The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-05-28

Dut Onappreciated service.
Only One Who Has Made a Fortune.
Copyright, 1897. by the Author.l
Not many Americans of the present gen.
Ht1on-counting a generation at 40 years
know anything personally of war CORE
Ponuents. Our great civil war began SO
ears ago. 1t Is 3e since it closed. The
lajority of the correspondents In the field
~ now dead. OF about $50, or more
no described the events of the struggle
nth pen and pencil, only 30 or 40 are
live. This shows how active death ever
nlnong all classes at all ages. Not even
many would have survived had not
early all of them embraced tho calling
fh1le they were In the early twenties--
title more than boys indeed. The war for
be Preservation of the Union was fought
b very young men. They were styled
pterans at its termination, though4many
we're not then 3d.
The average duration of human life aft
+ maturity is much shorter than is,com-
monty believed Almost any one of good
constitution and In fair health will, 1t is
hought on reaching 81 continue until
10, or beyond. But it is not So. Accidents
md acute diseases, which are not and can
lot be taken into account beforehand, add
peotly to the average mortality. We do
bot, 1t Is generally held, begin to miss va
mncies in the ranks with which we set out
% our world march until we have passed
N1r sixth decade at least. But the vacan-
lies are really forced on our attention be-
ore SO, often even before 40. Let any man
6 40 or thereabout recall, If he can, how
many of the associates of his early boy
hood are still among his contemporaries,
md he will realize the truth of what has
oeen said.
The correspondents north and south of
he war, most of whom were almost for
yotten by the multitude, have recently
been commemorated. A memorial was
eompleted and dedicated to them last au-
51mn at Gapland, or Crampton's Gap, a
pass in the South Mountain range near
Burkittsyille, Frederick county, Md. The
scene of the battle of South Mountain,
which occurred Sept. IA, 1869, 1t is on a
branch of the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road. 1t is also in the vicinity of Harper s
Ferry, Cedar Creek, Antietam, 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 base, 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 en-
graved on tablets inserted in the memorial.
Some of the names, as those of Henry NJ.
Stanley, Henry j. Raymond, John A.
Cockerill, David b. Strother (Porte Cray
on) and the Comte de Paris, are not those
OF the war correspondents, They were In
scribed on the memorial for causes indirect
" connected with the struggle. Not few
Of the men recorded gained little promi-
nencc; 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 idea
Of the monument, who collected the money
for its building, about $4,000, and who
supervised the entire work, did his utmost
to Helect the proper names, but naturally
had great difficulty in deciding among the
conflicting claims. He certainly did what
he undertook to do very well, did 1t eco
nomically, consoientiously, wholly without
personal recompense But for him the
memorial would not in all probability have
been erected at ALL
The northern war correspondents surely
merit remembrance by the republic. They
endured, they suffered much in its behalf
and had no recognition either from their
country or the community. They were 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 one 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
deeds, brilliant daring in the extreme,