The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1898-06-23
THE REDWOOD GAZETTE.
BY AIKEN l. scHmAHL.
THURSDAY, JUNE %, 1898.
CHAPTER ON WAR.
present Struggle Not to be Com
pared With the Civil War.

pared With the Civil War.
To THE EDIToR:-At this time, when
the public interest is so intently fixed
ON the events of the war for the free
dom of Cuba, it may be instructive to
recur to some of the events of the civil
war passing 35 years ago. To say
that the affair of to-day cannot be
compared with the stirring events of
the summer of 1868 is putting it too
mildly. One might as we'll class the
mild zephyr of spring with an August
cyclone. From the beginning of the
war up to July '63 the Confederates,
an the main, had the greater success.
The month of June was one of great
anxiety to the people of the north. If
we may say that there was darkest
day in the conflict, surely it was dur
ing this month.
With Grant hammering away at
Vicksburg with view to free the
Mississippi to commerce; large part
of the Confederate army under an
able commander, deemed invincible
10y his soldiers, invading the north
with it's destination whether Washing
ton, Philadelphia or Harrisburg an un-
certainty; affairs Eat intermediate
points between Washington and Vicks-
burg hanging in balance; rumors of
foreign Intervention; discomfort with
the conduct of the war; prominent
citizens, among whom we're many
politicians, taking ground but little
short of treason; noted copperhead
and pronounced disunionist nominated
aor governor of Ohio; thousands of
our men starving in southern prisons;
every home in the land, with father,
son, relative or acquaintance in the
army, with the future of the govern
ment and fate of 100000 bondmen in
doubt, surely the clouds we're heavy,
oominous and without ray of hope,
except that the loyal people of the
north could not believe that the God
81 battles intended the destruction of
the nation. There is an inspiring les
son at this late day to leave this gloom
aud dependency and turn to the
cheering record opening with the bat
tie of Gettysburg on July Sd and cap
ture OF Vicksburg on the 4th, and fol-
lowing the many minor victories re-
corded in July. The most notable
events of the month, though aside
from the two victories noted above,
are indicated in two proclamations is
sued by President Lincoln and Jeffer-
son Davis The following account of
which appeared in Harper's Monthly
for September 1868:
"The 9Th of August1was:appointed
10y proclamation of the President,
Bearing date July 18th, to be observed
as day for national Thanksgiving,
praise and prayer because it had
pleased Almighty God to hearken to
she supplications and prayers of an af-
f1icted people, and to vouchsafe to the
army and navy of the United States,
on the land and on the sea, victories
so signal and so effective as to furnish
reasonable grounds flor augmented
confidence that the union of these
States will be maintained, their consti-
sutton preserved and their peace and
prosperity permanently secured On
the other hand jefferson Davis, as
President of the Confederate States
by proclamation dated July 25th, ap-
pointed the 2lst of August to be OBJ.
served as dav of fasting and prayer
on account of the reverses which the
Confederate cause had sustained. Mr.