The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-21
HIS EULOGY ON BARNETT
CHAPLAIN WEAVER, OF THE 18TH,
SAYS SOME FLATTERING THINGS.
officers Stand Head and Shoulders
Above Those of other RegI-
menIs, He Thinks.

undred-and-fifty-ninth Regiment was used
by Chaplain Weaver to express his regard
for and estimate of the command He espe-
cially denounced some statements made in
the newspapers representing a large amount
of ill-feeling in the regiment, particularly
in connection with Colonel Barnett The
assembly of soldiers, including perhaps a
thousand men. listened to the address at
tentively. During the meeting instrumental
music was furnished by the band, and Cap
tain Star and Adjutant Gebhart sang.
Among other things the chaplain said:
Il want to congratulate you men of the
One-nundred-and-h fty-ninth on your Splen-
dld behavior during these seven months.
without doubt you are the ceanest regi-
ment in the Second Army Corps. There
mas been less profanity and immortality
among you than in any regiment i have
seem The findings in the medical examina
tons is a mighty confirmation of my state
ment You had no battles TO fight with gun
or sword, but the hardest battles of army
life are not those fought with powder and
ball. 1t is a harder and fiercer struggle to
be faithful soldier in the daily routine
OF camp iife-meeting it's duties and resist
ing its many tempta tions-than to charge
battery. 1t requires more real bravery
TO uncomplainingly stand and drill in ex-
pectation of battle to stand and drill when
the battle is on; to stand and drill when
TO storm Santiago. And this you have done.
L am sure every officer is especially proud
of your behavior during the past two weeks.
close observation of the regiments not
only in the Second Army Corps, but else
where, leads me to the conclusion that the
officers of this regiment not only equal in
efficiency and moral behavior, but stand
head and shoulders above those of other
regiments. They together with your CO.
operation in the ranks, have made the
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES y-ninth the splendid
regiment that it is. Why is it that you have
lost fewer men than other regiments? Why
is it that fewer men have been sick? Why
is 1t, when you marched through the streets
or this city, you were the healthiest, bright
est and cleanest soldiers its inhabitants
have seen? Is 1t because the southwestern
part of this State is more healthy and it's
people more moral than in other parts of the
state? Hardly that 1t is because Of the
has been noted wherever it has been and
your hearty cooperation in that discipline
discipline that has brought censure upon
us from mtstnformed people, and yet dis
cipline that has made you the splendid SOL
diers you are. And just here, on behalf of
fathers and mothers of Indiana, / want to
thank Colonel Barnett for his fatherly in
terest in his men; for his wise precautions
to protect them from evil influences. 1t was
Colonel Barnett who, first by his clean,
pure life, and then by rigid but not at all
burdensome rules, set the pace for a high
moral standard in the Second Army Corps.
1t was he who first shut. the saloons from
this regiment, and finally had them BAN
ished from the entire camp. It was he who
first built barriers against the cigarette.
1t was he who first shut the camp doors
against immoral women. 1t was he's who
of all the colonies was seen most often in
the hospitals and among the sick. Yes, the
entire army and Nation are indebted to
him for his uplifting influence, for he was
found on the moral side Of every question
might,
Colonel Barnett has been cruelty criticised
by heartless, Understanding press in
some quarters for the very things for which,
If all the facts had been considered, he
would have been loudly praised We who
TO be an efficient, upright, kindly hearted
Christian commander, and 1t will be our
these false impressions. Would time per-
nit l should like to speak particularly of
each officer and man-of our genial lieu
tenant colonel, who has so faithfully met all
the duties of that office; of our alert and
efficient quartermaster who never came.
from the supply depot with empty wagons;
of our popular adjutant, whose sentorian,
but always musical voice was so often
heard on parade; of our earnest. faithful
surgeons, all too often unseen by the public
eye, but who in the quiet OF the sick tent
and hospital, in the night and in the day,
in rain and shine, by the death cot in the
still hours of darkness, did their work of
mercy; of our popular majors, each an eff
ticient and Christian soldier; of the line
officers, who were always careful for the
comforts of their men; yes, of each man
in the ranks who, rule, were faithful,
loyal soldiers. The brightest pictures on
my memory's walls will be of happy asso-
citation with YOU And now we are met
all of us meet here Nine have fallen by
the way and have been mustered out by
the great Mustering-out Officer of the Uni.
verse;
The speaker here read the names of those
who had died and where they We're buried.
Continuing, he said: These loved and true
and good, are with us no more. Their work
done. all done and we'll done they form an
advance guard on the other shore On the
farther side of the darkly flowing river
they are waiting and watching for us. We
meet to-day for the last time, and standing
here at the end of our military life as
regiment, l may say without exaggeration
that you, as a regiment, may look back
upon war reco-d of which, in the main
at least, YOU may be proud. You may not
indeed look upon fields of carnage but you
may look upon the faithful performance of
every command that came to you. The no
blest function of a soldier is to obey and
that you have done You may say that you
have been faithful, and faithful is the
highest term that may be applied to a sol
dier. There have been little differences and
MISUNDERSTANDING. Let that pass. Think
of others as they were when at their best
and the memories of camp life will be sweet
or and happier, for there is enogh good in
every life and enough brightness in every
condition to occupy the mind II we Will but
bring our minds to them AS we go TO our
homes let us remember that in the quiet of
home and business life there are battles to
be fought as fierce and far-reaching in their
results as those of military life. There are
duties to our government and to our fellow
men as responsible as those that come to
the soldier. Let us meet these duties in
the strength of our Great Commander, so
that one day He will pronounce us faithful.
Life is short. Soon-sooner perhaps than We
think-the routine of life will draw to
close and the angelic buglar standing yon-
der on the heavenly battlements will sound
the last retreat and the eternal taps, and
then the silence of the grave-silence did
l say? No, not silence. but the 'reVeille' of
an endless eternal day..