Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-05-29
WRITERSIN THE WAR
THEIR MEMORIAL AT CHAMPIONS
GAP AND IT'S RECORDS.
The Surviving wnr Correspondents and
what Some Of Them Are Doing--Thcir
Valuable but unspprcciated Service.
Only One Who Has Made = Fortune.

What Some of Them Are Doing--Thcir
Valuable hut unsppreciated Service.
Only One who Has Made = Fortune.
Copyright. 1897. by the Authorl
Not many Americans of tho present gen
Notwithstanding generation at 40 years
know anything personally of war corro-
spondonts. Our great civil war began 86
years ago. 1t liz 3e since It closed. Tho
majority Of the correspondents in the field
are now dead. OF about $50, or more,
who described the events OF the struggle
with pen ard pencil only 80 or 40 are
alive. This shows how active death ever
Is among nj. classes at all ages. Not even
80 ,nany would have s,Idved had not
nearly all Of them embraced the calling
whilo they were in the carly twenties-
little more than boys indeed. The war for
the preservation of the Union was fought
by very young men. They were styled
Veterans at Its termination, though many
were not then 80.
The average duration OF human life aft
or maturity IL much shorter than Ia com
monty believed. Almost any one of good
constitution and in fair health will; 1t is
thought, on reaching 81 continue until
90, or beyond. But It is not so. Accidents
and ncute diseases, which are not and can
not BIO taken into account beforehand, add
greatly to the average mortality. We do
not 1t is generally held, begin to miss va
cancies in the ranks with which we set ont
on our world march until We have passed
our sixth decade ut least But the vacnn-
cics arc really forced ON our attention be-
foro so, often even before 40. Lot any man
Of 40 or thereabout recall, II he can, how
many Of the associates of his early boy
hood are still among his contemporaries,
and he will realize the truth of what has
been said.
The correspondents north and south of
the war, most OF whom were almost for
| gotten by tho multitude, have recently
been concentrated. A memorial was
completed and dedicated to them last au-
tumn at Gapland, or Crampton's Gap, o
pass in the South Mountain range near
Burkittsyille, Frederick county, Md. The
scene of the battle Of South Mountain,
which occurred Sept. IA, 1859, 1t IL on n
branch Of the Baltimore and Ohio rail
road. 1t Is also in the vicinity of Harpor's
Ferry, Cedar Creek, Antietain, Gettysburg
and other fields famous in the four years
contest between the north and south. 1t
has been to people at large an obscure
place. The erection, however, of the me-
morial-a double feudal, picturesque gate
way, mainly Of granite and rubble stone,
some 60 feet high, having large arch at
the bnso, three smaller arches above and a
solid pictorial, striking tower on one side
tends to make the Gap noted and keep
the memory of the correspondents green.
The names of about 1870 of them are on
graved on tablets inserted In the memorial.
Some OF the names, as those of Henry NJ.
Stanley, Henry j. Raymond, John A.
Cookerill David b. Strother porte Cray
on) and tho Comte de Paris, are not those
of the war correspondents They were in
scribed on the memorial for causes indirect
| ly connected with the struggle. Not few
| of tho men recorded gained little promi-
| nence; others may not deserve to be there
| Others again, who were conspicuous In tho
| field have been omitted In the list. George
| Alfred Townsend, who originated the Id a
\ of the monument, who collected the money
for its building, about 90, 900, and who
| supervised tho entire work, did his utmost
| to select the proper names, but naturally
had great difficulty In deciding among the
| conflicting claims. He certainly did what
he undertook to do very we'll, did 1t eco
nomically, conscientiously, wholly without
| personal recompense. But for him the
memorial would not in all probability have
been erected Mt all.
! The northern war correspondents surely
merit remembrance by tho republic. They
endured, they suffered much in its behalf
and had no recognition either from their
| country or the community. They We're In
the army, but not of it. They shared all its
discomforts and dangers and none of its re-
wards. They were imprisoned, some of
them sent up for ono and two years; they
were wounded, even killed, but none of
the glory so bountifully extended to the
regular soldiers was theirs. Many Of their