The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1899-06-16

ago. when here then they were 1900
strong; now about one hundred. A let
ter was then read by Comrade Webster
from the donor of the supper Major
Jas. G. Butler, of St. Louis. Mo-, who
enclosed check for 500 for the same
On motion the report of the committee
on resolutions was adopted and vote
of thanks given Major Butler
The toastmaster then with witty re-
marks introduced Major, Wilcox who
in responding to the toast "The Sol
dier at the Front" said that he was
greatly gratified to be here with the
boys again, gratified too that one of
their comrades would send them the
money for their banquet. They had
risked their lives for their country.
They loved their country then and they
have loved their country every moment
since. That was the material of which
the boys were composed. They would
have willingly gone again. They went
because they loved their country, that
only could have made them endure the
sufferings of the battles, and yet though
the sufferings were great, there were
streaks of sunshine. Among other
stories, the speaker told humorous
anecdote of one of the chaplains who
took carriage top from confederate
plantation on rainy day and wore it
to keep off the rain, the protesting
hostess when she heard that the offend
er was a chaplain, saying, 'Great
Heavens if your chaplains steal no won
der the soldiers do" But, besides saw
ing the country, defeating the confed-
crates and then by generous action
compelling them to admit that we were
right, since then we have been instru-
mental in creating a spirit of patriotism
which has spread over the whole land.
Justice G. B. McCaughna in replying
to the toast, "a Recruit in the Regular
Army" reminded the old soldiers that
though things were in a peaceful state
in the middle states in the seventies
and eighties, they were not so In the
west and it was in '87 that he found
himself in Jefferson barracks in Mis-
souri,. If recruit here didn't come up
to scratch he was enlisted into the 7th
cavalry of somewhat rough fame, then
doing duty in the Black Hills. For
some unaccountable reason the speaker
found himself among some eighty who
were sent to that command. On the
way he travelled part of the route by
stage, having ticket which had been
issued to an Indian-the first time he
had ever travelled on scalper's ticket.
After leaving the army and meeting
with his old comrades at Chicago during
the Worlds Fair, he learned to know
what a reunion meant, and the words
with which he closed were full of sin.
cerity and meaning.
Rev. G " Northrop then spoke upon
''The Soldier as a Citizen" He was
not here the first time the regiment
took supper, forty years ago, but was a
member of early infantry" when
others went to the front And yet as
he had looked out on men he had seen
the loyalty. He. had seen that the
soldier who was loyal on the field could
also be loyal when he returned to his
home. Whether man be in the fields,
or in ditch, or in the chief executives
chair, he can be true to himself, can
honor his calling. The men before him
had graced their true callings as citi-
zens. And in closing he expressed the
hope that their last years may yet prove
the best and that their loyalty and
devotion to country and duty would
still be as strong as ever within them.
Comrade j. w. Fitzgerald, of St.
Johns, then spoke of "The Soldier as q
Recruit" This county has made a
great deal of history since the boys of
the sixties raised their right hand and
swore allegience to the flag. The war
with Spain has stirred up the loyalty of
the south and the new recruits that
came from the south were as loyal as
the boys of the north in the sixties
Perhaps he was not to speak of the re-
cruits of '9S, however. Pelhaps it was
to be of those coming in laAer than '6l
in the union army and if IA, then he
spoke with authority, for he Fas one Of
the new recruits. Numerous INSTANCES
of the laughable treatment O; the re-
cruits were given, as was also pathetic
tribute to the most dreaded of NJ dis.
eases, home sickness. Whether re-
cruits, or veterans of 81, all had to
have courage and the same courage
which had made the veteran before,
soon made the recruit veteran also.
Rev. Hanks was then introduced az
Rev. N. Hanks, but protested that thsl
toastmastsr must have been thinking OF
Nancy Hanks, and also protested that
he wasn't training in the same class
with Nancy" More seriously he said,