The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-12-16
Soon to be Citizens Again.

LUIS DiuS Tair 10 De the last week or
the enrolment of Company G, SD Michigan
Volunteers In the United States army.
Capt. r. j. Irvine who mustered In the
company and regiment last May has been
expected In this city at several different
times and it now seems that he will certain
ly be here to muster out the company
tomorrow. When this is done the part
of company G as an organization, In this
history making war just ended, will be
brought to close
When the OwOsso Light Infantry was
mustered into state service seven years ago
last October there were few who really
thought the organization would ever see
any actual service and fewer yet who would
have guessed that il 1t should see service,
ii would be on foreign soil and in the cause
of Cuban independence. And last spring
when the call came for volunteers, there
were many who thought that because Com
pany G was in the third Michigan regi-
ment that 1t certainly would not be sent out
until both the first and second had gone.
However, be that as 1t may, it certainly was
not an argument that the brave boys of
Company G took much stock in nor for
that matter did their wives, their mothers
and sisters, or their sweethearts. To all Of
them it was war with all its impending
hardships, all its hellish possibilities. There
IS no need Of talking of spirit of adventure
leading on the boys. The spirit of adventure
may often lead men into danger but II
seldom is strong enough to impel them to
sign away their liberty for two long years
as they were asked to do. The ruling
motive in the mind Of every man who
volunteered, whether he was accepted or
not, was as pure patriotism as ever thrilled
the breast of an American citizen and the
world does not need to be told what that
will do.
Before the company left for Island Lake
lasts pring 1t was recruited to its full strength
under the old law, and many others who
would have gone with the first, If they
could, were left at home. The new men,
bers, who could have stayed at home with
no discredit to themselves, il they had
wished to, could not be questioned as to
their patriotic motives and, as only too soon
proved, they were all comrades together on
an island where disease was the rule, health
the exception. There was scarcely moment
when the members who joined last April
were looked upon as other than comrades.
The later recruits Jared differently. With just
as much patriotism and with more time to
think the matter over calmly, they went
when the orders came to recruit the regi.
ments to their full complement. They
went, too, knowing that they would for a
time at least be the butt of the company's
jokes, thing which though coming in the
best natured way is not always easy to en-.
dure. Later events showed that the recruits
and at least two other members of the COM
pany were to be subjected to the humilia-
tion and the added disappointment Of being
left behind when the rest went on to Cuba.
But their motives were just as good and
they are entitled to the same credit as those
who went.
Of Company G in Cuba nothing need be
said here. Ow0ssO knows the story of how
her boys acted In the trying positions in
which they were placed there. The dan
gers of battle were bravely faced and the
greater dangers of disease were met with
equal bravery and no less patience. They
have made record which is credit to the
state and to the city of Owosso which gave
them up with pride and patriotic thrill of
joy but with reluctance and heavy heart.
And now the city of Owosso and the whole
community will within few days welcome
them back to the ranks of citizens, trusting
that while they have so nobly done their
duty on the military field, they may be nc
less ready and willing to fulfill the less
exciting but even more exacting and bur-
densome duties Of private citizenship.
Owosso has been proud of them as soldiers
and now expects that they will again give
her abundant reason to be proud of them as
citizens.