The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-10-07
WELCOME HOME.
Volunteers Given a Feast Tues
day Evening.
A Reception to the Returned Soldiers,
Followed by Addresses by Well
Known Citizens,


royal welcome home Tuesday at
the Presbyterian church, at the hands
of Wilkin Post, the Woman's Relief
Corps and the Red, White and Blue
society. Thirty hive volunteers were
present in uniform, including officers
and men. Capt. Comstock's com pany,
forty strong, also turned out. Tue
volunteers were served with an ele-
CANT supper in the basement Of the
church, and after they were done,
Capt. Comstock's men were invited
down and served, The tables were
waited upon by number Of young
ladies.
A reception followed the supper,
and the occasion was very pleasant
one. So many bright uniforms gave
a martial appearance to the affair.
At about $50 o'clock, the exercises
in the audience room commenced. In
front of the pulpit was the national
colors on large shield. The atten-
dance of citizens was not as large as
was expected, and the committee was
disappointed in the music and recita-
tions that had been announced, but
otherwise the affair was very success
full.
DIR. Z. ]. Davis presided and made
a few opening remarks appropriate to
the occasion.
Post Commander w. N. Plymat
spoke Of the necessity OF war, and
how the arts of peace are advanced
by war He spoke of the necessity of
preparation, and said that If the Man.
kato volunteers had not participated
in the battles of the war, they had
done all that lay in their power to
further the cause of their country,
and all that opportunity made it pos.
sible for them to do. He welcomed
them home with the same cordiality
and the same honors as he would well
come Gen. Wheeler or Col. Roosevelt
Lieut.. Col. @. E, Johnson. Of the
Fourteenth Minnesota, responded on
behalf of the volunteers. He thanked
the people OF Mankato and especially
the ladies for everything that they
had done all summer for the boys. 1t
had been a Godsend to the boys and
all Of them appreciated it. On behalf
of the boys, he wished to thank them
all. .....s ...
Gen E. NJ. Pope was next introduc-
ed and gave brief address. The fol-
lowing is the text of his remarks:
SOLDIERS AND VOLUNTEERS:
I'VE have gathered and invited you
here that we may publicly acknow-t
ledge our appreciation of your services
and our gratitude to the God of Bat
ties, and the men with bayonets, for
your glorious achievements.
THE late conflict was but an inevi-
table incident in the evolution of
those moral principles aud those ma
terial forces which, in free America,
have combined to assert and vindi-
cate the rights Of man.
without reviewing, or restating
that, which to you is the familiar
history Of the present century, pass
to it's ultimate analysis and declare
that our cause, your cause, was free
dom's battle, bequeathed from sire to
son. And because your services were
gladly given, your sacrifices patiently
sustained, and your young lives freely
offered, in that holy cause, we should
hold You 10 p perpetual honor
mot alone for offers of service, but
for the grand results attained, we, as
loyal, loving Americans, are deeply
your debtors. ~
while, looking back through the
vista, upon your days and nights pas
sed beneath the southern skies, your
tedious and tireless routine of drill
and guard, and all camp duties. your
enforced disregard of climatic coudi-
tions and the conse quent discomforts.
necessarily imposed, and your need
less So fferiHgs from crminally incap-
able, careless and cruel. staff depart
meuts; some of you may forget that
all these were but episodes, and were
a preparation for the crucial test Of
your manly fiber. They served we'll
their parts in securing for you a trans
fer from the ranks of the many who
were called, to the files of the few
who were chosen. And by this ex-
perience you were equally fitted to
take your.place in the thin lines Of
battle, or in the powerful columns of
reserves.
ri know that each and all Of you re-
greet that it was not your fortune to
charge with the stormers of Ell Caney,
San Juan or Manila.
mot for worlds would 1 say or sug
gest that which would dim the lus.
tr Gus glory of those who on foreign
fields Haunted our flag and followed ii
to victory. But as you may recollect
about one-fOurth of our troops were