that he was but few
| days from home. All down the long line
| OF Fedcrals ran cry: Don't shoot him!
| Don't shoot him. lie gave the military
salute ard marched steadily back to his
| men. Not q gun was fired.
| Not long ago an cnterprising Snowman
| ran a "cyclorama' in Fort Worth. Texas.
| This "cyolornma' showed with remarkable
fidelity the battle OF Chickamauga. A
trinity built Federal veteran. with an
empty sleeve pinned across his breast and
wand In his remaining hand. pointed out
the noted generals and main Incidents OF
the combat. There was an ex-confedcr-
ate reunion at Dallas thirty miles away
and one afternoon a former johnny
wont to Fort Worth and took In the show.
Hc was loaded TO the guards With corn
whisky and forced 10 go very slowly
around the bends, but hia heart was at
peace with all the world. de listened 10
the talk for awhile and then approached
tho nan with tho ward. 'Podner he
said, was you at the frst Manassasf'
Nope" said tho Federal WAS you at
Chi thic) ickamaugn?" Yep" "Podner.
wc won the firsh Manassas" Yep An
we los Chi (hic) ickamauga." Yep.
AN you was at tn firsh Manassaar y
| None. | told YOU" "An' you vas at
| Chi fhic) ickamauga?" Yep. | told YOU"
| apodner, I've seen $1,000 OF you fellers.
| You was all at Chi thic) ickamauga and
| none of you was tn frsh Manassas. ~
tn fjrh MANASSAS, podner. think We
| killed every 49, one OF yoti.'
| General Joe Wheeler of Alabama, q
Southern cavalry leader, delights to tell
of the meeting between two veterans OF
| opposing sides In New York beer gar
den. They had been introduced by mutual
| friends and bathed their new acquaintance
| In beer. or course the talk reverted to the
| war. THE land IL at peace. said the
| Southerper who lacked an arm. and We
| are oil brothers again. Neither side has
surrendered its principles. but both have
accepted the arbitrament Of the sword
| love the brave men who fought against
me- sub, almost as much as love the
brave men who fought with me- s'Here.
too" said the Northerner cordially. His
left leg had been buried In Virginia.
oMre beer. THE hottest place was ever
in" continued the Scartherner. was near
| Culpeper Court House, down In Virginia,
| s,,h Wa wars living In a shallow ditch ON